a good day on the bike... a good day with the camera

today was a good day on the bike
today was a
good day with the camera
today was even a good day at work
but I choose not to
blog about work

the morning was wet and warm
having the opportunity to take my dog into the woods each morning gives me insight into both the temperature of the day and the condition of the trails


the trails are muddy
no
mountain biking on this day or in the days of the approaching weekend
yet the warm weather offers the draw of getting out on the bike
getting out on the bike in one capacity or the other

getting out of work a few minutes early made it easy to get out on the bike this afternoon


before the afternoon there was the morning
the morning offered a pretty standard straight path into work

only with a slight deviation through Malcolm X Park

the stairs were not part of my morning agenda
but I ran into Libbey on her morning commute
so we shared the morning and rode through the park

once in the park I rode ahead of libbey so that I could snap some photographs
got a few shots and got back on the bike myself
then we split lanes of city traffic for a few more blocks
until I went towards my office and she went the other way towards hers

the warm weather seemed to have the city extra activity
the ground was still wet but it has stopped raining
in my short minutes out grabbing lunch I saw all sorts of cyclists dashing around town
I did my thing with the camera

I felt like a fisherman overjoyed that the fish were jumping into the boat

there were cyclists all around me

the timing was right
I snapped all sorts of pictures of all sorts of people and their bicycles

the tasks of the week and the tasks of the day were achieved in such a way that leaving a few minutes early seemed logical
dressed and ready to ride I called Cargo Mike

called to check to see if he was free for a casual spin before the day lost all of its light
sure enough... he had a few more drops and would be free in a half hour to forty-five minutes
we agreed on a meeting point and I got on my bike

with my camera around my neck I rode up and around The Capital Building

on the move I shot some pictures
having already taken so many photos I focused more on riding
the meeting time also dictated a healthy pace

up and around the Capital Building headed back towards downtown
as I approached The Treasury Building I caught a glimpse of AZ
still on the move with the camera in hand I snapped a few shots

the subject was more worth my attention
this subject more than the other cyclists I had seen
after all... it is AZ

when AZ pulled off at The Department of Commerce I pulled off as well

there was a quick exchange
I made mention of my wanting to write an article
for Spokes magazine about his being awarded The Marcus Cook Award
then he got back to work

while I got back on my
bike

not much delay

still on schedule

with a slightly modified trajectory I worked my way across downtown towards Georgetown
then up the hill deeper into georgetown


right on time or maybe two minutes late I arrived
mike came out with some water and his
fixed gear
we talked about our route
the mention of Mount Vernon was rethought
as it was starting to get late and we would certainly lose light and time before getting anywhere close to mount
vernon

we worked it across the georgetown neighborhoods, past georgetown university hospital, then out of georgetown into palisades
we talked as we rode
cargo mike listened as I dragged him down my memory lane of that area of town
he heard a good deal but was lucky to miss my tales of snowboarding at battery kimble in the mid 80's

then through a palisades neighborhood onto the capital crescent trail
the leafless trees exposed houses across the river that I did not know were there


on the capital crescent trail the commuter traffic surrounded us


we road a social pace side by side

the light was starting to get dim
we kept a steady clip
but nothing that would award us the king of the trail award
at one point as we approached bethesda I recognized an oncoming form
it was my brother marc commuting home from work

we said hellos
but with the fading light and the headlamp with a dead battery I did not alter my pace
a minute later and my brother was between us on his swank new Ridley road bike

we stopped for a quick exchange then continued on our way

the light was dropping fast

mike was a good listener as I rambled on about growing up playing on the train tracks where the path is now paved
bethesda was once a sleepy town
not the semi urban suburb it is today

sure enough we were almost out of light

dusk was upon us and we were under lite
we still had to get home

we could have cut our trajectory short
but we held our course

the few blinking lights we had would be better than nothing as we entered the canopy of rock creek park
most of the traffic was coming the opposite direction which made things a tad easier
now the commuter traffic was cars

lots of cars
and a few bicycles
lots of cars in a rush to get home
a few bicycles with lights... a few bicycles with less lights than us


with no great incident we got to my mount pleasant home
we said a quick goodbye as cargo mike still had a few miles to get home

our ride was solid
it is a good loop
with my warm up before our meeting tagged along to our little circuit I managed to get in a half decent ride
not the epic road ride that so many will be attacking this weekend
but a solid ride just the same
a solid ride that was also a social ride

my body and soul feel better after that ride
my shoulders and legs are also a little sore
sore in a good way