I woke up with a powerful sense of mission. I feel like I'm going on an expedition. This may have to do with all the sort of wilderness adventure books I've been reading (Tracks, Paris to the Pyranees, and Desert Solitaire). And that, as an analogy, is apt, except instead of crossing a large, Australian desert with a few camels I am visiting 3 Minneapolis Libraries with Dave. Instead of 2 weeks to travel down the Colorado River through Glen Canyon we have 4 hours, including lunch. And instead of financing by National Geographic we are underwritten by the library we work for. On the one hand, as proletarian clerks utterly starved for perks and largesse this underwriting seems positively lush. On the other hand the whole thing seems paltry, and 3 libraries far too small a selection for our very thorough ambitions.
Appropriately for an expedition we will travel by jeep. I have never been in a jeep, and this will be especially useful if any of these libraries are located off road, in trackless burnt out industrial areas, or deep in the lost wild sections that still hang on, unexplored, along the Mississippi River banks. "Watch out, Dave!" I will cry. "You almost drove into that School of Wolves!"
"Better that School of Wolves" Dave will wryly reply, gesturing to his left "Than that Flock of Mooses."
"Gosh!" I'll enthuse, marveling at the Flock of Mooses in their comely forest glen. Then I'll add "Hey, Dave, what's that under all those strange vines and deep mosses? Is that stone or is it..."
"That, my friend" Dave will exclaim, pulling the car to a halt "Is indeed the Wild River branch of the Hennepin County Library System."
"The one that's seen only 3 visitors in 11 years?"
"So they say. No internet access in that building."
"So they'll know nothing of my blog in there?"
"You write a blog?" Dave will ask.
"Let's head inside."
The first library we plan to visit is actually quite near the river, Pierre Bottineau. Look for the first review soon.
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