It was really icy out everywhere… All the sidewalks and side streets. Only the main streets were cleared. Mother nature sent us icy rain and so there was about 2 inches of it everywhere.
The sidewalks and streets in Indianapolis are really terrible. Pretty much everywhere you go. Great big potholes. I think we’ll probably go take a picture or two of the really giant ones that are noteworthy today.
As I was walking from where the bus dropped me on 20th St. I thought; “What a great day to ride my bike…” But there was so much ice that I wished I’d brought along my steel studded tires for my bike. When I left the temp was about 30 degrees which after 0 degrees was pretty nice!
I found myself slowing way down as I crossed over these sometimes deep pot holes that had skinned over thickly with ice in the night. They were being undermined by the water flowing down the street underneath. The sun had rose bright and warm this morning. As I walked slowly over the smooth ice I was captured and enraptured by the sound of the crackling under my feet. I tried to break myself out of it even but within seconds was doing it again.
I had my camera with me so I took some pictures of my walk that morning to share.
I realized how lucky I was that I’d decided to ride the bus instead of drive a car. Had I been driving a car, I would never have been drawn into this world that is both new and like re-entering my childhood all over again. I thought about the sound of the ice cracking as I walked over it all day.
There were lots of bubbles under the ice and they moved with every step I took. So I walked very slowly and listened and watched drawn into the dark depths of the strange mirror our iced covered potholes had become. I kept trying to make myself move faster but since I had left half an hour earlier than I needed to I couldn’t win that argument with myself.
I need a significant amount of chaos (or randomness) in my life in order to feel creative. These random patterns in the muddy sidewalkcall to this need in me.
I can easily find myself in the same old rut, especially if I try to have too much to do with the creative process. Like if I think at all about a song I haven’t played in a long time the first time I pull it out again. I stumble through it like i was still learning it. If I can clear myself of all thought, then it flows like water through my mind/body/heart/soul…
Here are the rest of the pictures I took this morning.
Some day I’d like to be able to go and look at one of the more wealthy areas streets and see if the snow and ice removal is as terrible there. I guess I’m used to having the streets better maintained. Rock Island, IL does a pretty good job on the streets. I thought about getting a campaign going around the differences between the “good” neighborhoods and “bad” neighborhoods snow removal tendencies. Then I thought about how Indianapolis just isn’t putting as much salt down on the road. I’m fine with that since it lowers our environmental impact upon our own ecosystem.
I was into thisscene because of the way the light was at my back and there was such a deep contrast between the lighted side of the building and the sidewalk. This picture doesn’t do any justice at all to what I remember of it.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
This next picture is of this stone garage that I’ve walked by a few times now.
I don’t know why but I’m drawn to this old stone garage. I think maybe It reminds me of this house a friend from my childhood lived in. We roasted steaks we’d stolen from the grocery store down the street in the attic. This place looked kind of like that. It wasn’t nearly as cool as that garage that John and I smoked my first joint in. His dad was completely german. Illinois state police officer. So the garage was imaculate. We had a lot of fun up there.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
