Life, the Universe and Everything
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Life, the Universe and Everything
The older I get, the more I seem to enjoy and await the arrival of warm weather. This past week has seen some beautiful Spring days of puffy white clouds, warm sunny days a joy to be out on JRA. Yesterday on the part of the ride through Colt State Park, the shrubbery, all of it, was in full bloom which in the middle of a gloomy pandemic was a welcome sight. The main thing about this park, it is directly next to Narragansett Bay with a wide walkway by the water and fine views to the West. In Summer, it is a good place to engage in the serious business of flying a kite.
A bit further north, one town further up the bike path, an osprey family I always look for that lives in a tree on an island in the middle of Brickyard Pond, has again taken up residence. I'm always happy to see them and especially like to see them hover over the water as they draw a bead on some doomed fish.
Back at the town beach, next to Colt Park, I stopped to admire the view across the bay with my shirt and shoes off in the warm sun. In these difficult times it is important to take the time to notice the little things such as the sweet young things whose micro bikinis don't have enough fabric to make a lamp shade.
A bit further north, one town further up the bike path, an osprey family I always look for that lives in a tree on an island in the middle of Brickyard Pond, has again taken up residence. I'm always happy to see them and especially like to see them hover over the water as they draw a bead on some doomed fish.
Back at the town beach, next to Colt Park, I stopped to admire the view across the bay with my shirt and shoes off in the warm sun. In these difficult times it is important to take the time to notice the little things such as the sweet young things whose micro bikinis don't have enough fabric to make a lamp shade.
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Life -- began NOT OF MY CHOICE
the Universe -- one pretty big place with a bunch of empty space
and Everything -- YUP, it is what it is until I kick the bucket
the Universe -- one pretty big place with a bunch of empty space
and Everything -- YUP, it is what it is until I kick the bucket
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Lucky you to have a place with such scenes. I rode through some the loveliest farmland and hills in a remote section of central PA yesterday. How can you beat riding in such places.
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I did a business-like ride on my hardest fix gear today in the Willamette Valley. Mixed, almost all cloudy sky, some dark but dry. Light wind. Didn't focus on the scenery but still, western Oregon spring, the smell, the green. Now, the super clean air and far less human noise. Funny that riding a modern bike on pavement in technical clothes, cycling shoes and helmet can be almost primordial.
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Yep. I grew up in a mostly agricultural community of upstate NY and worked on a farm during high school years. I love the countryside. I even like stone walls as many here do. Where there are no stone walls, people put some up.
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Meet me at spin class!!!!
I forget where I heard this bit about aging - that men develop an interest in the Civil War, or some such. But yes, weather is a big discussion as we get older!!!
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I spent some time up in Cobleskill in my youth. My dad moved there from NJ. Between the ages of 12-15 I spent some time with friends who owned a dairy in Preston Hollow.
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Sounds like fun! Can you tell us more about the lamp shades you are working on?
#11
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Have you ridden the Mt. Hope Bridge on a sunny Summer day? It's one of the few scenes I can consciously bring up from my memory.
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Too funny, but true. Civil war, WW2, old sailing novels etc. I think it's about investigating how we got to where we are and giving understanding to injustices that remain, at least for me. Hard to believe that so many of the issues that tore us apart for most of American History are still sowing division. If you seek to understand, then you'll read up on history and the old have a gift of time to do so.
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Too funny, but true. Civil war, WW2, old sailing novels etc. I think it's about investigating how we got to where we are and giving understanding to injustices that remain, at least for me. Hard to believe that so many of the issues that tore us apart for most of American History are still sowing division. If you seek to understand, then you'll read up on history and the old have a gift of time to do so.
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I love the view from that bridge as you can see water everywhere you look and there is even a light house. But I won't ride a bike across it, though I've seen others do it. There is no shoulder so too easy for a distracted driver to mow you down. I do like riding the area west of the Sakonett River as far as Dartmouth. After driving over the Mt. Hope Bridge I park at a commuter lot just before Rt 24 and the new bridge over the Sakonett does have protected bike lane.
Last edited by berner; 06-02-20 at 03:51 PM. Reason: spelling
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Too funny, but true. Civil war, WW2, old sailing novels etc. I think it's about investigating how we got to where we are and giving understanding to injustices that remain, at least for me. Hard to believe that so many of the issues that tore us apart for most of American History are still sowing division. If you seek to understand, then you'll read up on history and the old have a gift of time to do so.
#16
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As a kid, we used the Mt. Hope Bridge to get to Middletown, where my grandfather had a summer house. Stopping in the middle of that bridge was #1 on my bucket list - first to go on the list. I left RI in 1966. Maybe 20 years later I took my bike on a visit East and rode from East Providence to Newport. The bridge was the scariest place I've ever ridden. The 'road' was concrete slabs that had stood up to wind and rain and alt air since the bridge was built; it was too rough for me to ride on my 120 PSI tires. The sidewalk, too, was made of disintegrating concrete slabs with what seemed like at least 3" between them, with nothing below them except the bay. I screwed up what courage I had and bounced along the sidewalk.
What a view, though! I've seen SF Bay from various viewpoints, and it definitely qualifies as 'beautiful,' but Mt. Hope Bay from the bridge qualifies, too.
I guess if you're driving, it a lot less hair-raising to park and walk. I recommend doing so
What a view, though! I've seen SF Bay from various viewpoints, and it definitely qualifies as 'beautiful,' but Mt. Hope Bay from the bridge qualifies, too.
I guess if you're driving, it a lot less hair-raising to park and walk. I recommend doing so
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One complaint I have as well as many others who have to cross that bridge is that they are constantly working on it with traffic down to one lane. Maybe it is a jobs project or maybe the bridge is in poor shape after years of the highway department spreading salt on the roadway. At least the roadway is now in good condition.
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Sounds like a post from 50+ the way that it used to be. I notice that you got a pretty good bunch of "likes".
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The older I get, the more I seem to enjoy and await the arrival of warm weather. This past week has seen some beautiful Spring days of puffy white clouds, warm sunny days a joy to be out on JRA. Yesterday on the part of the ride through Colt State Park, the shrubbery, all of it, was in full bloom which in the middle of a gloomy pandemic was a welcome sight. The main thing about this park, it is directly next to Narragansett Bay with a wide walkway by the water and fine views to the West. In Summer, it is a good place to engage in the serious business of flying a kite.
A bit further north, one town further up the bike path, an osprey family I always look for that lives in a tree on an island in the middle of Brickyard Pond, has again taken up residence. I'm always happy to see them and especially like to see them hover over the water as they draw a bead on some doomed fish.
Back at the town beach, next to Colt Park, I stopped to admire the view across the bay with my shirt and shoes off in the warm sun. In these difficult times it is important to take the time to notice the little things such as the sweet young things whose micro bikinis don't have enough fabric to make a lamp shade.
A bit further north, one town further up the bike path, an osprey family I always look for that lives in a tree on an island in the middle of Brickyard Pond, has again taken up residence. I'm always happy to see them and especially like to see them hover over the water as they draw a bead on some doomed fish.
Back at the town beach, next to Colt Park, I stopped to admire the view across the bay with my shirt and shoes off in the warm sun. In these difficult times it is important to take the time to notice the little things such as the sweet young things whose micro bikinis don't have enough fabric to make a lamp shade.
Finished my coffee. Time for zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .
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A towel, [The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy] says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.
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[QUOTE=peterws;21528874]One night contemplate all sorts of things perhaps, in times past, and conjecture the future. Things that go round, come round, and we never ever learn from history. But when you get to a certain age, say, 72, you do look back and wonder why. you look at our politicians, the legal system, etc, and wonder how so many can earn so much under false pretenses and still have their heads on their shoulders . . .Shrug
Finished my coffee. Time for zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .[/QUOTE
I'm just now about 2/3 of the way through a re-reading of a Ben Franklin biography. The British of that day were incapable of understanding the complaints of American colonists and would not even hear petitions. The relationship began to sour as early as 1755 and went steadily down hill for the next 20 or more years. This situation is analogous to our current situation with race that has been going on for generations with no resolution.
Finished my coffee. Time for zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .[/QUOTE
I'm just now about 2/3 of the way through a re-reading of a Ben Franklin biography. The British of that day were incapable of understanding the complaints of American colonists and would not even hear petitions. The relationship began to sour as early as 1755 and went steadily down hill for the next 20 or more years. This situation is analogous to our current situation with race that has been going on for generations with no resolution.
Last edited by berner; 06-13-20 at 09:32 AM. Reason: corrected date
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[QUOTE=berner;21529942]
The British are famous for it. They never listened to their own troops' or officers' complaints either. Nor would they natter to the Germans (both world wars could've been shortened dramatically) or the IRA for that matter. Until they had to.
There's more of course. Always is. And we might see just who owns the Old Money in Blighty, Could be some red faces! . . . .
Such interesting days!
One night contemplate all sorts of things perhaps, in times past, and conjecture the future. Things that go round, come round, and we never ever learn from history. But when you get to a certain age, say, 72, you do look back and wonder why. you look at our politicians, the legal system, etc, and wonder how so many can earn so much under false pretenses and still have their heads on their shoulders . . .Shrug
Finished my coffee. Time for zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .[/QUOTE
I'm just now about 2/3 of the way through a re-reading of a Ben Franklin biography. The British of that day were incapable of understanding the complaints of American colonists and would not even hear petitions. The relationship began to sour as early as 1755 and went steadily down hill for the next 20 or more years. This situation is analogous to our current situation with race that has been going on for generations with no resolution.
Finished my coffee. Time for zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .[/QUOTE
I'm just now about 2/3 of the way through a re-reading of a Ben Franklin biography. The British of that day were incapable of understanding the complaints of American colonists and would not even hear petitions. The relationship began to sour as early as 1755 and went steadily down hill for the next 20 or more years. This situation is analogous to our current situation with race that has been going on for generations with no resolution.
There's more of course. Always is. And we might see just who owns the Old Money in Blighty, Could be some red faces! . . . .
Such interesting days!