Relative Something

Driving to work during rush hour can be fraught with hassles like squirrelish decision makers in front of you, the little red number that darts across your lane, and any number of turkeys that impede your progress.

Well, it’s no easier on a bike, I tell ya. It was a beautiful, though chilly, morning yesterday when I set off on my inaugural bike commute to work this year. I’d hardly left the driveway when my first hazard appeared in the road. A squirrel darted out and then began the classic moves of indecision right in front of my path. Back, then forth, oops, no, back again –wait! Go! No, back! I flashed to the embarrassing story I would have to admit if I crashed by running over a squirrel that couldn’t decide whether to complete his crossing or not.

A little while later I enjoyed a close encounter with a bright red Cardinal that darted across the bike path, right in front of me. I always wonder if they already sense the rate of my approach and are calculating the room they have to get across, or whether they get surprised by the speed I am moving and find me to be much closer to them than they expect as they zoom across. A new image flashes across my mind of having to explain getting broadsided by a bird like a Cardinal.

Finally, I notice a bird that looks like the tallest pheasant I have ever seen. I already have a sense of what it is when I come around some trees to find a flock of turkeys congregating right in the middle of the paved trail. The bird appearing to be the dominant gobbler has his tail spread wide and all the others seem to be gathered around him. He lets out the classic turkey gobble, but none of them seem inclined to yield their position to my approach. I’ve heard stories of the potential aggressiveness of both geese and turkeys, so at this point, I’m more interested in maintaining my momentum than stopping to visit with them. A brief whistle from me helps to encourage enough movement from them to allow me to pass unharmed.

In the end, I survived all the hassles of commuting and arrived at work, on time, and pre-energized to face the tasks ahead of me. The work all seemed a bit less daunting with the knowledge that when quitting time arrived, I would be able to unwind with a pleasant glide home in the sunshine on my bicycle.

It never entered my mind that in the span of one day, the very trail I rode to work on in the morning would be posted as closed for repairs by the afternoon. The thing about it though, was that the barrier with the sign was not across the trail, but on the side. And from what was visible, the new asphalt had already been laid. I was utterly surprised, but maybe they did this all in the span of one day!? I went for it.

New pavement is so fun to ride. And this direction, the trail is mostly a downgrade. I was feeling pretty smug. Then the new stuff ended. No big deal, it was still rideable. When I came upon a woman walking her dog, I received a stern warning that it was all messed up ahead. Sure enough, they still had a lot of paving left to do, and their preparations included breaking up some of the old stuff.

No wildlife to speak of on the way home, but a fair challenge navigating the construction that just so happened to start on the first day I chose to ride my bike to work. Maybe they will finish it all today. I will be driving because I’m playing soccer in the morning. Hopefully, I packed the proper things for two days worth of work clothes last night.