Have you Heard?  Our very own Steve Blair is becoming a super techie.  In his newest tech adventure he has started a blog about bakeries all us bike enthusiasts love to visit. So, check it out at:  “http://biketobakery.blogspot.com/“. 

Cyclist Encounters an Insect

This butterfly, the touch of a cat’s soft paw

Against my chest.  A short moment of vibration.

The soft claw of wing’s edge.   Then air.

                               Lawrence N. DiCostanzo

                              On the Volcano road,

                              May 27, 2007

Resurrection

Bury me in a meadow, some untilled waste,

Next to fields of lettuce or off the highway’s verge.

Let it be my stone, engraved in repeated rotation

Through timeless years.  Where rabbits start in the grass,

Mice rustle, and slender king snake makes his way,

In the warm breezeless understory of bush and weed;

Where song sparrow hangs on sideways to dry stalk,

And kestrel teeters, flaps, teeters, on rigid feathers

Spread out in points.  Here it is dry and quiet.

And, when the Resurrection comes, let the trumpet be

The brassy, tuneless vibration of the bee, against the clacking

Of locust wings.  Let my waking eyes gaze up

On sweet fennel or Queen Anne’s lace in sun.

And, if God should come to look for me, Let Him be

The cyclist, pausing to rest.  Hands light

On handlebars and saddle, He gazes on this modesty.

And let Him say:  This is too good to waste.

                                     Lawrence N. DiCostanzo

                                    June 27 – 28; September 14, 2005

Top of the World: Bicycling Coleman Valley Road  

 I climb above the fog, yet do not know

The reason for this effort. Can it be

The pleasure when I draw up and see

How sunlight blankets rolling grassland with no

Dark tree to stitch it to the blue. I slow

And see the seam of the horizon smooth

Against a bowl of blue, the only truth

And world my distant forebears long ago

Could love. They hoped beyond that line

There await the lovely muscled herds, the streams

Of fish, the comfort of a hunt: in short, the Place

Where limbs feel happy aches. God, rushing by when time

Runs down, should see I have romantic dreams

And fondly scoop me up from this high place —

The cycling dawdler with the dreamy face.

Lawrence N. DiCostanzo

                              July 12 – 15, 2009

Hello all you Veloraptors:

Let me start by saying I am honored to have been elected as your new President by the Board of Directors, following the May 20th Members meeting held at Sibely Volcanic Park.  Prior to the Board meeting, the members attending the annual membership meeting re-elected Susan Stewart (outgoing president) and Robin Brumell to their second 2-year terms as Directors and Tom Wilging to his first 2-year term as Director. Having been a member of the Board for the past 3 years, I have had the privilege of working with the many committed VeloRaptors who volunteer  so much of their time to our club. It is all the volunteers, along with the full membership, who make our group so much fun. So, thank you Susan for being our President for the past 2 years, and thanks to the many volunteers that plan and lead the Saturday, Wednesday, and special rides. It’s because of all the volunteers’ work that we have many fun rides to participate in each year.  Of course, a special thanks is in order for the volunteers who bring us special events like the Holiday Party, Halloween, and BORP Bike Wash Party, to name just a few.

As President, I look forward to working with the Board, the volunteers and all the special committees, to make the coming year fun and rewarding. And, remember, what makes the VeloRaptors such a fun group is not just our members, but their significant others and guests who make-up the VeloRaptors family.

Let’s have a great year, and I look forward to hearing from all members as to how we can keep improving our club experience.

Randy Mellin

PS: We continue to have  great participation in the Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday rides. So, if you haven’t been riding much, please come out and join the fun.

YES the Veloraptor annual “BIKEWASH and BORP Party” will take place June 22, 2013.  Please check your emails for the invitation and be sure to RSVP.  You can now go to the “www.borp.org/revolution” and join the VeloRaptors team.  Last year we had 17 riders and raised over $14,000 for this worthy cause, lets see if we can improve on last year’s results this year.  Once again Randy Mellin and Steve Goldenberg are co-chairs of the VeloRaptors BORP “BIKEWASH Party” and the VeloRaptors BORP Revolution team.