Friday, September 16, 2011

Bike Commute 2011 - Day 61


IN –
Near the new animal hospital, just west of the river, there is a big field.  This morning it was full of cars with a big advertising balloon that looks like a balloon, and one that looks like a big fox with a tee-shirt that says, “Car Fox.”  I’ll try to take a picture sometime.
Of course it was cold again and my nose was running again.
HOME –
This was a much more interesting ride, even if I wasn’t planning on paying attention.
I left work early because my youngest had an early release from school.  I left at noon and it took me 48 minutes to get home because I took the Des Plaines River Trail as I reward myself every Friday.
The trail was very nice as usual.
On Atkinson I saw a family of geese crossing the street.  They all looked like adults so I guess the young were born earlier this year (or hatched I guess).  There was a big group of geese they were joining on the other side of the road so I guess we know why they crossed.
I saw a lot of other bike riders today (but not that group I’ve been seeing because it was too early).  I was surprised because it threatened rain the whole afternoon.
Along the trail I passed another rider and then looked back at the trail, right in front of me I saw a chipmunk turning and diving into her hole.
Later I passed a black and white cat about where I saw the black cat the other day.  This one was on her way into the underbrush as I approached.
Just after that I came up on an older gentleman with a serious looking bike and dressed as if he were a common biker.  He was putting away a map when I first saw him.
I pulled up behind him and slowed down to a crawl, “Are you okay?” I asked.
He said that he was and that he was just deciding his route because he said it looked like rain was coming.  I said that it did indeed look like rain.
By this point I had drifted passed him and since I really didn’t have time to chat about the weather (I was supposed to be going home to finish my work day) I didn’t stop and make any feeble attempts at small talk (afterwards I realized I should have asked him how far he was going and if he rode often because he sounded like he had a Wisconsin accent and looked serious enough to have just ridden down from there).
He said, “Thanks for stopping,” in a friendly tone, but I felt guilty.  I hadn’t actually stopped, I had only slowed down.  Had he said thanks for asking I would have felt better.  I’m glad I actually asked this time though.  Baby steps.
While I was working on my notes for this a young man with a large back pack rode past my house on a bike.
I was going to stop at Culvers on the way home and treat myself to a hamburger, but I figured I had to get back to work.
I noticed that I never pedal backwards anymore.

No comments: