9-11 Evening Bike ride

Bronx / Manhattan Saturday 9-11-2010 sun begins its decent. Riding the bike after work, Sands Point

If you click on the photos, they enlarge and you can see the Manhattan skyline in the distance.

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A long day that's burned in my memory. In more ways than most can imagine. But 9 years later, after another loong day, a peaceful, beautiful ride. Looking South West toward the Throg's Neck Bridge, Whitestone, Queens and Manhattan

So, back on the bike after prostatitis. Ouch. Boy that was a nasty few months. Finger crossed it holds off. Riding aggravated it last time...back in June.


Ironic I come back to ride on the anniversary of a day that changed my lungs and cardiopulmonary health in not so good ways. And I was a lucky one. Aside from the thousands who perished, so many more — especially the brave first responders — have had their health wrecked.

If we don't take care of the health needs first responders properly, who will come to help the next time?

The first ride back was down to the water where I can see Manhattan from 13 miles or so as the crow flies. The Empire State building you can see clearly, the Chrysler, and the end of Manhatan where the towers were (supposed to be). 9 years ago I was 2 blocks away when it happened, and a week later, went back to work there near ground zero, in a dusty office, for months.

The smell of the burning filled your being every day, as you approached underground in the crawling, rattling subway train, with screeching wheels past Chambers St. (WTC) Station that was taped off, with yellow police tape, where no trains stopped. Under the building.

Then coming home every night in clothes that now took on the odor of burning buildings and all that was burning in them. An indescribable and indelibly etched in memory smell to all who lived through it. There's more; we just don't talk about it much.

Returning every night subway trip back, almost daily "police action" delays in the subways. Anthrax letters were being posted and you wondered if this was an anthrax attack.

Manhattan in the distance

This sunset in these ride photos may be taken with a weak cell phone camera, but they captured a serene and mystical sunset, that evening. It's good to be back, but some things are never forgotten, at least until the mind fades away, and the generations pass, and history rolls out behind like a contrail in the sky of a long-since flown-away plane.

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the bridge

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Slow food, equestrian style, Middleneck Road. The ride back up hill. The last of the "country" in suburbia. There are a lot of positives to people who still own land and estates. Without them these rare urban sights and sites will vanish...are vanishing.

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Wanted to come for the ride -- had to stay home. Gotta figure out a dog ride.