Friday Writing for Randos - The Snow Man

{A weekly that features pieces from other writers that touch some facet of the Randonneuring experience, even if that was not the author's intent. It's stuff that's best read out loud - slowly.} This week it's. . . 

  The Snow Man

Wallace Steven

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

A.H.H. The sum of the parts

 

58 cm Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen (Toyo Japan)

Friday Writing for Randos - We grow accustomed to the Dark

{A weekly that features pieces from other writers that touch some facet of the Randonneuring experience, even if that was not the author's intent. It's stuff that's best read out loud - slowly.} This week it's. . . 

  

  Emily Dickinson
 

We grow accustomed to the Dark --
When light is put away --
As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp
To witness her Goodbye --

Test ride

After adjusting the brakes and transferring the Edelux light from the Surly to the Homer, I stand back and look for what needs doing next. Then it dawns on me - the bike I assembled is ready for a test ride. Not done, but fully rideable.

Still dressed in my riding gear from my bike commute home, I pump up the tires, don my helmet and go back out into the night.

Work in progress

I am assembling a new bike. I know a lot of people call the process "building" a bike but I'm not comfortable with that term. It's a little to presumptuous for what I am doing. If I were cutting tubes, brazing joints, welding lugs, even lacing spokes into a rim, I might say I was building a bike. But I can't do any of that. I can order parts and assemble them into a working bike. That is what I am doing. Assembly. If I assemble IKEA furniture I don't tell people I built a couch. I just put it together.

Friday Writings for Randos - In the days of growing darkness

{A weekly that features pieces from other writers that touch some facet of the Randonneuring experience, even if that was not the author's intent. It's stuff that's best read out loud - slowly.} This week it's. . . 

Lines Written in the Days of Growing Darkness
by Mary Oliver

Every year we have been
witness to it: how the
world descends

A gift idea - Ride 2

Tis the season (to read a really good book)

Keith Snyder is a Randonneur and a writer (the published kind). He has just published a collection of short fiction called Ride 2. The contributors include award winning authors and some never before published voices. It's rare that I recommend a particular product but if you like good writing then I really recommend this. The stories (and a few poems) all involve bicycles, but, like life, the bicycles are not the whole story and sometimes, not even a major part of the story. The submissions cover a range of topics, moods and ideas. Each piece is its own experience and memorable for its own reasons, kind of like a good bike ride. And you can enjoy it for less than the price of two cups of fancy coffee. It's a small investment for a big return.

I am not a book reviewer so if you want a more detailed review here are two:

Here's one review:

And another review 

Get it for yourself or for a friend or both. You won't regret it. 

 P.S. if you have a computer you can get Kindle service with a free download. Just go to Amazon and download it.