A few pics, the planters, random good stuff (End of May 2019)

A couple of morning sunrises from today

The "Food Is Free" planter is still rocking along this year

The planter is rocking with early girl tomato plants that seem to have loved last week's hail. Just sprouting are carrots and onions.

The front porch olla planters

My friend Danny gave me this random tomato plant

These basil flowers popped up yesterday

West Texas wildflower mix just sprouting (to invite more pollinators)

And a few things not pictured...

Monday I saw at least ten black swallowtail butterflies that seem to be migrating through.

We have a young Mediterranean gecko living in compost box number two.

Our daily visiting mockingbird has found a girlfriend.

We have at least five English sparrow nests and two starling nests around the yard.

We cleaned off the back patio and dinner tastes better outside.

Bike commuting nirvana (and empty coffee house bliss with Grizz) has started again. Yesterday morning I saw a pair of mockingbirds giving a Mississippi kite the what-for as I rode to work.

I've been reading 1 John and listening to Colin Hay's "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" and "Overkill".

We saw Keith on his old, black Vespa this weekend.

I am thankful for all these summer and spring signs and I hope y'all are finding some equally cool signs in your own wanderings about! Be well, friends!

Lunch with an old friend, plus a little Spring

Backyard pomegranate flowers

The last few years I've spent in a bit of a Walter Mitty haze. With the death of my older brother and the rise of divisiveness and hatred in our country, I've been looking for a place to hide from a lot of realities I don't want to face. But hiding hasn't made any of them go away. I can't hide from stress, but I've been doing my darnedest to try to hide away and take some time to heal.

So I've worked hard to keep the laundry and dishes caught up while dreaming of cleaning the garage and riding bicycle street trials. What I've learned is pretty small. It's hard to save the world when you can't keep up with the laundry.

This blog has suffered too. What was a labor of love has become a harbor for indecision, a belief that my beliefs aren't worth writing. The number of unfinished drafts has piled up while the blog sits dormant.

But most days I see inspiration: eco-friendly advancements, better ways of doing things, ways to live lighter and friendlier. I start writing about them, but the words fizzle out. The drafts pile up.

This week I had lunch with an old friend. While getting caught up, I recognized in her a lot of the same things I've been wrestling. She is a Christian who struggles with the actions and ideas of other Christians who seem hell-bent on protecting themselves at the cost of all who are different or inconvenient. She's also asking big questions: What's next? Can I be doing something more worthwhile? Can I take a week-long break and wake up with some enlightenment? 

And I have to say, knowing she's in that same place is both sad and very comforting.

Okay, I'll wrap this one up - I need to go home and start some laundry, but I have to say, life is looking better. Maybe it's the spring season and all the blooming flowers and fascinating birds and bugs. Maybe it's the weather more conducive to riding and walking and spending time outside. Maybe it's the knowledge that I am surrounded by good people fighting the same fight and struggling with the same burdens.

May God bless and keep you, may you know a little peace, and may you be comforted and be a comfort.

Ride to Work Week & Day, National Bike Month, the National Bike Challenge, and...Encouragement

Tomorrow, May 17, is National Bike to Work Day.

There hasn't been a lot of time for blogging or riding lately, but I'm doing both as I can. I love it when the National Bike _________ rolls around. It's just one more motivation to suck it up and ride (almost) every day. I'm thankful for the National Bike Challenge - it's the dare I needed five years back to get started commuting by bike. I can't believe I was actually scared to attempt it. Nowadays I'm scared of the impacts of not riding.

I've been commuting to work on the e-bike and bombing about on the klunker. And the winter funk is melting away nicely.

E-bike throwin' shade on this morning's commute

So I wanted to offer you a bit of encouragement - get out and ride, snagit! Get off the couch and ride! Put down the phone and ride! Quit fretting over the news and ride! Quit snacking on Dorito's and ride! Stop biting your fingernails and ride! Stop pouting and pedal! Stop whining and wheelie!

Modern life is not easy. It's nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing, and downright stressful, but study after study tells us that moderate activity and time spent outside are powerful tools in relieving stress, improving health, and pushing depression back.

HuffKlunk in the 'Hood - peace!

So, if you're like I was, get over your objections and ride. Ride around the block once a day, or ride to someplace nearby that you really like - a park, a friend's house, or Holly Hop (ice cream is a powerful motivator for me). Or do something practical - ride to the grocery store, to work, or to run an errand. 

It ain't much, but May ain't over yet!

Stick with it for a week.

See, I've got stats and badges, britches!

If you absolutely hate it, stop. Go try something else.

But if you find yourself enjoying it or seeing some positive benefits, keep at it. The more I ride, the better I feel. And it's amazing what that has done for my outlook when facing tumultuous times.

Consider yourself encouraged! Wishing all of y'all the best!

PS. Here's some previous Mesquite Hugger encouragement:

Bike to Work Day 2014: Bring it on, Lubbock!

Lubbock (Not) on a Bike: Happy Ride to Work Day 2015, Snagit!

It's almost here - National Bike Challenge 2016

Lubbock on a Bike: National Bike Challenge is Back! (2017)

Woohoolio! The National Bike Challenge Begins! (2018)