Bat to the Face

Wednesday nights our bike shop has a 40+ mile mountain bike group ride. We leave the shop, ride the 12 miles to the trail, ride the trail 2-3 times, then ride back.

On this particular evening, we are on our way back from the trail. Its getting late, and the sun is nearly set. Under the cover of trees, it is getting really dark.

As we ride, I see something flutter off to my left and then WHAM!

Still on the bike moving, it takes me a second too realize what has just happened.

I just had a bat fly into my face.

I turn around to see how the unfortunate animal is doing. It sort of crawled for a second, and then flew away. Apparently neither the bat nor I was harmed.

Tonights ride was a train wreck...

My brother and I are out on a 40+ mile ride this evening. Halfway back, we see flashing lights up the road, near a railroad crossing. As we get closer, the picture comes clear. An SUV tried to cross the tracks (no crossing guards) and had its front end ripped off by a locomotive. No sign of the driver of the SUV (I assume he was taken to a hospital). The train was still on the tracks, a few hundred yards away.

We stop. The County Sheriff walks up and says "You can't cross my scene." "So we have to go back?" I ask. "Yes. Its just as scenic that way." I say "yeah, but we are heading back home now. We have to go 5 miles out of our way?"

Really the "scene" consisted of broken glass and plastic scattered across 20 feet of road.

"Can we just walk around a few hundred feet over there?"

When it became apparent to the sheriff that we were not going to leave, she finally said "OK,
walk in a straight line and don't step on anything." Apparently the exact placement of the broken side view mirror glass is vital to determining exactly what happened.
I bet the glass will still be there, waiting to give me a flat. In late November.


8 miles later, I found a ratchet.

Yup, a Craftsmen 3/8 in. ratchet. Still works. Street value - $16.
Not bad for a 2 hour Saturday evening ride.