With our economy in the doldrums, there has been minimal maintenance on the local bicycle trails. The blackberry vines have been growing halfway across the path, and many of them are at eye level. It got so bad that I made up my mind to do something about it on my own.
So last Wednesday night I devised a means for carrying a machete on my bike. Then beginning on Thursday, when I saw a blackberry vine ahead, I pulled out the machete and whacked the vine on my way past. In some places I had to choose which of the multiple vines to cut, since there was only time for one swing before the vines were behind me. It took two days, with two passes in each direction, to clean up all the prickled usurpers.
This photo shows the cardboard scabbard I made, fastened to the bike with copper wire. The machete handle is located such that I could pull it out, and put it back, without dismounting from the bike. I only needed to stop pedaling while doing this. It's the same level of difficulty as fetching a water bottle.
It occurred to me that flailing at blackberry vines whilst riding a bike is similar to running with scissors, so this accessory will not be here for long.
7 comments:
You are truly a 21st Century Gladiator.
"Like running with scissors ... ?!!"
Well, I think a regular machete [which is what that piece of iron appears to be] would go a lot further through you than would a pair of scissors.
However, I must congratulate you on your spirit of innovation and civic duty.
Did you yell out "OLE!!" each time you swung?
I would have.
That might have gotten some poor, confused other bike rider to think he needed to call for some police protection against this "armed and presumed dangerous" knife wielding wild man!
The blackberry vines are winning! Monday morning there were more new vines crossing into the path. By Tuesday they were reaching into the right-of-way again.
This morning (Tuesday) I brought my garden pruners and some leather gloves. On the way home I'm going to stop and cut those things way back on the other side of the fence and throw the cut canes over it.
By the way, some of the berries are turning black already.
Some time Tuesday the City of Bellevue sent a crew out to cut all the blackberry vines, so by the time I arrived in the afternoon, they were mostly gone. The crew probably saved me about four hours of work, and did a better job than I would have done. I spent about 45 minutes anyway with my garden pruners and took out all the big vines that looked like they still wanted to come over the fence.
I ate enough of the nearly ripe berries to get my fill.
Eating fresh blackberries: Pay-back time!!
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