It was a very strange morning, nothing like I had planned. I woke early, decided on a visit to Cairdeas coffee shop to read. I was starting a new book today and was very anxious to get into it.
Cairdeas opens at 6:30 M-F, but on weekends doesn’t open until 7 AM. I headed up there, but not that early. Took my bike, but was thinking not to ride today. I had done 19 miles yesterday in a ride out to the Lowe’s store at I-44 and Lindberg. I wasn’t up to too much exercise today.
If I want to read at Cairdeas, then I have to go out to the back patio and take a table there. I love getting into conversations with Dogtown folks, and it is so easy to do, especially if one sits outside along Tamm Ave. or inside the main room. I got there and it was fairly crowded. Tim Clifton and some of his family were there – very frequent visitors and great people to visit with – but I disciplined myself and took a table in the garden. When I came in to order my coffee no one was at the counter. After a longish wait two folks came in, but looking very preoccupied and nervous and were talking about smoke.
They said there was smoke in the basement, but they couldn’t find it. Just as I was about to order from a third employee, a huge fire engine pulled up in front and the fire fighters raced in and asked us all to step outside. Without a fortifying coffee in hand, I joined about 10-15 others out on Tamm Av e.
Before long FOUR huge fire trucks were there and firefighters were rushing inside with crow bars and huge axes and masks on and all sort of things. For the next 15 minutes not much happened. We learned the problem was in the fuse box in the basement. After a bit I slipped in and got a cup of coffee and joined the Tamm Ave. gang again.
This went on for ½ hour (and at least three cups of coffee for me) and they the lights went out as the firefighters turned off the electricity, and the management announced all was okay for now, but they would have to close. The manager was sorely disappointed since they expected this Labor Day weekend to be a huge one of business, and indeed, all during the time the firefighters were there people were coming in to see if they could still get coffee drinks.
Well, there I was. I’d had coffee, but hadn’t read one word in my book, and it was still very early in the morning. I decided, heck with it, I’ll ride in the park. So I took off. I had ridden 9 of my 15 miles when I decided to go on the very remote and rocky path that goes through the heart of Kennedy Forest, a trail one enters off the old lovers lane, now the road has been taken out and it is just a bike path that goes past the forest, but not in it. This little trail is not for bikes and is very rocky.
I rode down that and remembered how much I love it. It is very dark, with huge trees forming a canopy over the trail. There is a tree there that people come to see all the time, which is a small, 20 foot tree growing INSIDE the rotted out trunk of a huge old tree. The original tree was massively wide and is hollow. The hollow stem went up about 10-12 feet, then branched off and continued up to 30 feet. It was completely dead, but years ago someone planted this other tree INSIDE it. Over the winter the top 20 feet had crashed to earth and was in rubble around the base, and now the small green tree stands above the hollow frame (still about 10 foot tall). It very cute.
As I rode on a bit I realized there must be a small spring just above this trail. Only about 30 yards north, up a slopping hill, is the golf course. But somewhere between the bike trail that runs alongside the golf course and this trail, there must be a spring. Water was slowing running down the hill (and there are no hoses and certainly hasn’t been any rain in a while, so this must be a spring). It had cut a deep groove in the trail, almost like a tiny creek, and the running water ran along the trail for about 20-30 yards, then continued on down the hill to the right (south).
I like this trail since it is so remote and when I pedal very slowly and try not to hit twigs and stuff, I have seen some chipmunks there (which one seldom sees outside the zoo), and even one of the very few land box turtles I’ve seen walking in the park.
I made may way out of the trail to the back of the Art Museum and down to Grand Basin and at the farthest corner of the Grand Basin I realized I had a flat tire. I’ve gotten about 4-5 flats in the park over the years and THREE of them have been on that same trail through the woods where I’m sure I just hit a rock that was too sharp.
Now, there I was, not far from the golf clubhouse. In the past when I got flats I would just lock up the bike to a tree or something, walk home, get my car and take the bike to the bike shop. But, I’m now carless since December (and hopefully FOREVER MORE) so I planned my options: Lock the bike as normal, go home and get one of my kids to help. They would be more than happy to do so. But, nope, that didn’t appeal. If I’m going to choose to be carless, that’s fine, but then it’s not fair for me to impose on others because of my choice. I planned to walk the bike home. I started out and walked up Art Hill to pass behind the Art Museum and then out the Tamm Ave. bridge route. But I realized, this is just silly. Then I’m in the same predicament. I still have to get the bike to the bike shop. Since it wasn’t much more to go to the bike shop than home, why not take it directly there.
I did. Through the park and out at the Hi-Pointe entrance, and down Clayton Road to the Esquire Schnucks shopping area where my bike shop, Touring Cyclist, is located. I got there just about 10 AM only to find they don’t open until NOON on Sunday. Hmmmm, 2 hours to kill. There have a bike rack in front of the store, I could have locked up to that and gone home, but it 1 ½ miles in each directly to go home and then come back. Plus, I had left home saying I wanted to sit quietly and read, albeit, I had in mind to read with coffee at hand. They also have a very lovely and comfortable bench in front of the bike shop.
So, I sat and read for two hours – such a great choice. It was very quiet, no people around at all and my book is just marvelous. I was so deeply into it that when they did finally open I waited until I finished a chapter before going in.
Since I had to leave my bike anyway (they couldn’t have the tire ready until Wednesday – yikes what will I do?????) I decided to take this opportunity to have a full service on the bike which I like to do once a year anyway. Immediately the guy showed me I needed new break pads, which I already knew since it was stopping slowly, and I know the gears are a bit out of mesh and so on. They always do such a lovely job on my bike when I have this done.
The fellow did look at my front tire and said I won’t need a new tire, just the inner-tube. Ironically they don’t FIX inner-tubes any more. A new tube is under $3.00 and the labor cost to have a tire mended would be $10-$15 so it isn’t even thinkable.
I left the bike with heavy heart. I almost felt like I did the few times as a parent when I had to walk off and leave my child in the hospital. Two full days without my bicycle. I have to keep telling myself: I’ll survive.
We have a huge family party tomorrow, and since rain was forecast, one of my sons had already called last night to ask if I’d ride with his family and I had accepted. So, Monday is taken care of. I guess I’ll just have to walk for my Tuesday exercise.
And walk I did today. I had already ridden 9 miles when the bike broke, but from the park to the bike shop and then back home was 5 miles of walking. I’m absolutely exercised out today.
Nonetheless, it was a lovely day in the park. I’m not a bit sorry I rode that back trail in the Kennedy Forest, but I do think that in the future I’ll save that one for the days I walk instead of the days I ride.
Good luck to Cairdeas in getting up and running again. The manager did say he thought it would be Tuesday before they could open since it wouldn’t be easy to get a repair person out there today or tomorrow. With some luck it could be just a breaker in the system, a relatively inexpensive repair, but on the other hand, when one is dealing with electrical failure and especially one that created SMOKE, well, who knows……
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