Varmints Reptiles and other Annoyances

Well spring has done sprung and all the cute wild life is running about. From my living room window I can see the coyotes running through my back yard in the morning. Mowing my lawn the other day, I spooked out the first yard snake of the season. On one of my favorite ride routes I hit a bull snake in a heavily shaded switch back. A lovely thing, about four feet long, that caused a good bump when I hit it. The next day on the same route but farther north I went around another one that was six inches to a foot longer than the first one I saw. I usually see snakes where I ride but they are only five or six inches long. The state park I like to ride in put up the first signs of the year that state “Rattle Snake Infested Area”, the bull snakes, like I mentioned, will take care of them though. This has been very interesting spring. I have also seen baby prairie dogs with their elders which I haven’t seen before. Usually the adults have ran along in front of my front wheel with their, you can’t catch me attitude, and dared me to try and hit them. This year I can tell I have greatly, my opinion, improved since those little pain in the butts run from my blazing, also my opinion, speed.

This may be a good subject heading to discuss and explain my feelings of the evil “Super Stars”. I honestly have envy for these characters even though, generally speaking, they live on the rude and inconsiderate side. These are the guys that are extremely good cyclist. They have all the matching team logos, on bikes probable over four grand and are always running to better their time amongst riders of a much lesser caliber and us clumsy recreational riders. Please don’t get me wrong and I don’t want to offend these critters but throw in a little courtesy and use some common sense. I am all for attempting to better your time and improve yourself that’s why we do this self initiated torture. It should be reasonable that when you come up behind someone that you have no idea of their skill level and go by them at twice their speed with out letting them know you are there is just plain stupid. I mean after all if you are that much faster, that should be a hint that I don’t have your abilities why do you want to scare me and cause me to crash. My only hope is I get to take you out with me. I don’t want you or I hurt, just food for thought for your next pass. I have two examples one, with the right spin, is my bad and one not. Today my son and I were moving along well our favorite, flat, recreational path to get some mileage and raise our average cadence for an hour or two. There is a section that is fairly narrow for a bike path, about six feet. There is a wall on the west side and trees and a fifteen foot drop into a river on the east, yes very pretty. As I am looking down to see I am at eighteen mph and my mind, what is left of it, was slightly taken in by the view I feel a breeze and get a wobble. I look up and see I was just passed by a “super star”. By the time I could, loudly say Dam, I could not even read what was on his black and silver team issue jersey and shorts. Within an eighth of a mile he was out of site and not to be seen again. If I was more elderly and less skilled that I am I could have been easily scared into the trees or the river. A simple “on your left” would have given me a heads up and a sign I needed to up the attention level a smidge. Two days ago I turned off a bike path on to a road that goes through the Cherry Creek Lake. Time trials are held quite frequently on this road and the “Super Stars” own it and I respect and envy that. The recreational riders pretty much stay to the adjoining cement trails and stay out of the way. The trails are smoother and you can get more mileage than on the road. Anyway back on track here. I pulled onto the road and saw two guys a ways off. The closest one I new would pass quickly and I was ready for him and he did. I am on the “Super Star” turf I will watch for them and pay close attention. I looked back and the other rider was a long way back and I was clear. About a quarter of a mile up the road I was going to turn left and get back on the smooth cement again. I looked back and had enough room that I could not tell what the rider was wearing or if it was male or female. There were no vehicles on the road and I could see well up to see I was clear and started moving over to the left. I was doing about fifteen mph and now in the middle of the on coming lane. I applied the brakes and started to make a sharp left on to the well known and clearly marked path and I get yelled at to watch out as the “Super Star” had came all the way over to the far left side of the road to pass me on the left without letting me know he was there. Now I will take the responsibility for that one even though he had a lane and a half to pass me on the right. This is not rocket science, unless I happen to be riding with my neighbor who is a rocket scientist, it is common courtesy that the higher qualified riders should give us less fortunate some slack. Saying “on your left’ when making a pass will not loose you time on a training ride.

It is that time of the year that the varmints, reptiles, and the “Super Stars” are out, be careful out there. Remember when we are the “Super Stars” we will be courteous “Super Stars”

Next Post, a Pot Puree

“G”