Nice ride in this morning. Sun coming up, a little bit of a tailwind.

Then as I came to the last km of my commute, on a trail into a little park next to my work, I approached an older couple. They were pushing a stroller with their grand-daughter (I assumed) and two dogs, off-leash. I approached very slowly and said a good morning and announced that I was coming by on their right as the lady was way over to the left pushing the stroller. One dog seems interested in me but showed no signs of aggression. The second dog was up further and first showed no signs of aggression. I continued on and as I passed this second dog, he decided to give chase and showed a lot of aggression, with really nasty barking, growling and showing of teeth. The other dog decided to get into it as well and so I had both dogs after me and each dog was on either side of me, nipping at my feet. I started to accelerate but that only encouraged them and the gravel path didn't provide traction. I threw a water bottle at one of them and missed. I jumped off the bike to get the bike between them and me and see if I could retrive my water bottle.

The couple had trouble to restrain the dogs, but eventually the gentleman was finally able to hold the more aggressive dog. The other dog would make attempts to run at me and I threatened to fling my head-light water-bottle style battery at him. The lady began to berate me for fighting back and insisted that the dogs would not bite. I told her, at this moment I was in no position to find out. Plus, she told me that the sign that is further on the trail shows that no bicycles allowed. I reminded her that I go through the park slowly and is the only way to my office without taking a 8km detour around on paved heavily trafficked roads. ( 22km instead of 30km, what would you do?) She kept on that I shouldn't be in the park with my bike. I didn't know enough to say anything about the dogs.


Anyways, I left after having enough of an argument with ???? and a distaste in my mouth for what happened. I checked out a sign at the other end of the park. Sure enough, no cycling, but dogs allowed but must be on a leash. These dogs were not on a leash as most dogs aren't when I come across people and their dogs in the park. BTW, I come across people in this park about once or twice a week. It is a very little used nature park with gravel paths. There are no direct paved roads or pathways that cut across the business parks in this area and that can take me direct to my office. I would need to travel on a busy highway where the posted speed is 80km/hr. I'll stick to the park even though I'm not allowed.

The ride home was uneventful and the winds had changed by the pm to give me another nice tailwind on the way home. Made up for last week's headwinds.

Then I hear the news of Ken Kifer.