A week or so ago it was skunks. One jumped off the curb and ran into the road right in front of me by the hospital on Ridge at night after dark. I think it saw my headlight, because it stopped just in time and scampered back to the curb. Then, that same week, it was after dark and I was roaring up the front walk on the bike, headlight blazing, hitting the brakes, and there was a little skunk on the porch! He scurried down the steps, around the front of the building and into the bushes. I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't scare him enough to get sprayed! I have been smelling skunk outside a lot around my place lately, so I feel like I dodged a bullet!
The other day on a ride at least three squirrels ran in front of the bike during the course of the ride! Maybe four. Enough that I was wondering what was up. They were close calls. I think I saw a chipmunk running across the road the same evening as well.
There was a deer walking across the street right in town around dinnertime a few days ago.
And tonight, I started my ride at dusk, with lights, around 7. I wasn't able to get out any earlier. A FOX ran right across Sheridan Road in front of me at one point!!! Crazy!! I never see those.
I did have a very nice night ride. ("night" in thiis case referring to in the dark with lights) I have been really enjoying night rides lately on the nights that it has been fairly warm. I try to start when it's light out, but take lights so I can stay out longer. I see a fair amount of commuters out there. Tonight I saw, or rather heard, a group of four guys with headlights that must have been out for a training ride. I could hear them talking as they passed on the other side of the road, but all I could see was four headlights glowing in the dark.
Maybe all these animals can feel that the economy is collapsing and they are panicking like the rest of us? Or they just sense the panic in the air?
note: even now, sitting at the computer late in the evening, the smell of skunk just started wafting in the window.
