2021's First Sunday in May

Under "normal" circumstances, The TD Five Boro Bike Tour would be occurring today, as it always takes place on the first Sunday in May. 

This annual event began on June 12, 1977 (an image of the event from Bike New York's web-page) and it was known as the Five Boro Challenge with 250 participants. 

Going forward it took place every year on the first Sunday in May hosting up up to 32,000 riders from every state in the nation and 65 countries around the world with the exception of last year when it was cancelled as NYC was in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic related lockdowns.

Cinco de Mayo in Bygone Years & 5/5/2020 (Tuesday's Truths WK 178)

It's Cinco de Mayo and I'm recalling a time the holiday fell on the first Sunday in May, which coincided the Five Boro Bike Tour, an event I referenced in this past Sunday's entry here on Blogger. At that particular time, I celebrated completing another bike tour with a margarita at Santa Fe restaurant (which can be seen in the photo directly above).

This year because of the somberness due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus)  pandemic, I  don't think there was much (if anything) mentioned about the holiday which is normally a festive one in my hood as we have a number of Mexican Restraunts (which are closed due to NYC's shutdowns).

1st Sunday in May in Bygone Years & Now

Under "normal" circumstances, The TD Five Boro Bike Tour would be occurring today, as it always takes place on the first Sunday in May.

I participated in it as a stoker on a tandem bike for a number of years, including 2011, when Max was my captain. In the photo directly above, we are on the 59th Street ("Feelin' Groovy") Bridge and as you can see, there would be little social distancing at such an event.

This past March, Bike New York stated, "we regretfully announced that the TD Five Boro Bike Tour would not be held as originally planned on May, 3, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While New York City officials marshal every available resource to slow the spread of the virus and save lives, we continue to discuss alternative dates for later in the year. We’ll keep you apprised as these discussions progress.

Be assured, the health and well-being of everyone participating in and supporting the 43rd Annual Tour is our top priority. And we’re grateful for your patience as we navigate this unprecedented global health crisis. We’ll communicate promptly once more information is available and conversations with our partners in City government have concluded.

Until then, please take care of yourselves, stay healthy, and be safe. We’re in this together."

I am grateful to have been able to participate in it for a number of years and I'm sorry for those who had probably looked forward to being a part of it this year (it was not in my plan) but there will be other opportunities if everyone does the right thing now; so please keep safe and remain hopeful for better times.

On another note, The 59th Street Bridge, is also known as The Queensboro Bridge and The Ed Koch Bridge. It became known as The Feelin' Groovy Bridge due to a song of the same name by Simon and Garfunkel.

Events like the Five Boro Bike Tour and outdoor concerts in Central Park are all on hold for now as NYC looks at how to reopen after the pandemic.

Throwback Thursday: 9-20-2017's Tandem Tale (The Seventh Ride of the 2017 Season)

The three photographs which are atop this entry feature various views (from my vantage point of being in the backseat of an automobile that was heading north up the FDR) of what was once known as The Queensboro Bridge. This bridge connects the neighborhood of Long Island City in the borough of Queens with Manhattan. Sometimes it is called The 59th Street Bridge because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th Streets.

Honoring the Onset of Fleet Week (Wednesday's Wisdom)

The image atop this entry is from a tweet that I noticed in my Twitter feed. As you can see it pays homage to the fact that Fleet Week kicks off in NYC today, Wednesday May 24th, 2017.

According to a web-page (silive) "the Parade of Ships moving up the Narrows and into New York Harbor beginning at about 8:15 (in the morning.)"

A Wiki page explains that "The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. It has long been considered to be the maritime "gateway" to New York City and historically has been one of the most important entrances into the harbors of the Port of New York and New Jersey." 

The aforementioned Wiki page also proclaims "in 1964 the Narrows was spanned by the Verrazano–Narrows Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, and still the longest suspension bridge in the United States (by length of the main span). "

I have been across The Verrazano–Narrows Bridge as a passenger in a car. However, in the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, I crossed it as a tandem cyclist.

The occasion for all of those cycling experiences is due to my participation in an annual event known as The Five Boro Bike Tour (TFBBT). During the last year of my participating in the tour, I took the following picture of The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

You may recognize this image (which was taken on the Staten Island side of the bridge), dear reader, as I included in in a prior entry here on Blogger. I have another photo of the bridge (which was taken by an unknown cyclist at a rest-stop in 2011's TFBBT).

FLASH BACK FRIDAY Cinco de Mayo in 2013

Today is Cinco de Mayo. Re this holiday, USA Today states "For many Americans, Cinco de Mayo is a day for enjoying Mexican food, culture — and maybe some margaritas. Its historical origin is quite different: Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over French forces on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla. Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's independence day, which is Sept. 16."

In 2013, the holiday coincided with The Five Boro Bike Tour (TFBBT), which I participated in for the fourth time! The image atop this entry features me with my bike captain, ZW, and another cyclist as we posed at the start-line before the event took place. As you can see, scores (thousands) of cyclists are behind us, many of them wore sombreros over their helmet in honor of Cinco de Mayo.

And, a number of participants, including yours truly, wore a "solidarity" badge, as a way of paying homage to those who were severely injured and/or lost their lives during the bombing at The Boston Marathon,

This tragic event had occurred a few weeks prior to the time of the 2013 of the TFBBT. Therefore, security was especially tight! But all that were involved, made an effort to enjoy the opportunity to participate in this awesome event; topping it off a margarita to toast Cinco de Mayo!

This coming Sunday, another TFBBT, will take place but I won't participate this year. However I will always be grateful for all the times I was able to do so! AND, meanwhile, Happy Cinco de Mayo to you and yours, dear reader!

Wednesday's Wisdom: Back in the Saddle (After all, May is National Bike Month)

Last evening I went tandem cycling with my captain, ZW, for the first time since I had an accident (not related to bike riding) in May of 2016. (Incidentally, the photograph atop this entry is of an unknown cyclist who rode in front of me as I was trying to take a picture of last night's sunset!)

In any event, prior to the last time that ZW and I cycled (4-14-2016), she and I had been cycling on a frequent basis since 2009! Much of this has been chronicled in posts on my social media venues. ZW and I have participated in large cycling events that covered between fifty and seventy-five miles; including The Five Boro Bike Tour (five times), The Tour de Bronx (twice), and Twin Lights Ride (once).

Additionally we have participated in smaller group rides in the winter time, including one which took us to The Lights in the Heights (twice). Moreover, we have had persons join us when we cycled to Piermont as well as to the State Park off River Road. And, on our own we have cycled many miles around and outside the city, including a trip to the beach at Coney Island. However, our usual route is to cycle up the greenway (along the Hudson River)

to The Little Red Lighthouse which is in close proximity to The GW (George Washington Bridge).

And our usual route was what we did last evening. I am very grateful that I was able to endure the ride (with energy to spare) after not having cycled for over one year; and near to the time of the anniversary of my accident. What a great way to ring in the month of May, which happens to be National Cycling Month!

Monday Musings: Big Yellow Taxis Go Green! (Honoring Joni Mitchell)

On this Monday after The New York City Marathon,  I'm thinking about how accomplished and exhilarated those who completed it must feel: seeing all five boroughs of NYC, in one full swoop, while exercising, is amazing! I know this from having participated in an event that took me through the streets of all five of the cities' boroughs in one afternoon.

Where have all the peonies gone?

In my last entry here on Blogger, I departed from my "usual" rhetoric of giving voice to the array of birds that visit the "things" which grow in my urban (NYC) garden (the garden pictured above in an aerial view taken by Juan V exactly one week and one day ago), to offer a "report" on Bike New York's Five Boro Bike Tour.

Today, I return to my "normal" content, and so much has happened since my last recollections of "garden events" (which I have chronicled in detail in a five part series of posts here on Blogger that began on April 26th 2013 and ended on May 2nd 2013). You may refer to this series by clicking on the various links for part one, part two, part three, part four and part five.

In terms of "happenings" in Juan V's image, there have been significant changes in the "lives" of the "things" which grow in my garden, including the fate of my Paeonia suffruiticosa's  (Tree Peony) — whose awesome white flowers can be seen in the lower right hand corner of Juan's image — fate.

Cyclin' on Cinco de Mayo!

This past Cinco de Mayo (May 5th 2013), I participated in Bike New York's annual Five Boro Bike Tour where I rode as cyclist #3787; and once again I sincerely want to thank The Achilles Club in New York City (and especially Ayesha Rosena Anna McGowan) for making it possible for me to participate in The Five Boro Bike Tour. 

This was the fifth year that I've taken part in this awesome event with Achilles and the image posted with this narrative shows yours truly with my captain at the start line of the Five Boro Tour. The image was taken by Keegan Stephan of Time's Up, a cycling related organization/charity.

NUMBER 1977

Once again I want to thank The Achilles Club in New York City for making it possible for me to participate in the Five Boro Bike Tour. This was the fourth year that I've taken part in this awesome event with Achilles and the image posted with this narrative shows yours truly with my captain at the start line of the Five Boro Tour.

I rode as Santa and she was a reindeer. Her "hanger" antlers brought a lot of comments about "the reception" she must've been getting, which had us laughing all the way . . . 

Happy Half Year's Eve to You! (PART THREE May and June 2011 Follow-Ups)

As  promised, I am continuing with my follow ups in honor of the half-year.

In terms of May 2011 follow ups, as you may recall, dear reader, I spoke about The Five Boro Bike Tour, at the onset of that month (in blog posts that you may refer to by clicking here and here). In the latter of these posts, I expressed gratitude for Max Osso being able to step in that the last minute when my regular captain, Zoe Waldron, hurt her Achilles tendon, but thankfully, she graciously loaned us her tandem, so that we could participate in the event. Fortunately, she ultimately recovered for the most part, and has cycled "solo" as well as with me on a tandem on a number of occasions since that time. 

Additionally, since my May 2011 posting, I have received photographs, purchased by Achilles from Brightroom, of Max Osso and yours truly in various stages of The Five Boro Bike Tour, and I have posted one of them above today's blog entry that shows us cycling in Central Park, and one below which was taken early on in the tour.

Also in May, on May 11th, to be exact, my flowers quoted Dr, Suess saying, "Today was good, today was fun, tomorrow is another one", and now in this  half-year follow-up, I can attest to the fact that indeed, they are having fun as evidenced by the photographs of some of my honeysuckle flowers posted below..

...enjoying the trellis which, as you may recall, dear reader, was installed (to serve as a hedge) on  May 17th 2011.

In another posting, this past May, the birth of my H.F. Young Clematis's flowers was announced in an entry that you may refer to by clicking here. 

My H.F. Young Clematis's flowers were indeed a beautiful asset to my terrace garden; however, they have a short life. Since their departure, they have left me with beautiful, yet playful, "hairy" pods, as evidenced in the collage featuring one of them in both flower and pod which is posted below.

The follow ups for June  2011 include news on my Anethum graveolens (Dill), which I wrote about approximentaly ten days ago. (This may be referred to by clicking here.) Since that time, a change has already occurred, it is sporting little yellow flowers as seen in the image  seen below. (I am in the process of rendering this image into a note-card and will release details as soon as they are available).

Woohoo! Completed my Third Five Boro Bike Tour, and I'm feelin' groovy. . .

Woohoo! I've just completed my Third Five Boro Bike Tour (a tour that I described yesterday), and, as Paul Simon would say, I'm feelin' groovy.

And I am not alone in feelin' groovy, according to You Tube,"some guy was walking down the street around 59th street and he started whistling 'the 59th street bridge song', and some guy behind him started whistling along with him, and that guy was........ Paul Simon."

It's here! It's here! You are so right, Ms. Guinevere

Happy May Day, dear reader, Happy May to you! Today is the beginning of a new month, May, a month where Catholics honor the Blessed Mother Mary, and also a month where, nationwide, May is known as Bike Month. That being said, I'm sure you realize that the so-called greatest city in the world, New York City, where I live, certainly honors the "merry, merry month of May" — when it comes to bikes —  starting with the first Sunday of the month of May, when they host the spectacular Five Boro Bike Tour. 

In describing the Five Boro Bike Tour,  Bike New York recently stated that, "If you are lucky enough to snag a spot in the Five Boro Bike Tour . . . on Sunday (May 1st 2011), you'll pedal 42  miles of New York streets that are closed to motorized traffic . . .  riding car-free with 32,000 fellow cyclists . . . " And once again, yours truly "is lucky enough" to "snag a spot" in the Five Boro Bike Tour via the courtesy of Achilles, and the grace of cyclists (who through the Achille's division known as the Twin Tandem Program) volunteer their time as bike captains for the blind, as well as the visually challenged who is legally blind like yours truly.

Ta Da!

Ta Da! We did the Five Boro Bike Tour once again, and this time there was no rain, only extreme heat.

The convo between a couple of chocolate bunnnies (seen in the image posted above), may give you an indication of how cyclists who participated may be feeling today.

I’ll be back on schedule this Saturday, May 8th, with my weekly posting. In the meantime, I encourage you to heed the sentiment in the cartoon posted below:

Lookin' SWEET Upon a Seat of a Bicycle Built for Two

Tomorrow is the annual Five Boro Bike Ride which follows an interesting route, but for now I’d like to spend a few moments telling you how I am (as well as others who are visually challenged or blind) are able to enjoy cycling in spite of being legally blind. I have always enjoyed bike riding, and I did learn to ride a bike as a child despite my physical challenges, but years later because of my struggle with vision (especially in relation to depth perception and lack of visual fields), I had to stop bike riding completely. Therefore I was elated to receive an e–mail from The Achilles Club — an organization normally associated with running — in June of 2008, inviting folks who were totally blind, or who had other visual challenges, to participate in The Twin Tandem Program that it was starting. Twelve tandem bikes had been donated for this purpose.

On the first day of the Achilles Meet–Up Series that June, we met at Engineer’s Gate in Central Park, where everyone was offered the opportunity to participate in riding loops within the park. There were a dozen captains and stokers. We even had a captain named Juliet and a stoker named Romeo. There was also a stoker named Daisy, and her presence was not lost on us as we sang the “traditional” twin tandem song, Daisy Bell.