Bicycle Journal with Walking Diary

Yesterday I biked to the library in the golden, sweet morning. I'm getting braver on the road, so I toughed it out through the deeper dirt and rocks on the roadside. Thought about wearing shorts, but a tumble would be more abrading, so jeans rolled up sufficed. As I was putting my bicycle away, I said hello to the woman we see walking, wool hat on in any weather, and "Hello Kitty" pink purse swinging. Her name is Julie and she was hosting a card night at her house and went to the store for spoons. Today I walked, checked on my feathered friends in the swamp, and no friends, no swamp. It's dry. Walking on the path ahead of me were four boys, cutting school? At a distance I can tell boys from girls. Boys have the hunched-over, leg flung to the side walk, like a lazy tango step. Girls walk upright and their legs move straight forward. In the distance I could see headlights. A truck on the bike path? It was a South Lyon Public Works truck, picking up garbage in the cans on the path. Stopped at the grocery store for a bagel and there were none. I asked the bakery woman if there were any hiding in the back, and she baked me one fresh. First time I've had a hot bagel, and I ate it walking home. We'll get rain today, and the last of the cottonwood leaves will be down, joining their summer companions once more, and soon together will be transformed to mulch for the next generation under the snow.