went to the head of the charles today in the early afternoon. i took the bicycle because i figured it'd be easier to get around on the stretch of memorial drive closed to car traffic. normally i watch it from the JFK street bridge, but it's usually mobbed with people. i decided to go further up the race course, to the western avenue bridge. there was hardly anyone here, just a few spectators and a bunch of men photographers with their long telephoto lenses.

i treat the head of the charles as a photo practice session. the assignment: shooting an outdoor sporting event featuring fast moving subjects. i still haven't figured out the proper technique yet. i was there to see the club singles, the club fours, and the club eights. i prefer the collegiate races just because they're usually the loudest (in terms of crowd noises) but the only collegiate event today was a fours race in the later afternoon.

the weather was in the 40's with a strong wind. it was a little cold during the overcasts, but periodically when the sun came out it warmed up quickly. compared to tomorrow, where a day of cold and windy rain is in the forecast, today was the better of the two weekend days. i had on my fleece hood for most of the time, as well as gloves. i stood on the bridge for about 2 hours before riding my bicycle to the eliot bridge just to see what it was like down there.

since the cafe was nearby, i made a quick stop. my parents were making vegetable buns. they gave me some, as well as a few tea eggs, before i biked home. i went to the community garden to retrieve that other potted rosemary plant. i ran into dennis with his friend tony. dennis was collecting a burlap roll from his own garden plot and taking some photos.

with what's left of daylight, i rolled the bicycle into the backyard and spent some time cleaning it. with a steel brush i tried to scrape off as much rust on the chainring, the cassette, and the chain itself. i used the chain lubricant as a derusting solution, not sure if that's the right way to do it. with some steel wool i cleaned the tire rims and the spokes. if i knew what i know now, i would've taken better care of the bicycle instead of letting it just corrode. it's still salvageable though, and even if i have to replace the whole drive chain, it won't cost too much.