Me and the Worms
The light was that weird gray you get in the calm between the storms. It had rained most of the night and into the morning. I knew at 7am climbing around on my roof in the rain (more on that later), I was riding in today. Just as I packed up to leave, the rain stopped. I had an open window and took it.
On the roads it was me and the worms. A few cars passed, but thankfully nothing significant considering the conditions.
The Brandywine was ferociously swollen. I could hear its rage long before I saw it. As I rounded a corner and saw the frothy brown water, I mused on the sight of geese at its banks. I could picture in my head a volunteer fireman wearing a wetsuit, oversize life jacket and harness, using a guy-line to tredpidaciously wade out into the creek to save some stranded kid stuck on a stump. His feet would repeatedly slip and the creek would wash him to the length of his rope, while crowds and news crews on the bank reeled back in horror. Meanwhile the geese waddle up to the edge, plunk themselves in, wiggle their tail feathers and float away. The geese float out to the turbulent center, spread their wings and fly back to the relative calm of the waters edge.
I turn up the trail and now follow the Shamona Creek. It too is flooded, but calmer then the Brandywine. Not far from the first bridge crossing I see a Great Blue Heron wading in the creek. It's every bit of three feet tall. Through the leafing brush, it sees me and takes to flight spreading its wings wide and flying low to the water upstream. The picture of a pterodactyl comes to mind as the bird flies through the misty morning woods. It lands in an oxbow out of sight from me.
I continue my ride out of the woods and into the neighborhoods. Houses and manicured lawns are not nearly as entertaining. Soon I'm climbing and only focus on moderation. Wearing a rain coat and extra layers to ward off the wet cold that never presented itself, I'm getting warm. I crest the hill and slow as I go past the last bit of woods before I turn into the corporate center. Too close to humanity, the woods are still. Back to the worms I leave the trail and finish the last of my ride on the road.
Not bad for a rainy day ride.
- b
On the roads it was me and the worms. A few cars passed, but thankfully nothing significant considering the conditions.
The Brandywine was ferociously swollen. I could hear its rage long before I saw it. As I rounded a corner and saw the frothy brown water, I mused on the sight of geese at its banks. I could picture in my head a volunteer fireman wearing a wetsuit, oversize life jacket and harness, using a guy-line to tredpidaciously wade out into the creek to save some stranded kid stuck on a stump. His feet would repeatedly slip and the creek would wash him to the length of his rope, while crowds and news crews on the bank reeled back in horror. Meanwhile the geese waddle up to the edge, plunk themselves in, wiggle their tail feathers and float away. The geese float out to the turbulent center, spread their wings and fly back to the relative calm of the waters edge.
I turn up the trail and now follow the Shamona Creek. It too is flooded, but calmer then the Brandywine. Not far from the first bridge crossing I see a Great Blue Heron wading in the creek. It's every bit of three feet tall. Through the leafing brush, it sees me and takes to flight spreading its wings wide and flying low to the water upstream. The picture of a pterodactyl comes to mind as the bird flies through the misty morning woods. It lands in an oxbow out of sight from me.
I continue my ride out of the woods and into the neighborhoods. Houses and manicured lawns are not nearly as entertaining. Soon I'm climbing and only focus on moderation. Wearing a rain coat and extra layers to ward off the wet cold that never presented itself, I'm getting warm. I crest the hill and slow as I go past the last bit of woods before I turn into the corporate center. Too close to humanity, the woods are still. Back to the worms I leave the trail and finish the last of my ride on the road.
Not bad for a rainy day ride.
- b
posted by JenBob at
11:41 AM
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