Fear the Feathered Fury

I had a Hitchcock Moment on my way home from work today. As some of you know, I've been commuting via bicycle since the beginning of July and overall it is a rewarding experience. However...

This afternoon, I was coasting along between Huebner Road and a field when I saw a bird swoop down toward Huebner. At the time I would have sworn it was a pigeon, but it might have been a dove. Just as it neared the road, several cars zoomed by and the bird veered away from the street...straight into my path. I am not sure why I didn't think to brake, because I can stop quickly, but I forged ahead while the bird flew closer. As the distance between us closed, I started thinking oh no, oh no, OH NO! - and ducked (no pun intended). Then, THWACK! It collided square into my helmet. Miraculously I managed not to totter off my bike, and I looked behind me to see it fly away.

Shaken, but amused, I pedaled home to share the story with Linda.  We had a good laugh and then I went outside to clean my helmet off with 409.  Because, seriously, birds can carry some nasty pathogens.

Now it is clear to me that birds hate bicyclists even more than motorists hate them.