Category: Environment

On the road again…

The past two weeks have been terrible for bike riding: temperatures mostly in the 20ºs and 30ºs and then 8″of snow that just started disappearing two days ago. The cold I could deal with; the ice and snow on the streets were a no-no. But today the sun was out, the sky was clear, and the thermometer rose to the low 50ºs so I rode to the Maloney Center, the former St. Vincent de Paul School turned into a diocesan office building.
The riding was great after such a long absence. The large majority of the snow has melted. The snow that remains is in piles where parking lots were plowed—like above at the Maloney Center–and on really small streets untouched by sunshine.

More from Oregon

One powerful realization for me when I was wandering in the forested area of The Grotto in Portland, Oregon was how much I had missed forests of large hardwood trees while I was in Asia. From my days in the Boy Scouts and from our Dittmeier family camping trips (the only vacations we could afford), I have loved being out in the forests. At The Grotto I was able to be with huge, old trees that brought back good memories and renewed my love of nature.

Snow–and unusual cold

Today I had a meeting after lunch and was debating how I could go when I depend on my bicycle for getting around. I went outside at Nazareth Home above and the sidewalks there and the nearby streets look reasonably cleared and usable for a bike.

The temperature, though, was in the high 20ºs and low 30ºs, and I learned over the last weekend my fingers–even with ski gloves–could only take about 15 minutes of that. My earlier rides were REALLY painful, so I was happy to learn today that another priest was going to the same meeting and I could ride with him–in a car. The trip was smooth and warm and I got to see more beautiful scenes from this winter’s first real snow.

Snow: Unusually beautiful

Just three inches of snow fell last night but the effect has been stunning. Kentucky frequently gets a couple inches of snow but if it is not gone in two or three hours, it probably is only patchy after the first night and doesn’t last more than a day or two.

This present snow is a heavy, thick, sticky snow that has covered everything and is still sticking to the trees, wires, fences, houses, and everything exposed. Driving around the city reveals beautiful panoramas of winter bliss. After 40 years in temperate Asia with no snow, it’s a real joy for me.

Another learning…

It’s COLD bicycling in Louisville in November

Since I arrived in Louisville a few months ago, I’ve been lying low, going slow to get the feel of life in the US and what is expected of me as a retired priest. One particular area of interest is getting around since I will not be driving but depending on the e-bike my cousins bought for me. I’ve been checking what it’s like to ride in the rain here, what it’s like riding at night–and what it’s like riding in the cold.

Today the temperature was in the upper 20ºs when I left for a meeting. I had already found it’s not so bad riding in the cold except for my frozen fingers. The black gloves on the left were given me by my sister. They are great, just a tad too small but really pliable–and warm for the first twenty minutes. The red gloves are ski gloves I borrowed to test. They aren’t as pliable but they give me an extra ten minutes or so before my fingers are frozen. I’m going to have to keep working on this because it’s not even winter yet!