A couple of days ago, Seymour Blueskies packed up his things and went home with a very nice couple. I bid him farewell as I fondly recalled our times together.
From the start, my intent had been not to keep the vintage Trek, but to learn what I could from it, then move on to explore other bicycles. It was around this time that I recognised having two categories of bikes: a few that I "truly owned" and others that I considered transient and experimental. But experimental for what?
It took me some time to acknowledge that I was "seriously" interested in bicycle design, and acquiring theTreklast summer coincided with that realisation. I began to learn about bicycle history and frame geometry in a more systematic manner, to formulate ideas about the relationship between form and function, and to apply my previous training (in psychology and neuroscience, as well as art and design) to the realm of bicycles and cycling. I realised that the reason I keep acquiring more bikes, is not because I necessarily want to own them personally, but because I want to try out new ideas and to learn new things - then share the results with others. I enjoy the process of conceptualising a bicycle, then bringing about its existence and the result being successful. Now if only there was some way to do that over and over again, without ending up in financial ruin or with a hoarding disorder... Oh, I know: I could design bikes for other people.
After saying good-bye to Seymour Blueskies, I stopped by to see Bryan at Royal H. Cycles - with whom I am now collaborating on a bicycle. How on Earth did that happen? Well, funny story... You see, in this post about a month ago, I expressed a desire to try a bicycle with traditional randonneuring geometry (à la Jan Heine), and received some suggestions as to how this could be accomplished. There wasn't an easy way; these bicycles are rare. But one idea was that I could design the bike myself - and an intrepid reader was prepared to commission just such a bicycle from Royal H should I feel up to the task. And so here we are. The plan is that I come up with the specs, we discuss, Bryan builds, and we'll see what happens.As this project begins and the Bella Ciao project nears completion, I am filled with nervous energy and self-doubt all around. I know my weak points: I am not an engineer and I am not a framebuilder. But I am perceptive and increasingly knowledgeable in other ways that are essential to bicycle design, and I do feel that I can collaborate with others to create something special. It's possible that I am over-reaching, that it's all too soon. But life is short and you never know unless you try. So I'm trying.
These flowers were scattered all over Old Town and were in full bloom. The blossoms were huge being as much as 10 to 12 inches across and with big leaves. I was told they were a perennial hibiscus.
Sonny was better for Lee than he was for me.
The Map: To be honest, I don't think there will be any genealogical treasures within, but it is labeled "Cards, Letters, Misc" and the lord only knows what is included in miscellaneous! So, I'll sort through everything to see what I have and determine whether it should be kept or if it should be discarded. I can only hope that it will contain something worthy of sharing!
Today we headed back to Chesapeake. If it were not for our travel buddies, and wanting time with them, we'd be moving on because we've had our fill of the area already. After spending the winter in Florida, it is very hard for us to sit "still" and not be moving. It's well worth it to have family time with people we enjoy so much though.
We're hoping the weather holds out for us and it nice here. A few days of rain has me feeling quite grumpy so I need some sun at this point.
"But, Mom! Warm, clean towels make such a nice bed."
I have never drawn or painted bicycles before, but am now starting a commissioned painting that will include two female cyclists - so I've been making figure drawings and sketches of people on bikes. It has been interesting to study the postures our bodies adapt while cycling - and especially interesting to note the inherent attractiveness of those postures.
When it comes to the female figure, our positioning on a bicycle tends to really accentuate the waist-to-hip ratio - which, according to evolutionary psychology, is the greatest implicit indicator of "femaleness" to the male. 
Cycling also tends to make the legs look longer and leaner - another evolutionary measure ofattractiveness,for both genders (researchers believe that long legs may have been indicators of hereditary longevity).
When we cycle, the muscle tone in our arms and legs is accentuated - a general sign of health. In males, this can also serve to suggest strength - which, according to evolutionary psychology once again, females are pre-disposed to respond to.
Finally, being on a bicycle raises the figure higher off the ground, literally making the cyclist seem taller - another advantage for males. The added height also makes the cyclist more noticeable, regardless of gender - placing their body on a moving pedestal of sorts.
One thing my cycling sketches have taught me, is that drawing the human figure on a bicycle is not easy - which makes it especially admirable that Mr. Rick Smith is able to do it nearly every single day with his comicYehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery!
