Biker 7: Prisoner.

Friday afternoon I was excited, the weather was great, I had all night I was equipped for anything, my excitement cooled quickly, heard that the lake path reopened .
Shot down transcontinental to the lake where Al's house is no longer, through his parking lot and up the levee, must be 50 ft high , nice neighborhood, once atop the levee I'm astonished that laying before me was the longest wire fence since the "Great Escape", as far as eyes could see east to west, it stood 6 feet with a barbed wire cap and with gall "no trespassing" signs.
The path was new, the original path "Old Hammond Highway" still lay near the waters edge 30 feet from this obstructing, ugly, insulting, barricade. I rode down to inspect further, I touched it, I stared at it, I felt like Patrick McGoonan in the Prisoner, I searched for a giant ball from Number 1 but none appeared. Wondering if it's purpose was to keep me in or out, I rode to each end looking for that escape passage to "Sanctuary" (Logan's Run), none exist, I was trapped, relegated to dry land forever, why , why ,why, won't keep out the 300 pound cement blocks of dunnage laid for a shoreline,won't keep out a 40ft tree trunk hurled by a 8 foot wave from a afternoon thunderstorm, why , why, why, but why won't be answered, its a bigger fish than is in the lake. As a last resort I grabbed the fence links with knurled fingers, pressed my cheek against the demon, and with a torn dirty wet undershirt shed a tear and screamed "STEEELLLLLAA" as loud as I could, she appeared in apparition in the same penoit she wore every day and gave me a look of "maybe I'll forgive you, maybe not" I didn't do anything, but Blanche was behind her shaking her finger . It was time to leave the fence. (Tennessee Williams hung in the quarter not the lake) . Scooted to the River, no fences, got some night time videos riding on the levee, the busy river never sleeps, I approached the parish line, a train appeared on the Press street tracks. It's moving to the park , I just noticed it, If I didn't beat this train to Audubon Park I'd have to wait a long time for it's passage. I kicked it into over drive, shot a video of me behind the engine from the levee, I was hoping for a movie crossing where I jump the track right before it crosses the street . I furiously pedaled caught up to, passed and had to wait at the crossing for the train to get there, disappointing. I stood on the track and waited for slow poke to finally make that climatic moment. Some of the videos look black to start but their actually just nighttime with some light coming in . Audubon park is dark at night. The River is high and spring has just sprung, The Beluga carcasses are below the waterline presenting a navigation hazard. The quarter was hopping, walked around , took mental pictures, mostly of Mr. and Mrs Newton from Spring Creek , Iowa on vacation , don't understand what they expect to experience here, is it the history, the architecture, the food,
or is it the fools spray painted silver begging for money , or the high school student that took home his trumpet and plays his practice lesson on Royal street begging for money, or is it the dirty, trampy, vagabond playing a beat up guitar less than mediocre begging for money.
No, it musts be they're here to have their fortune told by a flip flop wearing, food in his mustache, haven't had a bath in a week, charlatan with a little round table nicely dressed with a exotic looking cloth, magic rocks, a 10 cent crystal and a miniature statue of Marie Laveau.
Saturday I was bushed but rushed down to the quarter to get a piece of the worlds longest oyster po boy , I was late ,all I got was a book of matches. Tomorrow is the stella screaming contest, I swore I'd compete this year, been practicing all year, instead I walked 6 miles in Lafanierre Park to get ready for the Crescent City Classic. Princess daughter and I are walking it, there's about 30,000 people, we'll make fun of 29,998 of them . Great weekend, 35 miles Friday night, 45 miles Saturday, and walked 6 Sunday. Soon we'll be making bigger loops, Destrehan to Audubon and to the lake out to Seabrook then back home about 65 miles.
Play all the videos , click on the pictures to enlarge, Hubigs Pies is in Marigny, the Little Park with the WWI Doughboy is a block from where I grew up , we don't know yet if its in the footprint of the new Hospitals, most of the VA Hospital area is cleared. Mc Donough 11 is still a unkn.
Take a chance , get your blood flowing.
gary