"La Perla" Minneapolis-Made Tortillas!

A significant Latino population here in the Twin Cities means a strong consumer market for ethnic foodstuffs.  La Perla is one such company meeting a "hungry" local demand for tortillas, corn and wheat.  Entrepreneurs Jose Payan and his wife Noemi came to Minneapolis from Morelos, Mexico in 1995 and have been making meals more "sabroso" ever since.

Made in the Shade.

Sometimes I find my quietest moments painting in junkyards. Just the buzzing of flies and the occasional ping of old sheet metal expanding in the sun.... James Terman, plein aire artist, Boulder, CO.

Roadside Litter Pick-Up Patrol is Underway.

Just when I think the serial litterbugs from last season learned their lesson, their crap begins to pile up alongside the roads I pedal.

Starting each Spring, and running through late Fall, I appoint myself Litter Picker-Upper of One.

You see the yield so far. Beer cans, water bottles, Mickey D food and drink vessels, cigarette packs, booze bottles, and miscellaneous garbage that dirty, selfish, inconsiderate pigs throw out car windows so guys like me will pick it up.

And so I do.  With a happy heart. But wishing that litter perpetrators wouldn't trash the neighborhood in the first place.

When Your Velo Needs More VOOM!

Tired of pedaling?  Butt a little sore? Too much headwind this Spring?

Me, too.

Maybe we drop into Midwest Cycle in Minneapolis, trade in the Velo for something with a little more VOOM.

Just kidding. Keep pedaling. Giant, I love you  :)

Colorado SAAB Drives the Activist Message.

You probably won't see bumper stickers like these on the rear end of a Buick.  

But on a SAAB 900 in CO you get all sorts of activist messages you don't see elsewhere.

Like Sugar being the Gateway Drug.  With obesity epidemic, and diabetes a national disaster, some of the vehicle wisdom may resonate.

Bike-Share System for New York Is Built With Ideas From Around the World

New York share-a-bike system kicks in next week.  Ideas borrowed from world's foremost cycling cities assure success in Manhattan.  Not all New Yorkers are convinced.


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/22/nyregion/a-bike-share-system-for-new-york-built-from-ideas-around-the-world.html?ref=global-home&_r=0

Honda Element in its new Element.

Ever see hand controls on a car? Ones that permit a driver to by-pass factory-standard foot brake and accelerator and rely instead on manual devices?

Friends of ours installed them in their car, and paid us a visit the other day.  We were eager to see the retro-fit and check out the handiwork (no pun, promise).

Manual controls work like a charm.  One hand lever replaces the brake, another the throttle. For safety reasons, of course, drivers are re-trained and licensed. The process is slow and steady until competence is acquired.

But then you're good to go. And when time comes to buy a new car, Element or otherwise, it's simple to remove the controls from one vehicle and install them in a new set of wheels.

MCAD Art Students Trick Out Bikes.

Some unknown (to me, that is) student (s)  of art and design have/has transformed the bikes in this picture from ordinary to extraordinary.

These velos are part of an impressive display of student work at MCAD -- Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

In addition to these two bikes, there's an elaborate presentation of watercolors and oils, original clothing, books, movies, cartoons and graphic arts.  Some of it is whimsical, some ready to go into production tomorrow.

And while I didn't meet the artists I get a sense that these young people mean business, and they're ready to show the world a thing or two.

MCAD is at Stevens Ave. btw 24th and 25th in Minneapolis.  Go check it out if you have the chance.  I promise you'll be glad you did.

Aussie Bag Maker Crumpler Makes Great Gear.

I bought my first Crumpler bag in Manhattan's West Village in 2009. Since then I've been a huge Crumpler fan, turning lots of folks on to this uber-high quality, high value manufacturer. Over the weekend here in Minneapolis I spotted this elegant and trendy camera bag.  And while it's a little too edgy for Old Poppy the snap-shotter, I share it with readers of the Poppy Blog because Crumpler gear definitely has velo applications. Check it out for yourselves.