In Which A Wednesday Meeting Helps Me Ride 20 Miles

What angers geese. A biker passes mama, papa and babies headed south, as I, headed north, photograph them near Cedar Lake. While riding. Probably not the wisest way to ride, but no baby geese were hurt.

The school year is coming to it’s very busy climax, and I’ll be super busy for the next 4 days or so. And then, suddenly, I won’t be busy at all. It’s odd, this academic rhythm. It’s a faculty thing—for staff, the university is more like any business, and summer means an early closing on Friday, but that’s all.

Anyway, I couldn’t ride Thursday due to rain. It wasn’t too wet in the morning, and it was only sprinkling when I came home in the early afternoon (taking a lot of work with me) … but I didn’t know that the rain would hold off, so I drove today.

But I rode yesterday. And we had a department meeting in a bar in Czech Village, so I pedaled down the Cedar River Trail through downtown. And on the way home, I took the 2-mile detour to get on the other side of Brentwood Drive’s hill for a bit of RAGBRAI practice. It seems appropriate, for that purpose, to climb the biggest hill at the end of a 20-mile ride.

Along the way, by Cedar Lake I noticed how “mean” the geese are now. It’s not a surprise, they turn much more aggressive this time of year every year—because late spring is when they have goslings to protect. And I suppose a huge mammal travelling along at 15 mph is a legitimate health risk to even an adult goose, let alone a little one.

So I got hissed at and one goose even spread his (or her) wings and jumped at me. I wasn’t that startled, didn’t have any goose-related accident or anything, but most of the time they’ll just hiss.

Well, even this cool week, it’s been good to get some miles in. After the late afternoon department year-end wrap up, I stopped at campus again and grabbed some files. Wednesday began around 8 a.m. and didn’t wrap up until well after midnight—senior grades were due today. More grading awaits, but I hope the weather allows me to travel to some graduation events as is only fitting in spring.

On two wheels.

Me, after the meeting, just about to head home. It's not THAT late since the sun doesn't set anymore until 8 or so, but it's latish and  cloudy, so I have lights on.