response 378 of 475:

Apr 18 01:05 UTC 2004

We biked to Argo Park where we got our canoes last year, by rather a long
roundabout route, southeast to Broadway Bridge because Jim did not want to
lift our bikes over the railing so we could cross at Barton Dam.  Turns out
there is no longer a building to rent canoes from at Argo, so we had to bike
back to Broadway Bridge (past Barton Dam, which was at some point converted
to a walk/bike bridge with shallow ramps instead of just stairs/railing). 
About an hour later we arrived at Gallup Park where they let us take canoes
out for two hours after the cleanup ended.  Jim's first beercan had something
wriggling in it which turned out to be a crayfish.  We headed towards Ypsi
because nobody else had done that stretch, but it was pretty clean already
and we only found a bunch of cans, plastic and glass bottles, assorted
plastic, and part of a kite and some candy wrappers, in two hours.  We passed
up two large dead fishes and a very heavy looking rolled up wire fence that
looked more than the 650 pound limit for our canoe.
        Our only interesting haul this trip was a very rusty flattened trash
can in the water, covered with mussels, which Jim got onto the canoe and then
out of the canoe at the other end.  When I asked what to do with our trash
the guy said to bring it to the trash can.  I said it would take two people
to bring our trash can there.  
        We then biked most of the way back and up a hill to the music school
for an early music concert.  Jim finished off the decorative collard greens
with hummus at the reception.  Great concert.  I somehow made it all the way
back.  Not bad for my second bike trip of the year (not counting the one to
my apartment).  Jim picked up a few interesting finds on the way back (a large
yellow flashing light etc.) and then someone steered us to an after-yardsale
giveway.  We passed on both microwave ovens but got three phones, a scale,
a nice warm hat and gloves and boots.....  This reminds me of our last bike
camping trip when we stopped at yard sales to get dry and came back with 135
pounds on our bikes (not counting ourselves).
        I can't imagine biking only for exercise, not to get somewhere.

        Food still tastes odd, or maybe it is just that tortillas don't go with
Chinese broccoli and orange juice.