D & B DeWitt Family

My ride today is done. Yes, I went on a 4 mile ride. My loving daughter mapped out a route. It consists of going north to Broadway - heading east to the canal - taking the canal pavement all the way south to Southern- returning up the paved canal 'road'- west to Maple - down to Pueblo - west to 37th street, where I turn north and following that road, which turns into Dewberry, which leads to home. My old route used to bring us up on Dewberry as well, but just as we were getting excited about returning home and actually seeing the end, a 'cursed' left turn would take us off of Dewberry, heading nnw onto Dragoon, turning onto 37th street (another section of 37th, one block north of the 1st one), which turns into Clovis (a killer of a uphill slope) and then down Maple again and my last turn onto Dewberry, this time it is a downhill ride. My new route is a nice change. There are two obsticals that I can see might be a problem down the road:

1. Ducks:

No, not these Ducks.

Yes, here they are. These ducks...

I like feeding ducks, but I'm not sure if I can control my bike as I am trying to throw breadcrumbs or crackers down to them. I would certainly crash.

2. Old ladies.

Now I know some of you are laughing because I am right there with them, but I am talking OLD, old ladies. The kind that walk with other old ladies and might have a problem hearing anyone approaching. Today, I passed these 'ladies' on my southward journey on the canal road. They were heading north just passing the canal bridge. Pueblo Road area. I continued on and as I'm returning up the canal, they are still walking. Walking and talking. Walking and waving their arms. I have plenty of time to plan my moves. I think, I will warn them with my loud voice. I think, I will start singing to let them know I'm coming up behind them. I think, surely they will hear my tires on the pavement as I get closer. I think, for sure they can hear my panting. I then realize that I am too close and I haven't decided what to do. I see that they are walking mostly to the right side of the pavement so I aim for the left. If I go too far left, I leave the pavement and head down a very steep hill and into what is now a mudbog. The rain has left no dry ground anywhere. There can be no bad manuvering on the bicyclists part (me). I'm 40 feet behind them, 30, 20 and then I say, "On your left". Apparently they didn't hear me, because as I pass by them I hear 'Oh, my!" I wouldn't say that I was close, but it might have been scary to some old lady. Hmm....I'll never get THAT old.