It’s about time to get back on my bicycle after a long hiatus due to lack of energy, then surgery and recovery and now the weather is getting nice again. I’m now at a local coffee shop while I have some work done on my car. Seems it needs surgery, also. This image is one of the unique bicycle racks around town. Some are truly pieces of art.
It looks like I will have surgery on my left on May 8th then the right eye on June 4th. I had some difficulty with insurance but that is all straightened out. I will be flying to Phoenix on May 10th to celebrate my parents 70th anniversary.
One advantage of having a camera with me at all times is the opportunity to take street portraits. We just never know when we may find a smiling face to photograph. 🙂
We are cold this morning, -6 at 6:49 am. The sun is shining and we have clear blue skies. I took this image of the bicyclists at about 7:30 as I walked into the Lory Student Center on campus. I find it amazing the courage they have to ride in the cold, snow and icy conditions. Not me! Young people in Colorado don’t seem to mind the cold but I do. That, or I’m a bit wiser. 🙂
Art from tire tracks in my parking lot
“I didn’t go to kindergarten, so I missed ‘show and tell’ when I was young. I’m making up for it now! I look for essence of the subject and try to show it in a different way, whether it’s Antarctica or a monarch butterfly…” – George Lepp
Walked to a coffeehouse last week to meet a friend for a cup of coffee and their breakfast enchiladas. 🙂 The temperature was somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees (F). I am still surprised how many people in Fort Collins ride bicycles in all sorts of weather. They just gear up for whatever nature brings on. I’m actually envious of their commitment to riding.
Seems the ride of choice in retirement communities isn’t a Lincoln or a Cadillac. It’s a golf cart. If the garage door is open you will see a nice car sitting next to a golf cart. The speed limit in the retirement community is 25 except on the four main roads, which is 40. Most people drive under the 25 mph because they are in their golf carts. Almost every morning on my walk I encounter someone heading for their tee-time, a tennis match, Bocce ball game, Pickle-ball game or meet someone for coffee. And, a smile crosses my face when I see the unusual amount of dogs sitting on the passenger seat. 🙂
And, some of these carts are pretty tricked out. If you look at this one it is not even setup for golfing as there is no place for golf clubs. This baby is for the streets.
I see this a lot as I await the bus. However, there is something missing in this scene that the image cannot convey, the sound. The noise pollution from traffic is quite loud with a variety of sounds, we just seldom hear them while in our cars. Sit at a bus stop and you will understand how deafening it can be. You will hear tires on the pavement, cars accelerating, squealing fan belts, loud mufflers, loud stereos, sirens, honking and an occasional swearword.
While waiting at the bus stop I met a woman who has not had a car for the past 15 months. Guessing we are about the same age as she bought one of the senior yearly passes. She takes the bus to and from work. She has a pull cart she uses on the bus for grocery shopping. She also does some shopping online, including groceries.  She also told me of a service she uses called UBER. There are places in town where it may require changing buses to your destination as many as three times. The drivers are locals who sign up to drive people to locations using their own vehicles. It uses a free app to get a driver. So, this is an interesting concept. I am also intrigued in maybe being a driver.
