Back from the Heartland

Hello everyone. I’m back in Portland where I can settle back into my daily blogging routine. Though a little later than usual this morning, I’ve got my tea, my three squares of pitch dark chocolate and my own computer. All I need to complete my homecoming is a good downpour. I’ve had nothing but relentless sun and blue sky for over a week. Good grief, a person needs a break once in a while!

Being out of my routine and natural environment had a strange effect on my muse. I found myself having to rummage through my mind to think of what to write. Once back in Portland, however, I was assailed by ideas from all sides before even leaving the airport. Hmm… Shall I write about these two British guys at the luggage carousel pulling their bicycles out of cardboard boxes, assembling them on the spot, and pedaling off in the dark of night in search of their hotel? Or should I write about those metal structures erected in the middle of the luggage carousels that mimic Portland’s various bridges? (When did those appear? Have I collected my luggage from there countless times without noticing them?)

Then, this morning, before I’d even spent more than two waking hours in this city, a guy named Leo in a porkpie hat zips by me on a unicycle. I chased him down Broadway for a photo and an interview, just for you.

Not all blogness was lost on my vacation, however, and in my continuing search for the biking life in rural Minnesota I encountered ever stranger curiosities which I’ll also bring to you shortly. The remarkable Rescue of the Stranded Carp cannot be overlooked, nor can the discovery of latent talents as a fish whisperer. As usual, it’s all about what you would miss from a car – more live examples of what can happen to your experience of the world when you slow down, when you go on foot or by human-powered vehicle, when you just say no to enclosing yourself in a Moving Metal Deathtrap, and begin to live life on a pedestrian scale.

Check back for details on all of the above.