New Orleans Mountain Sunrise

It might have been a few degrees warmer this morning than last, but it still felt pretty cold to me. The wind, in particular, seemed stronger, and the clouds to the east made it even darker than usual. There were only four or five of us when we started, and we waited a few extra minutes, all of us looking desperately down the bike path, hoping to see more riders approaching. We eventually gave up, though, and headed out into the wind, picking up a few more riders along the way. The group was doing well to hold 22 mph, considering the wind, and once the sun started to rise 45 minutes after we'd left, I checked my watch, wondering if we'd be back on time. A few of us were scheduled to meet a cameraman in Audubon Park for 8:15.

After we turned around, I tried to get the group going right away so that we wouldn't lose too much time. With a tailwind most of the way, we were soon rolling along easily at 25 mph, so I knew we'd be OK. Up ahead, there was a long bank of dark clouds stretching all along the horizon. With the sun coming up behind it, it looked a lot like a mountain range. The photo doesn't really do it justice.

So anyway, here's the story on the photo-shoot this morning. Yesterday evening Guy called from Cox Communications. They are sponsoring the Tour de Jefferson bike ride on November 10, and were up against a sudden deadline to put together a little promotional PSA. So they needed a few bike riders right away. I sent out an email to the NOBC list around 5 pm and hoped for the best. Of course, most people don't have much flexibility after 8 am, and when I arrived at the meeting spot promptly at 8:15 it was just Vivian, Kurt and me. After a while Margaret showed up, so we recruited her too. We rode up and down for a little while so they could shoot images of wheels going by, and then they shot people putting on helmets, getting on bikes, etc. It took only 40 minutes or so, but by the time we were done I was absolutely freezing as the combination of damp sweaty clothes and the relative lack of activity took its toll.

Later, after a nice hot shower, I stopped on the Broad St. overpass to take a shot of the "Wanted" billboard that's been up there for the last month or so. They had added a second "Arrested" sticker to it. So I guess that's progress, although I'm wondering if they will also add a "Released" sticker when our DA sends them back out on the street. I also wonder if other cities have resorted to putting up billboards to catch criminals...