Our First Trip Out

3/28/2012


We've recently taken up bike riding. We've ridden the neighborhoods around our house several times over... constantly looking for new scenery.

One day on one of our rides we were talking about the building campaign at our church (First Alliance Church). We were wondering how we could come up with some extra money to pledge toward the building fund when it hit us-- there was free money staring us in the face everywhere on our bike rides.

So on our next ride we took along a plastic grocery bag and started collecting cans. Honestly, I thought if we filled the bag half full it would be a miracle for our first trip. I'll be the first to admit there is a lot of litter around the streets of North Port, but I figured by the time you crush the can flat it would take quite a few to fill a grocery bag. Well just a short time later, and a long way from home, we had filled the only bag we brought with us!

So miles from home, in prime "can-country", we had to turn back because of our lack of preparation or any feasible means to carry our loot back with us. That's when we decided the next person we saw outside their house we'd ask them for another bag! About a third of the way back home we found our target-- an elderly women in her garage working on laundry. I made my announcement down at the end of her driveway, trying my best not to startle her. After explaining our mission she gladly produced a couple more bags and we were back on our way.

End of day 1:

2 1/2 bags and 12 miles