So today I went out for a ride in the spring TX area and as I was meandering through a neighborhood, I turned a corner. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen horses and even a steer at one point but it was a more rural-ish neighborhood. This is in a suburb close to Houston.
“Gosh that’s a big dog pooping on the corner there.”
A few more feet, I see what is not a dog, but a woman with her pet 115kg pig. Keep in mind this is a really nice upper middle class neighborhood, probably with an HOA, a gym and a pool I’m sure. This pig was leashed and by all means it could indeed be well enough socialized and enjoying its walk. It’s just that after growing up in Texas and coming back to see the parents for Easter, this was still a big first for me.
I had a deer jump over my back wheel while descending a mountain. He was coming down the steep side, launched himself, and landed on the other side of the road. Had it been timed 1/2 second wrong, he probably would have hit me.
Most recently, I saw a car flip off the freeway. It was coming towards me looked like a tornado. It took a few seconds to realize what it was. As it’s coming towards me I see what looks like sacks of potatoes being tossed from the car. A moment later those sacks of potatoes are jumping up and down. One is screaming his head off with a broken hand. So freaking crazy. Had I been 10 more seconds down the road, it would have been close.
I once startled a pair of emus out of the bushes whilst running in rural Australia. Nearly shat myself. They’re quite big too. Was a bit daft as I was running through long grass, bushes, etc and there would have been a few snakes around too. Somewhere else same trip I nearly trod on a metre long brown snake whilst hiking - you’ve got an hour to get to hospital if you’re bitten by one of those.
I’ve been extremely close to hitting a deer and a black bear that ran in front of me. The deer was just inches from my wheel. Didn’t even have a chance to react. The bear I at least could brake and get around it.
Last spring I saw a cow give birth. Just pushed a calf out right by the side of the road.
Lots of naked people, dead person, pot farm (not related), been charged by a mountain lion, stalked by a pair of Irish wolfhounds running through the woods (scary but were friendly), had an owl dive down and smash into my front tire…. just name a few.
Really big snake - like the width of a full car lane - in Tampa, FL very early in the morning. Got passed by a cargo van. Guess the driver liked snakes even less than me because when he got to the snake, he stopped, backed over it, then went back and forth a couple of times. Not sure what type it was because it was flat AF by the time I got there.
For some reason I do enjoy taking pictures of cows on my rides haha. Anybody else too? It’s not like I do anything with a cow picture but it’s mostly for strava I guess. And my five followers
1.) On a ride from Lubbock to Midland I watched a roadrunner hunt and kill a rattlesnake. (rattlesnack?) It was mesmerizing and beautiful…and I wasn’t sure what I was seeing until in the end BAM! it was over and I knew the snake never had a chance.
2.) Show llamas in the park. They had ribbons…hairspray…it was quite a thing.
3.) I was warming up in the park before a TT/Test around the perimeter of the park…there was a guy on the trail doing spinning side kicks with his right leg all the way down the trail. After I did my effort I passed him doing spinning side kicks with his left leg all the way down the trail.
4.) I once saw a hot air balloon descend to the surface of a lake and dip the gondola in the water.
