Ciao a tutti! Hi, everybody! It's that time again, so let's just jump right in, eh?
Thirteen Things I've Seen While Riding My Bike
In February, I became the proud owner of a brand-spankin' new bike, and I've been tooling about on the mixed-use paths here in Reggio a few times a week ever since. So far, I've put about 382km on the bike, and I hope to put even more on it before I leave for the US for the summer.
Isn't she a beauty? I'm smitten!
Along with the new bike came the usual necessary goodies, including a helmet, gloves, cycling shoes and socks. Naturally, I'm loving all of this.
My mother saw this pic and dubbed me "Spartacutie". My mom totally "gets" me. Heh.
Anyway, let's get on with the list, shall we? Here we go!
1) Kitties! I see cats nearly every time I ride, since the paths I choose run alongside fields near people's homes. Of course, the kitties are out prowling around on their own.
2) Dogs/Puppies! There are loads of people out walking their dogs where I ride. Most of these folks are respectful and attentive with their pets, keeping them well under control so neither the dogs nor I manage to get in a tangle. There are a few owners, however, who don't seem to understand that someone's going to end up hurt, one of these days. ...sigh...
3) Pheasants! Where I live, pheasants are remarkably abundant - and they do seem to enjoy calling attention to themselves at awkward moments.
4) An enormous hare. I was treated to the sight of a hare (or was it a rodent of unusual size?) "racing" me on a ride last week.
5) Roadies. "Roadies" are what most folks might think of as stereotypical cyclists - non-professionals decked out head-to-toe in brightly colored kit on racing bikes. Once in a while, these riders (who are retirees, for the most part, since I ride in the morning) deviate from the road to shortcut through the paths to their destination.
6) An exhibitionist jogger in his late forties. I've seen this guy a couple of times, and the warmer the weather gets, the fewer clothes he bothers with. At this rate, it's getting pretty scary, as the last time I saw him he was down to a pair of super-skimpy jogging shorts and his shoes. That's it. Sure he's fairly easy on the eyes, but... Please, just stop.
2) Dogs/Puppies! There are loads of people out walking their dogs where I ride. Most of these folks are respectful and attentive with their pets, keeping them well under control so neither the dogs nor I manage to get in a tangle. There are a few owners, however, who don't seem to understand that someone's going to end up hurt, one of these days. ...sigh...
3) Pheasants! Where I live, pheasants are remarkably abundant - and they do seem to enjoy calling attention to themselves at awkward moments.
4) An enormous hare. I was treated to the sight of a hare (or was it a rodent of unusual size?) "racing" me on a ride last week.
5) Roadies. "Roadies" are what most folks might think of as stereotypical cyclists - non-professionals decked out head-to-toe in brightly colored kit on racing bikes. Once in a while, these riders (who are retirees, for the most part, since I ride in the morning) deviate from the road to shortcut through the paths to their destination.
6) An exhibitionist jogger in his late forties. I've seen this guy a couple of times, and the warmer the weather gets, the fewer clothes he bothers with. At this rate, it's getting pretty scary, as the last time I saw him he was down to a pair of super-skimpy jogging shorts and his shoes. That's it. Sure he's fairly easy on the eyes, but... Please, just stop.
7) New places. While just about everywhere I've gone had to be a new place to me at some point, certain places stand out for me. The photo above, for example, was taken the first time I reached the end of this portion of the path. I was only a couple of miles from home, but I'd never gone there on my own before. The more confident I become, the farther I want to go.
8) A kestrel flew past me on one memorable ride about two weeks ago. I wished desperately I had my camera with me, but it was gone before I could stop, anyway.
9) Nice people. I've made a friend of sorts as a result of my riding on the same paths with some regularity. An older gentleman named Rino stopped me one morning to ask me if I knew where the path led to, or knew any other paths to take. Let's just say my attempts to answer gave my Italian (and a tiny bit of his English) a workout. Rino's the first person I see regularly who now stops to talk to me. In the same vein as Rino is a charming older couple who always say "Ciao" or "Buongiorno" as I pass them by. I see them nearly every time I go out, and our exchanges are very brief since I'm on the bike and they're power walking, but the smiles are genuine and welcoming every time we meet.
10) The conductor. I think of one person in particular this way - a young guy riding on the path towards the city center who gave me a nod as he passed, and then proceeded to ride hands-free up and over the bridge while gesturing as though he were conducting a symphony or attempting to fly.
11) Miniature horse! On one part of the path is a most squee-worthy miniature horse. I must get a photo of it one day soon.
Alas, not everything I see is wonderful...
12) Poo! Despite the availability of bags for doggy-doo, some people are still inclined to ignore their pet's, um, "leavings". As a result, some rides do result in a bit of sticky dodge 'em. So far, so good. *crosses fingers*
13) Poopers! This was the biggest surprise - and one of the most bizarre, so far: On one reasonably remote part of the path, I was "treated" to the sight of an elderly couple relieving themselves on opposite sides of the path itself. She behind a shrubbery, he in the field. In full view.
WTF????
Erm... Right. What has been seen cannot be unseen they say. To my sorrow, this seems to be true.
And so, there you go - a (regrettably photo-free) listing of the wonders of the world spotted from the saddle of my bike.
I'm sorry I might have left you with such an unpleasant vision with that last one.
Truly, I am sorry.
Here, let me attempt to provide some sort of mind-bleach for you:
8) A kestrel flew past me on one memorable ride about two weeks ago. I wished desperately I had my camera with me, but it was gone before I could stop, anyway.
9) Nice people. I've made a friend of sorts as a result of my riding on the same paths with some regularity. An older gentleman named Rino stopped me one morning to ask me if I knew where the path led to, or knew any other paths to take. Let's just say my attempts to answer gave my Italian (and a tiny bit of his English) a workout. Rino's the first person I see regularly who now stops to talk to me. In the same vein as Rino is a charming older couple who always say "Ciao" or "Buongiorno" as I pass them by. I see them nearly every time I go out, and our exchanges are very brief since I'm on the bike and they're power walking, but the smiles are genuine and welcoming every time we meet.
10) The conductor. I think of one person in particular this way - a young guy riding on the path towards the city center who gave me a nod as he passed, and then proceeded to ride hands-free up and over the bridge while gesturing as though he were conducting a symphony or attempting to fly.
11) Miniature horse! On one part of the path is a most squee-worthy miniature horse. I must get a photo of it one day soon.
Alas, not everything I see is wonderful...
12) Poo! Despite the availability of bags for doggy-doo, some people are still inclined to ignore their pet's, um, "leavings". As a result, some rides do result in a bit of sticky dodge 'em. So far, so good. *crosses fingers*
13) Poopers! This was the biggest surprise - and one of the most bizarre, so far: On one reasonably remote part of the path, I was "treated" to the sight of an elderly couple relieving themselves on opposite sides of the path itself. She behind a shrubbery, he in the field. In full view.
WTF????
Erm... Right. What has been seen cannot be unseen they say. To my sorrow, this seems to be true.
And so, there you go - a (regrettably photo-free) listing of the wonders of the world spotted from the saddle of my bike.
I'm sorry I might have left you with such an unpleasant vision with that last one.
Truly, I am sorry.
Here, let me attempt to provide some sort of mind-bleach for you:
There - did that help?
Ciao for now!
Ciao for now!
RSS Feed
