A Blue Dot In A Sea of Red - May 23

Wednesday May 23

I start out by fixing the exhaust about 90%, after which Tony picks me up, so I can see the low-energy house project he's supervising. At 900 square feet (90 m2) it small by local standards, but in a nice, modern style it'll be a good summer retreat and/or retirement home for the couple who'll live there. Later, back in town, I buy books at 'The Raven' and 'The Dusty Bookshelf' used book store, all the while noticing the kind of shops here on Main Street. It doesn't much look like the towns I've been riding through elsewhere in Kansas.

Tony at work. Somehow houses look so good before drywall and other stuff hide hide the beautiful skeleton. Same as with motorcycles, when they're being built.

The newspapers give a hint of the politics of this town, as does the little poster below:

Richard's (grown-up) kids Charlie and Madelin and two more are at the house when I walk back there, preparing for their weekly sauna session with a bunch of friends, who'll be over later. They confirm my suspicion that the town of Lawrence is a kind of liberal 'safe space', much the way Austin is in Texas. It's a university town, they say, "a blue dot in a sea of red".

Charlie's car, with various bumper stickers.  

By the time I return from a fruitless ride around town, trying to get Those In The Know to make my phone and my computer work as intended, Richard is gearing up for his weekly bicycle ride. I put on  an appropriate outfit too, adjust the bike Tony brought over to suit me, and off we drive to a friend of theirs. The local 'Moped Army' are at a stoplight in town, gassing their old Vespas and tiny tuned mopeds, whereas we drive on to meet the other bicyclists. A leisurely ride first along a path previously used for railroad tracks, then at the town perimeter, and finally somewhat faster out in the countryside. I struggle to keep of with the guys up front - must be the street tyres on my bike - but like my friends on faster motorcycles, they always wait at the next intersection.

Men in tights...

PS  There's an update on the May 22 post 'Twisted Oz, Cow's Paradise'.