Nico – Page 25 – Steel Wheels

Zombies

Men, women, and bikes of a certain age and dreams that never die…

The Henderson — Late 1920s Henderson by Excelsior Motor Mfg, Chicago, Illinois

Excelsior Mfg 4-Cylinder screamer — The Excelsior Motor Mfg 4-cyclinder made the Henderson screaming fast…and this one is still ridden by its owner, a reknown collector and real estate developer from Georgetown, Texas

Indian Scout - the Holy Grail — Late 1920s Indian Scout…this is the Holy Grail for people who love vintage motorcycles

Harley-Davidson 165 - 1953 — The 1953, 165 is easily my all-time favorite Harley-Davidson…it’s the only vintage motorcycle I’d like to own…this one was exquisitely-restored…love it

Harley-Davidson 165 — Light, comfortable, simple, … a perfect little cruiser

Orange Harley — 1930s Harley-Davidson Flathead… Where’s Zombie Waldo?

Early Knucklehead — One of the first Harley-Davidson Knuckleheads from the late 1930s…very few mods…amazing condition

Early Panhead…these followed the Knuckelhead engines of the 30s ans 40s

1930s Harley - Green — Harley-Davidson early 1930s Flathead…meticulous restoration

1948 Indian Chief…it couldn’t be called that today but man-o-man what an iconic design…foot-clutch, stick-shift, fringe-seat…the owner walked-up, handed us the keys, and let each of us ride it around the park…the dream of every motorcyclist is to one day ride a vintage Indian Chief

Paul on the Indian — My friend Paul is a profoundly-skilled motorcyclist and able mechanic…he rode the ’48 Chief like a pro

Paul on 1948 Indian — The Indian Chief has so much torque I never even shifted it out of first gear…I was terrified of stalling it and not being able to start it again some distance from the pavillion…Paul on the other hand came back for some quick instructions and then glided out of the park and down the highway reaching speeds he wouldn’t divulge…an amazingly talented motorcyclist on a truly iconic, priceless bike…we couldn’t believe the owner let us ride it…what a day

Honda 750 Four…these old Hondas are cult bikes now and go for as much as $100k at auction—as long as everything is original

Old Harley Expert Mechanic on his kickstarter — This guy knew everything about the mechanics of vintage bikes…a walking encyclopedia of zombie motorcycle guts

Kickstarting — A true believer…one to prime, two to start…this old gent was a short feather-weight who you’d never believe would be able to kick-start an old Harley…he was simply a consummate pro in every respect

Harley reflected in Indian — It’s amazing what you see on a motorcycle when you look close…

Notes:

Vernon L. Richards Park in Smithville, Texas, May 10th 2014 with a sweet, friendly group of men & women who love old motorcycles and each other, dearly

Loved this trip and meeting-up with my friend Paul so much

Day Of Reckoning

Fairy on Harvard — “The Fairy” was found buried in overgrown flora, clinging to a star

Orange and Meyer Lemon — Orange, Meyer Lemon, and a Bay Leaf (barely visible on the right)…the bird bath was discovered entangled in vines…the giant pinch-bowl was made by Margaret in her studio here on Harvard Street in the late 80s or early 90s…she was working with brown clay in those days and loving it…this fence line is the future site of the vineyard plot…work begins in October, cuttings go in the ground in February…these trees will be transplanted to The Orchard

Margaret's Bird Bath — I installed this bird bath just weeks before the crime against humanity…the folks at Heights Plant Farm liked it so much they left it right where it was and designed around it

Marie's 50th Birthday Bench — Marie’s 50th birthday bench was found completely covered with vines, unknown flora, and long-abandoned potted plants…we were all supposed to make tiles in Margaret’s studio for the seat surface and present it to her for her back yard on Pecore…that was 10 years ago…the designers found a new home for it…Marie can come over and sit on her bench on Harvard Street now

Avacado Texas Bamboo Banana — The Avocado tree is a rescue that’s been hangin’ around for years refusing to die…Bamboo is native and Banana, fruit-bearing…my tropical curtain fronting the alley

Kumquats — Kumquat tree…pop ’em in your mouth skin and all…the only citrus with eatable skin…for years this was in a plastic pot awaiting the Day Of Reckoning…alternately neglected and treated with tender loving care…today it’s the centerpiece of the orchard

Margaret's Swiss Chard — I found this Swiss Chard covered in weeds, strange grasses, and other unspeakable things deep in the back…the leaves were completely wilted…after a shower and a shave, the plant magically arose from the dead and produces copious amounts of chard…Swiss Chard made Margaret dance—she loved it

There’s nothing like a Texas Grapefruit with the proper hang-time…this tree has over 75 and counting…it may become the most spectacular tree in the orchard…we shall see

Madrono Fruit — Madrono is a spectacular fruit native to Central America but one of the favorite fruit trees of Kalamunda, Australia…we just called it Kalamunda…a sweet and sour fruit that’s perfect for cocktails…a tall beautiful shade tree with 4 inch nails for thorns…love it

Purple Things — Purple things…Master Gardeners have a great eye for placement and color…I’m so grateful they dropped-by this week

Margaret's Sunflower — Margaret’s Sunflower – another rescue from the old-growth weed forest…it has a new place in life on the orchard trail now

Crime Scene, 6 kayaks — Crime Scene and 6 kayaks

Notes:
The Day Of Reckoning refers to finally getting around to it – creating the orchard space that was long in our minds but long being reclaimed by the tropical flora on Harvard Street

The folks at Heights Plant Farm were a joy to work with – give them a concept, then back away, and watch a Master Gardener at work with her crew

You can’t believe all the things they found buried in our tropical time-forest but were able to re-cycle into the design – still a work in progress and it may never end … we both had strange taste and there’s still a lot of strange objects to place in their proper space-time

I miss my tropical jungle … but the The Orchard brings a new day … it passed the test – people do automatically stroll through the yard now without needing an invitation…the yard has become livable space just like we always thought it would … and Marie was caught sitting on her bench last evening, a glass of Caymus Cab in hand

Over the years the tropical dimension will return with the maturation of the bamboo curtain and the banana trees

It’ll be fun watching The Orchard find its way into the world of Harvard Street

Some of the greatest adventures are right in your own back yard

Some Things Never Die

We’re all drawn to a visage on the nature trail shrouded in old-growth honeysuckle, strange overgrown mega-flora, and tales of the remarkable person who walked through it once upon a time, wide-eyed kids in-tow. Like magic tricks never revealed, the stories will live forever.

Visiting the Nature Trail at The Parish School — The Nature Trail at The Parish School is a magnet pulling us toward hidden wonder

Weaving nature at The Parish School — Nature Learning is for kids of all ages

Word play in the outdoor classroom — The best classroom is right in your own backyard

The Margaret Noecker Nature Center at The Parish School
Earth Day, 2014

parishschool.org

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