I am an avid bicylce rider and pedal to work everyday bar snow/ice. I have a great commute. Our street dead ends onto a paved bike trail (former railroad line) and it takes me right to the front door of work. I have a great headlight that is near as strong as a car. I see deer everyday on the trail. Sometimes they just stand there and I have to ring my bell and hoot a bit and they run off. Rabbits run in front of me all the time. After a wind storm there is usually trees down on the trail. But today took the cake. I was pedaling along at 15mph and a deer came from my left and crashed right into my hip. We locked up and the bike and me went down on top of the deer. The deer was thrashing as I lay on it and the bike on me. We were eye to eye. It was a very spiritual moment. I will never forget the feeling of that animal under me. I got up, he got up, we looked at each other. He trotted off into the woods and I got back to pedaling. No damage to me, the bike, or the deer. I think this was a once in a lifetime thing. What a way to start the week! Walter
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
LOL! Wow! You caught a lucky break there Walter! A guy I know actually got charged by a buck while he was jogging along one of our interurban bike trails a couple months ago. Said he managed to dodge the head-on charge of the antlers, and when the buck turned around to try and lance him again, he landed a firm slug to its jaw, and that sent old Bambi packing.
I've heard the same thing works with a rambunctious horse, but I don't wanna be one to test that method. LOL ----------
Wow! ...that's too cool for words...alot of material for jokes and songs, though. I can't help but wonder what the dear was running from? Or was he wagering a bet with his dear friends?...on whether he could nail that biker who keeps peddling bye every morning. ----------
Thanks everyone for the kind words. WOW that was some video! My encounter was not near that explosive. The deer that hit me was a young fawn. I think she was suprised as I rolled by her and she just freaked out and ran smack into me. I am thankful for my martial arts. They helped a lot with not freaking out, going with the impact and relaxing into the experience. I have been an avid cyclist for almost 40 years and have traveled around a good part of the country by bike. I have come upon downed trees and gone over the handlebars a few times but this one was something special. I sang a song about it and am mixing it down to an mp3 as I type. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
