I saw a sad sight not long after I started my ride this morning. Huddled on the cold, wet pavement was a mallard duck. He was scared and sort of flinched every time a car went by. Initially I thought that maybe he had broken a wing and couldn’t figure out how to get off the road, but as I got closer I could hear him making gentle “quacking” sounds and nudging another duck laying beside him. It must have been his mate and it looked like she may have been struck by a passing car.
Just below this section of road there is a wetland and water vault so she may have been crossing looking for food or something when she was hit. I tried scaring the remaining duck away (he was in danger or being run over himself), but he puffed up and made like he was going to attack. There was no way he was going to leave her. Poor ducks. I’m not sure it I hope he gives up or if his end comes quickly and he can not have to live without her.
On a completely different note (amazing how much can change in a ride), I hadn’t seen my Jeep with the fleur-de-lis for a bit, but I was seeing a mid 90s green corvette about the same time and figured that maybe they had traded off road for on road. This morning I saw not only the Jeep go past me, but also the ‘vette was right behind it. Maybe they work in the same place.
Stepping back a day – coming home last night I left in 48 degree sunshine and over the next 12 miles suffered through wind that brought me to a standstill, rain hard enough to drench me in seconds, hail, snow, thunder and lightning. It was sort of eventful. I understand that at this time of the year weather is a little hard to predict, but this morning on the promise of finally having dry roads and sunshine, I took the Ibis and forewent fenders (I didn’t want the additional hassle). The roads weren’t even close to dry, but it wasn’t raining so the positive is that my head and hands stayed dry. (Everything else is in the process of drying as I write this). It will be sunny this afternoon, or maybe I need to say “It had better by sunny this afternoon”.
Along the randomness of this entire post: I’m about 150 miles in so far this month, there aren’t a lot of days that I won’t be able to get some sort of ride in due to appointments or weather, I have enough light to get some miles done on the weekends and not interrupt Trisha’s school schedule too much so I am aiming to have 850 to 900 miles in this month. With any luck I am hoping for good weather the last weekend of month and have a chance to pound out a 150 mile ride…we will see.
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