A bearly enjoyable ride.

Funny how one little bear sighting can really take the fun out of a bike ride. My wife was out for her ride yesterday and came within a few yards of a black bear strolling across the road. It was not a huge bear, but as I think Goldilocks once said, 'A bear is still a f**king bear'. She managed to stop in time to do a quick about face. No harm done. However, today, when I went for my ride along a similar route, what, do you suppose was all my fertile imagination could think about? According to my idiot brain, a Grizzly lurked behind every Sumach bush and rogue, murderously hungry Kodiak's stalked every shadow in every forest. The worst, of course, is when you are whizzing downhill. Normally this is the most fun part of the whole ride. Feeling the wind whip past you, effortlessly speeding along. Today, all I could think about was a huge black, hairy lump darting out directly in front me and the two of us tumbling the rest of the way downhill in a spokey, greasy, snarling mass. Needless to say, the ride was not my most relaxing. Although it was probably the fastest I've ever done.