Normal

 

I'm not born in Phildelphia, I'm born from Philadelphia.

Its my home.

Its the one place that I've lived in the longest now.

since my first visit, its in my blood.

 

Cold Speck - Old Stepstone

 

 

I can across this photographer, from, born in philadelphia area, Bucks Co.

John Frank Keith.

all I know about him is the info about him from Library Company of Philadelphia.

Its where I've pulled these,  some of my favorite photos of his, from.

 

 

 I study the faces, and the style.  Longer exposures, a bit of blur, maybe 1/5 of a seconds.  These were held, that the subjects listened, held their position, the photo was taken.  not snapshots. 

somewhere out of the blue Simon Firth, said, "Keep Philadelphia Normal!"   I don't think us who are from Philadelphia can help it.   I encourage every soul that sleeps in this city to do the same.  That our flaws, beauty, zest, thats us.  We are.

There is so much here, too much for a life time.

 

 

and I'm warming up for Louisville, I bought some Bourbon beers, and they are sitting on the desk,

and I'm drinking.

 

 ...John Frank Keith died on December 28, 1947, apparently of pneumonia after being in the hospital for over a week. He was a heavy set man, and his niece did not think he was well "from the beginning." He contracted meningitis as a teenager and as an adult "moved slowly, almost with a seaman's gait rocking from side to side...to facilitate forward movement." A weary-looking Keith was captured around 1940 sitting on the front steps leading to a porch. In a pose similar to ones his subjects held countless times, he has taken off his hat, rolled up his sleeves, and pushed his hair to the side. He looks directly at the camera, with a slightly uncomfortable gaze. His niece said "he did not take many pictures of himself,"...

from the Library Co.

 

 

 

another place to visit, that Library Co.

 

To Frank (john)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philadelphia

 

 

d. 

Patrick

I was not able to make the LWC Crazy Train ride today.  I've been following the ride on facebook, the photos and post as they go up.  sounded real good, Nice.


So most of the last couple of days I've been home watching and taking care of Patrick.
One of our cats.   Patrick,  is pretty sick.   He has cancer, a large tumor on the leg was removed a couple of days ago.  We are trying to make him healthy, and give him a good quality life too.   The removing of the tumor gives him about a 50/50 chance of getting rid of the cancer.   If that does not work, ...he might have to lose a leg.  

His a bit feral, wild.  Its amazing how strong, how much pain he can endure, full of fight.  So he's locked in an room upstairs and my wife and I are doing the best we can to take the best care of him that we can.



I hope to maybe,  see if I can get out with the Lone Wolves sometime in the spring,  I'd love to get the loop in.  Nothing I would enjoy more than some urban miles on my cross bike.

I did get out for a short ride today, created a fun strava segment, a lap around Concourse lake.  Its cool, a couple of quick tight turns, and a few of 'em, if you miss 'em, you go into the lake.  Then,  I mostly lollygagged, enjoyed the weather, the park.

d.lowe

Good Folk

 

I had a bit of fun the other night, shooting wheels with JK, for the Revolution WheelWorks website.  I've know Jk for a while, I think I've got one of the first set of wheels, unlabeled, that I've been racing cross on.  My first set of tubular rims.   so I'm sorta biased, but being me, I have a hard time using anything that I'd feel would slow me down on the bike.   I like the wheels a lot.  I've ridden them at battenkill, Granogue.  The carbon clinchers, my favorites.   It took me awhile to get use to the braking sound, but all else, super good.   I train on 'em, crits on 'em.   Just ride 'em to their death, I'll do.  I hope to get my second set this spring, just for racing.   Revolution Wheelworks.

the Studio was George's living room, drinking beers, listening to music, cats sleeping on wheel bags, a good way to spend a night.  Trying to fill in all these quiet days, the ones from x-mas eve to after new years day with productivity.

 

 

 

the other day, its was cold and clear, with snow moving in.  I hit up the centennial lakes to do some hot laps, 45mins. of as much as I could drive myself to replicate racing, workout. 

 



I pre-rode my lap, making some adjustments to the course, and on my way down the walk, a mini-van hops off the road and creeps down, looking for a place to pull off, to fuck or get high.

"Yo Fuck!,  you have to fuck here"  I yell at 'em.  they look at me, with zombie stares and park just to the right.  OK, go with it, so each lap the vans there, whatever.     Deal with it, go hard, 4 to go, push on.
the snow comes down, the van leaves, I finish up.   What a beautiful place.   I stand over the bike, steamy fog rising off of me.  Taking a few photos with the phone.  

If you'r on the cusp about going to Louisville, go, I love that town.  and I really can't wait to line up, on the old golf course links, and go at it with the other, Over 50 yr. old men, racing cross bikes.  and I really look forward to the weekend of watching Championship racing.  Right there, against the tape, yelling, drinking, watching the best.  My folk. 

other wise, next up, a week easy, some Crazy Train,   yo, a 100 or so phila cx peeps pedaling about abandoned urban places.  Beers.  and a cool Patch.  nice thinking Lone Wolf Cycling.  

 

Philly cross its got soul, heart, its thumping away, strong.   I hope to sprint up to the front of the ride and look back, look back at 150+, riding, January, cold. not racing.  A good training day, for me, for my soul.   Good Folk!

a grand new year to you all!

dlowe.

   

In Tune-upped

Every once in a while I hit publish, sit for a bit, and change my mind. and I revert to Save. I'm glad that in its clunky way, the blog, that it gets posted, but then hangs empty,  I'm glad that I can edit this thing.    maybe come back and figure out what I was trying to say and say it better, or just leave it, in the edit mode, not every to be posted.

the other night I went out to see The Babies.   that's it.  a real good show.


The Babies - Moonlight Mile

... at the Kungfu Neckte, a small place, in an urban bar, once a neighborhood hold out, now its life, is the re-energized beer/music thing.  Great small place, good sound, a stage that's 10" off the floor, and much like cross, you can step up close, as you dare and take it in.   The last night of their current touring.  They played with a sleepwalking joy, of knowing that soon they'd feel the strange peace of sleeping in a bed, or on a couch, some place that'll they'd considered home.  They played relaxed, full.

There is this guy, I've seen at shows, he's at a few of the small shows I've seen over the last couple of years. 

I like seeing him at shows, his style.     No drinking, led light, reading his book.




I'm working on refining my photo work.   Its nice to go back through stuff, and see how crappy it can be,  how at one time I thought "not bad".   



Cheers, dlowe.
  

check 'em out here:  http://dlowe.dphoto.com/#