A Few Migrators, A Few Lubbock Locals - Clapp Park, February 1st

With the warmer weather we've been walking the dogs more and I keep noticing more and more non-local birds. A week ago we saw a massive flock of blackbirds I don't normally see descending onto the cattails at Clapp Park. I didn't have a camera with me then, but I did go back on my lunch hour a few days later to see who might be around.  As usual, it was worth the very short trip. 

The first bird I encountered was a local favorite. This young mockingbird posed for me several times. Their curiosity and propensity for mischief make them a favorite in our yard and at the parks.

I fear I'm repeating myself here, but when I was a kid, I had the book above. I went through it over and over (as I did with all the nature books.) One bird stood out to me as the most beautiful and exotic - the cedar waxwing. I had a fascination for them and inherently knew I'd never see one in person.

Thankfully, I was wrong on that last part. I was in my mid-twenties the first time I saw them. A group of them perched in the tree outside my kitchen window. I stood and watched in awe for about twenty minutes until they flew away. I wouldn't see them again for a few decades, but I've seen them a handful of times over the last few years, usually in one of our big elms for a very short visit. I was lucky enough to see a dozen of them on this trip.

Even the not-so-exotic mallards are striking and a pleasure to see 

The wigeons are back in town for a stretch. There were four on the north pond.

This young hawk did a good job of avoiding the camera, but I eventually got this pic.

I thought I'd save my favorite creature for last - the turtle. This particular red eared slider was catching some February rays. Check out that massive webbed foot out back. It's no wonder they're so speedy in the water.

Thanks for coming along! May you too be blessed by the natural beauty around you, even if you (too) live in a place not known for its beauty.

A Mesquite Hugger Focus

 Welcome back, friends!

I see and hear God in nature. Like Elijah, I am fed by ravens - and lots of other local creatures, plants, and skies.

Every action I take to preserve or protect wild things and wild places is an effort to preserve God's grace, God's visibility, and the divine beauty of His creation. On those rare occasions when I have heard His voice, I was in or was observing nature.

Nevertheless, I am male and I am human, fundamentally selfish and lazy. I crave adventure, things, and comfort.

My original goal in Mesquite Hugger was to be a reporter, to share the natural beauty to be found in West Texas, but I did not steward that vision well. Mesquite Hugger became a place to learn how to protect and care for this God-given blessing.

And I did not steward that well either. This became a blog that worshipped the tools used to combat natural and environmental destruction. And even that I distilled into a focus on wheeled things that don't run on petroleum products.

And like any spiritual endeavor divided in focus, I let that worship splinter into another blog where wheeled things are sought are worshipped.

Since that split, Mesquite Hugger has floundered to find its focus but really hasn't done so. In the interim, it has become a place to sporadically find many photos and few words featuring that original West Texas beauty.

(The other blog has floundered as well and hasn't found its footing or an audience, but it has found my adoration for all things pedal-powered - mostly bicycles.)

So, what's next?

This spring I hope to bring Mesquite Hugger home to a place that celebrates natural beauty and its creator. I want it to be a place where you can find words, photos, and videos all focused in that mission.

(I will also endeavor to keep that focus while avoiding the worship of pens and keyboards and cameras, of bikes and cars and batteries.)

I want this to be a place where you can experience that natural beauty and those moments when wonder gives way to joy long before you even know you had an emotion.

As always, thank you for reading. May your winter melt into a glorious and awe-filled spring!

A grouchy ride, a pair of small deaths, and a close call

I admit it. I woke up grouchy. Yes, the closeness of the pandemic has squeezed our home life into something very stressful. So I went to coffee to be grouchy with someone else. And we were.

About 3 miles into my 5 mile ride to work, I was starting to feel better. I turned west down a paved alley. In the middle of the alley I saw what looked like an old sweater piled up. As I got closer, it started to look more like a dead animal.

Normally, it's a thrill to see a hawk on my morning commute. And the antics and occasional nobility of grackles often brightens my rides. This was not that.

The hawk apparently captured the grackle but contacted a pair of powerlines while doing so. They must have died instantly.

I don't think I could do it - those photojournalists and naturalists who capture and document death and suffering. I love taking photos that celebrate life in its variety and infinite wonder.

We're living in a time when death is much more prominent here. Lubbock is making national headlines for our Covid-19 infection and death rates. Our murder rates and traffic deaths have skyrocketed as well.

I rode away from the birds, both still beautiful but now tragic, and noticed trash and graffiti I normally ignore.

"What wins can you celebrate today?"

In the last few hundred feet of my ride, a young woman in a really big truck decided to run a light to beat some traffic as I was going through the intersection. I was watching her and slid to a stop just shy of her striking me.

For some reason, I can't get those birds out of my head.

May you be well, blessed, and careful.

Saturday Morning, Being Still

Saturday Morning, Dining Table

 

For Brittany and John

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This, too, I see, is the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:34

Grizz and I have been discussing the virtue of sitting still and knowing that He is God.

It's Saturday morning. I've found a bit of time to sit, drink coffee, read the bible, and write these words.

I'm drinking coffee from an old porcelain cup. It's not easy to see, but my fingertips tell me the handle has been glued back on. I've had this cup longer than I've been a coffee drinker and much longer than I've been a bible reader. I've had this cup longer than I've been a writer.

Unlike the vacuum-sealed mug I use for drinking coffee at work, this one won't keep the coffee warm all day. There is a slow urgency to drink it in its time while the coffee is warm and all the flavors are evident.

I'm no Solomon, but I know that new things bring only fleeting pleasure and often keep our eyes and our fingertips away from moments like this one.

The house is quiet. The coffee is hot, dark, and a little divine. There is a deep comfort in knowing that this day has started with the  Lord and with coffee in a decades old cup. There's no real rush. There're no headlines. The day ahead is filled with promise, not dread.

I pray, my friends, that you know times like this one and know them often. I pray that you are still enough to know who you are, that days are to be savored - even amidst the bustle to come.

Here's a little Guy Clark to sing you out of here

Stacking Up the Tubs

In the garage I have a storage tub. At any given time I have 3-4 bikes I am working on and I throw all the parts intended for those bikes in the tub. For an indecisive guy like me, it takes a while to gather all the just-right parts to make the bike the right kind of useful or beautiful or both. When (I think) everything is there, I get to work on that bike.

In my computer I have two file folders. One is 2Wheels Maybe and one is for Mesquite Hugger. Blog posts are a lot like bikes. They turn out better when I take time to curate, polish up, and pre-assemble the parts. They work better. Occasionally, they even inspire others a bit.

Lately I've been delving into a new hobby - making videos. This morning I realized that videos, too, are bikes and blog posts. I fill the video tub with images, videos, audio clips, ideas, and storyboards. I am none too good at it, but the videos are getting better. Getting better is better than being good. Striving is better than satisfaction.

Today, I realized that this has been the pattern of my adult life. And I can look back at a shop full of projects that have never made it past the curation tub. Tub after tub has been pushed aside for another type of tub and the curation for another project.

For almost two decades, I 've been a practicing and fairly faithful Christian. Even though I am fascinated by a few Old Testament prophets, I've devoted most of my energies to the New Testament where a savior devoted His time to caring deeply for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized; to teaching and modeling stewardship; to serving others rather than filling tubs with treasure for some day.

Me, I've been curating - reading, studying, praying; but I haven't been putting the pieces together, yet. I'm not sure what the project is, but I am praying that it serves and cares and inspires and glorifies without gathering dust.

May your project tubs lead you to a better place and may they bless countless others along the way.

A Follow-up to the Mesquite Hugger e-Bike Video on the 2020 National Solar Tour

I recently had the opportunity to make an e-bike video for the National Solar Tour. Over the course of a weekend I shot a few hours of video and edited it down to just over five minutes. (It was great fun and took a whole lotta time!)

The hardest part was all the info that hit the cutting room floor. I had a writing professor once tell me that editing meant that I had to get used to killing my babies. That's how I felt with this, even if most of my babies were boring, long winded, and poorly filmed.

The same professor told me to write [or create video] about what I know, so I made a video about the e-bike I've been commuting on for two years now - a Juiced OceanCurrent. It's a bike I would happily recommend to anyone; however, it was discontinued two years ago.

Find all the South Plains entries here

In its absence, here are some bikes that are very similar in specs and price in case you're looking for such a thing:

A  sampler of simple e-bikes for commuting (under $1600 shipped)

Rad Power Bikes (many models)

The RadCities

Rad Power is the most successful e-Bike seller here in the States for a reason - they offer a lot of value at a low price and have a reputation for great service. They have many models that would work for commuting - my first choice (for a commuter) would be the RadCity. (But I'd buy a RadWagon because I am a cargo bike dork!)

Blix

The entire Blix lineup

Blix offers four simple e-bikes that would make great commuters. If you don't like step-thru frames, you'll need to look elsewhere. If you like cargo bikes, theirs is a nice bike at a low price.

Aventon

Aventon Pace

Aventon offers the Pace in a 350 watt and a 500 watt model. If you're under two hundred pounds and don't live near mountains, the $1099 350 watt. Should be plenty for a commuter. If you need the extra power, spend the extra for the $1399 500 watt.

Ride1Up

The Ride1Up 500 Series

Ride1Up is a relative newcomer but they have a strong reputation and great lineup of bikes that would fit the bill from $1000 to $1500. I love the looks of the Core-5 ($1095) but the extras that come with the 500 Series (with rack and fenders added) at $1275 would be a better bike to get you around.

Sondors

The Sondors Smart Step

Sondors continues to offer new models. The $1199 Smart Step is a little different in this crowd with its folding frame and knobby tires, but it could be a very competent cruiser. (My Buddy Grizz has now owned 3 Sondors bikes and has been very happy with them. See his newest squeezed into the pic above.)

A little bit more advice on e-bike shopping:

Before you buy a bike online, go see what the local bike stores have to offer. I've been pleasantly surprised to see some e-bikes in the local shops lately and a few have been pretty close in price to what I've listed here. And, you know the bikes are put together correctly and are ready to go. Plus, you have someone to help you out if the bike develops any problems. (I'm a big fan of local bike shops!)

More Advantages of commuting on an e-bike:

This may sound counter-intuitive, but study after study has shown that e-bikes (with pedal assist) have an equal or greater impact on a person's health when compared to riding a non-electric bike. How is that? Well, the e-bike encourages a person to ride more often and further. For people with joint and pain issues, the e-bike helps level out the strain. Riding on a regular basis is shown to improve cardiovascular and mental health as well.

Read it here

When I started commuting on an e-bike, I did not have the health or stamina to ride a non-electric bike. These days, I commute on the e-bike but ride a standard bike for recreation and for trips under three miles.

Tips specifically for suburban commuting (Lubbock, TX)

Avoid school traffic whether by route or schedule

Riding near schools can be hectic. Stressed out parents and or teen-aged drivers all rushing to the same place at the same time - that is no place to be. Sometimes leaving five minutes earlier (or later) can make all the difference in your stress level.

Ride humbly

Sure, the right of way may be yours, but the law of physics leans toward the F250s and Escalades. In fact, even the Slug Bugs and Smart Cars won't be intimidated by the likes of you and your bike. Your goal is to arrive alive and joyful - middle fingers never help.   

Carry your stuff on the bike - not on your body.

Ride decisively

Signal your intentions to turn, take your turn at four-way stops, take the lane if you're turning left. Car drivers don't like a wishy-washy cyclist any more than they do a wishy-washy driver.

Work at being seen

Admittedly, everyone looks dorky in high-viz clothing, but I see a noticeable difference on days when I wear a reflective vest. My commute takes me across several of the busiest streets in town and the combination of vest and bike lights help no what time of day (or night).

(Choose to) Enjoy the ride!

Your attitude determines the quality of your ride as much as any other element. There are days I take off in a foul mood, but the bike offers time to look around and count my blessings. Sunrises, sunsets, birds, flowers - unexpected beauty and humor have ways of finding people on bikes. Keep your eyes open.

Let your bike carry the weight - not your neck and shoulders.

Bike racks, bags, and baskets go a long way in making bike commutes more pleasant. Also, you'll be surprised how often you'll need to haul something you did not plan for.

Tips for upgrading your bike (electric or not) for commuting

• racks, bags, and baskets (see above)
  
• lights - for seeing as well as being seen. I like small and inexpensive but powerful, USB rechargeable lights that remove easily (for charging or swapping to different bikes.)
• Thorn-resistant tubes - very few new bikes come with these installed. Do yourself a favor and swap these before your first ride. Flats really suck!

Okay, that's enough for now. Whew if feels good to get that off my chest!

May you enjoy the ride while creating a healthier world for all! (Let me know if you have questions I did not answer.)