I don't ride the Olentangy bike trail much any more, which is weird--for my first 5 years commuting, it's the ONLY place I rode. I've gotten used to riding on the streets which enables me to go faster (there's a 15 mph suggested speed limit on the Olentangy trail) and to take a more direct route (the trail meanders back and forth across the river). I can get to work 10-15 minutes faster when I take to the streets.
But riding the Olentangy trail this week has reminded me of some of the things I miss about riding along the river.
First of all, there's the wildlife--the river is a highway and resting spot for lots of ducks and other migratory waterfowl. This morning I happened upon an OSU employee, Mark, who feeds the ducks and geese his leftover bread every week or so on his way to work at the OSU math dept.
I even spotted a little greb, dark gray with a white bill, in the river. Mark said he hasn't seen many grebs on the Olentangy and they're more reluctant to come up on the river bank than the mallards.
As I approached downtown, I happened upon a fellow who salvages cans, wire and other metal to take to the salvage yard. He recently lost his job at Goodyear in Chillicothe and makes a living this way. He hauls his stuff on a bike trailer. He was readjusting his load as I biked by and snapped his photo.
Finally, I saw these purple asters near the federal courthouse where the bike trail ends.
Now that I've learned to use my camera phone, I hope you're enjoying the photos!
Very nice!
Posted by: Jeff Baggs | November 17, 2010 at 09:21 AM