Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Sound of Musing --April 30





Our Saturday April 30th ride was a perfect day to just enjoy familiar surroundings, and muse about them, at least if you have an a-musing, and probably somewhat la-la mindset that one-half of the Jake-Rachel





tandem team attributes to the other. Anyway, our attendance this morning consisted of Jake-Rachel and Lloyd, and one of us wanted to go east. We pedaled Mobile Hwy.-Cervantes to 17th and into East Hill, getting as close to the west side of Bayou Texar as we could without getting into the water. After noting the dog beach and Community Center Cancer Relay goings-on, we wandered into the Land of the Large Houses and Annoying Hills. The scenery was nice enough to keep us going for quite a while, but when we finally turned westward to meander our return, one of us who didn't have to steer, only pedal, started musing about the sights of this and that which we viewed on our return trip.



We saw some runners returning for, or from, either Cure for Cancer or Crawfish, not sure which, since both were being celebrated within a mile of the other. For some reason police had closed the lane for runners to run against traffic. We were glad for either cause, and it made at least one of us glad we were on a bike.

















The Post-Run Celebration










The Crawfish Festival






A few blocks west (and north?) This old building (but not that old...30's, 40's, maybe?) made me think about times when buildings were expected to be a monument to something that would always be made or represented within its walls...like a church. This monument to Coca-Cola must have been a proud addition to Pensacola...might have been a bottling plant, company offices, or both. Do you know its history? The Coca-Cola logo and glorified soda pop bottle are carved in stone, a permanent adornment on a solid brick building. I wonder what the building is being used for now? Why did Coca-Cola leave? Where is Pensacola's cola bottled now?






Getting closer to "home"...the good old Barrancas Street Bridge crosses the bayou where you can see a small island through the railings. There are trees growing on that island. Is anything else on it? Is it owned or used by anyone? It's just big enough to make me imagine someone hiding out on it. Does it have snakes? Do birds build nests there?










Almost back...whenever I see someone's attempt to communicate on a public cultural (anthropological?) icon like a bridge, bus bench, rail car, etc., whether it is graffiti, gangsta signs, geek doodles, Phoenician or Martian, I am impressed that someone expects at least one other person to understand it.











This sign I do understand. If you've got lines for 99 cents, and beer for $2.00, it's the beer they are selling. But at least we've pedaled there for free, back to our starting point just across the street.




And it's much too beautiful to be inside bowling. We'd rather be rolling our bicycles outside, Freewheeling.



1 comment:

  1. Rachel, you are doing a super job with the blog! I finally posted some photos from MS150 on mine, but not as good with the storytelling as you are... Again, awesome post!!

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