Sunday, July 12, 2009
After Ann left, by the time I got off my backside and out to ride my bike there were a lot more clouds in the sky than there had been earlier in the day... but I still decided to head over to the bike path west of Schenectady, since I haven't been there for a while.
Initially it was windy riding, though that eased up once the sun started to go down. I rode out to the end of the path at Scrafford Lane - there was a train parked on the tracks, plus it was getting dusky enough that I probably wouldn't have risked the stretch of road to the bike path extension even if the crossing had been clear. Along the way I startled a heron several times; the bigger surprise was the red-winged blackbirds harrying him whenever he flew. I also spent a few minutes watching a wood duck and her brood of ducklings.
On the way back to Lock 8 a grey fox dashed across the path and into the bushes - I'm not positive, but I suspect he had just run across the highway connector ramps, so I'm glad he made it safely and I got to see him, however briefly. At the time I thought he was just a color variation of the usual foxes I've seen, but I've since checked and learned that grey foxes and red foxes are two different genuses, and that grey foxes are one of two canids that are able to climb trees. Pretty darn cool... wish he'd been moving slower so maybe I could have gotten a photo.
I rode all the way down to SCCC and was treated to the sight of a colorful sunset over the Mohawk River, as well as some very determined fishermen out in their small boat. It was getting dark by the time I got back to the car... a definite reminder that the days are getting shorter again, darn it. At least they're still long enough for me to enjoy being outdoors well into the evenings...
JMH
