A Silent Eruption
One of the things we most love about getting around on bicycles is that it exposes us to nature on a daily basis and enables us to observe the changes in our local environment up-close-and-personal as the year progresses from one season to the next.
Something we look forward to every year are the eruptions of wildflowers that take place when the vernal pools finally dry up in late spring. These ephemeral pools are little more than mud puddles in the winter, but this time of year they wow us with their exuberance as they get ready to go into hibernation for the long, hot summer.
The beautiful wildflowers in the photo are just off of a bike trail that runs through a greenbelt in the middle of a densely populated, suburban development. When we rode that trail today there were no other bicyclists or pedestrians to be seen. The flowers were not visible from the nearest road, so we were the only ones around to enjoy the gift. It was a little sad to think of all the people driving by in their cars, isolated and unaware of what nature was doing right in their own backyards. This is one of the best reasons we can think of to ride a bicycle every day.
Please note: No flowers were harmed in the process of capturing this photo. —Alan ;-)
7 Responses to “A Silent Eruption”
I too am continually amazed at what I notice while biking (and would have missed in a car), and it seems more exaggerated as the seasons change.
The Civia looks great too, but are those straight bars bothering you?
Hi Jonathan,
Most of my rides are under 20 miles, so the straight bars have been fine.
Alan
This is one of my favorite things about riding a bicycle, too! On a bike you not only have a chance to notice things you might not see from a car, but you can easily stop or explore interesting areas to appreciate them more fully.
I live near the confluence of two rivers. While many motorists pass through the area each day (it is near the center of my town), they are insulated from the experience and can hardly even see the water from some routes. On my bike, I can travel along paths mere feet from the water, where I can observe the water, waterfowl, and seasonal changes in vegetation in detail and at my leisure.
By the way, your photography is wonderful!
Hi Jim,
It sounds like you have a beautiful commute. Thanks for sharing…
Alan
I was riding my Greenspeed across the Nullarbor plain in Australia when a motorist stopped to talk. He told me that he’d seen a couple of Kangaroos that morning. I had seen HUNDREDS of them. They were all 200-300 metres away from the road. The driver had been doing the right thing, concentrating on the road. (White lining). Whereas I had plenty of time to look around…………..Terry……Ps I’d also seen a couple of dingos.
a number of the cycling paths here in West Yorkshire go through fields and countryside that many people miss by taking the M roads going 70+ Yorkshire is a beautiful part of the UK and sometimes I am mere feet from sheep, cows or water fowl. not to mention fields of seed rape, which just totally fills the senses. I feel sorry for those who miss so much in the hurry to get from one place to the next.
My commute to work takes place early in the morning, and is mostly on a collection of urban multi-use greenway paths that are along streambeds. In addition to the “normal” squirrels, ducks, and geese, I have seen fox, beaver, and deer over the last several years. A great way to start the morning.