Inside the Little Plastic Castle

In particular

Perfect Spring Weather

highs around 70°f/20°c and lows around 55°f/13°c, mostly sunny with flamboyant clouds

Mad Gluten Free Fest

hosted by ALT Brew which makes (you guessed it) GF beer. Found some scones without cream that still tasted great. One vendor claimed bagels, but they were baked not boiled so nevermind. They also sold crypto rye bread. (Caraway seeds helped, but it lacked that nice sour-sweet flavor I remember).

The Blessing of the Bicycles

hosted by Trinity Lutheran Church, aligning with

Madison Bike Week

It’s been an institution for decades. Several mayors have rode in previous years; the current mayor regularly commutes on her bike. In a former life I was a bike mechanic and enthusiastic 3-season cyclist. Now I love the extensive bike infrastructure because the paths are blacktop (asphalt aka bituminous) which means much smoother rolling in my powerchair, at its full speed of 6.5 mph/10+ kph. Even better, the transportation department decrees that the bike routes be cleared to the same schedule as the "salt routes," which are the key roads for getting to school and to work

Best get-out-the-vote metaphor

Thanks, sonia for pointing me:

“Voting isn’t marriage, it’s public transport. You’re not waiting for “the one” who’s absolutely perfect: you’re getting the bus, and if there isn’t one to your destination, you don’t not travel—you take the one going closest.” From Vicky James on Medium

What lovely things happened to you?

I got a kick when I saw this "maintain 6 feet social distance" sign -- a wheelchair user is among the six folks sharing the path. Thank you to Public Health Madison & Dane County (Wisconsin) for inclusive design. It was a lovely trip on the Lower Yahara River trail, a ten-foot wide asphalt and boardwalk path that wanders through a marsh (remediated landfill) and then parallels a railroad line between two of our lakes.

( sign photo )

( full description in the cut )

I adored this essay by Heather Sellers, who is face-blind and place-blind. Sellers teaches creative writing and her craft is A++. This essay explores:

• wayfinding
• accommodations
• self-compassion
• coming out as disabled
• the possibility & joy of later life learning

Where Am I? from Longreads

( 225 word excerpt from 8000-word essay )

On a completely different topic, Pedal Pedal Pedal in The Sun gloriously evokes the power and freedom of bike riding. Her well-organized website has tons more.

For those of us who can’t climb the stairs, there’s a very tiny lift. The bus company requires 24 hours notice if I want to ride, because wheelchair users never have family emergencies. In general, I bought my ticket six weeks in advance. But based on six trips’ experience, the driver is always surprised to see me at the curb. ( the details of the boarding procedure, in case you ever ride )