Wildness and Bicycles

My time here in Florida is winding down. I find myself thinking about all of those old bicycles in my basement and backyard, and looking at the weather forecast in Logan. Cold. I have enjoyed being here in Florida. On Monday, Lupine and I were in the Ocala National Forest. We saw a black bear crossing the road! We took a little boat ride at sunset across the St. John's River at the Fort Gates Ferry. There was a bald eagle on a pole in the middle of the river. Every day this week, there has been nearly 1000 sand hill cranes on our lake. The wildness of this part of Florida is incredible. It seems wilder than Logan. Wilder, and at the same time there are so many more people, roads, cars, crime, and consumption (the stuff link again). In Florida it seems we have to drive the car no matter where we want to go. I can't believe how much gasoline I have poured into the Honda's tank while we have been here.

We are so insulated in Logan. There is much to be said about a place with limited sprawl (on the Florida scale), an excellent free bus system, and wide streets. In Logan, I can ride my bicycle anywhere I need to go. There is an emphasis on children and the people are fiscally conservative (they buy less stuff). If I could just have clean air and get everyone on a bicycle. While I'm dreaming, I would reforest the mountains, and reintroduce wolf, grizzly bear, and bison.

I will get on all of this just as soon as I get back. OK, I will at least recondition a bunch of old bicycles.