UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Today's Ride:

26.4 miles

Bryce-Pima Loop

1 hour 31 minutes

69° F., clear, calm

Wednesday's Ride:

27.8 miles

San Jose out & back

1 hour 39 minutes

68° F., clear

I knew it would happen some day. Frankly, I'm surprised it has taken until this week.

I was riding eastward through the small village of Solomon located about 10 miles east of Thatcher. Solomon, sometimes called Solomonville, is a friendly village with several unfriendly dogs. But there are also a few dogs that enjoy chasing a cyclist just for the sport of it. They do not have evil intentions.

One such dog, a small white pooch of unknowable breed, spied me approaching on my red bike. I could see its eyes focused on me with anticipation as I rode into its territory on the road in front of its owner's house.

I could also see that the look in its eyes said, "I'm going to chase you and I'm going to bark at you but I am not going to bite your leg. I'm not that kind of dog."

It came after me with laser-like concentration knowing that this just might be the highlight of its day.

What the dog didn't see was the large white pickup truck coming in our direction in the other lane.

The truck ran over the dog.

I don't know what the final outcome was for the dog. It yelped loudly and struggled to stand up but then seemed to regain strength and took off running back to its house.

By the time I rode back to the accident site, I could no longer see or hear it.

If there is a lesson to be learned from this incident I suppose it might be that our actions often have unintended consequences. The temptation to chase was just too much for the dog to withstand. But it did not take into consideration all of the circumstances and outcomes of its decision. The dog was blindsided.

It's an experience to remember when we are excited (or tempted) to pursue a particular course of action.

Look before we chase.

Happy riding.