Coffee and Crash on Florida Avenue

Almost one week ago exactly, I basked in the satisfaction of discovering the Big Bear Cafe, a small outpost at First and R Street, N.W., a coffee shop that hosts readings on the first Wednesday evening of most months. It sits on the corner of an urban block in a notoriously dangerous part of the city that accommodates the Bloomingdale Farmers Market on Sundays (10 - 2 p.m.) during the months of May through November.

Driving west on Florida Avenue, I rolled my tongue, tasting the espresso, and pictured the young blond woman with whom Jack, my recently separated friend, and I sat. After the smile and after Jack and I sat, she and her friend talked with each other and checked e-mails on their laptops. At 54, those friendly smiles seem few and far between.

Jack and I decided to visit the Big Bear after finishing an urban walk on what the city calls the Columbia Heights Heritage Trail, a loop that begins and ends near the Columbia Heights Metro Station. For me, it was a walk in the rain that reminded me of how much Washington D.C. has changed in the half century since I was born here.

We drove behind the car that was hit. We had a green light. We were lucky; the two people in the car in front of us weren't. Every walk or hike is an adventure, a discovery. This one brought me to the reading at the Big Bear this past Wednesday and reminded me how much more I enjoy hikes in the woods than walks in the city.

Today's sun brings another Sunday. Enjoy!