Two Deer on a Confusing Ride Day

Well, I had a navigation failure, today.

Audrey and I last week took our kayaks to the Prairie Fishery lake, a new city park near the southern end of the Sac and Fox trail.

So today, for my morning ride, I decided to ride part of the Sac and Fox from its southern end. The north end involves a ride along Cottage Grove that I would prefer to avoid.

So off I went, down the Cedar River Trail, turned off near the new federal courthouse, headed north to Sixth Street and headed east to Otis Road.

Where I expected to find the Sac and Fox. And where I did not. Hmmm.

A Google search later, I realize the trail terminates on Cole Street near Otis Road, but not on Otis Road. There are no signs directing one from Otis Road, either.

Well, better luck next time. I did attempt to ride the trail at Prairie Park--but it was closed for reasons unknown (high water maybe?).

This morning, on the way to they gym, I was thinking how nice but how dull the little connector trail is that I use when I went around a bend, and there she was--a young deer, totally not afraid, shown in the first three photos. My Kodak does zoom well, so I wasn't THAT close to her, but probably no more than 15 yards away. Pretty close for deer.

Later, as I was biking out of the Prairie Fishery Park, I spotted the second deer munching grass across a fence and railroad track from me. Not quite as close an encounter, but still. Final two photos.

It's not odd to see 2 deer in Cedar Rapids in one day, but two calm deer who wait to be photographed? I'll interpret that as some sort of good omen ...