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.