Sun rays near the equinox

First rays hit flower

Since I leave home at the same time every day, and the sun is rising a few minutes later each day, the exact moment that the first sun ray is visible keeps changing in my ride around Millenium Park. 

Soon I'll be riding in the dark.

Allignment of the earth

The first sun rays hit the hillside as I arrive.

Shortening days

Friday

I was passed by two speedy cyclists on the way to, and the way back from work today.   One was a redheaded nurse in green scrubs riding a mountain bike.  She waited patiently at the red light to turn left.  So great to see someone following rules of the road.  Another was a man in his 50's or 60's wearing lycra heading up the hill, turning left at Union.  I still don't know who most of my co-commuters are, but I bet that I will gradually get to know who they are, and recognize others in this enlarging community.

At Millenium park I was greeted by a bounding young doe, and instead of bounding off into the woods, she ran along with me in the general direction of the bike path for 50 yards.  I enjoyed her bounding and lightness.

Getting to Lake Leota, the rays of sunrise peeked over the trees and hills.  The shortening days have interected with my commute hour, and soon I will have to shorten my Millenium ride, or ride in the dark, or ride at noon.  Eventually daylight savings will end and I'll be given an extra hour in the morning again.

This morning was warm, moist from the previous night's rain, and the golden sunrise light infused the landscape with a golden glow.

Asters

College daze, moist mornings

The big change in GR this week has been the start of local colleges.   On Monday I had a chance to ride at noon to pick up something at another site of our hospital systema and had to ride through the campus of GRCC.  The cars were backed up for miles.  I wondered why so few chose to ride their bikes and to wait in mile long lines.

Today I had a chance to ride out to Millenium Park and the Westsider Cafe between meetings. The air was so moist and gentle, yet the shadows were long and the light less intense.  The flowers are changing to fall flowers.

I wonder who is the mystery blonde girl who I see walking in the park.  Once she was carrying a very big backpack, and today she was carrying a folding chair and little dog.  Is she a nature lover, a person escaping an abusive relationship, homeless?  No way to know.  I just greeted and smiled.

Glistening dew

Friday

The mornings are getting darker, so I put both forward and back lights on the bike this morning, and rode the new bike lanes down through the downtown, past the lines of homeless waiting to get into Degage for breakfast, past the construction cranes, by Founders Brewing where men were already up working hard to finish the expansion before ArtPrize, and then on to Millenium Park.  As I made the first right turn to start the outer loop I came upon a field of glistening dewdrops, illuminated from the size, and a layer of haze just above the fields.

Dewdrops on spider web.

 As I continued on around the outer loop, the low angle sunlight lent a golden glow to the whole park, and as far as I could tell, I was the only one there.  An it occurred to me,  what if you discovered there was a beautiful  park in your back yard that you could visit every day?  What if all you had to do was to open your eyes and see it?

Hazy day

A cormorant swims agressively toward a goose

Today was an "air quality action day" which means the air is not fit to breathe.  The recommendation is that everyone ride their bike or walk to reduce air pollution.   I snapped this shot in an area of the park I call Cormorant City, where geese are apparently not welcome.

Morning errand sweetness

I had two hours free between meetings and before starting up clinical hours in the afternoon.   At first I resisted the thought of taking my shirts to the cleaners.  But then I thought, I could carry the shirts on my bike and make a couple of other errands, transforming this from a joyless task into a series of interesting and enjoyable encounters at a slowed pace.

And sure enough, the morning was sprinkled with mini-encounters and other enjoyable moments scattered among 4 businesses.

New bike lane!

 Wednesday

It was another beautiful end of summer ride before work, with a pair of deer crossing my path in Millenium park.  But I had to cut it short to get to work a little early.

On the way home I decided to check out the new Thursday evening farmer's market downtown.  To my surprise, Heffron Farms will be there so I can buy organic, hormone free meat.  It's going to be so convenient for shopping on my way home.

Heading back across Division I was surprised to see new bike lanes on Cherry Street .

It looks like it will be much easier to bike than to drive to work from the looks of this photo.

Foggy morning

Tuesday

The warm afternoon followed by the night time clear skies and coolness was perfect for creating fog along the river in the morning.   The fog hugged the low land areas along Wealthy Street, and then blanketed all of Millenium Park.  The sun began to break through in areas.

Millenium park - sun breaks through the fog. 

Eastern /Cherry intersection was now open which helped to normalize some of the traffic flows and make people a little less testy.

Nature watch:  The Virginia creeper and sumac are the first leaves to turn red.   The goldenrod is about 1/3 in bloom.   Tree leaves are losing their dark green coloring in preparation for fall.

Bluest blue sky

With the morning off, I rode down to the library and to the Lantern Coffee Shop at Oakes & Commerce where I chatted with a friend in an easy chair.  Once again the day was cool and clear, with the bluest possible sky.  I stopped by the Blue Bridge which is being repainted in preparation for Art Prize.  Even when on a bike I had trouble finding a route to the library, but managed to hop some curbs, walk through some sand and traverse the mass of barriers.

With a little extra time, I decide to tackle the horribly skipping rear derailleur on my commute bike.  After 5 minutes of studying the manual, I was again familiarized with the process of tuning the derailleur, and within 15- 20 minutes it was working smoothly again.

After lunch I rode down to work.  The return was marked by masses of cars all trying to go around endless detours.  Fortunately, I could safely slide by in the right lane and proceed home without impediment.

The dog days....I mean chilly days of August

Millenium Park

It's a cool morning, cool enough to need a jacket, and maybe gloves.   Though the construction seems to be building to a September finale, I wound my way to Millenium Park where the sun was rising and the lakes were still.   I encountered few cyclists or runners, even the birds were rather quiet.  All seems to be waiting.

Rainy day

A steady shower today, so took a little shorter park ride before work.  The rain poncho and new rear blinker worked well so I stayed dry and alive.

I switched out my pedals from Shimano clipless to regular rat-trap type pedal.  This allowed me to wear a regular shoe which was water proof. Nice not to have wet feet getting to work.

After work I rode over to Frank's Meat market and picked up some Italian sweet sausage to use in making a pasta dish with fresh veggies from the neighborhood market.

Long shadows and cobwebs.

Thursday

I was a little behind getting out the door, so had to shorten my ride a bit today.  The air was cool, sky blue, and both the city and the park were as beautiful as a gem.

Riding along Grandville Ave, the low angled morning light made the old engine house even more beautiful

As I wound around the park, I came upon a duck family perched on a perfect family sized island in the lagoon.

 

Later in the day I had to use the car to go to the airport.  A cobweb had been constructed between the mirror and the body.  The car had been sitting for several days without use.   Everyone laughed to see the cobwebs on my little used car. 

Morning shower freshness

Wednesday

My morning ride with a friend was cancelled due to an early morning thundershower, but as mid-morning approached the sky lightened, so I jumped on the bike and had a pleasant, fresh ride around Reeds Lake and to Michigan Ave.

Reeds Lake Ave.

Later,  I jumped on the bike again with work clothes and rode down to work.  Now the wind was shifting, had become humid, and was coming from the West.   But the little ride had me feeling fresh and energized for a day in the clinic.  Afterwards, a quick ride to a restaurant for a light supper and home.  The last Blues on the Mall was playing at Rosa Parks Circle.  The steam was rolling out of the pool and children playing around it fascinated, as always.  Another beautiful day.

Of gravel roads and late summer flowers

I've spend a lot of time avoiding gravel roads.  The gravel is bumpy, riding your bike on them can be unpleasant with bumping and lurching, and then there's dust.  But today on my ride through Millenium Park before work, I chose the road less traveled, slowed my speed, and rode silently through the park, it's birdsongs, and arrived at a curving railroad bridge.  There, along the bridge grew pokeberries which are beginning to turn purple.

Gravel road

Pokeweed

 

Continuing on through the park I note the change of the summer wildflowers.  If there's one wildflower to announce that it is now late summer, it's goldenrod.

Goldenrod

 

 

 

As I make my ride through Millenium Park into a daily habit, I am starting to realize that I am starting to know the animals and the people who are there at the same time.  I know where the bob-white lives.  Here song is always in the same place ( though I can not see her).  The girl on the mountain bike with red hair is almost there.  Gradually, I expect to know the plants and birds as if they are neighbors. 

When life gets busy

There are always turn and twists in life when your work world gets so busy that you forget to exercise, connect with friends, or notice what is going on around you.  Today, as the new clinic opened its doors, I could have easily swept away everything else and life and immersed myself in work.  But biking to work has a way of slowing you down, making you deal with what is around you.

Surprisingly, there was time for lunch, and I was determined to bike 3 blocks to Monroe Center Ave and have lunch at a cafe overlooking the pedestrian mall.  There I sat and ate a middle eastern meal while watching people pass by.

Parsley Mediterranean Restaurant.

Does it look like a lot of food?  Yes, it was enough for lunch and to save some for supper.  I was able to eat more of the amazingly spiced chicken at 5 just before meeting my wife Alice for a dance lesson.

An urban paradox

It's Thursday in Grand Rapids, and it seems like every road is under construction.

Cherry & Eastern

And despite the fact that it seems like it is nearly impossible to get some places by car, it's still quite easy to negotiate route by bike or by foot.  And I know that Art Prize is the driving force behind all this agitated movement.  Everything must look perfect by the middle of September when our whole city will go on display to the rest of the country.

After winding my way through downtown, I headed to my favorite morning destination, Millenium Park.  The fog was lifting and the morning was cool.  Cool and fresh enough to be the first of June.  But the late summer wildflowers belied this impression.

Millenium Park

Passing back over the Maynard using the pedestrian bridge, I thought I heard a familiar call.  As I got closer to the lakes it became louder...the pure two toned call of the Bob White.  It's a song I've never heard in Millenium Park before, and associate with being in a remote northern forest camping.

And then it struck me -- the joke -- that as I moved my life and work focus to the urban area and was now able to bike to work, I am now more connected to nature.   I am not imprisoned in the steel cage stuck on the highway.  I'm sitting here listening to the sounds of the bob-white and watching the stately blue heron pause on a log before slowing lifting off.   

A day in the country

I like to take a day off for my birthday and go for a long ride in the country.  Today I spun the direction wheel and chose to head for Newaygo, an area I have never visited, despite its relative proximity.   The cool day made it much more tolerable and able to focus on enjoying the sites, sounds and smells -- well, most of them anyway -- rather than how to keep hydrated and not overheated.

The day began heading northwest, up Walker Rd.  I love roads like Stocking and Walker because they are not straight.  They were here before the grid was imposed because they were old wagon routes, and perhaps before that they were Native American trails.   I stopped for a look at the cemetary and found this beautiful angel.

I shifted over to the Muskatwaw trail going northwest toward Muskegon.  Soon I ran into a man riding the same direction,  and we struck up a conversation.  The miles went quickly and soon I was in Ravenna.  There I discovered I had not brought a lock, so stopped at the Hardware store and got a length of chain and a Master lock.  This was adequate.

Continuing north I approached the Muskegon river and came upon an old dilapidated schoolhouse that was falling down.

Rounding the corner, and just before heading down the hill to the river, lay a very luscious and well tended blueberry farm.  I stopped to pick some berries, something I've not done sinnce I was a kid.  Many small children were picking, and this little girl was right across the bush from me, so I snapped her picture:

I crossed the Muskegon River, then headed east on North River drive and soon came into Newaygo's prim downtown where I got  a very nice lunch, and then visited the antiquarian book shop and picked out a book on Japanese flower arranging for my wife Alice.

It was time to return home, so after passing the Croton Dam,

I headed south and wound my way back into Grand Rapids.  It was a wonderful way to experience my aliveness, to be fully aware of the surroundings, and be ready for the work week to come.

Walking at lunch

With my new clinic being so centrally located, I decided to take a quick walk at lunch.  I stopped to see if my friend Martha was at work at St. Cecelia.  Unfortunately she had left to go home for lunch, so I headed south to the public library.  I was impressed with their new check-out system and browsed the new book section.  And this is what I love: finding books that are not really my interest area, but intrigue me nonetheless.  Today's titles:  The history of animal domestication and The fall of psychiatry.  Maybe I'll read them, maybe just a small portion.  Then I'll take them back.  My new work is making it easy for me to visit the library, and I have a feeling it's going to be a favorite stop for me.

Day 1: a summer bike ride to work

On July 26 I start a new job in downtown Grand Rapids, MI.  I find myself in the enviable position of being able to ride my bike or walk 365 days a year to work.  Over the next year I will attempt to bike or walk every day, no matter the weather.  It's only 1 mile.  This is not going to be a feat of athleticism, but a journey toward slowing down, casting aside the distractions and anxieties of commuting long distances, and taking time to see what is happening.  My hope is to post something from my ride or walk every day for a year.

On my first day I rode down Cherry and took a moment to stop in front of St Andrew's Cathedral.  Then I rode through downtown, and by Grandville and Wealthy to Millenium Park.  I stopped at the entrance to Millenium Park to photograph my bike in front of the flowers of the same color. 

I stopped to enjoy the wild bergamot and watch the bumblebees harvesting the nectar.

Not all days will be this beautiful.  I am looking forward to the external change, with the posssibility of internal change.