When I was a young girl my main mode of transportation was my bicycle as it was for most of my friends as well. When I would visit my friend Mickey I would have to return home by crossing the railraod tracks on N. Maple street. Once the tracks were crossed there was a sidewalk on the left side of the road and beside the sidewalk was a wire fence with a very husky fence post in the corner. One time when I was returning home I flew over the tracks and aimed to ride on the sidewalk but missed and hit the fencepost about as square as possible. The frame of my blue and white bike was hopelessly bent and forevermore unridable. I was heartbroken and in tears I left the bike and walked the 3 blocks home. So what does a thistle have to do with a biking accident? Today I went for a walk by the scene of this long ago disaster and the fence post that I hit is no longer there. The post has been replaced. There is however the stump and the cement the original post was set in still remain as a silent memorial to my blue and white bike that is no more. This thistle was blooming about one foot away.