I need to go to Brookside and pick up the paperwork for Villa Tuscany from Cynthia. She's the one who's been watching the place while I've been gone. I've decided to ride the bike over. Google maps says there's a bike route part of the way and I'd like to try it. It's a 5 mile trip one way. I'll either be really sorry I took the bike that far, or I'll know I can go anywhere I want to with the bike.
It's almost noon. I'm finally taking off. This time I remembered to bring water! I'm bringing pretzels too. I'm a little worried about finding the bike path. I try to set google maps on my phone to the path I'll be taking. It turns out it doesn't do the bike routes. Oh well, if I have to I can use my phone to take surface streets.
There it is! How funny! I was so worried about finding the entrance to the bike path! There's a sign saying bike path pointing to the entrance!
The path is empty, deserted, traveling along the side of a concrete river. I'm the only one here. I wonder if it's because it's a week day, or if it's just always this way?
Finally! There's two people walking in the opposite direction. It looks like they're having a business meeting while they walk. Good for them! Nice too that I'm not the only one out here.
I made it! I'm at Brookside and my knee is still good! Yay! I pick up the paperwork and head back.
The entrance to the bike path from this side has signs saying "no trespassing" and "no loitering." That seems counter to what you'd want with a bike path. You want people going on it. You want people to stop and have a picnic if they want, don't you? This side isn't nearly as well kept as the other side. Oops! I just realized the other side had two directions. This side isn't a bike path at all! It's probably just a service road! That explains the signs! I'll keep going forward. Hopefully, I'll be able to get off this side and onto the other side at the next road. Now, I'm off-roading. Under this bridge there's only dirt. I can still get past, to the road on the other side of the bridge.
No luck! I'm at the end of this road and it's gated and locked. There's nothing to do but to go all the way back to where I got on and go back to the "correct" bike path. I was hoping to not back track. Sigh.
Now, I'm worried. What if it was a temporary thing that the gate was open? I could be locked in here! I'd find some way to get someone's attention, but it'd take a while, and heck, I'd be trespassing! Heck, I am trespassing!
The gate's still open. Yay! Now to get onto the real bike path and go home!
How funny! The actual bike path has the same "no trespassing" and "no loitering" signs. The only difference is the bike path has a walk through gate as well as a drive through one, where the other path only had a drive through gate.
I don't have to be home for anything specific. I'm taking my time on the path, stopping to look at the plants and trees coming over the walls from people's back yards, and the birds enjoying the stream in the middle of the concrete river. I wish my phone camera had a zoom feature. There are birds down there, enjoying the water.
There's this fantastic rose bush on the way. It has to be the tallest rose bush I've ever seen. It rises high above the wall.
As I'm standing, looking at the rose bush, a yellow swallowtail butterfly flies by. I haven't seen one of those in ages!
I'm definitely moving slower than I was on my way to Brookside. My knee's still OK though. So, all's good.
Home finally. I think I'm going to do some more "forced" kitty petting, while watching TV and relaxing. Wow! He's starting to behave like a "normal" kitty! He's moving a bit to put my hand in a better position! I'm amazed! Two days ago I was ready to give up and find him a farm, and here he is, becoming a house kitty!
I'm dreading going back to being gone for the really long days, traveling for the 6 hour round trips to Costa Mesa and back. I don't think I understood how much it bothered me. Now, all I want is to stop all this and stay home. I know it's not possible, but it's what I want.
It's late. I slept on and off, bits during the day. I'm hoping that will tide me over tomorrow. I can't sleep. I have to get up in a couple hours. Have to start my long day. My first long day back.
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