Category Archives: PEOPLE

The Importance of Summer Evenings – Baltimore Bike Party, July 2013

Posted on July 28, 2013 | 3 comments

Deep in winter, when the weather is steely and cold, I dream of nights like this. When the air is a soft caress and the night is inviting. Languid. Delicious. There’s no huddling for warmth; no running for shelter from icy winds. Instead, amid the singing of katydids, the night invites you to stay. Maybe extend your arms into the sultry evening air and take a few spins. Is it the spinning making you giddy or the extravagantly pleasurable evening? Hard to know and hard to care. Life’s delights are to be savored, not analyzed.

At the midpoint. As night fell, this woman’s dress came alive (with David’s spare batteries to the rescue, as she had forgotten her power source)!

On Friday, we took a ride with the Baltimore Bike Party on such a night. Each month, a bike ride is organized, guided by “The 3 R’s”: RIDE, RESPECT and REVELRY. The ride through Baltimore City as night falls is short. Just five or six miles through wildly divergent neighborhoods. Parks and slums. Mansions and museums.

We rode in golden midsummer evening light

The thousands of people on bikes make this ride a safe one. Safe enough for even the most timid and safety-minded individuals to take a tour down the hard-bitten streets that are home to Baltimore’s poorest citizens. And those citizens come out onto the sidewalks to view the parade passing by in the warm summer evening.

We, the cyclists, have a unique opportunity to send them some love by way of a happy greeting. A smile, a wave and an invitation to join us next time on the last Friday of the month. Maybe, just maybe, one or two of the folks we see can gather a little hope from us. Or, perhaps they just enjoy the spectacle of thousands of nutty people on bikes shouting, singing, waving, laughing and having a really great time.

Make sure to turn your sound on to enjoy the party!

Can you spot these things in the video?:

– a small person shadowing us, riding a small bike on the sidewalk

– two rats on bikes

– people out on their stoops and sidewalks

Each ride has a theme. This month, it was “Moonlight Madness” with as many lights on bikes as we could muster. (Last month, the theme was the ’80’s. See David’s post). David rigged our bikes with a Dewalt drill battery pack and plenty of LED lights from Ikea. Other folks found ways to add lights, too. Almost all of the bikes were sporting head-and-tail lights. What an awesome pageant of lighted bikes it was! A turn around Lake Montebello revealed the parade to be more than a mile long.

David’s bike was a sailboat. The red light in the middle is his tail light. He added extensions to front and back to create this fantastic ship in the night!

There’s always a stopping point about halfway through the ride. The revelry starts in earnest here! Meeting new friends and greeting old friends. Lighted bikes were admired. There were some truly awesome rigs! Those so inclined break out the alcohol and make it a real party atmosphere. Even David and Jane partook of a generously offered cold(!) beer.

Then, before we knew it, we were at the end of the ride, in Druid Hill Park. We lingered only briefly in the velvet dark, lit by decorated bikes and illuminated party pavilions. My bed was calling, loudly by this time. A day of driving had preceded the ride for me, so off we went into the night, back to the car and home. But, not without being extremely grateful for a night like this one. A happy, happy bike ride on a beautiful summer evening…

– Jane

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Posted in Baltimore Bike Party, Bicycling, Finding my place in the world, Health & Fitness, PEOPLE, Strange Sights, the "Afterlife"

Tagged Baltimore, Baltimore Bike Party, Bicycling, Health & Fitness, Jane, outdoors, Random Thoughts, video, Wonderful people

City Trek 04/14/2013

Posted on April 23, 2013 | 3 comments

Now that we’re back home in Baltimore, we’re finding that some things don’t change. Like the fact that we only go downtown with out-of-town people.

Time was, Baltimore downtown was like a fascinating, shiny magnet drawing me southward to experience the sometimes elegant (Belvedere Hotel Owl Bar), sometimes quirky (The Horse You Came In On in Fell’s Point) nightlife. But, nightlife now consists of early evening dinners or movies with friends and relatives. All with the convenience of needing to drive no further than some suburban restaurant or theater. That way, everyone’s home by 10:00. Which used to be the hour when I was just finishing the final prep for an evening out. Bars and clubs I frequented didn’t really get hopping until midnight. (Did I really just date myself by saying “get hopping”?)

But now that I’m older, and supposedly wiser, daytime fun trumps nighttime fun. And by early evening, I’m pooped. Skiing, working, bicycling, working, hiking, cleaning, gym-going, working, gardening. All these things now use up my more limited energy.

I digress. I didn’t start this post intending to go on about my defunct nightlife.

So, lets get back to the main topic, which actually is – visiting one’s own hometown. The Maine-ahs had traveled south to check out Towson University and absorb some southern Spring weather! Snow was still on the ground up North.

We took the Light Rail to the Inner Harbor.

On the platform with Amanda and Jake in the foreground, Nancy and Brenda in the background.

Home of the World Champion Ravens and near-World Champion Orioles, Baltimore has a beautiful waterfront.

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Harborplace, the frigate Constellation, and our own Trade Center tower.

We did a little shopping and a little strolling, thoroughly enjoying the gorgeous day.

No agenda, just hanging out. We took a harbor boat tour.

Domino Sugar, complete with D'Amico tanker loading up.

Domino Sugar, complete with D’Amico tanker unloading the sweet stuff from the tropics.

The Domino Sugar sign is a harbor landmark. We buy Domino brand sugar just to keep the lovely neon shining over the water at night (not pictured because I was at home in my PJs by the time it was dark).

Fells Point as seen from the docks.

National Aquarium in Baltimore

Baltimore Public Works Museum.

The Public Works museum, above, was built in 1912 as the water pumping station for Baltimore. When I was young person flouncing around the city, legend had it that this building was the City Morgue, complete with a chimney for the cremations! Reality is not nearly as dramatic as imagination sometimes.

We were very lucky to see the Pride of Baltimore II, in her home harbor between worldwide voyages. It’s a beautiful reproduction of an 1812 privateer with an education mission as well as serving as Baltimore’s ambassador to foreign ports.

The Pride of Baltimore II

Amanda outside the Under Armour store in Harboreast.

After the harbor cruise, we came back ashore to visit the Under Armour store in Harboreast – one of the highlights for our Maine relatives who are also big Ravens fans.

Before heading home on the train, we met these happy folks, reveling in the fun side of Baltimore and gettin’ crabby.

My home town made me proud!

– Jane

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Posted in Family, History, Museums, PEOPLE, Photos, Strange Sights, the "Afterlife", Travel in the USA

Tagged Baltimore, Family, History, Jane, museum, outdoors, Random Thoughts, Wonderful people

Road Rage Redux

Posted on April 12, 2013 | 4 comments

Now at home, in the crowded Baltimore Metro area, I find myself falling back into some old, bad habits. Specifically, the tendency to judge other drivers and be mad at them. So many cars in so little space makes for some crowded road conditions. Cars are abundant, omnipresent. I forget sometimes that, in each of these vehicles (usually one person per vehicle, unfortunately) is a human being. Driving a car does not, as we may believe, make a person immediately an idiot. It’s so easy, though, to fall back into that mode.

Driving down the road I find myself angry without much provocation . Angry at the people behind the wheel of all those cars. “You cut me off, you dumbo!” “Where did you learn to drive?” “That was such a stupid move!” Truth be told, drivers of cars frequently make mistakes. Some are small and irritating. Some are huge and irritating as well as dangerous. I’m not saying that I should be able to ignore the dangerous moves of another driver. That would be dangerous for me!

The question is, how can I ignore, or rather accommodate, those little driving gaffes that we all make. You know, the small things. Like changing one’s mind in line under a red light and not quite fitting into the new lane, thus blocking my way (as if I’d get far anyway!). Or, forgetting to use one’s turn signal until the last moment or not at all. Any driver wanting to move their car in front of you in the travel lane. These small things are not life threatening (usually) and can be accommodated. I can relax and not let them bother me. Even better, maybe I can even back off a bit to help the person who changed their mind under the red light and move a few inches so they can fit in. Or, give a little wave and a little space to the guy who wants to nudge his car in front of yours. Relax. Smile at the person in the other car.

It’s a good exercise for me – to actively practice unclenching; relaxing. To help another driver in a small way. It doesn’t really make me late. Not at all. There’s lots of tension involved in keeping people from “taking advantage” of me. Which is exactly the bad habit I’m in danger of falling back into.

So, I’ll take a cue from The Voyage of the Tramper and see my fellow humans, even those behind the wheel, as the lovely, intelligent, capable people that they probably are and give them a break in traffic. It enriches me to be generous. And it just might make someone’s day.

– Jane

All photos in this post are from Wikimedia Commons.

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Posted in Barriers, Finding my place in the world, Health & Fitness, PEOPLE, the "Afterlife", Travel in the USA

Tagged Barriers, Jane, Random Thoughts

Project Clean Stream – 4/06/2013

Posted on April 11, 2013 | 6 comments

We worked at the Loch Raven Reservoir, trash was located

We worked at the Loch Raven Reservoir, washed up trash was located on shore…

ALL STREAMS LEAD TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY! At least around here they do. Check out the amazing size of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed on their site.

…then gathered by mountain bikers, with the help of local high school students..

…then hauled out by bike, for the city to pick up

Even during our Voyage on the road we knew what was going on in Baltimore. We arrived home just in time to participate April 6 in one of my favorite local causes. Mountain bikers have issues. We love the outdoors, we love the trails. We even get along with most other users, despite the “Mountain-Dew” commercial image of flying muddied bikers wreaking caffeinated havoc on downhills with jumps and loud thrashing. We recognize everyone’s right to be out there enjoying the same places we love. Managing this and supporting sustainable trails is important. Another issue is trail access, in this we have an international ally. IMBA is the International Mountain Biking Association, who educate riders and agencies as well as provide advocacy.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association is a non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide.

Who else was out there this April ?: Chesapeake Bay Foundation picture (see the link below)

Other groups are out there too. Getting along and aligning missions gets more done. Gladly we don’t have to work against each other even though there have been historic cases of one trail user wishing the others would go away. No, today there is actually coordination going on. MORE is the region’s mountain bike club, Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts.

Project Clean Stream is an annual event including Bluewater Baltimore, MORE, The Alliance for the Bay and other groups. They have been making it easier for individuals to have an impact for years. All we have to do is call, or email, then SHOW UP. Our “little” Bay is impacted by citizens hundreds of miles away in 6 states. Maryland of course, but also Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, DC, and even all the way up there in New York. Check out some local links:

Project Clean Stream

Chesapeake Bay Net

Save Our Streams, MD Chapter

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Some good news at Chesapeake Bay Foundation

I think my favorite part of all this is that in the frustrating world of decay and negativity, we are making a difference. We are making progress! I was born in the early 60’s and remember some dead streams I played in as a little boy. I remember our old stinking Inner Harbor. I’ve read and SEEN that there are rivers and streams now, that are healthier now than then. I’ve seen crayfish, a fragile sign of stream health, thriving where once were murky, stagnant and lifeless trickles of a stream. It has been in our lifetime that we learned how small the Earth really is. It has been in our lifetime that we construct fewer concrete culverts and actually encourage streams to slow down and add life to the water and those who live nearby. It has been in our lifetime that we’ve begun taking steps to preserve our habitat.

I am impressed and encouraged to be a small part of our World. Like the Elephant Parade (posted last week in Wow, Now What?), I am finding my place in a city, finding my place in the working world again. Enjoy the wiki of ecology: the relationships of living things.

Wiki ecology

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Posted in Finding my place in the world, Health & Fitness, Mountain biking, PEOPLE, Photos, the "Afterlife"

WOW, Now what?

Posted on April 3, 2013 | 9 comments

First I’d like to thank anyone who checked in, commented or just plain enjoyed any part of our adventure via this blog. We never considered having a big audience or following, only wanting to chronicle a little and maybe make a vicarious thrill available for family and friends. Next thing we knew, we realized we had to keep up. Writing regularly was the only way to avoid that overwhelming list of “things we should do”. It grew to be a true joy and an integral part of the Voyage!

Second, I invite pretty much any of you to borrow the Tramper for your own trip. REALLY! Through some nice, mutual agreement (not necessarily financial), I would love to see someone else’s dreams facilitated. A new pair of tires, a battery, or maybe some cool as yet unknown accessory could comprise a rental arrangement. Additional requirements would include a discussion of the “value” or replacement cost and the suggestion of insuring the camper. One final requirement would be a display of commitment or intent. “You” would have to demonstrate a beginner’s understanding of towing safety, RV boon docking, propane safety, and a willingness to learn about the Tramper in particular.

Its simple really, remember I knew nothing about any of this before locating the derelict camper in Delaware. The details of this learning adventure would likely include a nearby camping trip where I could explain things briefly and hand over the reigns. Out of this, I would get a return investment of vicarious thrills and a few weeks or months with “no Tramper in my yard”. Driveway access to my workshop is narrowed by the sleeping beauty.

barely room to walk through

I also want to begin talk of my internal voyage. We didn’t run away from a bad life to do this trip. To the contrary, we loved our home, family, jobs, friends and the routine of daily life. I LOVE TO WORK. We left to celebrate all that we love and can still do. We took the chance of “all that could go wrong”, Murphy’s law be damned, and did it. Now we return safely and are faced with our life. The rest of our life. Life after the Trampervoyage; whatever that is to become.

Honestly it feels at once overwhelming and underwhelming. During the journey we floated high in conversations. There we were, living the dream. People congratulated us. People seemed to envy us at times. Most encouraged and cheered us on. The accomplishment was in the moment and in “where to tomorrow?” Now, we have returned and there is no tangible evidence. No physical accomplishment. Maybe THAT is what drives me to make and fix so many things. In creating tangible projects, I create my own little trophy. I create my report card. After all, wasn’t school sometimes more rewarding than work? You got grades! Someone told you how you were doing!

Today I broke away from Jane to do something separate. We have had the incredible blessing of being together for nearly every task and joy for 190 days, 24 hours per day. We were rarely apart. Doubtful many couples could say that at any point in their marriage. We’ve continued that at home, working on unpacking, cleanup and other home tasks. But today Jane went to see her sister; I went to see the elephants!

In March of every year, Baltimore hosts the circus. Hopefully each of you has some fond memory of the youthful attraction enshrining the circus. Maybe you ran away and joined? (If so, tell us some of your stories) Anyway, one of the more colorful local traditions includes an Elephant Parade. Tenders march the big beautiful beasts through the city streets, up from the arena to the Lexington Market for a big lunch buffet. Then after a desert of watermelons, they parade back down to their cages, I presume, to await their other performances.

You can agree with the spectacle or argue the treatment of zoo and performance animals everywhere, but I thought it was WONDERFUL. Without these few “suffering” performing animals, most of humanity knows nothing of their immensity. Most of us could not fathom the emotional eyes of an elephant, nor the grandeur of the whole animal kingdom if it weren’t for our contact, albeit limited through showcases of zoos, circuses, and aquariums. The size, shimmering fur, smells and splashes of them all would all be reduced to photographs or TV shows someone else framed for us. I saw intimate views of a fox family on public TV last night, yet my memory of the litter berthed under my mom’s porch was more vivid. Those kits nipped and yipped playfully and beautifully, nursing until they were weaned before we “encouraged” them to move out of that urban den.

What then, does any of this have to do with the Voyage of the Tramper? A full circle is a difficult journey. Its hard to come back. I have found myself looking at all that makes up a person. I find myself lacking the same “value” I had as a productive, functioning and working member of society. I felt as though I had retired. I read a version of “retired” in Steinbeck’s East of Eden that I will avoid as I can with all my heart. Retired meant surrendered. Retired meant finished with all productive contribution. Samuel moved to the city in retirement, and eased uselessly to his death. He invited it. He accepted it. And he chose to cease contributing.

The happiest “retirees” I know now are volunteers. Giving some of themselves to causes they value. My sister, retired at one time, wrote the word “something” on her calendar a few days each week. When called upon by the limitless needs of one charity or another, she could honestly say: “Sorry, I’ve got something that day”. In this she protected bits of her time as needed. Hospitals, The Aquarium, Red Cross, soup kitchens, and more, there are any number of fulfilling ways to “retire” and be fulfilled by those around us. On our Voyage we met hosts at campgrounds and made breakfasts sandwiches with a local North Carolina church.

I have selfishly preserved a few extra weeks to work on our house and home before returning to work. I had the luxury of free time. Time sometimes takes on different dimensions. Everyone I know who is retired says they don’t know how they got things done while they worked full-time. Perspective changes.

When I have two hours available and two hours of “work to get done”, it gets done. When I have a week stretched out ahead, pressure is off, things can be delayed. Procrastination is a vine. Working raises the stakes. Work schedules create the skill of prioritization. Working is vital. I think working is a part of vitality. Being productive raises self-worth. Even exercise at a gym is a form of productivity. Even playful exercise is rewarding and productive; improving health, re-creating us, building muscle all the while.

I found walking, then running along to keep up with the elephants invigorating. It reminded me of my love of our city. We have been in the cocoon of our Voyage for 6 months. We truly felt disconnected from 2012-13. In rural and wild places, this was only natural. But the majority of our journey carried us also through rural, agrarian places. Through what felt like a different time. We often felt like we were living “in the fifties” right along with that old Tramper. Cities became shocking. The resort at Beaver Creek, overwhelming. A modern pace of life distasteful.

Being home too has been bewildering. 70 square feet of living space and just one basket of clothes each has us in a simple mindset. We see now we have “so many things” in our home. I’m longing for the simplicity. Too many clothes, too many dishes, pots and pans. I am, today, adapting better. I was part of the crowd who wanted to see the elephants. I saw the elephants themselves, line up, gladly clasping tails in trunk and parade back to the arena. In this too, I jump back into life, a life I love!

-David

ENJOY THE PARADE!