Some people think of Labor Day as the last vacation weekend of the summer. But in our family, it seems like there's always a job that needs to be done around that time. This month I had ANOTHER flat tire due to a construction nail. The nail was so big that the hole couldn't be fixed, so I ended up getting 4 new tires. It was probably time, since the old tires were 5 years old.
Then the gear cable on my bike broke. It's supposed to be an easy fix, so I decided to do it myself. It took me most of the day going back and forth watching YouTube videos before doing the next step, but I got it replaced. I don't think I'll ever be a mechanic, but I decided that September's Something Old, Something New will be to learn how to repair and maintain my bikes, both regular and lectic.
I've been taking my eBike out for long rides every weekend to the Aurora Reservoir - about a 21-mile round trip ride from our house. There's a 7-mile trail that goes around the lake with this warning sign. Since the trail is paved, I don't usually worry about snakes, but this past Saturday as I was riding down the trail, some people flagged me down saying there was a rattlesnake lying across the trail just a few yards ahead. Of course, there's always some yokel who wants to take a selfie with the snake, so while he had the snake occupied, I rode on past with my feet in the air. That's the nice thing about riding a bike with a throttle.
There are several benches along the trail that would have made good sketch spots, but I figured they were too close to the vegetation. I didn't want to risk a snake slithering up and biting my ankle while I was painting. So instead, I found a picnic shelter along the beach with a nice wide concrete patio. We've had some unseasonably warm weather, so there were a ton of people out boating, paddleboarding, and kayaking. I was tempted to go back home and get my own kayak, but after biking 21 miles on those up-and-down hills, I was pretty pooped.
Our bike club rode the Cherry Creek trail downtown this week. There's a cafe with a really nice patio just off the trail. Our rides usually involve a coffee stop, but I think since this was a longer ride, most people ordered breakfast.
I went back another day and rode the Cherry Creek trail to a different neighborhood. I didn't realize that the Governor's Mansion was just off the trail. I tend to wonder if he really does live in this house. While it looks impressive, the neighborhood is kind of Bohemian - not one of the more upscale parts of town. Most of the other mansions in this neighborhood have been converted into apartments.
There are several historic spots along the trail that mark old stagecoach stops. This spot is called 4-Mile Park, meaning it's 4 miles from the center of Denver. It used to have old log cabins and teepees, but I guess that doesn't really appeal to kids anymore, because they've transformed the park with giant neon dragons and snakes that light up at night. Wonder what the old homesteaders would think about this replacement to their history.
On another day, I decided to head back to the Platte River trail. There are some really quirky sites along it as you get closer to downtown. This is a junkyard that's mostly filled with old cars, but it also had a wingless airplane sitting on top of a boxcar.
One of the SpaceX booster rockets lies alongside a section of the trail. It sits outside the DISH Network Corporate Offices. Supposedly only 3 of these rockets were donated by Elon Musk - one to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, one to the Space Center in Houston, and the third to the DISH folks in Denver. Kind of puzzling that it didn't at least go to the Science Center, but Elon Musk is known for being a little unorthodox.
Since Charlie hit his one-year anniversary with us, he had to go to the vet for his booster shots. I felt sorry for him, so I got him a new squeaker toy. As you can tell, he absolutely loves chewing on Franken-Dog.
