I had a most lovely day today, picking blueberries and swimming in the Bouie river under a crazy bright sun. No, I didn’t ride my bike there. But next time I visit, I am most definitely bringing the Surly for a ride on the Longleaf Trace, blueberry smoothie to follow. When I got back to town I immediately jumped on the bike and headed to a presentation at the local bookstore of a great new book about a 19th century bike randonneur. Continue reading
Uptown
Exposed Pipe at Octavia and St. Charles
I have never lived in a town that wears as much of its skeleton on the outside as this place. There are the literal skeletons in their above-ground tombs scattered all over the city, but there is also the skeleton of infrastructure–outfrastructure?–that’s always poking through the surface. Continue reading
Truck and Flowering Tree at Camp and Toledano
My legs were kind of wilty today after yesterday’s ride so I kept my ride to the commute to campus for class and then back home. I pedaled along, noticing the lushness that all this heat and humidity give us. Back at the beginning of spring we got the brilliant azaleas and that insidious cat’s claw and the cloying jasmine. I always feel a little sad as the heat comes on because I know it’s the end of that first wild color, but lately as I ride around I’ve been noticing the outrageous fuschias and purples and the sparkling bright whites of these flowering trees. Continue reading
Containers at the Carrollton Water Treatment Plant on Monticello and Claiborne
Today is my blog’s second birthday. I started the blog to gently mock my sister’s daily blog of her lunch (check it out–it’s actually sublime). I certainly didn’t expect to still be writing it, almost every day, two years later. But here we are, I’m still riding and writing, and both still bring me immense amounts of pleasure. One of the things the blog has done is forced me to pay attention as I move through the world. Continue reading
Peregrine Falcon Kite With Realistic Wing Flapping Motion at the Fly
It was another hot and humid day in New Orleans, the sun was shining, and S. was still in town, so after riding our bikes to campus for class, we headed over to N.’s for po-boys at Domilise’s and a bike ride to the zoo. Well, Domilise’s was closed unexpectedly, and the zoo’s closed on Mondays, so we grabbed sandwiches at a terrible restaurant and decided to ride over to the levee to look at the Mississippi River. I could look at that river forever. Continue reading
Pink Skies Over Constance and Valence Streets
As I was cycling Uptown in my black dress under the beating sun, struggling a little to breathe in the heat and humidity, I wondered if every blog for the next six months will start with a remark about the weather. Maybe, maybe not, but today it was hot in a whole new way. It was that choking heat, the kind that makes you slow way down, reminds you why everything’s a little slower in the South. Continue reading
Oak Tree and Gray Sky Over Tulane
All that humidity? Yeah, it was a long preamble to today’s downpours. It was sunny and thick when I left for work this morning, but by the time class had let out the streets were ponding with water and I was wishing I’d gotten those fenders on the Surly yesterday. Always tomorrow with the damn fenders! Anyway, I poured the rain out of my helmet and headed to the library to pick up a book I’ve been anxiously awaiting via that magic bit of socialism known as Interlibrary Loan. Continue reading
Humidity. So. Much. Humidity.
I am still acclimating. It is really getting hot out there, but more than that, it’s the humidity. The air is so thick. It is so heavy. I swear, it’s like swimming out there. I was running a little bit late on my way to work this morning so I had to pedal hard. Before I even made it a few blocks I was dripping with sweat. Just dripping. I swear, if you’re wearing cotton, wear a size smaller because it gets wet and just hangs. Continue reading
Post-Wedding Clean Up at the Van Benthuysen-Elms Mansion
What did I see riding my bike around today? Well, I saw a lot of bachelorettes. It’s wedding season, and it’s everywhere. Last weekend’s ride through City Park, for example, ran me through three different weddings. I rode my bike down to the Quarter for a few tweaks to the Surly at the bike shoppe, and then to R.’s for writing group with him and S. Then it was back on the Surly to La Petite Theatre to volunteer for tonight’s performance of Noche Flamenca. Continue reading
Loose Gravel at Baronne and Polymnia
I’m having a bit of a front derailleur issue that I haven’t had time to deal with, so the Specialized is getting extra riding time. The bike is quick and nimble and those skinny tires offer such a low rolling resistance it can feel like flying. It most definitely did when I hit the brand spankin’ new asphalt on Loyola. So, so nice! I’ve been cursing the resurfacing there for awhile. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 