Happy Spring!

Hen's and Chicks on the first day of April.

Bike Commuting

Lights? Check. Bike lock? Check. Route? Check! I'm all geeked out, and I either need a rain slicker, or the snow to stop so I can start commuting to work on my bike. I have some prep work, but I'm getting there. If you like to ride your bike check out: http://www.peopleforbikes.org/

I've read that "we" do a lot of running around within a two mile radius of our home. We could be on our bikes instead of in our cars. You should see some of the cool commuter bikes they've got out now.

Here's a cool video about hard-core winter bike commuters in Chicago and another about "the Wiggle" bike lane in San Francisco that takes riders between hills.

Suz

Live Mario (LOL)

Nat Geo: Bus2Antartica

This is an excerpt from a "Tweet" thread that I follow on Twitter: Bus2Antartica. I had to share it because it made me LOL (literally). Poor Nat Geo traveller! At least he made it to the other side! "Andrew Evans is traveling 10,000 miles, from DC to Antarctica, by bus for National Geographic Traveler." Tonight he crossed the "Strait of Magellan" as his following excerpts describe... (reads from the bottom of this post to the top)




2nd miracle tonight: we arrived on the other side. Those passengers not wiping tears from eyes are applauding. Hugging strangers, laughing.about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck







Travel inspires extreme sentiments. Right now I'm feeling a fear I've never known before: the fear of drowning on a bus. No joke.about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck







I promise never ever to complain about waiting in the Lincoln Tunnel. Or Washington DC bridge traffic. Just let us get to the other side.about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck







Staring out into the dark. Arched splashes--dozens of them. Dolphins! Guiding our ship to the other side hopefully. I am frozen w/ fear.about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck







Pitch black, sitting on heavily-rocking bus on heavily-rocking boat. Saltwater waves crash onto bus window. I prefer haunted houses to this.about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck







Miracle. LOL. No kidding, ferry arrives--after 9 hours, we're going anyway! Bus drives onto rocking boat. OK, I'm a little bit terrified.about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck







Asking all Twitter followers to hope/pray/wish/do anti-wind dance 2 enable ferry crossing ASAP. Otherwise, tweets will become less cheerful.about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck






I've now been traveling--or NOT traveling--for 13 hours. Still determined to make it to Ushuaia by bus. Come high water or hell. As it did.about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck







I haven't eaten in nearly 9 hours. No food since all was confiscated at Chilean border. Nothing around here & yet we may be here all night.about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck







No ferry yet, but 1 car tries to cut ahead. 200 cars start honking horns in protest--like Cairo in the wind. Yes, we are just primates.about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck

Want to read more about this trip? http://ow.ly/16esD


PhotoShop Action

I'm learning new PhotoShop skills thanks to Ree Drummond. Santa brought me her cookbook: The Pioneer Woman Cooks. On her website, I've been finding photo tips. For example the following leaf was just minding it's manners on a winter morning in the backyard.

I applied some of the free Pioneer Woman Action Sets 1 & 2 that I downloaded from Ree's site and...

That's one edgy leaf, friend. Looks like it could go on the cover of a grunge album - or maybe it just captured that the backyard path will take you to fAiRyLaND. Once there you will need to watch your step. If the stories are to be believed, don't eat the food or you'll have to stay there forever. To quote my favorite cartoon: "Forever's a long time!" - Chowder.

- Suz