Cycling is a lot of fun most of the time

Especially in rural areas

You can quickly get off the beaten track

Cruising along open countryside

This morning I saw a wild turkey hen

Stepping out into the road ahead of me

Seven chicks followed her close behind

Racing for cover in the trees on the other side

I joined my riding group 5 miles in

Setting off on a 30 mile ride

Mostly on quiet roads next to farmland

The cornfields were high and lush green

The soy beans were growing fast

We saw plenty of deer in the fields

Startled by our stealthy silent approach

Formations of geese filled the skies

Each one taking a slight aerodynamic advantage

The one at the front doing most of the work

We do the same by cycling a tight pacewline formation

You can see a lot from a bicycle

On the main roads there is a constant stream of litter

Mostly crushed discarded been cans and fast food wrappings

Evidence that passing cars toss out their trash on the move

We have to navigate carefully around these hazards

Especially the broken beer bottles 

Unfortunately today one was hidden in partial shadow 

Resulting in a slashed tire and instant blowout for one of our group

Cycling is a lot of fun most of the time

Except when you encounter shards of discarded glass