Sunday, May 25, 2008

If the Dogs don't get me the Cats will!



Since I was a little frustrated with my earlier time trial by dog ride, I decided I needed a few more relaxing miles. Just to set the tone for this post let it be known I love animals and never like to see one get hurt, injured or killed, that is unless I'm out hunting them.

I decided after lunch to take an easy spin out to Mulberry Point and back a route I knew I wouldn't have any dog problems on (see previous post). As I headed out of Vermillion on the business route of Hwy 50 I was just reaching the area where road crews are widening the shoulder of the road. The shoulder right now is not there if fact if you cross the white line your in for about a 2 foot drop off. Knowing this I moved over to the shoulder on the other side of the road as I felt it was the safest place for me to be. Just as I did this I noticed a mini van coming toward me. As I was watching the van approach a black cat darted out of the ditch in front of the van and got smoked. I felt sick to my stomach seeing this happened several hundred yards in front of me and thought about stopping to try to help the poor thing. It did several flops and circles around the road and then disappeared into the ditch. I really did not want to start tromping around the ditch in waist high grass looking for an injured cat, who I knew by watching him get hit wouldn't make it anyway, so I decided to continue on. Just as I came to the spot of cat vs van all of a sudden a black streak comes flying out of the ditch and hits my front tire. It just about causes me to go down and almost launches me into on coming traffic. I stop regroup, check for bike damage and do a quick scan for the cat. It had disappeared again. How and why the cat did not end up in my spokes I don't know, but am very fortunate. Needless to say a very strange day of riding.

Reminder to self: Increase life insurance amount tomorrow.

Later