Sunday, May 04, 2008

Could Have Been a Great Story

The neighbor and I decided on taking an extended ride this AM. We hadn't really decided where to go until we started rolling, and we made a couple of executive decisions during the ride. With almost no wind, it didn't really matter which way we went. With starting temps a little below 40, I was glad for the calm.

We ended up heading down to West Point. After a quick chat with the greyhound owner on 700W, we headed south. I remembered the route I took last July, but today I took us down 200S rather than 300S. We met a couple of neat dogs, including a very persistent dachshund, and what may have been a standard poodle/black lab mix. The 'poodlador' (didn't really look like a labradoodle) was barking at first, but he came up to me when I stopped. About a half mile down the road, we were at the intersection of dead end and gravel road, so we turned back. At the correct road, we turned west again and made our way to West Point.

It's fun being on a bike rather than in a car, since we can see much more. The next couple of dogs we saw looked familiar, and I figured out that I was near a former co-worker's place. We stopped to make fun of someone's bumper stickers, and made a quick stop at Keller's Country Crossing. They serve breakfast six days a week, so we may go back on a Saturday some day.

Coming back home, I noticed that I was getting a sore spot under my right glove. I raised my hand to check underneath when the neighbor yelled "WHOA"! I looked up and saw a large buck about 40 feet ahead. With my rear brake hand away from the lever, I had to move quickly to stop in time. He jumped across the road and continued running to the other side of a large field as his (at least) two friends still in the trees decided not to cross and instead bolt back into the woods. That would have been quite a story to tell if I had hit a deer while on a bike.

Our hearts were beating heavy for the next mile or so. By the time we returned home, the temp had risen to the mid-50s. Not a bad day for a ride.

Miles Ridden: 25.2

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