Normal, nice commutes...one minor incident, and one dangerous discovery.

The gnats were out in force at the south end of Monument Valley Park, as were the geese. I saw two older women up ahead on the path walking side by side, carefully stepping around goose poop, but staying on their half of the wide pavement.

I rang my bell, thought I saw acknowledgment, and coasted, slowing slightly from my brisk pace to pass on the far right.

When I was about two seconds from passing, the woman closest to be began swatting about her head, spinning around and stepped directly in front of me.

I had my finger on the trigger and honked the AirZound Airhorn as I veered of onto the grass.

At the sound of the horn the woman lurched back away as if tugged (may have been).

Crisis averted.

Then, I heard one of them shout, "SLOW THE HELL DOWN!". In retrospect I should have slowed more, regardless. In the future I will now try to be cognizant that goose poop and gnats may cause unexpected movement in pedestrians, beyond the usual chances.

The "dangerous discovery" was at the mini roundabout where my tire slipped off onto the gravel earlier in the week.

I decided to take the trail straight where it turns to gravel and provides a slightly shorter link to the final paved portion of my commute (rather than turning left and crossing the river into America the Beautiful Park, and then back across the river after a few hundred yards). The drop-off from the paved roundabout to the gravel on the far side is about three inches due to erosion. So taking the roundabout as intended onto the gravel includes a pronounced drop-off. Could be dangerous if unexpected, and it will only get worse over time if not addressed.

On the way home I veered to the right at the roundabout and the drop there was only an inch or so...for now.

Other than those items it was another pleasant commute.