Hunter. Or Hunted?

Nice, sedate night ride last night. It was chilly, but felt pretty nice. Cold night air is good for you, no matter what your grandmother says...
We rolled out with a larger than normal "A" group, which was cool. It warms my little Grinch-like heart to see all of those lights bombing around in the woods.
Easy peasy out to the gate, then back in. Ricky and I hung back until the washout, then I sort of rolled to the front. I don't mind riding in the back, except when coming to a technical spot, or a hazard, mainly because you are at the will of the guys in front of you.
I went into the mudhole first, and saw something large and gray enter my upper peripheral vision. I instinctively ducked, and might have let out a little squeal.
THIS flew about a foot from my head...

I only saw a wing, and the tail, but the consensus was that he was a big fella. Audubon says they feed on small mammals, which I definitely am NOT, but the hunting behavior was spot on...

"Hunts by night or day, perhaps most at dawn and dusk. Seeks prey by watching from perch, also by flying low through forest; may hover before dropping to clutch prey in talons."

Seems that's exactly what happened....

It was good two hours on the bike, as usual. And I didn't lose a contact. WhoooHoooo!!

(what the hell happened to my Font...?)

And in Lance news, Armstrong's attorneys subpoena'd Frankie. Betsy had a small aneurysm, and yapped (as she does) to anyone who would listen. There's a word Frankie needs to add to his vocabulary.

com·plic·it

kəmˈplisit/

adjective

1. involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing.

You guys were there Frankie (and Betsy). You knew....

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Not ugly. Not inexpensive either....

Speaking of...

How about a stainless Merckx frameset, built with SR and Boras, to celebrate Eddy's 70th birthday? 

Only 70 will be made. 69 for public consumption. Eddy gets #1...DUH! Price for entry? $17,500.
The Boss said I could get a new, steel frameset. I showed her the VN article, and said I'd made my choice. This was her reaction...

So much for the support...

Dirt, switchback climb out of the valley. Only problem? It's in Ethiopia...
(and now the Font switches back to normal...on it's own. Ghost in The Machine)

Have a happy Wednesday. After lunch, the weekend is on the downhill...