A Hidden Blessing

Yesterday I had a plan. I was going to hike my third high level difficulty mountain in three days just because it was nice. I thought it would be so cool. Unfortunately it was not meant to be. I got off of work early, and as I left my bike tire started to rub on something. Ends up something on the wheel assembly (my bike isn't really a high quality job) was not holding up to all my riding, and the wheel had starting rubbing up against the actually frame of the bike! Rubbing so hard, in fact, that the wheel was bent and warped like it had been run over. So long story short, I ended up getting a new frame for my wheel just so that I wouldn't return it in crumbled shape to the lady I borrowed it from. Well today I took it on a test run and guess what? I couldn't get it to stay tight and it started rubbing again. I had to walk my bike home and didn't get to go hiking again. So today was looking to be chalked up as a bad one.

On a side note, I met a cheerful lady at the community picnic sunday, who I had told about the canned/pickled salmon I had been given by someone on a hike last week. She had become incredibly excited and told me she would exchange me two cans of salmonberry jam for my two jars of pickled salmon. I had tried the salmon last night and realized it was not for me. So after my bike fiasco today, I sat with an unridable bike in my driveway and lots of things I still wanted to do the rest of the week. Then I realized I had forgotten my canned salmon. So I called up Eleanor and told her she could have it. She drove over and gave me a can of blackberry current and a can of blackberry/salmonberry jam. Then I asked her if she knew anyone who would let me borrow a bike for a week. She called two friends and within 20 minutes I was riding a replacement bike home from a really nice guy with an Australian accent. When I picked it up, he gave Eleanor rhubarb and a bottle of wine and she gave him the rest of her jam. Such is the barter system I've decided is used for everything in Kodiak. Hence my trip has been salvaged, and I've met some more friends who among the most generous people I know. The day has in fact not been wasted, and can hardly be considered a waste.