Earlier this week I was roped into volunteering for another casino. You know the ones where your favourite charity gets $70,000 plus for working for 2 days and nights. It is sad to think that your charity is making money off people losing their money, some whom are probably losing their job, house, family etc.

On the other hand your favourite charity doesn’t have to lay off staff or cut programs. Charities have been stick handled into a catch 22. I wish the government would just fund your favourite charity, but the parties I vote for never come close to winning – and when they do things remain the same anyway.

The food at the casino was good (I mean free) too, even though the casino makes a bundle on the overpriced snacks, drinks and buffet. Making the night shift fun was chit chatting with others who volunteer too. It is a reminder that there are a lot of nice people out there.

The best part of the casino though was riding home on my bike at 3 am. First off I was impressed that the Elbow River Casino even had a bike rack. It was also nice that my bike was still there, all in one piece, at the end of the shift too.

At this hour the streets of downtown are pretty empty and it was cold outside. It felt invigorating though. I suddenly felt alive after being locked behind a cage in a dehumanizing windowless soul sucking money pit for the last 9 hours.

I hung a right and then a quick left on Macleod Trail. It was fun riding your bike on a major road and not feeling like you are going to be run off the road or worse yet become road kill with those cute looking squirrels. It was liberating. I felt free as a bird and even though it was late I had a sudden burst of energy and rode like the wind.

A slight downer was passing the c-train station by city hall. Several men were just sitting on benches. One was talking to himself – a reminder that our society has failed those with mental illnesses. Others were on the c-train platform steps waiting, you hope for the first train in a couple of hours, but probably for a drug deal. I was pretty happy the light was green so I didn’t have to stop at that stop.

I was then off to the Bow River bike path heading west. There were no lights, it was pitch black, and I forgot my bike light. You could only see a few feet ahead. I was hoping that I wouldn’t run over anyone and thankfully didn’t.

My journey home suddenly became magical when I arrived at Prince’s Island Park. It was lit up. There were lamp lights everywhere with pots of overhanging flowers everywhere surrounded by dark handsome trees in the background. The path snaked its way through the park and my bike enjoyed every second of it. It was beautiful, if only the lamp lights were solar or wind powered it would have been perfect (in 2012 they are scheduled to be powered by wind).

Something else was fantastic, it was quiet. There was not a person in sight. As I rode over the pedestrian cable bridge there was not a single automobile on Memorial Drive. The roadway was also well lit. Colourful flags draped the lamp posts, which shone a purple light. Bright red and yellow flowers lined the bottom of the lamp posts. My mind took a picture of the sight and recorded the calmness. All you could hear was the quiet flow of the Bow River.

I rode on Memorial Drive for less than a minute. My heart was thumping in anticipation of the Bow River Flow on August 23. Only wearing shorts and a t-shirt, my body began to become comfortably warm.

Wanting to enter the comforts of Sunnyside, I hung a right. Out of the spotlights of Memorial Drive, I entered darkness with occasional moments of light. Biking past the two twin tower fir trees on 5A Street warmed my heart. I was proud that these trees were still standing, guarding the community from the concrete creep from downtown. Definitely not a forest, these two trees though are a reminder of the beauty of nature.

Near the end of my journey was a ride past the pesticide free New Edinborough Park. One lonely light was shining on the grass made green from all the rain of late. I wanted to ride forever, but I decided to call it a night.

In bed my heart was still racing. Thoughts of our city building wide, safe, and beautiful bike paths throughout our city raced through my head. Imagine second avenue in Sunnyside reserved just for bikes and those travelling by foot. Then imagine Kensington Road also being the same, connecting through the heart of the community.....dreaming.