BurbleChaz

I hauled the Big Camera down to Westgate Park again today. The Photographer settled down to admire the wildlife, while I hurtled round the trails again.

I started quite quickly. I'd have broken four minutes for the loop if I hadn't stopped for the heron. Startled by my insane velocity, it flew off a few metres. By the time I'd booted my camera and stalked towards its new position, it had got bored and flown off. The best picture I have contains about four pixels of the posterior elevation of the bird, so I'll spare you that.

My next lap took a record three minutes (to the second - not that I care. Honest). I should have stopped there. On my next circuit, I overcommitted to a sharp falling turn, and came to an unscheduled halt - not a crash. 500 metres later, and the the bike left the true path and blundered into a thistle-like plant. I stopped to clear the thorns. Voluntarily. Not a crash at all.

On my final lap, I disturbed a sodding great snake. Once again, it sloped off into the shrubbery before I had the camera booted. Again, I refrained from poking around with my bare hands. I think it was a common copperhead. Highly venomous. That's why it was my final lap.

While I risked my life amongst wild animals, the Photographer did her thing. Cuteness alert.