Took off on my bike around 3 yesterday afternoon. As soon as I hit the gravel road, potholes and all, I felt excited. This bike is like a motorcycle. Vroom-vroom! A few miles from here there’s a small winding steep paved road going up to the ridge of the mountain, it’s a good workout and yesterday was the first day I went all the way up. Hardly any cars. Bike muscles coming back. Boy, it’s good to cover (and see) so much territory.
Speaking of which, my thrill of the month: came around a corner, saw what I though was a big bobcat bounding up the road. He spotted me and crossed to run into the brush, and just before he melted into the landscape, I saw that his tail came down to the ground! My 3rd mountain lion spotting. This is the most elusive and arguably, most beautiful graceful, powerful animal in our territory. Tot-uhl thrill!
A friend, a hunter with a bunch of guns, recently told me he would never shoot a predator, not even the coyote who was snatching his chickens. Made me realize the beauty of our local predators like cougars and red-shouldered hawks. They’re built for speed, and therein is beauty. Form derives from function.
Above, a spot on the road, a double creek, magic spot I’d say, that only flows in wet months; I stop and drink. Hello mountain!
Sound like a great afternoon. Not that I could do the bike thing, but the surroundings and experience sound pretty cool!