Early Urban Ride.....

Handmade tiles in support (or memory) of those battling cancer.

Nature's pretty detritus.

The culprit.

Okay, okay! I won't swim or wade!

I'll just walk.

Early morning sun rays.

Thank you, PBA.

Your stream looks fairly clean.

The Foundry at World's Fair Park, but more lovingly known by me as the Strohaus at the 1982 World's Fair. I was a "waitress" there and heard more than my fair share of polka music!

Sprinklers water the brown, winter turf. The homeless are sitting on benches on both sides.

Knoxville's Old Faithful.

In the city, it's not always pretty around every turn.

NO TRESPASSING! (said with some "Happy Feet" sweetness).

Party remnants. Maybe the burglar will be deterred by the trash and not go for the open door!

One of my favorite places in the Fort.

If only there were big apartments here.....I'd move in.

The clean and well-maintained courtyard.

Just needs a couple of ducks.

My favorite.

Okay, that sun's rising and getting hot. It's nearly 9:00 a.m. Time to head home.

I enjoy living in the city. It’s true that Knoxville isn’t a very big city but I still consider myself an urban-dweller. Sunday morning around 7:30, I headed down the street on my bicycle to enjoy what would be the coolest part of the day (Al G., my friend, I’m beginning to believe ya!). One of the first places I headed was World’s Fair Park. I expected the park to be completely empty of people and cars. It was.....almost. As I zipped down the road and under the Clinch Ave. viaduct I was surprised to see nearly all the benches that line the sidewalks and the big playing field occupied by homeless folks, most with their backpacks at their feet. I even recognized a couple. No one was talking. They were just sitting there, very quietly. It really was kind of eerie, like I might have stumbled into the middle of a zombie’s colony. The shelter for the homeless closes early in the morning so folks must get up and get out. I thought I remembered someone telling me that the Holiday Inn at World’s Fair Park sometimes gives out coffee and doughnuts in the mornings. Perhaps they were waiting for some hot coffee. When I rode back through, nearly an hour later, they were all still there.