Blendered brawling birds

Yesterday I got up and got myself out on the bike for my weekly long training ride. My goal was 39 miles, but I ended up doing 38.1. Close enough. I kept thinking that that if I buy my road bike this week, that would have been the last long ride I'll chug out on my mountain bike! And no, I never changed out the wide, nubby tires for narrower ones! It's slow going, but it's probably great for training because it's hard work!

Anyway, the ride was pretty uneventful except for one section in which two heart-rate-elevating things occured. First, I was riding the Kent Trails up near Millenium Park where the bridge crosses the Grand River. The river is still high from the spring thaws and it was stinky! Not the cleanest river. Anyway, at the other side of the bridge, I noticed that the Parks people are building something new on the trail! There's a pretty new wood bridge going off in a new direction. I hope they are going to pave more trail! It might just be for maintenance vehicles, but I'm still going to hope.



The other event happened on my return trip to the bridge after riding up to John Ball Zoo. I was pedalling along when a half dozen or so birds came fluttering out of the brush on the left and slowly hovered across the path. Two of the birds were either fighting or mating (I'm guessing fighting), clamped together and flapping wildly, flying as one. I watched in slow motion as their trajectory crossed right in front of my bike. They actually hit the front tube and fluttered around there for a few seconds. I was sure I was going to have minced bird guts and feathers all over me! Images flashed in my head of squirrels clamped between spokes and forks as I've seen on the internet. But somehow the little brawlers avoided passing through my wheel and plopped down on the right side of the trail unharmed. Ahhhhhhk! That was close!

People were also asking me directions left and right yesterday. I'm glad I've ridden these trails a lot! I actually felt helpful. Yah!