Fifty Plus (50+) - Things you see on a ride

This evening was clear and cool. After it got dark, a crescent moon appeared, with a very bright Venus and Jupiter within just a few degrees of each other. It was a beautiful sight on a beautiful night.

Then I almost ran over an armadillo. I've hit those things with my car, and it's like hitting a rock. It would be very unpleasant to hit one on a bike.

When we were visiting my Son at Fort Hood it was the first time we ever saw a armadillo. The first three we saw were dead but they did look a bit like a rock. The forth one was alive and it looked like a moving rock.

Armadillos are very slow. All the other potential roadkill around here moves fast enough to not be much of a hazard to a bike, but armadillos could be deadly, especially in the dark.

This evening was clear and cool. After it got dark, a crescent moon appeared, with a very bright Venus and Jupiter within just a few degrees of each other. It was a beautiful sight on a beautiful night.


They're calling that the cosmic frown. I wish I could have seen it, but we're in the middle of another snow storm. Oh well, I can see it again ... in 17,000 years. ;)

I guess snow is one of the nicest sights I see on my bike. It's especially beautiful when it's real fresh, and coating all the tree branches. There is nothing quieter and more peaceful.


http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ocKpEqT2yXRkQM:http://lh4.ggpht.com/_pOUkgvl6foU/R0fi7UNHQcI/AAAAAAAACUI/rxOjzJK9K9o/snowy_trees1969.jpg

While riding in North central PA last summer I saw a porcupine. It did not seem to care how close I got to it nor was it in any hurry to get off the road even after I stopped.

I went out to see the Cosmic Frown, but it was cloudy here.

Would have loved to have seen it.

Hi,

Way back in the (ahem) 1970s when I was in college, a bunch of us drove from Troy, NY to Daytona Beach (Flagler Beach), FL for our version of spring training camp. I will never forget how many dead armadillos we saw on the side of the road.

Also, we noticed that when we left our campsite that something was raiding some of our food supplies. Towards the end of the week we caught the culprit -- an armadillo!

This may come in handy next time you encounter (fresh) armadillo in the road:

ARMADILLO IN CREAM SAUCE
Two lbs. armadillo meat
One 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/2 cup oil
2 garlic cloves crushed (optional)
1/4 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 med. onion sliced thin
1 1/4 cups light cream
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Mix all ingredients of marinade and add armadillo. Marinate about 8 hrs., turning meat occasionally. Remove armadillo and reserve marinade. Melt butter in deep skillet and brown armadillo pieces. Pour in marinade and bring to a boil. Stir in seasoning, cover and simmer until tender (about 1 - 1 1/4 hours.) Remove skillet from the fire and place armadillo pieces on a warmed platter. Mix mustard and cornstarch, then mix in cream. Return skillet to low heat and stir in this mixture a little at a time. Stir sauce until hot, but not boiling, and thickened. Pour sauce over armadillo. Serve with steamed rice.

Most of our rides are up in the foothills. Goats and sheep abound... Often they seal off the road and we have to wait and watch...

I wanted to see the frownie face the moon and the planets made tonight, but it is too foggy. Never have seen an armadillo outside of a zoo, that would be cool.

Last spring riding up near Downieville (CA) I was enjoying a nice first descent on a beautiful morning, headed into a series of switchbacks on some sweet singletrack and notice that a small bear was jamming to the next apex at about the same rate I was, which wasn't so bad in and of itself, the bad part was mama bear was about 10 yards behind and closing. Somehow I got to that apex first and just jammed out of it and never looked back, figured the bears just kept heading down to the creek below. That'll get your adrenaline going...

Hi,

Way back in the (ahem) 1970s when I was in college, a bunch of us drove from Troy, NY to Daytona Beach (Flagler Beach), FL for our version of spring training camp. I will never forget how many dead armadillos we saw on the side of the road.

Also, we noticed that when we left our campsite that something was raiding some of our food supplies. Towards the end of the week we caught the culprit -- an armadillo!

Driving out of Troy is a lot better than driving back.............;)

. . .a crescent moon appeared, with a very bright Venus and Jupiter within just a few degrees of each other. . . .

My son pointed the telescope of the Bones Observatory at all three objects and eventually caught them all between clouds. Venus was in "half-moon" phase, a perspective we seldom think about with respect to the planets! We counted three of Jupiter's moons and reflected that it's only been four centuries since we have known of the moons' existence. I bellowed at the neighborhood dogs and got them into a roaring and self-sustaining bark-fest. A neighbor yelled blasphemy at one of the dogs (or maybe at me). The cat bolted under the porch...er...observation platform. It was a good night!

Western Diamonback rattlers, gopher snakes, coyotes, javelina, lizards.

On some routes other club rides.

A naked couple bumping and grinding in the middle of a field.

:eek:
A naked couple bumping and grinding in the middle of a field.

Can't top that... :eek:

SP
:recum:

A naked couple bumping and grinding in the middle of a field.

He stayed and watched for 30 minutes, to make sure they were okay.

He stayed and watched for 30 minutes, to make sure they were okay.


I'll nonimate Cone Wrench for the BF 2008 Humanitarian Award.:innocent:

A naked couple bumping and grinding in the middle of a field.

No, I cant top that one either!

A naked couple bumping and grinding in the middle of a field.

This claim is worthless without pics.

No, I cant top that one either!

If you did, would that make it a threesome? :D

HI,
I was surprised my last ride at the number of Deer parts I saw near the road, it must have been a bad night for deer in the backbay.
Leg here,2miles body there another leg . somebody must have a couple dents in their trucks..
I had a squirrel jump out from under a mailbox and scared me all I saw was a grey blurr another rider said I spooked it and the squirrel did a back flip into the ditch, glad I didn't spoke it,:innocent:,it did give a little adrenalin for acouple blocks...
Doug

ps I believe a doccumentary is in order small rodent kills biker....It may have been the Geico comercial rodent, he seemed to have staged the surprise..

Armadillos are about the most oblivious creatures on the roads. I think being armor plated, they figure that they don't have to be alert. The only thing worse are human pedestrians.

I recall being in the front of a paceline that was going about 26 mph. There was an armadillo placidly trotting down the middle of the road. As we started to go by him, he realized that there was something nearby. He arched his back and started to hop, swap ends, and move in apparently random directions. He looked like a large deranged wind up toy. Fortunately, we all managed to get by him before he dashed out under someone's wheel.

A naked couple bumping and grinding in the middle of a field.


No, I cant top that one either!

I Can but only recently posted it. (6 Female sunbathers)

And I actually saw another rider out last Saturday. Well two in fact but they were just finishing as I started on the ride. Bit cold and wet last Saturday.

He stayed and watched for 30 minutes, to make sure they were okay.

And it played havoc with my average speed.

They're calling that the cosmic frown. I wish I could have seen it, but we're in the middle of another snow storm. Oh well, I can see it again ... in 17,000 years. ;)
...

If you take really good care of yourself and don't crash your bike, you'll see it again in 2052. :)

If you take really good care of yourself and don't crash your bike, you'll see it again in 2052. :)

I'll be 97 so I'll be crashing my bike a lot.

"What tree, sonny? I don't see a tree."

Lately I see deer, fox and a skunk here and there...I stay far away from the skunks.
Years ago I saw a dead guy...friend and I were riding our mountain bikes on some power line roads, early morning, and we see a car up ahead with its' head lights on...it was around 8am...we look at each other and say "oh oh"...we stopped and there is a kid slumped over the steering wheel. I reached in and felt his neck...cold as could be, no pulse, etc...I stayed with the car/kid while my friend rode to call the police...Turns out it was an 18 year old kid that lived a lousy mile away and was sleeping off a drunk. He did not want to go home drunk for fear of getting in trouble. His car had exhaust leaks and he died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Sad day and a crappy ride.

This evening was clear and cool. After it got dark, a crescent moon appeared, with a very bright Venus and Jupiter within just a few degrees of each other. It was a beautiful sight on a beautiful night.

Then I almost ran over an armadillo. I've hit those things with my car, and it's like hitting a rock. It would be very unpleasant to hit one on a bike.

The Moon/Venus/Jupiter near conjunction was gorgeous. I've watched the night sky all my life and never seen that before. It didn't photograph worth a damn with the cell phone camera :( but it was wonderful to see.