On the mental geography of a city

From Waud Bluff, 31 March 2021. Olympus OM-1n/OM Zuiko 35-70mm zoom/Kodak Pro Image 100 A couple weeks ago Jonathan Maus over at BikePortland posted about the "PDX Sidewalk Joy" map, a guide created by a few people highlighting the weird, interesting, and cool things that can be found on Portland sidewalks. I always love stuff...

On cult bicycles and Bromptons

Mount Tabor, 18 March 2024. Yashica YF--Yashinon 50mm f/1.8--Kodak Portra 160 Since I got my Brompton 2 1/2 years ago, my radar has become more attuned to what's being said about this eccentric British folding bike. Some of this is because I sought it out, especially when I was trying to figure out how to...

On growing older, finding the energy to do what you love, and bike camping

12 April 2024. Olympus OM-1n--OM Zuiko 50mm f/1.8--Kodak Portra 160 It's Tuesday April 23rd. If I had stuck to my plans, I'd be waking up at Ainsworth State Park in the Columbia Gorge, on my first bike camping expedition of the year. But instead, I'm at home. What exactly got me here, or more correctly,...

Vintage vs. new in “analog” hobbies

Last month Danny over on the Fountain Pen Chronicles lamented the decline of the vintage fountain pen hobby. Interest in vintage pens is waning at a time when interest in fountain pens is growing. Why is this? ...Society and its love affair with the BSO syndrome (Bright Shiny Objects) … it is all about the...

Where have all the “urban knickers” gone?

Me rockin' a pair of Aero-Tech Designs knickers at Overlook Park, 18 Sept 2023. Camera: Olympus XA2 Film: Lomography LomoChrome Color 92 (ISO 400) From time to time I've lamented the lack of practical bikes on the market. When I really got this blog going in late 2010, it seemed like we were on the...

A reflection of my Austin visit, 3-11 April 2024

Downtown Austin skyline, 4 April 2024. Olympus XA/Kodak ColorPlus 200 From April 3 through 11th, Emee and I were in Texas, with the majority of that time spent in Austin. This is the third time I've visited the state's capital. The first was in 2005, right after spending part of the winter in Tucson. The...

Three months in with the Yashica YF, and a reflection on my rangefinder stable

Well, look at that: A vintage rangefinder with a fancy leather bag. So...urban. On my birthday last August, Emee gifted me a Yashica YF rangefinder. It needed some TLC before I could really go to town with it, so I dropped it off at Advance Camera and picked it up after I got back from...

Austin Trip 2024: Journal Comic Report

Hey all, just got back from Texas. Yesterday was brutal: We were supposed to catch an 8:30 AM (CDT) flight out of Austin, connect at San Diego, and then get into Portland around 1 PM PDT. But that flight leaving Austin got delayed by seven hours, necessitating two reschedules of the connecting flight. We didn't...