Winterish Ride and Birthday Greeting

We are still trailing behind other riders these days barely out on our usual routes. This morning was a spot of light as my middle guy and I spent the morning out for a ride on our own trawling Greek bakeries and chattering together as we spun along with the box.
Talking and riding with my kids are a secret dividend of traveling on a bike.
 Come home to find that Grid profiled the lovely Martha Williams and her special blog Bike Fancy! which turns one this weekend. Bike Fancy always has a surprise.  Old, young, every shape of woman and age, all riders out in Chicago on every kind of ride.
 Martha took our picture last year midway through the winter after we met at Dottie's (of Let's Go Ride a Bike) Women Who Bike Brunch. Dottie has been dubbed by one writer in Chicago as the Martha Stewart of the Chicago biking but I like to think of her more as the Patti Smith super punk rock godmother of the women's riding scene here and her brunch as a winter morning midwest CBGB's. She always tells it like it is her way when she writes and makes a place at the table for every kind of rider to find.

I meet so many amazing women to enjoy when I get a chance to get to the brunch. Alone once a month with no small people. Knowledgeable seasoned bike advocates and planners, makers of incredible hats and handbags who have grown successful businesses out of their love for riding. Funny insightful friends who ride on a bike in Chicago with and without kids. Any women who rides even just a little and one stalwart found by the brunch happening by on her bike going the other way called in to come along. Lots of women who come to share a meal are inspired by the warm company and great fun to begin their own terrific blogs.  And everyone cheers them on.
As most people who read us here can tell I am a little camera shy and usually am looking the other way when the lens comes out. We are shy too about the guys as we like to think of the blog as nuts and bolts for cycling not so much about them. The kids are usually a little blurry or just checking out something to the side.
Martha's picture of us- which we found on Grid today- tells the story of how kind and funny she is when she takes out her camera. All of a sudden you feel great, are smiling and there it is!  She makes it look easy-- even though making her great pics can't be.
For me this year seeing her picture from last winter again also tells me the story that no matter how on and off- and off again with the bike we have been this autumn that I can get back out on the road. Just like all those cool ladies on  Bike Fancy...