Watermelons

It wasn't that we didn't plant watermelons early. We did. It's just that they were part of the straw-bale gardening experiment that went horribly wrong. And we didn't re-plant until the first of August. A race was on between the vines and the first hard frost.



This was our first attempt at growing watermelons.

My planting method went like this: "Oh, that was a good watermelon that we got from the farmer's market. I'll just toss some of these seeds onto the unplanted garden area and see what happens."

My husband's planting method was more sophisticated: "I'll plant some of these seeds that Aunt Polly gave us a few years ago. I'm even going to weed the area first, and plant in mounds. But I'm not going to use any fertilizer, because this dirt is so good. It's all a matter of mind control, anyway."



You might be surprised to learn that we did actually manage to grow a few excellent watermelons.

They were very tasty! We had a two or three week window between the first ripe melon and the first hard frost (around the first of November).



Did you know that melons can suffer from blossom end rot? It's a common problem with tomatoes, but for melons I get the impression that you really have to be trying. Oops. I blamed it on not fertilizing this end of the garden at all. Hubby blamed it on not watering enough (and improper mind control). It was probably the result of both. (I don't subscribe to the mind control theory of gardening.)

Gazelle, My Belle!

With my Pashley Princess having transitioned to a new home, it is time to ring in a new era.

This is my new friend, as well as the reason the Pashley has left me: an olderGazelleI unexpectedly acquired last week.

This Gazelle is most likely from the mid-to-late 1990s (which, frightening to think, was 15 years ago!). It was made in Holland, purchased in Germany, and brought to the US some time ago by the previous owner. It feels like a modern bike, but handles similarly to a vintageRaleighDL-1.After riding it for several days, it became clear that it suited me better than either myPashleyor my vintageRaleigh, because it combined my favourite features of both. Thus, thePashleywas set free, and the vintageRaleighwas moved to our photo studio (to replace theMerciermixte, which has been set free as well). The decision was swift and ruthless, as I did not want to dwell on it too much. TheGazelleis not quite as elegant as thePashleyand not as rare as the vintageRaleigh -but as a transportation bicycle it just suits me better.

This Gazelle is the A-Touren model, which I believe is the predecessor of what is now the Toer Populair. It looks similar to the Toer Populair, but comes with a coaster brake (yes!) and front drum brake, whereas the current model has rod-activated brakes.

This bicycle is enormous. The frame is 57cm (22.5") with 28" wheels and wide tires, and I am just barely tall enough to get on and off comfortably. In fact, I had to remove the original saddle (which had monstrously huge springs) and borrow the flatterBrooks B18 from my vintage Raleighin order to ride it.But that is fine with me, as the large frame feels very comfortable.

Indeed, the enormousness of the bicycle seems to be an asset while cycling. Riding this Gazelle feels like sailing a ship - a huge and initially unwieldy ship that surprises you with its agility and power to accelerate once it is in motion. It sails through flat stretches and then glides uphillonce you get it going,seemingly on its own accord. To be sure, it is a dauntingly heavy bike - but I do not feel the weight once I am in motion, and it does not pull me backwards when stopped at hill-top intersections.

Everything in the pictures is native to the bicycle, except for the saddle, the pannier, and the coiled cable lock on the rear rack. It has a (Sachs) 3-speed coaster brake hub that works perfectly, and the gearing is just right for me. The front drum brake is activated by a lever mounted on the right handlebar. The headlight and tail light are bottle-dynamo activated. They work nicely, but eventually we might rig up a system to make the headlight brighter. The fenders, full (vinyl) chaincase and solid (vinyl) dressguards are in excellent condition. The rear fender has not only the white edging, but also the matching Spanniga tail light I so love that was specifically designed for these. The rear rack is enormous and sturdy. It is the only part of the bicycle that shows signs of wear - a small patch of rust where some paint got scraped off.

What I love about older Gazelle bicycles, is the overwhelming amount of proprietary insignia with a gorgeous Art Nouveu feel to it. This is the headbadge.

And a tiny badge underneath the tail light. Who does that anymore?

Tiny gazelles embossed onto the chrome on the flat fork crown!

A gazelle on the front fender!

A gazelle on the stem bolt.

Even a gazelle on the kickstand bolt! And of course you already saw the gazelle on the bell in the first picture.

Another design feature I love about this bicycle, is the lugged connector between the downtube and the curved toptube. Most manufacturers no longer do this, and I do not remember whether the current production Gazelleframes are still made this way. Anybody have one handy to check? It would have to be a post-2006 model, which is when I think they changed production methods.

I hope you enjoyed this introduction to my new-to-me bicycle, and I will write more as I get to know her better. I do not see myself making too many adjustments to this bike, other than eventually replacing the tires with cream Schwalbe Delta Cruisers and maybe getting some nicer grips. I don't think the absence of my Pashley has fully sunk in yet, but I am pleased about the home she went to - they are a beautiful match. Hopefully, I have now met my match as well! Now, to think of a name...

Velo Vision

About a year ago, I started to notice that I couldn't see things in the distance as well as I used to. I could read and see up close just the same as before, but things far away were losing their clarity. I noticed this most of all while cycling.The landscape was not as sharp as it once was, far-away roadsigns were more difficult to read, faces of people riding toward me were harder to recognise. As someone who's always had perfect eyesight, I had no prior experience with vision loss and it took me a while to acknowledge what was happening. But finally I went to have an eye exam and the loss of "perfect" status in the eyesight department was confirmed. I was given a prescription for glasses that the doctor said I would need mostly "for driving."






I expected shopping for glasses to be a nightmare, for the same reason finding a decent pair of cycling sunglasses had been a nightmare. But I underestimated modern technology and our neightbourhood's offering of optical shops.Picking up friends' glasses in the past, I remember them being heavy. But apparently eyeglasses today can be made extremely lightweight - with high-tech plastic and titanium frames. There is also enormous variety in shapes and sizes. I had no problem finding some that fit my face and weighed next to nothing.






With cycling in mind, I got a pair with plastic frames and photochromic lenses. They cover a good part of my face, and the lenses turn dark in the sun, but clear at night. I have already worn them on a couple of rides and the fit is very comfortable.But wearing corrective lenses will take some getting used to!Everything in the distance now looks unnaturally sharp, or hyper-3-D. My feel for how close or far away objects are is a little disturbed by this, but I am assuming my brain will adjust eventually.






Another thing that's happening, is that whilethe glasses correct my far-away vision, they do so at the expense of making things blurry up close. On the bike, this means that I can't really see anything that's directly in front of me or at handlebar level (i.e. the cycling computer on my roadbike) unless I take them off or look underneath the lenses. I am still working out how to adapt to this. Meanwhile, it's a relief to see clearly at a distance again.

A new day

After somewhat of a hiatus from shooting the Spirit Tree I figured it was time to do another sunrise at what is undoubtedly one of my favorite shooting locations. I ended up choosing a fantastic morning to head down to the tree! Wonderful clouds and great light awaited. I never tire of making images of this wonderful and amazing tree.

Good Day Sunshine

One of the things I love most about Florida is the sun. We are settling into our "winter" routine and enjoying being here again. I am really loving all of the sunshine after being in cloudy and rainy weather.





It was a bit cold today though. Not too cold to wear shorts while playing pickle ball and hiking by the river. But cold enough that at dusk, I could see my breath in the air. We built a campfire to keep us warm and at some point it was still too cold to be outside. I'm not complaining though. As long as the sun shines and I can be outside, I'm a happy girl.

Big Metal Vase

There were these big metal vases or pots by the entrance to one shop.

Ingalls Lake

If you are looking for some awesome scenery close to home, Ingalls Lake is the place to go. Dave, Dani, Wendy, Mark (and Doug) taking a break on the way up to Ingalls Pass.

We saw a lot of mountain goats on this trip.It was a warm day and people were cooling off in the lake.Mt. Stuart and Ingalls Lake. What a view!