We built a little free library in front of our house and go out of our way to stock it with banned books. I mean not exclusively banned books but there is usually at least one or two in there.

Exactly - if it was "my" library, I'd certainly have banned books and some LGBTQ works in there, at minimum

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I've never seen nor imagined this sort of hybrid before, but there was a folding/fat-tire/e-bike chained to the streetlight at the bus stop

I guess it was too heavy to lift and load it into the rack on the bus?

Although I was in shorts + a t-shirt, I did see another runner in short + a singlet - and why not? It's 65 degrees outside right now, in South Jersey, in the middle of February

Also, people have their grills lit up for dinner tonight

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I was waiting at the stoplight

One of those huge trucks we all worry about [several threads on this subject] pulled up

I noticed that it was a little taller/beefier than usual, and finished in a very aggressive shade of red

It was warm today, so the driver had the windows down, vs. running his A/C

I expected to hear typical Redneck/MAGA soundtrack coming from within: Tennessee Glam, maybe Kid Rock, perhaps HipHop

Nope



I smiled & waved

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I hate those very aggressive shades of red

Just saw this thread pop up and I had a perfectly appropriate encounter on the bike earlier this week. Riding along a bike path, coming up on a road crossing and I hear sirens. I stop and look down the road, and here comes a sedan, driving in reverse at 25+ mph, followed by no fewer than a dozen police cars. The guy drives down the road past the path, to where the road ends in a T, turns 90 degrees and speeds off (forwards now) as the police continue chase.

It was like I stumbled upon a Fast and Furious movie in real life.

Riding down a disused rail track yesterday, 3 or 4 km from the nearest road crossing in either direction I see something in the distance, maybe 8 or 800 metres off. Tall enough to be a runner but not moving like a runner.
As I get closer I see it's a kid, maybe 13, riding along in a wheelie. He must've done a km on his back wheel at this point and shows no sign of overbalancing. He gives me a nod as we pass like it's the most normal thing in the world and just carries on.

I was doing a bike race in MD years ago and the bunch was going up a shallow climb on a two lane road with no shoulders. Ahead of us was a woman on a horse just sitting on the side of the road facing us. As the group got closer the horse got spooked, reared up and took off across the road (it couldn't go the other way because there was a steep embankment with fencing running along the road). The horse got to the other side of the road and hit someone's recently sealed driveway, lost it's footing and went down, as it was regaining its feet and getting across the driveway to the front yard of the house, the woman fell off but had one of her feet stuck in the stirrup. The horse bolted dragging the woman about halfway across the yard before her foot let loose. The horse continued on and turned in between the houses and was gone.

The strange thing was no one in the race reacted at all. It was like nothing had just happened. It was a circuit race and by the time we came around on the next lap there wasn't any sign at all anything happened. No ambulance, no people in the yard, no one looking for the horse, etc. Very surreal.

Someone must've been doing some yardwork yesterday, and not paid attention to where they left their large black leaf bags, as one of them got away from the rest

There wasn't much of a breeze this morning, but what we had was just enough to inflate the bag and to give it form, beyond being just a flat piece of plastic fluttering by

Also, there was a rotational aspect to its movement, so that - from a distance - it appeared to be a person rolling themself down the middle of the street, the way children might roll themselves down a hill, to induce that euphoria of dizziness that we all have enjoyed

Fortunately, although this was the Main Street of our town (not counting the White Horse Pike/US Rte 30, which bisects the boro), there was no traffic to be seen at that hour; nor any traffic to be heard, should someone have to suddenly slam on their brakes to avoid hitting this "person"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

A couple of weeks ago, I was riding down a rural-ish road next to a military base with a large, razor-wire topped fence. I see a wild turkey walking next to the fence, apparently looking for a way through (there is none). It doesn't like my approaching, so it starts to run. Faster. Decides that running in the grass/brush next to the fence won't get it done, so it runs down the road in front of me. I'm going about 17-18mph and accelerating. So does the turkey. At about 20mph, it decides that enough is enough, and takes off (not a graceful action), flies away from me and over the fence.

Turkeys are fast runners when they want to be. They are also larger than you might think, and they make a neat clickety-click noise while running on a paved road.

(just now, my financial advisor and fellow cyclist told me the story of his weekend at his house in Vermont, in which a wild turkey broke through a window and into his house still quite alive and now rather pissed off. But that's not for this thread)

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----------------------------------
"Go yell at an M&M"

Wild turkeys are hobo peacocks
Peacocks are wild turkeys in drag

I've encountered both on the road; not much good comes from it, other than an entertaining story, several of which I've posted hereabouts

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I was out on a fairly relaxed (not hard pace) ride on the city bike paths in Madison, and I got passed by a girl on a unicycle. And she was definitely in training mode and appeared to have what I would call a racing unicycle (aggressive looking handlebars, almost like a TT bike). And I was a like "dang, just got passed by a unicycle.... but well, she definitely seems to be training for something, so kudos to her!". FWIW, seeing unicycles in Madison is fairly common, but seeing someone go by at a 15+ mph clip was a unique experience.

I had a similar situation with a deer several years ago. I was making an attempt at getting the KOM on one of my favorite technical descents. About halfway down, on the steepest section (about 15%), a deer came leaping out of the brush right in front of me. I hit my brakes, and came within a few feet of hitting it. The deer panicked and ran straight down the center of the road, with me riding my brakes just a few feet behind. After several seconds of this, the deer veered off and jumped back into the brush.

I had planned on bringing my GoPro for this ride, but the SD card was full and I didn't feel like taking the time to download everything so I could erase it... d'oh!

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

Where I live, you're more likely to see peacocks rather than squirrels crossing the roads. The next city over even has them on the city seal...

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

I raced Desert Tri (in Cahuilla, CA) in 2015. Sunday was cold and wet. On the bike I saw a guy in a wetsuit. I'd never seen that before. Considering how cold and miserable it was, he was probably the smartest guy on course. (I rode with a GoPro and yep, wasn't imagination)

Matty Reed also did that, at Boise back in 2012:

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

Coming around for lap 2 of the bike at a race last year I passed someone coming out of transition, neatly tucked in aero, wearing swim goggles and swim cap sans helmet.

In a not-before-seen variation of Team DUI kit, a guy rode past me in his motorcycle club colors (vest w/patches, anyway), black jeans and big boots, topped with required German WWII replica helmet...

Riding a fat-tired e-bike

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I was bike commuting in to work last week, and it's a super nice/rural/scenic ride of just under 19 miles. There's little/no traffic, nice elevation profile, and just lots of country/hills/mountains to view. I feel very fortunate to have this as my commute.

Anyway, I was cruising down a long hill between West Stockbridge and Stockbridge, and ahead on the left there's a young woman standing at side of the road (in front of her house I guess), and she's twirling this ~6 foot long shaft with large flowy flags at both ends. It was 6:45 am, and there she was twirling this flag device. It almost seemed like she was cheering me on during my commute. She probably didn't give two hoots about me, but I'm taking it to the bank that she was rooting for me to have a great day.

Saw a woman walking around the HS track wearing a t-shirt that said "PICKLEBALL" in the Thrasher Magazine flames style

You know the one

I was kinda saddened by that; but also felt a little "Rock on, Miss!!!"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I don't have any new ones, but Mark Remy/DumbRunner re-posted these from a couple years ago

https://dumbrunner.com/...-stories-for-runners

You'll scream and scream

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

A stack of wooden pallets - several stacks actually - about four feet high, with a spray-painted sign

"FREE FENCE"

I guess so, in a DIY kinda way?

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Forgive me, this may seem a little jumbled, for I am still processing it

There is a stoplight I have to wait for just before I enter "farm country" - the road where houses are no longer close together but separated by hundreds of yards and surrounded by small but legit family farms

While I was waiting for the light I heard an indescribable sound; indescribable, but I'll try - it was like someone had run a wolf howl through AutoTune, but didn't know how AutoTune worked, and completely fucked it up

The light changed, I crossed the road on my way

The sound got louder as I was approaching the source. I crossed the little bridge over the stream which connects two ponds; the one to my right borders the sideyard of the first farmhouse

At its peak volume, I looked over and observed the situation

Sitting - or perhaps squatting - on the lawn, in the middle of the "family area" where the patio furniture surrounded the fire pit, was a dog. I do t know enough about the artform to tell you which breed of canine; something in the retriever aisle, I'd guess?

His rear part was on the ground (or close to it) but his rear legs were spread apart at an odd angle. I don't draw dogs well, but even *I* would not have posed them like that

His back was straight and stiff, as in fear. His head was rolled back; his was mouth open, producing a guttural sound that in a human could be any combination of Joy, Fear, Humiliation, or Shame

His front paws were not together, as dogs usually sit

Between his front legs was another backyard resident, with wavy white fur, hooves, and a short tail: a goat. It was facing opposite the retriever, with its head close to the ground between the dog's rear legs

All indications were the dog was receiving oral pleasure from the goat

Now, before you judge, this was not some Overnight Animagus hookup; it was long after Sunrise, when such carnal activities between shape-shifting beings must cease

Nor was it one of those hallucinations that Ultramarathoners are so well-known for

Firstly, I am only an Ultramarathon Wannabe, and secondly, this was at Mile Two

However, the absolute CREEPIEST thing about it all, was the kid standing on the lawn a few yards way from the scene, watching the whole thing, who looked over at me as I ran by an smiled with a look that said "Isn't this awesome?"

I'm not going that way again for a while; if ever again

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Something I've never seen before, but most surely happen from time to line ...

A hearse and a couple other black cars lined up at the gas station around the corner from the funeral home, mid-morning

For some reason, I figured they only filled up at night, or before Dawn; like other Creatures of the Night might feed?

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Last weekend, while on a little journey through the woods, I noticed a hot dog cart in someone's yard ; a little trailer/tailgate kind, not the usual larger shed-sized ones you'd see seeing lunches on the street downtown

I didn't have my phone with me that time, so I went out yesterday and sought it again, to get a photo record

https://www.instagram.com/...MXdydDQ5amlucWhlNw==

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin