Greenscreen
More photos from the garden. The subjects were dill, capsicum and thyme.
The 24
This is my version of the ultimate single-speed and best urban bike out there. It’s basically a larger wheel BMX with its 24” wheels and stout build. It’s set up to do my favorite trick, the long rollback. With its rear coaster brake, not only do the pedals not turn rolling backwards, you can also back pedal and use the brake even while rolling backwards. It keeps those long downhill rollbacks from becoming too hairy from speed.
It started life as a Redline race cruiser bike. I reduced it to a frame, ground off all the brake apparatus to give the frame a clean look and painted it a new color. This build was going to use a teal/brown/chrome color combo. It has ten sealed bearings throughout while the coaster brake is loose ball all the way. I must admit to running the seat this high and resisting the temptation to lower it just for the photos to look cool but really who cares about that? I like having at least some leg extension for street mileage.
As far as the single gear ratio is concerned, I gear it a little low to give it a chance off-road and just pedal faster when demand requires. Also, when all the hot dogs pass you, it’s easy to have a laugh at them because that smirk on their face was from passing a single-speed balloon-tire kid’s bike.
This bike gets ridden more than all my other bikes combined. With my limited skill, it’s the easiest bike I have to be creative on and it never breaks down. I haven’t had a flat in over two years and I ride it at least 10 hours a week.
Brisbane's newest bridge
Brisbane’s newest pedestrian and cycling bridge is called Kurilpa Bridge. The bridge stretches from the North Quay end of Tank Street in the city to Kurilpa Point in South Brisbane, adjacent to the new Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. Kurilpa is an Aboriginal word meaning 'place for water rats'.
The back yard garden
I try to use the back yard to help with the cost of living. I also like to grow things and get dirt under my fingernails. If at all possibly, it’s great to be self-sufficient in something you can grow at home. Use just a few small to medium size pots or a small patch of soil and some elbow grease and you will never have to buy cherry tomatoes, mint, parsley, coriander, basil, rosemary or thyme ever again. Our household saves about $10 a week on groceries already and when the seeds I have on the go start to produce, there should be another ten spot in savings.
I put on some good tunes (listening to the new Built To Spill album at the moment) and get Zen about it. Growing in pots helps with slugs and other varmint without the use of chemicals, which is good because the soil in the yard is so bad I have to grow almost everything in potting soil anyway. Water use is less than 20 liters a day and it takes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour a day to keep everything moist and looking good.
The produce you grow at home tastes likes it’s from another planet compared to store bought produce. This is especially true with things like peas, which from the moment you pick them start to change in taste because their sugars turn into starch. The tomatoes we grow are amazing and have a sweetness you can’t buy. With our five plants at the moment, we produce enough tomatoes to even have some extra to give to neighbors and friends.
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