I spent most of the day working on a bike in the little shed I call the Brain Trust.
But late in the afternoon, I needed to get to the hardware store to pick up some drain cleaner.
So off I went on the Bridgestone.
It was another lovely day with plenty of afternoon sunshine and blue skies.
Along the way, signs of the growing disparity between so many things -- the haves and have-nots, the connected and the isolated, the dilapidated and the newly-built.
As I made my way along some of NE Portland's loveliest back alleyways, I was struck by the new growth and how poor a fit it is along these narrower streets and alleys. I tried to make friends with a cat, who stared at me for awhile before growing bored and slinking off.
One Good Thing: I loved the feel of the warm sun on my back and shoulders.
When I got home, I poured myself a glass of chocolate milk and called it good before taking a short doze in our living room chair.
(P.S. grateful to Coffeeneuring goddess Mary G, who understood my need for an early start and finish to my Challenge and rubber-stamped it.)
The short distance between a memorial marker and a fellow who is very much alive.
Below: A gimungous duplex, much too big for the corner it occupies and far beyond the reach of most hourly-wage workers. There were two small houses standing there before the lots were combined, the houses torn down, and this behemoth put up to accommodate the same number of families. Brilliant.
Nothing to see here, move along.Below: junk now being left in the pocket park
because apparently it's too unsightly to make a
free pile in front of your own house.
Below: I LOVE these little alleyways, with
their gravel and potholes and uneven paving.
They are all that's left of the grit and funk
that once dominated this part of town.
I'll be sticking with two rides a week, though my rides next week will be at the end of the week rather than early like this week.
Wherever your wheels take you, enjoy the ride and remember to hydrate.
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