Family bike ride

With stops at Uncle Jon's and Hiller Farm for the stokers.

Peas and Bike Riding

Went to the MFA in Boston with the kids and friends. Two huge baby heads face out from the Fenway side. I thought about how that person might have been trying to express the depth of feeling and joy about seeing a baby born. Perhaps they agonized over how to exhibit and re-experience this sublime experience and struggled to make 15 foot baby heads. It occured to me alot of art is like that, trying for a feeling you could get by eating peas straight out of the garden and having a good bike ride.

I'm still here

It's probably healthy that I've been distracted and couldn't post. I've biked more as the weather has improved. I crossed 2000 miles sometime two weeks ago (I actually paid attention to when - it was May 11th on the way home, right near the last field in Middleboro, right before the Rochester line.

I also meant to write about the amazing aroma at the corner of Burgess and the Marion Road/ Neck Road. Never would have noticed it on a car. But that was May 7th, and now its gone. Its amazing the cacophony of songs that are happening, though each day has its star: one cloudy morning last week it was wood thrush . Today it was dominated by woodpeckers drumming.

There have been break ins along the route. Pretty much the entire commute through the area (Mary's pond, Alley Road, Neck Road....all the side of Rochester I bike through) I remember thinking the area had a certain unfriendliness to it (with chains and gates in driveways), now I understand how rural it is, yet easily accessible from the more crowded areas. They need more activity, more people out, more folks biking through.

Winter bliss

Ok, so I get into a trance and I find myself chugging along while my head is moving down some other track. Not exactly automatic pilot, but close. We went to see a Tibetan choir in New Bedford, apparently in Tibetan monasteries the head monks occasionally clap or ring sharp bells while questioning novices. It gets them out of their introspective heads and living and answering in the moment. I was chugging along on some long train of thought, thinking how I had said hello to five humans and at least one dog that day. It seemed unusual to see so many people out and about in the winter. Though, of course in was nice to say hi to someone, I don't do that in a car... then again there is all this muck and cloud and cold. Yeesh, there was this icky, grimy snow goo on the side to look forward to the whole way home. And was it me or did it always turn cloudy coming home...

HONK - just then a pick up truck blasts me with the horn. No reason visible, just nasty. Or perhaps he was a Buddhist master and getting me to respond in this moment. Oh look, grasshopper, there are maple syrup buckets. Namaste.



edit - see http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/road.html

Managed to go twice again this week. Car troubles helped a bit. I made the mistake of letting some air out (to aid in gripping the road). I was in a rush and just guessed. It was like biking in on sand. Turns out my quick seeming "swisssh" let the pressure down to around 20 psi (from max of 110). I went slower than when I was sick last week and quite nearly wound up crawling the last mile.

Finally back at it...

Went twice this week. Did a shake down ride over school break and felt comfortable. My dear wife got me some merino wool undies, alas they are getting too warm. It is a miracle, they don't stink 1/2 as much (or they have a bit of a odor, but its not body odor, left over lanolin?) Thurs. I got the tummy problems my family had and I crawled home (heaved later at night). I'm home on a sick day now.

Spectacular light on the various slush and lightly iced ponds and cranberry lagoons on the way in. Still feeling a bit rushed so I didn't take pictures, but will remember the colors rippling off the ice around the dark silhouettes of geese hunkered down in the twilight.

Don't ignore the squeals

Haven't been riding for a long time. Snow and ice and my 27 in x 1.25 tires didn't seem up to the task. Now, I'm trying again. Could have gone twice this week had I played more with the mechanics.

Monday I got going nearly on time and there was an odd thunking sound by the time I about 2 miles away. Turns out the bolt holding the rear rack (with the panniers), brake and fenders decided to come undone. Couldn't just re-attach easily, decided to peddle home (only 2 miles out). Thought I fixed it but didn't do the test ride. Today left and there was a squeak, the clip holding up the rear fender was rubbing on the tire. Less than a 1/10 of a mile I tried fiddling, but it appears I'll need to redo the bolt again.