Two bike system

I have multiple bikes, and each bike has a specific function. I always thought this to be a little excessive, but there you go. I am a bicycle nut. Recently, on a trip to the Netherlands, I found out that many Dutch people have two bikes. They have a town bike (beater bike) and a good bike for using on onger treks in the country. Wow, that sounds familiar. The country of 16.4 million people has 18 million bikes.

The above picture is a bikeway sign in a small town called Schoonhoven. It was a very neat little town that I had too-little time to explore. But I have this the picture below to remember it by...

emergent...

A few weeks ago now, as the snow was really melting, I came across this on a ride. What a sign of spring, eh? Emerging from the snowbank, in a drainage ditch, there sat a child's bike. It had obviously been in "storage" for the winter.

I am continuously amazed by what I see along the side of the road. Really, the same is true for the shore and along the banks of a river. In much the same way that "middens" tell us about past societies, this detritus certainly forms a picture of our society. What we let go tells much about what we are.

make way for the ducklings

No Joke, I just saw traffic stop for a pair of Mallard ducks crossing the street. ok, sine. But they were in a commercial district and they were using the sidewalk. Life imitating art...

The garbage truck driver will not see you...

On a bike, you have to know that cars will not immediately see you, and you can never assume that they do. Eye contact is a big clue, but even then things happen. One thing is sure - the driver of the garbage truck will not see you. So don't even try to think s/he will. S/he is doing a job, in the street, in a big vehicle, and moving quickly in tight spots. Nothing malicious about it, yer just not on their radar.

paths to somewhere...

One thing on my mind recently is how to improve the connectivity in my community for both pedestrians and cyclists. In order to get across town on your feet or your bike, you have to spend time on a major roadway. This is a highly unpleasant experience, and a real deterrent to human powered transportation.

I was also thinking about the nature of footpaths in some areas of Europe. There are paths that go up mountains, etc., just like in the US. In addition, they have footpaths that actually lead someplace. So there are footpaths from village to village.

The third piece is reviewing the places I have lived where people walked or rode their bikes as transportation. Yes there are regional cultural differences, but one key part of this is that in the areas where these are legitimate forms of transport, the paths lead to somewhere.

So that is what we need - paths to somewhere...

submerged trees

Could have been taken today. I came across this Sat. while out for a spin. Lovely, still water with trees submerged. A classic spring scene of a riparian zone. I like this time of year, because you see the environment in its transition zones. Often these conditions are extreme for the local flora and fauna. But they have adapted. And here, perhaps the trees say dormant until the water goes down. And perhaps the root systems are used to being wet. It is all very cool.

falls and flowers

As the snow melts, the water rises. Spring is here. I took this Friday on my ride home. Normally a trickle, we have a full blown waterfall ride in the middle of our city.


Flowers showed their face in our yard. I found these April 18, and it is about time!

Seeing Brown

My two favorite times of year are those times when I can see into the landscape. As a western US guy, I am still not 100% adjusted to the closeness of the vegetation here in the eastern US. As a result, those times of year when I can see into the landscape (spring and fall) are precious. And today, after this week of mild weather, our snowy landscape has been replaced by a wash of brown.

Soon the green will be here, and the land will come back to life.

Finally...

Spring, I think, is finally upon us. Since Tuesday we have had lovely weather. The snow is melting, birds are singing, and the sun is shining. Better than that, the air is warm - again, finally. Yesterday, however, marked a first.

• Flowers

Yep, saw the first flowers of the year on my way home. A sign that a new season is upon us.