Seeing is believing

[JLD]

Before I did my little bike trip last week, I had been to the eye dr to upgrade my glasses for bifocals. They weren't ready for the trip--so I rode quite contentedly with the horizon a bit fuzzy. My companion made some comments on how to avoid being chased by farm dogs flying off their home properties--which we dutifully followed as gospel--by not looking at the furballs as they would sound the alarm and tear across the yard towards us. It seemed to work until we approached our home camp one evening. This ride in showed a distant man up on the road and what appeared to be a large loping Newfoundland hound over in the ditch, headed in our direction. I said to my cohort--oh no! His dog is loose! She started to cackle as we were slowing down and I didn't quite get it until we were Much closer--as a baby Angus steer came bounding up from the drainage ditch, right for us! She stopped laughing then and I roared at her to stop the bike and wave her arms--looking big--to get dear Angus moving in a different direction. This worked, which the farmer on the road thought was a good trick for a couple of cyclists...............Now how many cyclists do you know have rodeo skills? And I might add, I went and got my new glasses just the day after I got home! The next time there is a running of the bulls-I'll see the action more clearly! :)

[margo49]

LOL
Funny story
Change your name to cow-girl!

[JLD]

Having just completed a little tour near Ottawa Ontario Canada--it went like this:
+++++++++++++++++++++
.............well...................did you know there are rolling hills on HW 31 and HW 43 and HW 29?.............I have become well acquainted with them all..........I am also against the prevailing west wind, which at Morrisburg almost had us tent and all catching a ride to Montreal........................I also can now effectively pee in bushes, as near Prescott, the historical sites close down by 4 pm, and the outhouses get locked off.
Mostly I am impressed by my riding companion's great zeal and wondrously attractive personality for the wild of Canada. This time I had glasses that corrected for distance and everything was crystal clear. She had an uncanny knack for being bit by wasps and spiders which I could observe closehand.
Extreme focus--similar to overlarge video occurred on HW 43 going into Kemptville. Here as she took the lead and climbed a small hill, out on a large property was the idyllic family at play, complete with baying hound. They were so involved in their games they didn't notice their four legged companion leave their human pack and tear down the opposite hill, initially.
My! Dogs can run fast when targetting a cyclist. His name was Snoopy. Yes--I heard that correctly, as they all tried to call him back . But Snoopy had his own mission. So then there's a dog and 3 children chasing a cyclist. Snoopy took to flight across the road, right off his property right for my companion. I give her credit, she had a bit of a lead. She sped up-which when you consider we were heavily under load with bicycle trailers , on a hill, going up, was pretty amazing to see.
Snoopy tried to speed up, too. Gaining. He was at the back wheels of the trailor and by now one kid is also on the opposite side of the road, too. This has alerted Mom, who now joins the kids in the chase. One Mom, 3 kids, and a baying hound in hot pursuit of a FLYING cyclist. He only quit when one kid was able to pace his pursuit and the traffic on BOTH sides of the roads was coming to a grinding halt.
I can still clearly see how now there's 3 cars and one truck on Our side of the road and 3 cars on the other as Snoopy breaks pursuit and wanders back into this flow of startled traffic--first one side of the road and then to the other and then back again and Finally Mom gets a Bellow on her that the dear mutt noticed.
As I push along she finally grabs Snoopy and I can hear her say, "Bad dog!" I look ahead and of course my riding companion has crested the hill and has pulled over and is leaning heavily on her handlebars catching her breath. That's how I found her when I arrived shortly.
I idly remarked this was the Second time today she was going to the dogs and My--how they Really like her. As I pulled back out on the road I am heard to remark I sure as hell hope we don't see any moose or bear too soon.

[mimitabby]

no cows today? tch.
glad no one got hurt!