I hereby declare this snake a juvenile Water Moccasin and I defy you to prove otherwise. It lunged for CL’s “jug’ler vein” right after the flash went off.
The more interesting thing about this picture is that it was taken last night on a distant corner of the Pedrick Greenway. On a ride that started out hot, full of traffic, with legs of pancake batter- I rode myself sane again. This feeling of exquisite ache is my central perspective on the world and the more distorted that image is the scarier the garish funhouse angles are on the world around me.
A four hour ride on Monday night was definitely unexpected, but I am a better human for it and CL and I had a blast. I spent most of the ride hanging onto his wheel from the hooks in my chest, my bottom lip quivering with the constant pain and panic of the pace. He chatted like a freestyle rapper about what a good boyfriend he is, how much he likes his kitchen, wondering why Republicans hate America so much, and how his allegiance to Biggie kept him from ever giving Tupac a serious listen.
I think he was starting to hurt towards the end though.
I have a decision to make today, and I could use your help. There are four significant trail systems between home base and my destination of the week, Tampa.
Crooms, San Felasco, Santos, and Alafia
I can ride one on the way down tomorrow and one on the way back on Saturday morning.
WWJD? (What would Juancho do?)
Definately a cottonmouth.
San felasco and alafia would be my choices.
Sounds like you have a very nice boyfriend, did he make you dinner?
Neh, I do the cooking.
Alafia is stupid. Painful, unnecessarily frightening, bumpy beyond ecological reason, sandy as hell in what should be the good spots, evil, ugly, injury rich and bragging about it, dumb. It would be like riding the entire perimeter of Pedric on the grass, but with trap-doors to spiked pits, and every hundred yards or so is a fat, 10 year old boy shooting at your face from the bushes with his pellet gun.
It’s perfect for you right now.
Alafia it is! That sounds like just what I am looking for, but hopefully with more snakes. Now what about the other pick?
Santos…you need the flow baby!
Agreed. Crooms is also an unknown though, so I might have to try for three.
I realize this is off-topic, but is Joe’s shop back on Lake Ella? I see a new caption under BRC.
And, gheesh. Do you have to dodge snakes like that very often while riding around there?
Sure Nicol, sometimes I come home with clean tires because there were so many snakes on the trail I never touched the dirt. Another time I rode along the spine of a humongous rattler because I thought it was a new “skinny” stunt at Munson. Boy was he surprised!
Joe and Pete are operating from a makeshift shop under the trees behind the Black Dog Cafe. They hope to be moving back in the shop in 2-3 weeks.
~~Haha! 🙂
Well, I don’t think I personally would have wanted to stay around long enough to that one to take a picture. He looks mean. Just sayin’…
~~That’s great news about the shop re-opening.
You gotta watch out for those cottonmouths. They will ATTACK. That’s one mean snake.
And are you channeling Paul Bunyan?
Thanks for all the input. It is going to be a tour of Santos groomy,swervy singletracks with a probable run to the Landbrindge via Spider Kingdom and then a Saturday exploration of the masochist’s playground, Alafia.
Paul Bunyan?