Brought in my first harvest from my fledgling garden this weekend: spinach, broccoli, "baby" salad green and green onions. Can't ask for a better Mother's Day weekend than that! Made personal pizza for dinner to celebrate the garden's bounty. Had I been gardening last fall I would also have garlic, carrots and possibly ripe peas. Ah, next year!
These early offerings make wonderful additions to pasta, without needing to worry about formal "recipes". Peas, garlic, green onions and grated carrots can be added, to taste, to fettuccini or linquini: just cook the pasta, adding the peas in the last minutes if you like, drain, place in bowl. Crush garlic/chop onions and combine with olive oil, drizzle over pasta, add grated carrots, if desired, and parmisian cheese and toss.
Lasagna is also an easy way to use just about any combination of veggies: cook lasagna noodles, drain. Layer cooked noodles, roccata cheese, veggies (spinach, broccoli, grated carrots, chopped onions, crushed garlic, etc) in dip dish baking pan. Top with grated cheese.
Of course, there are dozens of things one could make with these ingredients, and these recommendation are not so different than those you will find in just about any cook book. The difference is the fresh, homegrown, organic veggies: the difference there is indescribable.
I have to admit that, in additions to the epicurean delight of the flavor that comes from garden fresh ingredients, I get a great deal of smug satisfaction knowing that this food comes to me with zero food miles, zero chemicals, zero abusive labor practices and zero animal cruelty.
Saturday
Tuesday
Tips for Commuting by Bus with Kids
Today went a bit better (relatively) and I realized that it is not really the car I miss, it's my bike. A normal weekday has me riding three miles from where the carpool drops me. Riding alone, able to zip along whatever route I choose, able to complete errands between or after classes before picking my son up. Sometimes I go home on my own, arranging for him to be brought later in the afternoon. Buses do not offer that kind of flexibility, nor does full-on, non-stop single parenting. I didn't choose to be a single parent, and I certainly didn't choose to be suddenly and unexpectedly without any form of childcare. A car wouldn't really fix any of these issues. Although a car would have allowed me to go to therapy this week, and bitch at my therapist, rather than y'all.
So, in addition to getting a reality check about my need to expand my network of parenting support, I gained a new appreciation for the plight of bus commuters --especially those traveling with kids. Although I have a Trail-A-Bike for my son, it is not reasonable to expect him to be able to bounce out of bed and onto a bike, nor is he up to riding all day, all over town. And so I offer what little wisdom I gave gained so far . . .
Tips for Bus Commuting with Kids:
*Pack snacks -lots, more than you can ever imagine needing. Cheese and veggie sticks, mixed nuts, fruit, etc. If you add frozen berries to plain yogurt in a reusable (Tupperware-oid) container it will stay good all day. Bring juice in a reusable plastic container --you can freeze some of the juice in an ice tray and add the "juice ice" to your container of ice, allowing you and your kid to enjoy fresh, cold juice all day.
*Bring maps so the kid can "navigate" can sometimes help with boardom. Packing along the commic section of the morning paper also works
*Many light layers.
*Those mini folding umbrellas are lifesavers, as are “emergency” rain ponchos that come folded up smaller than a salteen cracker. Collect them and keep them on hand
*Reading material and art supplies can help keep the kids busy during stops and long waits. Let the kids carry their own cargo in a comfortably fitting back back.
*Rolling back packs, like those used by students, and folding "Granny Carts" can save your back and your sanity
*Really consider what errands need to be done, and if they need to be done today. I am finding that I need to really scale back what I think can be done in one day.
*Organize errands along the bus routes: today we went to the yarn store, The Boy's Tae Kwon Do lessons, and the video rental store, because they were all along one bus route. We delayed a trip The Boy wanted to make to get trading cards, so that we can do it as part of a cluster of errands on another bus rout on another day. One problem with Monday was we tried to do things in several different parts of town, requiring several bus transfers. kids, dont try it!
Several of these tips apply to traveling by bike with kids. More than anything I am learning the importance of having a LARGE network of folk to call on and lean on, otherwise one finds oneself considering putting one's child up on eBay. ;)
So, in addition to getting a reality check about my need to expand my network of parenting support, I gained a new appreciation for the plight of bus commuters --especially those traveling with kids. Although I have a Trail-A-Bike for my son, it is not reasonable to expect him to be able to bounce out of bed and onto a bike, nor is he up to riding all day, all over town. And so I offer what little wisdom I gave gained so far . . .
Tips for Bus Commuting with Kids:
*Pack snacks -lots, more than you can ever imagine needing. Cheese and veggie sticks, mixed nuts, fruit, etc. If you add frozen berries to plain yogurt in a reusable (Tupperware-oid) container it will stay good all day. Bring juice in a reusable plastic container --you can freeze some of the juice in an ice tray and add the "juice ice" to your container of ice, allowing you and your kid to enjoy fresh, cold juice all day.
*Bring maps so the kid can "navigate" can sometimes help with boardom. Packing along the commic section of the morning paper also works
*Many light layers.
*Those mini folding umbrellas are lifesavers, as are “emergency” rain ponchos that come folded up smaller than a salteen cracker. Collect them and keep them on hand
*Reading material and art supplies can help keep the kids busy during stops and long waits. Let the kids carry their own cargo in a comfortably fitting back back.
*Rolling back packs, like those used by students, and folding "Granny Carts" can save your back and your sanity
*Really consider what errands need to be done, and if they need to be done today. I am finding that I need to really scale back what I think can be done in one day.
*Organize errands along the bus routes: today we went to the yarn store, The Boy's Tae Kwon Do lessons, and the video rental store, because they were all along one bus route. We delayed a trip The Boy wanted to make to get trading cards, so that we can do it as part of a cluster of errands on another bus rout on another day. One problem with Monday was we tried to do things in several different parts of town, requiring several bus transfers. kids, dont try it!
Several of these tips apply to traveling by bike with kids. More than anything I am learning the importance of having a LARGE network of folk to call on and lean on, otherwise one finds oneself considering putting one's child up on eBay. ;)
Monday
May is Bike Month, dude, deal with it
May is National Bike Month, this is an important thing to remember. I need to bare it mind. I need to remember this --appreciate this fact-- because my auto-assist/carpool buddy has left town. It is National Bike Month, making it the perfect time to go fully and completely car free. It's like fate. I wonder if it is also fate that the person my son hangs with while I am at school is not available this week. Well, it may not be fate, but it makes sense, because they are the same person. So, I found out Friday that I will not have access to child care or car share all this week. SUPRISE!
SO, today I dragged The Boy and I outta bed and to the bus stop (it became clear that we were not going to get out the door in time to go by bike). Absent any child care, I lugged the kid along with me to class (wonder if he can get collage credit while homeschooling?) Had to empty my change purse into his hands and send him out to find snacks so that he would not hear a reading in Lit class that I don't think I was old enough for (he got spared, anyway). Got to deal with him being board much of the day. Got caught in the rain without our coats after class and took shelter in the bookstore. While there we found all these books sure to enhance our homeschooling experience: bought way too many and had to lug them with us as we completed our errands for the day. All completed by bus. The one bright spot in an otherwise rather nightmarish day was an all too brief visit with a wonderful friend.
By the end of the night, as we staggered across our wee little threshold and collapsed in bed (actually had dinner in bed) I have to admit that, after juggling The Boy, my books, etc. while navagating my education, errands and social life, I missed having a car just a little. I miss having help with The Boy a whole lot. I am hoping that today was just a rough start to an unexpected lack of both carpool and child care. It is National Bike Month, after all, the perfect time to go car free.
SO, today I dragged The Boy and I outta bed and to the bus stop (it became clear that we were not going to get out the door in time to go by bike). Absent any child care, I lugged the kid along with me to class (wonder if he can get collage credit while homeschooling?) Had to empty my change purse into his hands and send him out to find snacks so that he would not hear a reading in Lit class that I don't think I was old enough for (he got spared, anyway). Got to deal with him being board much of the day. Got caught in the rain without our coats after class and took shelter in the bookstore. While there we found all these books sure to enhance our homeschooling experience: bought way too many and had to lug them with us as we completed our errands for the day. All completed by bus. The one bright spot in an otherwise rather nightmarish day was an all too brief visit with a wonderful friend.
By the end of the night, as we staggered across our wee little threshold and collapsed in bed (actually had dinner in bed) I have to admit that, after juggling The Boy, my books, etc. while navagating my education, errands and social life, I missed having a car just a little. I miss having help with The Boy a whole lot. I am hoping that today was just a rough start to an unexpected lack of both carpool and child care. It is National Bike Month, after all, the perfect time to go car free.
Sunday
The Peaceable Kingdom
After a weeks separation, and one failed attempt at reunification, a truce has been called among the chickens of our urban homestead, and they are all back together in their opulant hen yard. This experience has underscored for me how intelligent these critters are, how complex their social structure is, and how indefensible standard poultry industry practices are.
Because we live within the city limits, the chickens are not, technically, allowed to be 'free ranging', and my past experience with urban predators has illustrated the value of a fully enclosed yard around the hen house. The aviary provides our chickens with access to soil, sun shade and allows them enough room to fly. But I also know the value, to both the chickens and the harvest, of allowing them to patrol the garden, so every afternoon we let them out, under supervision, to chase bugs and drop the freshest organic fertilizer available on the garden beds while we plant, or weed, or just sit back and enjoy watching the natural cycles at work.
The garden, which is over 300 square feet now, is recovering from a series of late season frosts. Our last frost date in spring is supposed to be mid April, but there have been a couple of frosty mornings (the first arriving without warning) since then, and the tomatoes did not take it well. The first frost came without warning, after I had already transplanted the tomatoes starts out into the garden. About half succumbed to the cold that night. The subsequent frost was forcasted, so I was able to take measures to protect the tomatoes, as well as the newly transplanted sweet peppers. The peppers stayed snug and have faired well, but some of the sheets covering the tomatoes were dislodged by wind, and again some were lost to the cold. I have noted with interest that the heirloom tomatoes that I selected because they originated either in this area, or in similar climates, have held their ground far better than the Romas. Still, I waited till we had past the last date on record for freezing temps before replacing the lost starts.
I have been combining organic, permaculture, and biodynamic principles in the garden, which has been interesting. The organic part is easy enough, but the others require me to stretch my rather underdeveloped organizational and planning skills. For example, biodynamic principles follow the lunar cycles and seeks to coordinate planting, cultivation and harvest with natures rhythms. There is much I like about this system, not the least of which being the way it enhanses my sense of connection to natural cycles, but there are down sides. For example, if one looses half of ones tomatoes crop due to a late frost, one might find that, according to the lunar planting chart, tomatoes and other “fruits with seeds” arnt meant to be planted again for another 3 weeks; or one may find themselves with fingerling potatoe tubers that need to go in now, before they spoil.
I'm no expert, but my own answer to this has been that these are the times when wise women fall back on their own good sense. Waiting 3 weeks to plant more tomatoes could be a fatal mistake, and just the thought of what my great grandmother's expression at the very idea of waisting tubers, just because the moon isnt full yet (oh, it gives me chills!!). So, I follow the charts religiously, except when I don't; and avoid waist, except when I cant. So far, it's working
Because we live within the city limits, the chickens are not, technically, allowed to be 'free ranging', and my past experience with urban predators has illustrated the value of a fully enclosed yard around the hen house. The aviary provides our chickens with access to soil, sun shade and allows them enough room to fly. But I also know the value, to both the chickens and the harvest, of allowing them to patrol the garden, so every afternoon we let them out, under supervision, to chase bugs and drop the freshest organic fertilizer available on the garden beds while we plant, or weed, or just sit back and enjoy watching the natural cycles at work.
The garden, which is over 300 square feet now, is recovering from a series of late season frosts. Our last frost date in spring is supposed to be mid April, but there have been a couple of frosty mornings (the first arriving without warning) since then, and the tomatoes did not take it well. The first frost came without warning, after I had already transplanted the tomatoes starts out into the garden. About half succumbed to the cold that night. The subsequent frost was forcasted, so I was able to take measures to protect the tomatoes, as well as the newly transplanted sweet peppers. The peppers stayed snug and have faired well, but some of the sheets covering the tomatoes were dislodged by wind, and again some were lost to the cold. I have noted with interest that the heirloom tomatoes that I selected because they originated either in this area, or in similar climates, have held their ground far better than the Romas. Still, I waited till we had past the last date on record for freezing temps before replacing the lost starts.
I have been combining organic, permaculture, and biodynamic principles in the garden, which has been interesting. The organic part is easy enough, but the others require me to stretch my rather underdeveloped organizational and planning skills. For example, biodynamic principles follow the lunar cycles and seeks to coordinate planting, cultivation and harvest with natures rhythms. There is much I like about this system, not the least of which being the way it enhanses my sense of connection to natural cycles, but there are down sides. For example, if one looses half of ones tomatoes crop due to a late frost, one might find that, according to the lunar planting chart, tomatoes and other “fruits with seeds” arnt meant to be planted again for another 3 weeks; or one may find themselves with fingerling potatoe tubers that need to go in now, before they spoil.
I'm no expert, but my own answer to this has been that these are the times when wise women fall back on their own good sense. Waiting 3 weeks to plant more tomatoes could be a fatal mistake, and just the thought of what my great grandmother's expression at the very idea of waisting tubers, just because the moon isnt full yet (oh, it gives me chills!!). So, I follow the charts religiously, except when I don't; and avoid waist, except when I cant. So far, it's working
Thursday
New Wheels
The garden I began so tentitively early in the year has been unfolding across the back yard, it just takes my breath away. I have been combining permaculture, biodynamic, and organic principles, in part because I am naturally obsessive, and in part because I want every advantage: I figure that each of these methods has some truth to it, and if I combine them I'm bound to get some harvest from the effort.
Even though I have gardened for much of my adult life, I have always done so with a more experienced gardener. As I stumble along I am finding great satisfaction in watching the garden's progress, and my own growing competence. I also have a growing recognition of the myriad interconnecting wheels of sustainability.
Although this blog takes it's name, in large measure, from the notion of the shift to bikes as a revolutionary --and nessisary-- move toward sustainability, the vision for the blog has always about the broad and often ephemeral elements of living a sustainable life. Appropriate transportation remains an essential piece, that becomes more important with every passing day, but it is not the only piece, and it will not, by itself, create the paradim shift we need.
Intimately intwined with the issues surrounding appropriate transpertation are the the issues related to the issues of "food miles", multi-national agri-bussiness, and localization.
These, intern, intwine with social justice issues, and envronmental justice. Like the gears and wheels of a bike they work together to create the complex systems that required for sustainability.
The current multi-national corperate conglomerate system of delivering "consumer goods" robs us of so much more than clean air or finite fuel. It deprives us of knowledge about where and how of food is grown and products made, it deprives us of relationships with the people who grow and create the things we buy, it removes us from the systems that make up and support our lives, and make us dependdent on an inhuman network of interconnected corperations that are not accountable to us or the greater good.
None of this is "new" news, but what has been lacking, I thing, is a way to adress it, a meaningful, do-able response to a system that feels all powerful and overwellming. How does one 'walk away from Omelas' when it feels that the Omelas has taken over the planet? One step at a time, but not with one step alone
Even though I have gardened for much of my adult life, I have always done so with a more experienced gardener. As I stumble along I am finding great satisfaction in watching the garden's progress, and my own growing competence. I also have a growing recognition of the myriad interconnecting wheels of sustainability.
Although this blog takes it's name, in large measure, from the notion of the shift to bikes as a revolutionary --and nessisary-- move toward sustainability, the vision for the blog has always about the broad and often ephemeral elements of living a sustainable life. Appropriate transportation remains an essential piece, that becomes more important with every passing day, but it is not the only piece, and it will not, by itself, create the paradim shift we need.
Intimately intwined with the issues surrounding appropriate transpertation are the the issues related to the issues of "food miles", multi-national agri-bussiness, and localization.
These, intern, intwine with social justice issues, and envronmental justice. Like the gears and wheels of a bike they work together to create the complex systems that required for sustainability.
The current multi-national corperate conglomerate system of delivering "consumer goods" robs us of so much more than clean air or finite fuel. It deprives us of knowledge about where and how of food is grown and products made, it deprives us of relationships with the people who grow and create the things we buy, it removes us from the systems that make up and support our lives, and make us dependdent on an inhuman network of interconnected corperations that are not accountable to us or the greater good.
None of this is "new" news, but what has been lacking, I thing, is a way to adress it, a meaningful, do-able response to a system that feels all powerful and overwellming. How does one 'walk away from Omelas' when it feels that the Omelas has taken over the planet? One step at a time, but not with one step alone
Wednesday
MAY IS NATIONAL BIKE MONTH
May is National Bike Month! What a great opportunity to experiment with alternatives to fossil fuel dependent transportation!
In anticipation of this annual event, and in order to avoid shopping on May Day, I went on a massive grocery shopping trip at the end of April, purchasing all the non-perishable food items I will need for the month of May. You should have seen the expression on the checker's face as I rolled up with a shopping cart filled nearly to the point of overflowing with several dozen jars of pasta sauce, pounds of dry pasta, two giant bags of dog food, and so on. I did use a car for this trip, but heres my point: I wont have to drive to the store again all month. I can pick up parishables and treats by bike on my way home in the evenings. You don't have to go to these extremes in order to reduce your driving, planning and grouping the trips for which you really do need a vehicle can allow you to have whole days on end where you don't have to drive at all. One car-free day a week can have an enormous positive impact on the environment, your health, and your budget
BikeLeague.org
BicyclingInfo.org
CyclingBooks&Resources
Monday
Juggling Chickens
Chickens, I am discovering, are trouble.
About a month ago I got two white hens, Ruby and Ester, and for all their delightful qualities, including bug eradication and spreading organic fertilizer, I was only getting one egg a day from the two of them, which is not enough for the Boy and I. So, Saturday I (foolishly) acquired another chicken, a very sweet little black Bantam hen. To quote my son: oy vey. Ruby and Ester, resentful of this sudden interloper, insisted on ganging up on the little Banty hen with more savage persistence than I ever could have imagined.
I managed to get the little hen back into her plastic pet carrier, and hoped that having her in the chicken yard, protected by the carrier, would allow she and the other hens to work out their differences (I am such and idealistic pacifist!)
I had had great plans for Sunday, hoping to catch up on a long list of neglected chores and projects. Instead I spent the day intervening on the Chicken Civil War in my back yard.
In the morning, when I let her out of the carrier, there was a brief cease fire, after which the attacks resumed. I tried having both Ruby and Ester in the carrier (effective in preventing attacks, but rather inhumane), I tried having Ester, who appeared to be the “Ring Leader” in the carrier and letting Ruby and the Banty get to know each other one-on-one. This appeared effective at first, but after a short time Ruby took up the campaign against the Banty. I considered several recipes featuring chicken.
I had been considering setting up a "chicken tractor" click to see example to help in preparing some garden beds, and this seemed like a really good time to have a second chicken area. So I hastily put one together at the North edge of the garden, where I hope to add one more bed ("just one more", thats what I say each time). Once it was ready, I brought the carrier over and put Ester in, then went to get Ruby out of the chicken yard and away from the Banty.
When I went to put Ruby in, Ester got out.
For the uninitiated out there, catching a chicken is no small matter, even in an enclosed area. They move very fast, can fly, and have a tendency to hurl themselves at your head when you try to corner them. The Boy and I do alright herding then around the garden each afternoon during their daily constitutional, but in that case we arnt actually trying to catch them, we're just keeping them off the new starts while they hunt bugs, then herding them back into the chicken yard. Catching a hen in the fully enclosed chicken yard is one thing, catching one that is loose in the yard is quite another. It usually requires two or three people. My son was at his dad's house, so I was on my own.
I did finally managed it, hours later, using ingenuity that would have put McGiver to shame.
So, my Sunday was completely shot, and now, after all that trauma, none of the hens are laying, we are all grumpy, and I have a new found sympathy for Mrs. Tweety's character in Chicken Run. grr
Friday
"Watch this Space"
I am pleased to announce that rumors of my death are greatly exagerated.
My computer, however, did have a fatal collaps, taking with it all my passwords, etc. So even after replacing my laptop, I have been unable to log into my own blog. grr.
Much news, changes and what-not to follow, but for the moment I am typing this during a class, just to say "watch this space", I'm back and theres more good stuff to come. New Wheels, new ideas, new perspectives, new life in the coming spring.
My computer, however, did have a fatal collaps, taking with it all my passwords, etc. So even after replacing my laptop, I have been unable to log into my own blog. grr.
Much news, changes and what-not to follow, but for the moment I am typing this during a class, just to say "watch this space", I'm back and theres more good stuff to come. New Wheels, new ideas, new perspectives, new life in the coming spring.
Monday
Excuse #1
As National Bike Month (May) approaches, I have been asking folks I know who don't commute by bike for the reasons and challenges that keep them from doing so. Over the coming month I will site them, in no particular order, along with some solutions.
Excuse #1 I Couldn't Possibly Bike Commute: I Need To Look Professional at Work.
There are easily half a dozen solutions to this, possibly more:
A Bike Bucket will hold approximately 3 complete changes of clothes, for your day at work/school you will need approximately one change of clothes
“But I don't HAVE Bike Buckets”
ok thats just lame. For less than $10 you can make a pair of buckets (DIY instructions coming soon); for less than the cost of a tank of gas you could buy a pair of buckets, a basket, or a rear rack.
or . . .
Depending on how prim and proper you need to look, you could also carry a change in your bag or back pack
or . . .
You can keep changes of clothes at work/school. Hang a garment bag on the back of your office door or in your locker.
or . . .
For that matter you can reconsider whether you need a change of clothes: I rarely bother with a change of clothes. I wear light layers, adjusting so that I feel just a wee bit cool as I ride, and find that I generally don't break a sweat. Use antiperspirant, and keep some on hand at work/school as well.
You can do this , people!
"Looking prim and propper in rout to work"
(photo credit: Community Cycling Center's Worst Day of The Year Ride)
Excuse #1 I Couldn't Possibly Bike Commute: I Need To Look Professional at Work.
There are easily half a dozen solutions to this, possibly more:
A Bike Bucket will hold approximately 3 complete changes of clothes, for your day at work/school you will need approximately one change of clothes
“But I don't HAVE Bike Buckets”
ok thats just lame. For less than $10 you can make a pair of buckets (DIY instructions coming soon); for less than the cost of a tank of gas you could buy a pair of buckets, a basket, or a rear rack.
or . . .
Depending on how prim and proper you need to look, you could also carry a change in your bag or back pack
or . . .
You can keep changes of clothes at work/school. Hang a garment bag on the back of your office door or in your locker.
or . . .
For that matter you can reconsider whether you need a change of clothes: I rarely bother with a change of clothes. I wear light layers, adjusting so that I feel just a wee bit cool as I ride, and find that I generally don't break a sweat. Use antiperspirant, and keep some on hand at work/school as well.
You can do this , people!
"Looking prim and propper in rout to work"
(photo credit: Community Cycling Center's Worst Day of The Year Ride)
Saturday
She's got no car!
I have friends who have begun introducing me as "This is Kyrstin:she doesn't have a car", almost like a modern variation of "dances-with-wolves". I suppose it's a refreshing change from having my whole identity be, apparently, “The Boy's Mom”, but I'm not sure my lack of car is as defining as all that. I have yet to achieve full car freedom, and even if I had, my real goal is to live a sustainable and rewarding life. Cycling is a big part of that goal, but it is a far cry from being the whole kit-and-caboodle
Perhaps it's the new moniker, or just because I love a challenge, anyway I am going to begin an experiment to see how long I can go without getting in a car. They say you are defined by what you cant give up, so I guess I'll see how well I do giving up cars, and how long I can make it last. Sunday is the start of the week, start of daylight savings time and start of the new quarter --what better time to start the experiment.
Perhaps it's the new moniker, or just because I love a challenge, anyway I am going to begin an experiment to see how long I can go without getting in a car. They say you are defined by what you cant give up, so I guess I'll see how well I do giving up cars, and how long I can make it last. Sunday is the start of the week, start of daylight savings time and start of the new quarter --what better time to start the experiment.
Friday
Looking for Slug Stoppers
Our garden has, I believe, the highest per capita slug population on the planet. In the past we kept them in check, to a degree, with ducks. Now we have chickens, who provide all kinds of advantages, but do not eat slugs. SO, here is your chance to waigh in with your favorite organic pest control measures.
Monsoon Season
Inclement weather and urgent home improvement projects have kept us off the bike this past week, and technical difficulties have kept me off line. I have managed to knock back the encroaching clutter in my home, some what, in preparation for an energy audit, appraisal, and the arrival of appliance repair people to work on the furnace and clothes washer. I was aided by the enthusiastic assistance of The Boy, who was eager to impress upon me how mature and responsible he is, so that I would agree to let him go to an event on the weekend. I didn't mind the ulterior motives one bit, when motivated he makes an excellent assistant!
The chickens are here!!
Ruby and Ester are settling into the chicken yard, which I am told is much swankyer than their previous digs. The two are sisters, born under the same mama at the same time, and they are so sweet together. Their arrival was delaid while I completed work on a bi-level hen house with individual reclaimed cedar nest-boxes and the works; and after all that they are nesting together in the old duck house, barely a glorified crate, that has been rotting in a corner of the yard the past few years. Go figure!
We opted for adopting adult chickens so we could start getting eggs right away, though we were warned that, with all the excitment of the move, they might lay off laying for a few days. But I guess all the human grade organic grains and produce, as well as the sweet crib, are paying off
because they havn't missed a morning. The aviary at the East end of the garden allows them to fly, and gives them access to sun, soil and bugs --they love the bugs. They are great company while I work in the garden, and they latest step in our journey towards sustainability.
The monsoons brought work on the garden to a stand still earlier in the week, and the weather report has the rains lasting into the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the veggie starts in the kitchen window continue to grow! The plan is to have over 200 sqare feet of garden, from which we hope to get most of our produce --if it doesnt all flaot away!
I know that my ancestors, and the other farmers of yore, had to contend with unending rains and other adverse conditions, but I imagine they had some better idea what to do in this kinda situation. I have managed to play catch-up, to a certain extent guess thats all anyone can do.
Bike Miles This Week: 7 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 160
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $40
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.25
The chickens are here!!
Ruby and Ester are settling into the chicken yard, which I am told is much swankyer than their previous digs. The two are sisters, born under the same mama at the same time, and they are so sweet together. Their arrival was delaid while I completed work on a bi-level hen house with individual reclaimed cedar nest-boxes and the works; and after all that they are nesting together in the old duck house, barely a glorified crate, that has been rotting in a corner of the yard the past few years. Go figure!
We opted for adopting adult chickens so we could start getting eggs right away, though we were warned that, with all the excitment of the move, they might lay off laying for a few days. But I guess all the human grade organic grains and produce, as well as the sweet crib, are paying off
because they havn't missed a morning. The aviary at the East end of the garden allows them to fly, and gives them access to sun, soil and bugs --they love the bugs. They are great company while I work in the garden, and they latest step in our journey towards sustainability.
The monsoons brought work on the garden to a stand still earlier in the week, and the weather report has the rains lasting into the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the veggie starts in the kitchen window continue to grow! The plan is to have over 200 sqare feet of garden, from which we hope to get most of our produce --if it doesnt all flaot away!
I know that my ancestors, and the other farmers of yore, had to contend with unending rains and other adverse conditions, but I imagine they had some better idea what to do in this kinda situation. I have managed to play catch-up, to a certain extent guess thats all anyone can do.
Bike Miles This Week: 7 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 160
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $40
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.25
Thursday
Hey Mikey -he wont eat it!
Another day, another trip to the Chiropractic clinc -SUVman is going to make them rich, which is only right and proper.
I was tired enough on the way home with my son that, while we were making a quick stop at the store, I started to reach for a boxed instant pasta dinner thing --hey, it was organic! My son wrinkled his nose and said "Mom, that has fake powdered 'cheese' that when you mix it up looks like fondue, thats not real food." oy vey, thats what I get fer raising him right!
Had to share this photo, taken yesterday, of my lovely and amazing bike with the buckets, leaving the farmers market loaded with yummy organic groceries and veggie starts for the garden
Wednesdays Ride: 2 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 153
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $40
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.26
I was tired enough on the way home with my son that, while we were making a quick stop at the store, I started to reach for a boxed instant pasta dinner thing --hey, it was organic! My son wrinkled his nose and said "Mom, that has fake powdered 'cheese' that when you mix it up looks like fondue, thats not real food." oy vey, thats what I get fer raising him right!
Had to share this photo, taken yesterday, of my lovely and amazing bike with the buckets, leaving the farmers market loaded with yummy organic groceries and veggie starts for the garden
Wednesdays Ride: 2 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 153
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $40
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.26
Market Day
Wednesday I woke up to NPR announcing that Oregon has the third highest air pollution in the Nation, owing largely to auto emissions. The paper went on to explain that Oregonians have some of the highest rates of Cancer due to air pollution. Sure made me glad not to be contributing to the problem.
I had another Chiropractic appointment, after which I peddled to the hardware store, City Bikes, and onto the Farmers Market. I love market day, especially in spring, everything looks so new and vibrant. People's Food Co-op hosts one of the city's only year round markets, and even though there are fewer booths this time of year, the teaming baskets of produce, the musicians, and the people are a delight to the senses. I love knowing the people who raise my food.
My bike buckets drew a lot of attention (I hope to have photos soon), the Farmers Market is in a neighborhood with a large cycling population. Several people were curious as to why I have them mounted over the front wheel, rather than the rear (I didn't have the Trail-A-Bike attached, so the answer wasn't obvious), as well as exactly how I built and mounted them, so I will be posting DIY instructions here soon.
Thanks to the bike-scale bungee cords that I picked up at City Bikes, I managed to use the top of the buckets as a surface on which to strap a flat of veggie starts and other delicate items from the Farmers Market. Also noteworthy: I was able to get all of my errands done in just over 3 miles: most car trips in America are under 5 miles -many are under 1 mile- making utility cycling a real option. Yet many folks have the misguided notion that they have "too much running around to do" to go by bike. If they actually looked at the mileage, and perhaps planned their trips, they would find utility cycling not only very do-able, but also far more enjoyable than fighting their way through traffic
Wednesdays Ride: 3 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 151
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $40
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.26
Cancer Cuasing Emissions: O
Subverting the dominant paradigm: Priceless
I had another Chiropractic appointment, after which I peddled to the hardware store, City Bikes, and onto the Farmers Market. I love market day, especially in spring, everything looks so new and vibrant. People's Food Co-op hosts one of the city's only year round markets, and even though there are fewer booths this time of year, the teaming baskets of produce, the musicians, and the people are a delight to the senses. I love knowing the people who raise my food.
My bike buckets drew a lot of attention (I hope to have photos soon), the Farmers Market is in a neighborhood with a large cycling population. Several people were curious as to why I have them mounted over the front wheel, rather than the rear (I didn't have the Trail-A-Bike attached, so the answer wasn't obvious), as well as exactly how I built and mounted them, so I will be posting DIY instructions here soon.
Thanks to the bike-scale bungee cords that I picked up at City Bikes, I managed to use the top of the buckets as a surface on which to strap a flat of veggie starts and other delicate items from the Farmers Market. Also noteworthy: I was able to get all of my errands done in just over 3 miles: most car trips in America are under 5 miles -many are under 1 mile- making utility cycling a real option. Yet many folks have the misguided notion that they have "too much running around to do" to go by bike. If they actually looked at the mileage, and perhaps planned their trips, they would find utility cycling not only very do-able, but also far more enjoyable than fighting their way through traffic
Wednesdays Ride: 3 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 151
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $40
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.26
Cancer Cuasing Emissions: O
Subverting the dominant paradigm: Priceless
Wednesday
Shopping on a Bike
Peddled over to the Co-op Tuesday to forage for dinner before picking up The Boy. I was pleased to discover that the new buckets hold a canvas bag of groceries each with a minimum of juggling. While there I ran into a friend who has a huge garden --really, it's a small homestead, last year he was selling his surplus at the farmers market. Remembering how much he enjoyed the eggs I used to get from my ducks (before their sad demise), I mentioned that I was going to have poultry again and would love to barter my eggs for some of his produce, an idea he was very amenable to. One more step towards sustainability!
With National Bike Month coming up (May), I have been thinking about writing a series of posts on different aspects of utility biking, but in the case of grocery shopping, it just strikes me as so simple. But here are some tips:
Handlebar baskets can hold a limited number of essentials, for example, a box of rice milk, a bag of pasta, jar of sauce, and a roll of TP. Basically one meal. Too much weight in the basket can complicate steering and handling of the bike.
One grocery bag will fit in:
a back pack
a bike bucket
panniers
When loading any of the above, take care that heavier/ridged items are at the bottom, while lighter/delicate items are at the top. I don't frequently buy a lot of frozen items, but when I do, I try to have the cold items together in one bag, or together at the bottom of the bag, to keep each other cold.
Someday I hope to add a FreeRadical from Xtracycle to my rig,
allowing me to do big shopping trips like the woman in this photo. They just got a nice write-up in the local paper as part of an article on inventions created by collage students. I understand that these racks can hold 4+ fully loaded grocery bags on either side, plus theres that wooden platform over the rear wheel that can hold more gear -or even a kid!
Bikes At Work offers a wide varriety of sturdy, versatile bike trailers that will allow you to haul anything from a tub of groceries to a refrigerator (seriously)
Shopping by bike is quite possibly the easiest example of utility cycling: no worries about deadlines, or professional appearance as or anything like that, so why not give it a try?
Tuesday's Ride: 4 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 148
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $36
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.25
Subverting the dominant paradigm: Priceless
With National Bike Month coming up (May), I have been thinking about writing a series of posts on different aspects of utility biking, but in the case of grocery shopping, it just strikes me as so simple. But here are some tips:
Handlebar baskets can hold a limited number of essentials, for example, a box of rice milk, a bag of pasta, jar of sauce, and a roll of TP. Basically one meal. Too much weight in the basket can complicate steering and handling of the bike.
One grocery bag will fit in:
a back pack
a bike bucket
panniers
When loading any of the above, take care that heavier/ridged items are at the bottom, while lighter/delicate items are at the top. I don't frequently buy a lot of frozen items, but when I do, I try to have the cold items together in one bag, or together at the bottom of the bag, to keep each other cold.
Someday I hope to add a FreeRadical from Xtracycle to my rig,
allowing me to do big shopping trips like the woman in this photo. They just got a nice write-up in the local paper as part of an article on inventions created by collage students. I understand that these racks can hold 4+ fully loaded grocery bags on either side, plus theres that wooden platform over the rear wheel that can hold more gear -or even a kid!Bikes At Work offers a wide varriety of sturdy, versatile bike trailers that will allow you to haul anything from a tub of groceries to a refrigerator (seriously)
Shopping by bike is quite possibly the easiest example of utility cycling: no worries about deadlines, or professional appearance as or anything like that, so why not give it a try?
Tuesday's Ride: 4 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 148
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $36
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.25
Subverting the dominant paradigm: Priceless
Monday
Happy Equinox
I have been pondering a number of sustainability issues this Equinox, including Peak Oil and permaculture gardening. I hope to distil my thoughts into some posts in the coming weeks, but in the mean time I couldnt resist sharing this article about how Cuba has thrived after a suden and drastic recuction in thier access to imported oil and foods. Some people think that life post Peak Oil will look like a Mad Max movie, but this story shows that it doesnt need to be that way
Night Rider
My first real ride since the accident also ended up being my first ever late night ride –and cross town no less-- as well as my first opportunity to try out the bike buckets.
Over the past few days friends and family have been doting on me and shepherding me to appointments and places I needed to get, but by Sunday I was feeling well enough to accept an diiner invitation, and to get myself there by bike.
I was really pleased with how my home-made bike buckets worked. The first pair I made fell victim to the car accident before I got the chance to really use them. The new set of buckets worked beautifully and carried an impressive amount, I was able to bring my contribution to the dinner, as well as extra layers for the ride home and my Supper Hero Cape (ok, it's not really a cape, it's this crazy reflective yellow biking poncho that fits over me like a giant tent and looks ridiculous, but also makes me extremely visible at night)
One thing I have noticed about riding with the buckets is that people get out of my way and cars give me a wider berth! The buckets give the effect of a wider profile (although they do not extend beyond the widest part of my handlebars), and just generally lend themselves to a more substantial, commanding presence. I have noticed a significant difference in how much room I am given, both on the street and shared pedestrian/cycle lanes. It's a real added benefit, along with the extra cargo space!
The date went late, and I found myself winding my way home through unfamiliar streets in the middle of the night. I was a little nervous about it at first, especially given that this was both my first real ride since the accident, and my first night time ride, but my bight yellow buckets and bright yellow Supper Hero Cape made me very visible (along with my front and rear lights), and it felt so good to be back on a bike, I arrived back home feeling elated and renewed.
Last Nights Ride: 9 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 144
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $36
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.25
Subverting the dominant paradigm: Priceless
Over the past few days friends and family have been doting on me and shepherding me to appointments and places I needed to get, but by Sunday I was feeling well enough to accept an diiner invitation, and to get myself there by bike.
I was really pleased with how my home-made bike buckets worked. The first pair I made fell victim to the car accident before I got the chance to really use them. The new set of buckets worked beautifully and carried an impressive amount, I was able to bring my contribution to the dinner, as well as extra layers for the ride home and my Supper Hero Cape (ok, it's not really a cape, it's this crazy reflective yellow biking poncho that fits over me like a giant tent and looks ridiculous, but also makes me extremely visible at night)
One thing I have noticed about riding with the buckets is that people get out of my way and cars give me a wider berth! The buckets give the effect of a wider profile (although they do not extend beyond the widest part of my handlebars), and just generally lend themselves to a more substantial, commanding presence. I have noticed a significant difference in how much room I am given, both on the street and shared pedestrian/cycle lanes. It's a real added benefit, along with the extra cargo space!
The date went late, and I found myself winding my way home through unfamiliar streets in the middle of the night. I was a little nervous about it at first, especially given that this was both my first real ride since the accident, and my first night time ride, but my bight yellow buckets and bright yellow Supper Hero Cape made me very visible (along with my front and rear lights), and it felt so good to be back on a bike, I arrived back home feeling elated and renewed.
Last Nights Ride: 9 miles
Cumulative Bike Miles Since Febuary 1st: 144
Cumulative Cycling Expenses: $36
Cumulative Cost per Mile: $0.25
Subverting the dominant paradigm: Priceless
Sunday
The New Garden
This is the first time I am gardening alone. Two years ago, and going back 15 years previous, I had a partner with whom I created this garden and every garden that came before.
As I begin turning the soil, it is as if I am exhuming the memories. Breaking up the clods and reveling forgotten bulbs, I am reminded of the songs we sang and the plans we made here. Almost as if the memories themselves were planted here. I turn them back under tenderly and prepare the place for new seeds.
Last season I did not garden at all, I did not even set foot back here. The yard grew wild, shaggy and feral, all thorns, barbs and snares. Now we are slowly getting re-acquainted and finding how we fit together in this new arrangement, and in doing so I am falling in love with gardening all over again.
The peas are in, sewn along the south fence. I managed to slip them in between the rain and snow and other storms and adverse situations we have had of late. Roma tomatoes starts are growing large in my kitchen window, and bell peppers have begun to emerge next to them. I'm thinking I am going to need to buy broccoli starts, as mine are spindly and annimic for want of a warm spot in the garden. Poor things just didn't get enough sun in the window
I am regretting, just a little, not going with my very ambitious inclination to create an elaborate, swirly, permaculture inspired garden design. Instead I am following, more or less, the layout that was there before: long straight East-West rows. Not as interesting, but infinitely more manageable, and thats the thing: I really need this garden underway, and for it to be bountiful, as W keeps cutting my Financial Aid and raising the interest on my student loans --I would love to see he and Laura try to make ends-meet on my budget!
If things go as planned, this will be the largest garden I have ever tended, although weather and my school schedule have thrown a wrench into the plans and delayed progress. When I headed into the garden Saturday morning, the weather report indicated sunny skies for most of the rest of the week, and with that the possibility of getting the beds turned and the plants in seemed almost doable. When I cam in last night, covered in soil and scratches, and tuned into the weather report I got the update: it now looks like I only have till Tuesday night! So I better get back out there.
As I begin turning the soil, it is as if I am exhuming the memories. Breaking up the clods and reveling forgotten bulbs, I am reminded of the songs we sang and the plans we made here. Almost as if the memories themselves were planted here. I turn them back under tenderly and prepare the place for new seeds.
Last season I did not garden at all, I did not even set foot back here. The yard grew wild, shaggy and feral, all thorns, barbs and snares. Now we are slowly getting re-acquainted and finding how we fit together in this new arrangement, and in doing so I am falling in love with gardening all over again.
The peas are in, sewn along the south fence. I managed to slip them in between the rain and snow and other storms and adverse situations we have had of late. Roma tomatoes starts are growing large in my kitchen window, and bell peppers have begun to emerge next to them. I'm thinking I am going to need to buy broccoli starts, as mine are spindly and annimic for want of a warm spot in the garden. Poor things just didn't get enough sun in the window
I am regretting, just a little, not going with my very ambitious inclination to create an elaborate, swirly, permaculture inspired garden design. Instead I am following, more or less, the layout that was there before: long straight East-West rows. Not as interesting, but infinitely more manageable, and thats the thing: I really need this garden underway, and for it to be bountiful, as W keeps cutting my Financial Aid and raising the interest on my student loans --I would love to see he and Laura try to make ends-meet on my budget!
If things go as planned, this will be the largest garden I have ever tended, although weather and my school schedule have thrown a wrench into the plans and delayed progress. When I headed into the garden Saturday morning, the weather report indicated sunny skies for most of the rest of the week, and with that the possibility of getting the beds turned and the plants in seemed almost doable. When I cam in last night, covered in soil and scratches, and tuned into the weather report I got the update: it now looks like I only have till Tuesday night! So I better get back out there.
Saturday
Weekend Update
I had intended to post updates on my various cycling and sustainability projects early this week, but then a big ugly SUV plowed through a red light and into me, which has thrown the schedule off a little
Sustainable Eating
Work began on our new improved Poultry Palace last weekend, and continues. We had ducks last year,but had not realized that predators lurk in even the most developed and urban of environments. Not sure whether it was raccoons or feral pets that got them, but we lost them last fall and have not wanted to get more without the ability to protect them from all comers.
We have missed having fresh, organic, cruelty free eggs, as well as the pest control and free fertilizer that egg-layers provide, and our timing in raising our own couldn't be better: the last local organic family poultry farm in our area just “closed it's coops” (they are shifting to other crops and critters), so our only options for store bought eggs will be conventional, cruelty-intensive varieties, or eggs shipped in from large scale facilities hundreds or thousands of miles away.
Not sure what varieties of poultry we will be raising, other than I know we will have quail because my son brought home a pair quail chicks from the feed store earlier this week(long story, don't ask). We are considering the addition of ducks, as we just loved the Cambells that we had last year, as well as Bantams.
In The Garden
Well, ok, sadly not much is happening in the garden, this is perhaps the area where I am most behind in my chores, but every surface in my home is covered with starts urging me on, anxious to be transplanted. The Boy and I are planning our biggest garden yet and are eager to see how much of our own food we can grow (he wanted to plant wheat so we could “harvest” our own pasta)
Mama Called Doctor and The Doctor Said . . .
Went to my first ever Chiropractor appointment following my run-in with SUVman: apparently I drink too much coffee, don't get enough sleep, and take care of everyone other than myself, so clearly my mama credentials are firmly intact.
All that aside, there is damage from the accident, but nothing permanent. Rather than years of physical therapy, I'm just looking at months of Chiro, massages and hot tub soaks. It could have been so much worse.
The Bike Lives!
The genius mechanics at City Bikes somehow managed, without Kings Horses, Kings Men, or even a King's ransom, to put my bike together again! Many parts were replaced, but it is back good as new, and I hope to be soon as well. I took the bike out for a brief ride, still feeling a bit shaky, but all the better for being back in the saddle. I definitely feel safer, and better on a bike.
War -UH!- What Is It Good For . . .
This weekend marks the 3rd anniversery of the war in Iraq, marches are planned in nearly every part of America today and Sunday. Thomas Jefferson said that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. I would go further, and say that without, without the freedom to express dissent, we are not patriots, we are not Americans.
One more quote before you head out into the streets, from Ed Murrow: "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it . . . We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home".
Thats the update, now lets get out there.
Sustainable Eating
Work began on our new improved Poultry Palace last weekend, and continues. We had ducks last year,but had not realized that predators lurk in even the most developed and urban of environments. Not sure whether it was raccoons or feral pets that got them, but we lost them last fall and have not wanted to get more without the ability to protect them from all comers.
We have missed having fresh, organic, cruelty free eggs, as well as the pest control and free fertilizer that egg-layers provide, and our timing in raising our own couldn't be better: the last local organic family poultry farm in our area just “closed it's coops” (they are shifting to other crops and critters), so our only options for store bought eggs will be conventional, cruelty-intensive varieties, or eggs shipped in from large scale facilities hundreds or thousands of miles away.
Not sure what varieties of poultry we will be raising, other than I know we will have quail because my son brought home a pair quail chicks from the feed store earlier this week(long story, don't ask). We are considering the addition of ducks, as we just loved the Cambells that we had last year, as well as Bantams.In The Garden
Well, ok, sadly not much is happening in the garden, this is perhaps the area where I am most behind in my chores, but every surface in my home is covered with starts urging me on, anxious to be transplanted. The Boy and I are planning our biggest garden yet and are eager to see how much of our own food we can grow (he wanted to plant wheat so we could “harvest” our own pasta)
Mama Called Doctor and The Doctor Said . . .
Went to my first ever Chiropractor appointment following my run-in with SUVman: apparently I drink too much coffee, don't get enough sleep, and take care of everyone other than myself, so clearly my mama credentials are firmly intact.
All that aside, there is damage from the accident, but nothing permanent. Rather than years of physical therapy, I'm just looking at months of Chiro, massages and hot tub soaks. It could have been so much worse.
The Bike Lives!
The genius mechanics at City Bikes somehow managed, without Kings Horses, Kings Men, or even a King's ransom, to put my bike together again! Many parts were replaced, but it is back good as new, and I hope to be soon as well. I took the bike out for a brief ride, still feeling a bit shaky, but all the better for being back in the saddle. I definitely feel safer, and better on a bike.
War -UH!- What Is It Good For . . .
This weekend marks the 3rd anniversery of the war in Iraq, marches are planned in nearly every part of America today and Sunday. Thomas Jefferson said that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. I would go further, and say that without, without the freedom to express dissent, we are not patriots, we are not Americans.
One more quote before you head out into the streets, from Ed Murrow: "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it . . . We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home".Thats the update, now lets get out there.
Thursday
CRASH
Caught in the crush of Finals Week and errands and the various pressures of life, I took to the streets in a car Wednesday morning, my beloved bike riding on the bike rack, when a massive black SUV plowed through a red light before crashing into the side of the car I was driving. The impact threw my bike completely off the rack and shoved the car into the next lane, and oncoming traffic.
I am alright, as is the SUV driver, but my bike suffered significant damage. After exchanging information and formalities with the other driver, I took my bike directly to City Bikes, and tonight it sits at their shop waiting for a welder and frame builder to see what might be done.
Had things gone only slightly differently, I would be dead. Had that happened I would have died doing something that conflicts with my core values and belief, and which steels the planet from future generations in incriments.
The good folks at City Bikes, after giving me a cozy chair and making sure I was ok, observed how lucky it was that I had been in a car, rather than on my bike. Strictly speaking this is true, there no way I would have survived such an impact, it is a miracle I survived it in the car. But I don't believe I would have been in the collision had I been on my bike, for a number of reasons, and am in no way grateful for having been in a car.
Absent a car I would not have been trying to fit so many errands into a single morning. Even if I had been running the same errand I was on when I got hit, I would have been using a different rout in order to take advantage of bike lanes. As a cyclist I am hyper vigilant in watching for cars and other dangers, in a way that it is not possible to be in a motor vehicle. As motorist we travel in these metallic bubbles that insulate us from our communities and even our own senses.
Hurtling along in these missiles of steel and glass, our ability to see and hear is compromised, as is our connection to the surrounding environment, while our sense of protection and invincibility is heightened. Children and pets are killed every day because they couldn't be seen in rear view mirrors or over the hoods of a cars, or because the driver could not stop or change trajectory in time.
Approximately, 6,000 pedestrians and cyclists are killed annually by cars, another 125,000 people are injured, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Those 6,000 pedestrians and cyclists are among the 42,000 + people killed annually in traffic fatalities; meaning that in any two year period more Americans are killed by cars that were killed during the entire Vietnam War -and those are just the deaths resulting directly from collisions and accidents.
I guess all of this is a long-winded way of saying that I don't believe in driving cars, for all these reasons and more, and yet I nearly died while doing so, and it has me reevaluating the choices I make --and fail to make-- in my life. It has me noticing how easily we are lured away from those things that matter to us, even when we are cognizant of all these facts and and reasons for doing the right thing.
I am alright, as is the SUV driver, but my bike suffered significant damage. After exchanging information and formalities with the other driver, I took my bike directly to City Bikes, and tonight it sits at their shop waiting for a welder and frame builder to see what might be done.
Had things gone only slightly differently, I would be dead. Had that happened I would have died doing something that conflicts with my core values and belief, and which steels the planet from future generations in incriments.
The good folks at City Bikes, after giving me a cozy chair and making sure I was ok, observed how lucky it was that I had been in a car, rather than on my bike. Strictly speaking this is true, there no way I would have survived such an impact, it is a miracle I survived it in the car. But I don't believe I would have been in the collision had I been on my bike, for a number of reasons, and am in no way grateful for having been in a car.
Absent a car I would not have been trying to fit so many errands into a single morning. Even if I had been running the same errand I was on when I got hit, I would have been using a different rout in order to take advantage of bike lanes. As a cyclist I am hyper vigilant in watching for cars and other dangers, in a way that it is not possible to be in a motor vehicle. As motorist we travel in these metallic bubbles that insulate us from our communities and even our own senses.
Hurtling along in these missiles of steel and glass, our ability to see and hear is compromised, as is our connection to the surrounding environment, while our sense of protection and invincibility is heightened. Children and pets are killed every day because they couldn't be seen in rear view mirrors or over the hoods of a cars, or because the driver could not stop or change trajectory in time.
Approximately, 6,000 pedestrians and cyclists are killed annually by cars, another 125,000 people are injured, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Those 6,000 pedestrians and cyclists are among the 42,000 + people killed annually in traffic fatalities; meaning that in any two year period more Americans are killed by cars that were killed during the entire Vietnam War -and those are just the deaths resulting directly from collisions and accidents.
I guess all of this is a long-winded way of saying that I don't believe in driving cars, for all these reasons and more, and yet I nearly died while doing so, and it has me reevaluating the choices I make --and fail to make-- in my life. It has me noticing how easily we are lured away from those things that matter to us, even when we are cognizant of all these facts and and reasons for doing the right thing.
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