A Time of Reflection

Someone busted a mirror on the Broadway Bridge. It must’ve fallen off the back of the truck of someone moving. (If they'd moved by bike this never woulda happened.) I found it Monday morning, lying there reflecting the sky and the upper bridge, and I got these photos. You have to wonder, did the people driving the vehicle not notice that a gigantic item had just slid off the back? And of course, if they did, what could they really do? Stop in the middle of the flowing bridge traffic to pick it up?
It landed on the sidewalk/bike path part, but at least it was kind of between the girders -- although shards of that broken glass were making their way across the sidewalk. Someone must’ve gotten right on it, because it’s all cleaned it up now.
It could’ve been worse. It could’ve been the piano or the fridge.

Broadway Bridge - the never-ending photo-op

I can't seen to stop taking pictures of the Broadway Bridge - or I should say from the Broadway Bridge. The Bridge itself isn't that spectacular when viewed from elsewhere, but the view from on and within it is another story. These are just three of a dozen I took the other day. If you think they're all alike, you're mistaken. Look more closely, each one is completely different.

And speaking of shadows...

If Ridemyhandlebars ran a photo contest, this one would definitely be a winner. Taken by Sydney Rappaport, she didn't realize what a masterpiece she'd created till she looked at it later. "I was just walking down the street, saw it and thought, what a neat bike, and then WHOA, cool shadow! *SNAP* "
Thanks for sending this in, Sydney!

Portland - city of flowers

There are so many flowers around this town that I can’t ride slow enough to take them all in. Every way I turn my head is a show – from a bike, that is. From a car, you’re all boxed in. I’ve spent so many springs and summers peering through my car windows while trying not to have a wreck, thinking, wow, look at all these gorgeous flowers, I gotta get out more, gotta go for some walks, gotta spend some time OUTSIDE so I can enjoy all this. But the season would be over before I knew it and I’d have missed the whole thing.

Riding my bike, I’m absolutely wallowing in the outdoors all the way to work and all the way home. If the season zips by without my planning any major expeditions, I don’t feel that I’ve missed life itself. The smells alone are a whole nother realm besides the colors.

I would like to publicly thank anybody in this town who’s responsible for a flowering anything, because I’m out here reaping the benefits without having put in a lick of the work. Even at home, Lindi’s the one who’s made all the flowers happen. (I do other things, ok?)

The beautiful petals burst out of their buds, then, after a few weeks of entertaining us from their stems, fall through the air like --- Ha! You thought I was going to flog the over-used ‘snow’ analogy, didn’t you? No, the petals are not like snow, they are much, much better. Besides being toasty warm, they are soft and don’t turn into slush. When I come upon these scenes of fallen petals, I want to throw myself down and roll in them. Sometimes, if I find them on a dry grassy area and no one's looking, I do.