Over the years I have had many close calls with cars when riding my bike and occasionally while running.
However the most bizarre encounters have been with non humans.
Both episodes occurred within a few kilometres of my home.
One morning as I was running in the fields that I had run in frequently I came across a herd of cows. Yes cows, not bulls as I had many times previously. On this occasion like many others the cows wouldn't let me pass and decided to run ahead of me. One by one they peeled off until there was one left. After several 100 metres the track narrowed and came to a gate. Aware of this I slowed down and waited for the cow to turn around and pass me from a safe distance. The cow had other ideas and immediately charged me. By a slim margin I frantically hurled my self out of it's way over the wire fence. An extremely lucky escape!
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| They look harmless enough |
The other episode happened within close proximity of the cow confrontation. This time it involved bees!. Once again I was following well worn paths in familiar territories. I had never before concerned myself with the bee hives that I had passed on a nearly daily basis for several years. However this was not a typical day. As I passed by the hives I became aware that I was being followed. Before long I had bees swarming around my head. A frightening experience! I pulled my T Shirt over my head and picked up the pace. I would have looked a sight! They were relentless and continued to buzz wildly all around me. After about 1 km I managed to outrun them or maybe they lost interest. It took a while for me to settle down from the adrenalin rush of being chased by angry bees! Fortunately I escaped without a sting.
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| Not too close |
Have you had any close encounters of the non human variety?
