Off Road

Only addicts have addictive personalities, right? Wrong. Adventurers have addictive tendencies. I, of course, would be one of those kind of people. Only, I find there is a difference between having addictive tendencies and going through phases, which is what an addiction can often equate to; especially when it concerns an activity or a drug. Age can also constitute reasoning behind a phase, fortunately  I don't do drugs and I've never really gone through any phases, except when I thought I liked hip-hop and Le Tigre, which is the strangest of polar opposites. Regardless, cycling has always been something I've been relatively tied to since my brother first tried me to hit the jump on our street and my buddy John taught me how to skid. He had a Mudzilla, still the coolest bicycle I have ever seen. Though I was never engaged in any technical form of cycling, such as racing or repairing, I've always loved riding bikes. No matter where a person travels, I am convinced the single act of pedaling to the destination, alone, makes the whole trip that more engaging and expedition-esque.

There is always a new shortcut to weave down or a bump to catch a little hang-time on, a bird to keep pace with or a quiet spot to stop and admire the natural world. I've been riding virtually the same route for the last three months, but here and there curiosity tackles my mental clock and allows me to venture where I please. As the places of wonder build up on my "to explore list," I love nothing more than imagining when the best time to come back is, how the light will change its appearance,  or what it will look like with a full yard of grass. These wonders that seep into my imagination collect and grow like a stalactite's slow calcium carbonate skeletal formation. When the stalactite of my curiosity grows no longer, I load my camera with film and begin the standard route, patiently mapping out the time to shoot.

January and early February were months laden with cycling across town and into Woods Hole. The temperatures increased significantly the week of January 18th, which allowed me the pleasure of cycling without multiple layers and cold feet. I spent these days mapping out and collecting locations of curiosity; carefully selecting the right time of day, where the sun might be, how the snow would effect it, to shoot vertical or horizontal, and how to get to the location. The following five photographs are the ones I am most pleased about from my most recent returned roll of film. Don't stop wondering, at least I think that is what this guy said.

                            

                            

                          

                           

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