Some thoughts on my Sunday morning bike ride:
At 75, it was a few degrees warmer than yesterday morning with a marked bump in the humidity, too, but pleasant for riding.
There was a thumping bass coming through the back walls of the strip mall near the LaGrange library. It is Sunday morning at the local satellite branch of a “mega-church.”
There were a few flocks of geese in their familiar V shape formation. Most of the geese around here are permanent residents. They were born here and this is their home. I did note that they were all, coincidentally, flying south which brought forth some late summer longings for fall.
I am getting the hang of which type of fellow exerciser on the trail welcomes a smile or a “Good morning,” although the runners with a face that says “I am in hell right now. Leave me alone!” get nothing from me. Kids are usually friendly even with parents who are not. Guess they haven’t yet learned to scowl and avoid eye contact. What’s wrong with these people? Do they think I’m going to ask them for money? (Is my fly open? Better check. No, no, no – not NOW Brown!)
The police post at the state prison is not too far from my bike trail – about a mile as the goose flies. When I first started riding in the spring my interest in all things radio led me to notice their red and white tower was visible over the trees. It had been there on Highway 146 as long as I can remember. Today it was gone. CORRECTION! 8/19/19 – Your friendly blogger was looking from the wrong perspective. The tower stands as usual! This is why I would never have made a good reporter OR the guy who calls in bombing strikes.
As I left the library parking lot for home I noticed I had picked up a bright green hitchhiker on my truck windshield. A Katydid was firmly planted on the glass. How firmly? I wondered. 25 mph was nothing to Katy. When the speed limit picked up to 35 I expected her to pop right off. Just past the Circle K store the speed picks up to 55. Get ready to say goodbye, Katy! Nope. She turned into the wind and crouched into an aerodynamic shape. Let’s see what 60 will do. I’ll risk going a little over the limit – for science! Her wings fluttered and she waved her legs in the air like she was swimming underwater. Whatever it is on the bottom of her feet that holds her to slick glass in gale force winds is simply amazing. So, she has left her home in LaGrange and is now a resident of our wooded ridge. Hope she likes it here. We do.
All of this transpired with Beethoven’s Symphony #6, “Pastoral” playing from the speaker strapped to the crossbar of my bike. The host of the classical music channel introduced the piece with this Beethoven quote:
“How happy I am to be able to wander among bushes and herbs, under trees and over rocks; no man can love the country as I love it. Woods, trees and rocks send back the echo that man desires.”
They won’t be playing this at the mega-church, but they should.
