Baltimore

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Glyndon Area Players Perform at Hon Fest on 36th Avenue in Hampden

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Last year around this time I had moved out of my pool house and was living out of boxes in New Orleans, thanks to the kindness of friends. I was also reading all about Baltimore, and I read about Hon Fest, a street festival celbrating Baltimore’s iconic “Hon.” Yeah~I had no idea that was an icon. And then there was the part where some lady tried to copywrite “hon,” and I was all, like, that’s like copywriting “Who dat.” That guy from Kitchen Nightmares came in and got her to drop the copywrite, so she’s I guess less of an asshole now. And now I’m here, it’s Hon Fest, and I was on my bike to Hampden to check it out. There are food vendores, the local photography vendors, the jewelry and pottery and incense and beer stands. There were three music stages, and the first made me miss New Orleans more than anything. I stopped at the main stage, though, and I saw the Glyndon Area Players performing Broadway and pop hits; they were so good, especially the guy who did “My Girl.” We were all totally in to it, for real, and the kid got more and more confident as we shrieked, which meant more runs and higher notes. Awesome. Yeah, it’s just like any other street festival in the country, but the Glyndon Area Players from out Reistertown Road are only here, so there. I kept walking, got ice cream, listened to 9 Mile Limit, our local rock/roots/reggae band for awhile, watched an odd mix of folks dance along, and then headed back home for a read and a nap. Thank you, Saturday.

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Tracks to Nowhere at Eden & Eastern

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Today’s ride was almost identical to yesterday’s, but I took right one block sooner than usual, which meant new streets, including Eden, which at Eastern Avenue gets railroad tracks that just end where to asphalt takes over. There used to be an entirely different infrastructure here, traces peeking out here and there, but today we act like the way our streets are is the way they have to be. I mean, the struggle to get one stinking bike lane… I pedaled along, ran my errand, ate ice cream, had some coffee, finished my book, and then I was back up the hill to home. Oh, summertime, you are lovely.

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Crowd At Mt. Vernon Square for First Thursdays

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Today’s ride took me to Hampden for an errand and some writing, to lunch at BMA with V. and her parents, down the hill to Patterson Park and the Can Company for another errand, and then to Mt. Vernon Square for First Thursdays. I locked up the bike before running into B. and G. in their car. I hopped in as we looked for parking–a much easier task on a bike–and then we walked over to meet the already-huge crowd. We got beers and sat on the curb and caught up. G. quite aptly declared the crowd “a Sutter Home crowd,” B. unhelpfully pointed out that come November, all these folks are going to vote on our civil rights–I mean, can youimagine?– and I thought to myself that we were all finding this event a lovely way to spend the evening, likely oblivious to the part where this whole thing was brought to us by Baltimore City Parks & Rec while we’re closing community centers all over the city, but this is just a lovely summer tradition, and then, after awhile, the sky looked like it was going to open up, so I raced it home. At every intersection, to the left and the right, you could look right under the storm and see the pink sky on the other side. So, so pretty. Why in the world would I take my car on a day like this?

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Buildings Being Demolished on Druid Hill Park Lane & Linden Avenue

I’m back home in Baltimore, and after a day of rest it was time to take the Surly out for a trip around Druid Hill Park to see if anything’s changed. After a few days on the Brompton, it was good to be back on the touring bike, all stretched out and high up. Man, I love that bike. I pedaled over to Hampden, made a couple of stops, and then headed toward the park for a quick ride around the water. Continue reading →

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ABF U-Pack Moving Pods at St. Paul & Chase

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Summer school started today, so no time for a longer bike ride in the slightly cooler day, but I did take the Surly down the hill for drinks and dip with friends in Mt. Vernon, a ppace I would never go by car. As I was unlocking my bike I noticed three of those moving pods and a U-Haul truck~it’s that time of year again, but this year I am not one of those poor souls packing up and trying to figure out the best way to get things you feel like just burning from one end of the country to the other, and where to park whatever moving vessel happens to win out. Nope, this summer I’m staying put, just riding my bike up and down the hill, just like I like it. Godspeed to the rest of you!

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Row of Houses at Potomac & Fait

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It was another scorching and humid day in Baltimore, and I spent most of it working and reading in front of the window ac unit and wondering if this is an unseasonable heat wave or if it’s just going to be this hot for the next five months. To be honest, I didn’t exactly feel like going out on a bike in this weather, but I best get used to it, or it will be a long summer off the bike and whining. (And yes, I know I bicycled daily through multiple New Orleans summers, but that doesn’t make this less hot. And yes, I know I grew up in Idaho, but I haven’t lived there in almost 20 years, and I still get cold in cold weather.) I took the Surly down the hill and against Beryl’s fingertips blowing hard on our way to Patterson Park, where the drinking fountain was out of order. Not cool, man. Then I biked around, panting, until I hit the shops at Brewer’s Hill, I think it is~the sandwich shop has mad air conditioning and unsweetened iced tea! After my break I headed home. Cloud cover was rolling in, and that made the ride back exceedingly more pleasant. I stopped at the stop sign at Potomac & Fait and snapped this picture of the same house after house after house; this block needs some serious tree action to stay reasonable during the summer. That house in the middle has built a deck on top~now we’re talking. I hope they can install one of those misting fans up there. Pedal, pedal, pedal, and then I was home. Sometimes a ride is all about the weather.

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Roger Taney Memorial in Mt. Vernon Square at Monument & Charles

I woke up early, finished my book–so good–and then it was time to lug Brompty down the stairs to ride  to the Jackson & Lee monument over by the BMA for a historical tour of Baltimore monuments. They’re there on horseback, and etched at the base is this: “They Were Great Generals amd Christian Soldiers and Waged War Like Gentlemen.” Then we weaved in ways I never would to get down to the Battle Monument on Calvert and Lexington, the first public memorial to a war, but not the last. Continue reading →

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Bricks in the Water Along the Gwynns Falls Trail Near Harbor Hospital

Finally, grading’s done, workshops have been attended, and the sun has emerged after days and days of gray, which means, of course, that it was time for a bicycle ride. I took the Surly out to run some errands and then we headed over to the Convention Center, because I vaguely remember hearing there’s a heavy metal convention in town, and my ride downtown featured creative dodging of many pedestrians who looked like they might be in town for a heavy metal convention, so of course I wanted to see if I could get myself in there. Continue reading →

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Cloudy Skies at Druid Hill Park

I woke up early to a lovely morning and then an afternoon full of work. My whole self wants to be on summer vacation, but I’ve got a whole lot of everything still on my plate, which means I am just tired, weary, and not very excited to be stuck at my computer. Today, I didn’t even feel like riding my bike, so lazy was I. Continue reading →

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Tall Flowers in Charles Village

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It was a beautiful day for bicycling today-warm, clear blue skies, the farmer’s market and the Love Parade and Bike Jam in Patterson Park and all kinds of summer events best bicycled between. But the cat was having issues, so instead she went in her box and and we drove to a drop-in clinic and waited and waited, leaving with a lighter wallet, some antibiotics, and yowling from all involved parties. When S. called to see if I wanted to join her and friends for brunch I squeaked out a yes and took the Surly-I wanted to feel at home-and sped down the hill for a lovely late meal in the sunshine before biking back up the hill to see if the cat could be coaxed to leave the safe confines of the inside of a boxspring. I snapped this picture of some tall yellow flowers blooming in Charles Village; summer, you are so pretty, and I trust you’ll provide many more days of bicycling to make up for my having to miss this particular one.