500 miles

[jhetley]

Well, over that, actually. Today's ride takes me to 540 +/- for the year. Should be rather more than that, for July 4, but weather has interfered, and the nice doctor lady didn't want me riding in April. Minor surgery at the end of March.

Wildlife report is pretty normal, dead woodchucks and skunks and probably a raccoon (ID can get difficult after a few days...) and a live fawn by the side of the road. About half grown, but still spotted and gangly. Bald eagle fishing above the dam near Indian Island.

The deer fly is one of the most ornery critters in the universe. It and its larger cousin the moose fly are big, buzzy, bumbling carnivores that won't take no for an answer. They want a chunk of hamburger from your hide, not just a delicate sip of blood. And for all their size, they fly fast. Had a bunch of them circling me, out along Route 46, and they kept up with me at a clocked 22 MPH. No breeze to speak of, which made them more of a problem than sometimes. Makes you question the concept of a benevolent deity.

Oh, and the LiveJournal spellcheck doesn't recognize "didn't" and "gangly" as lawful words. Screw 'em.

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

>>>Have you considered using the deerfly patches that you put on the back of your hat? Lee Valley has them - and apparently they work well.

I don't think I've ever been introduced. What means this phrase "deerfly patches"? Insect repellant I know, believe me. Maine residents quickly become experts on that subject. Either experts, or the massed bugs carry them off and leave the dried bones lying scattered in the woods....

I'm not getting bitten, just bugged. And any solution has to be compatible with a bike helmet.

Also never heard of "Lee Valley."

Sorry about that -

[persimmon.livejournal.com]

Ah. I've been making unwarranted assumptions again ... take a look at http://www.leevalley.com. Only in Canada, eh?

Their description of the patch in question runs like this:

As you know, deer flies seem to land on silken feet and give you no warning before they rip out a piece of your carcass. But their motto is: "Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad". So, they fly round your head a dozen or more times before landing on the back of it.

If you have one of our deer fly patches on the back of your cap, they will immediately be trapped when they land. The patch will not stick to your fingers, but will still trap the deer flies. It's all small-scale jungle warfare.

Offered as a package of four sticky patches, each measuring 2-1/2" x 5-3/4". One patch will stay effective for several days.

I don't work for them, and neither does anyone else I know - but I love the way their catalogue is written, and I've had good luck with anything I've purchased from them.

Re: Sorry about that -

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Well, the flies can't land on the back of my head because there's a bike helmet in the way. But they _still_ do the circle bit. And I can just imagine a trapped deerfly buzzing angrily away on the far side of a hardshell helmet. I don't know but what that'd be worse....

I'll check out the site sometime when I have 'net time.