We had a great bike ride today, for the most part, this time on Left Hand Creek, which is a tributary of the St. Vrain River. Halfway along, we discovered this nice Torii Gate and pagoda, along with a grove of cherry blossom trees which unfortunately were not in bloom. That was the good news… 
The bad news is that I was attacked shortly thereafter by a giant eel. This attack occurred while we were riding our bikes along the same trail that we have ridden twice, but the predator was concealed in the sand, sort of like a “snake in the grass”. I am recovering from my wounds in St. Agatha’s Hospital for the Marginally Sane and Terminally Strange. The Sisters of Perpetual Virginity are taking good care of me, and I should be released in a few days. Please send me your prayers that the injuries aren’t permanent.
Breaking News: I was released early from the asylum… er, hospital… for good behavior (or maybe I was discharged for bad behavior?), just in time for us to meet our good friends Rusty and Jerry Bianchi for dinner at the Mediterranean Restaurant in downtown Boulder. The meal was fantastic, a variety of tapas ranging from calamari to spanokopita, lamb kebab and skewered swordfish. But best of all was the delightful company of Rusty and Jerry, who filled us in on the Boulder area, which we have fallen in love with. As you may recall, Jerry is my fishing mentor, and Rusty will be attending Suzanne’s Making the Connection talk in Fort Collins on Thursday evening. Thank you both for a fabulous evening!
After dinner, we strolled with Rudy and Gretchen around Boulder. There are dozens of neat restaurants and bars here, and every parking place in downtown was taken. For a Tuesday evening, it was amazingly crowded. And there were lots of strange people there… young people, like college-age. (May have something to do with the University of Colorado being here, but I’m not sure.) There was also a busker (street musician) drumming on plastic paint pails; he was very good. I was about to offer him some hints from my days drumming with Mick Jagger, but My Lovely Bride grabbed my arm and said, “Sweetheart, I think the eel bite must be affecting your memory… we’d better go now.”My Sweetheart wanted to get a haircut, so she looked up a few salons in Longmont near our campground. She picked one, and as I dropped her off, she asked what I would be doing for the hour or so she needed for a trim. “Not to worry”, I replied, “I’ll just stop in at the Eastern European Fitness Center down the street and learn some new techniques.” She looked at me perplexed, and asked what I was talking about. I merely pointed to the self-explanatory sign above the door… Smack! It was a tough day….
