This being the rainy season, you take advantage of nice balmy days like last Sunday. You go outside and enjoy the fresh sweet air and you constantly look up at the sky, marveling at all the different shades of blue plastered with fluffy whiter-than-white clouds. You dive into the pure joy of all this, knowing that within a very short time, that summery blue sky will turn first grey, then black, the sweet warm breeze will disappear inside an ominous current of icy wind, those innocent masses of cotton candy clouds will bunch up ever darker and more foreboding. Both sides of the coin portraying Nature herself are fascinating to contemplate, but if you want to have an enjoyable bicycle outing, you need to do it before your summer day is washed away. Right?
Now, I woke up Sunday morning without the slightest intention of going for a bike ride. The day began in languid stresslessness; two cups of coffee, a bit of Internet dabbling, getting the wash lined up, breakfast and kibbutzing with kids, catching up on gardening and housecleaning, etc., etc., but somewhere around mid-day, I chanced to be outside on the front patio, feeling the warmth of the sun on my head, enjoying the soft breeze cooling the back of my neck and taking in the multi-blue-shaded sky where bright clouds drifted lazily as if to taunt the woman who was hanging out a load of wash, whereupon I stopped to reflect that that woman was me! How could I be pinning clothes to a line when I should be putting foot to pedal and riding off into that perfect day! Whereupon I zoomed into action, filling the clothesline in record time only to announce that I was riding to town to get fruits and veggies and did anyone want to go.
Sam kindly volunteered to pull my bike and his from the tangle of bikes we have stored in the shed Lu and Anto built last year. He conscientiously checked the chains and filled the tires, and even took test rides on both bikes to check steering and brakes (last time we rode was many months ago!). Still, enthusiastic as he was about my doing the trip, he wasn't convinced enough to come along with me!
Happily though, Monica expressed an interest in riding to town, so I had a partner for the trip. We got our water bottles and sunglasses, shopping backpacks and bike locks, and then I ran upstairs to get one more thing... for an experiment.
Experiment...???? Okay, let me explain.
Two weeks ago, I watched the movie "Yes-Man" with Jim Carrey. Now I don't even like Jim Carrey that much, and in fact, this particular movie didn't change my mind about him. But the movie did open my eyes to something new that I've since wanted to try. In the movie, the girl who JC later becomes involved with is a whacky character who follows her whims, one of which is to ride her motorcycle and snap pictures with her small digital camera along the way. She doesn't really aim or line up the picture she's going to take in any way, but simply tries to hold the camera steady, aimed in the general direction of what she wants to pictify and presses the button. Later on in the movie she starts a running group in which all the joggers do the same - run and take pictures along the way - photography in motion!
So this was my chance to see what would happen if I tried it on a bike ride. And here are some of the results. Random shots along the way - enjoy!
3 comments:
ooohhh.. that picture of Popo with the clouds streaming off him is fantastic!
I've done something similar out the window of the RV while traveling but they never really come out well. I know what they are so I guess that counts as they remind me of the scene.
Jonna: so you've tried it too? Neat! The clarity could be due to the camera. I have a nifty little digital that freeze-frames very well so that even when you're in motion, the picture comes out clearly. But I also have to confess that I "cheated" in the last three shots; got off my bike, walked across a field and took those shots standing still in the interest of trying to get a less obstructed view of the volcanos.
Oh that is a wonderful idea!! I would love to go biking, but it is way too hot right now.. but I will give it a try soon... and the pictures! now I am all up for it!
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