bikes 'n' books

 Another short jaunt, and again over such untraveled roads that some sidewalks are so overgrown with weeds leaning over from side beds that I can hardly make out a path to bike on! But finally discovering some real rural unbusy roads, biking like the 'good ol' days, with only the occasional car to bother me... And there she is -- think it must also be a remodeled or even new location since last I ever visited... But here at least another old veteran from the Burien days, Jean, DID remember me and we reminisced a bit on those ancient nights of library craziness... And all too soon after I found myself pedaling past the a White Center dance hall that Wendy had convinced Bernice and I to hoof a few steps at not so long ago...!

 Again following new paths winding o'er the backside of Burien and suddenly popping out and here is Boulevard Park!: Friendly folks inside happy to write messages for me to pass on to fellow staff later on, at Vashon! Kind of a psychedelic mural inside too:

 So, finally they've reopened and I can revisit the very first KCLS branch I started working at a long 26 years ago...! But first to bike to Northgate and light rail to Tukwila -- foregoing returning to that  branch on another nice sunny day....again discovering 'hidden' roads like biking around the airport all alone except for the steady stream of cars....arrive again even before their 1pm opening... but somehow so distraught that Barb (who i worked with long ago here) didn't even remember me, didn't even remember my ESCAPE! program bringing in rock bands and tattoo artists and fire eaters and fortune tellers to attract teens to the library until midnight every Friday -- geez, I remembered her! -- that I failed to even take any photos....so here's a generic one: Humbug! and naturally there was the same plebeian range of folks both inside and out milling about....

 But no time to waste: back on the one same road, pedal pedal pedal, flat at least and before one knows it, here, in the very southeastest part of the county is Enumclaw!: Big bulls as guarding sentinels outside the branch, and actually a number of these big bold historic monuments to the past though the town is all swanky and a bit too cutesy like everywhere....(!) But Philis is inside as well as noble children's area murals & I'm already done for the day except to find my bus back -- a bus that follows exactly the route i just pedaled from Auburn...& thankfully the rain only begins just as I climb aboard this bus..... but 41 down, 9 libraries to go (& rumor has it that Burien will finally be reopening soon!)

 Well, it's been awhile: hello! Wondering how good an idea it was to resume my bike riding adventures so soon after contracting the dreaded C(ovid),  especially as I begin pedaling up my first hill wheezing and weary I wonder how much I am actually over that dreaded disease now....and then figuring out that my route from Auburn was to be the same whether on bike or car or anything: there's only one -- too busy -- road out here!  Lucky I had a bit of a shoulder most of the time at least....& quickly entering the good ol' Muckleshoot reservation, nice to see the so quickly abandoned fireworks shacks at least came up with some clever advertising...!: Road flattened out and there were some occasional breaks between whooshing pickups and giant semis.... and then here comes Muckleshoot! Another new branch! & believe I was the only patron inside this day...but nice to reconnect with Brandi at the front desk, and some swell artworks on the walls too       ...

 Yes, now actually enter into a really lovely wide unpopulated lane surrounded by trees and even Wilderness Lake, er. I mean Lake Wilderness... Heck, there's even an arboretum out here! But coming off of this and pedaling down the final forgotten road to Black Diamond, it finally had to happen, right?!: my back tire suddenly went flat as can be, dang. The good news is that I am only 3/10th of a mile from Black Diamond The bad news is that this must be one of the only libraries without a bus stop nearby, shucks... Staff are even more discouraging but I get on a computer and DO discover bus service not so far away... snap a photo inside  & am off -- unfortunately I immediately head off in the wrong direction and walk a mile or 2 before realizing it, turn around and, yes, of course: the big roads and buses are where I had originally come from, right?! So, my only injury so far on this far flung journey is a blistered toe from all the walking, not biking... Thankfully, the inf...

 After a bit more mad urban driving, finally -- with portions of Wax Road -- find a quieter serene one lane country avenue to bike along, ahhh -- and Maple Valley itself keeps to this bucolic theme surrounded by a big Evergreen forest, yes! But still not finding any staff I know or remember -- ah, meetings and absences! -- and the inside of this branch has nearly nothing to recommend it... That's ok, we're entering the quieter areas of the county finally...!