Aw, man

Today on my ride south of Iowa city I saw a beautiful gray cat who had been struck and killed by a car. I see many dead animals on each ride: deer, turtles, countless birds, raccoons (one today, in fact), frogs. In Princeton I saw squirrels.

I used to see this little cat all the time on my rides - he would stride around the fields near the sod farm, ranging all the way to the intersection with 520th st. I looked forward to seeing him. He always looked so pleased and proud of himself, like he was surveying his lands. His tail was up, and he marched along with dainty precision. It was very sad to see him there on the shoulder. I stopped at the house where I thought his owners lived but no one was home.

Rike Ratch

The usual south of IC route:

- A commuter, walking his bike. He assumed the air of ostentatious disinterest that New Yorkers use to avoid panhandlers when I asked if he had a flat. He grudgingly admitted that he did but refused my help, which is probably best for both of us since I am not exactly a whiz with the ol' tubes.

- A pack of heavily laden touring cyclists, probably training for RAGBRAI. They were carrying so much equipment that they had to do away with luxuries like helmets and drop bars.

No recumbents or tandems!

The Capricious Critic - out now!

Ladies and gentlemen, The Capricious Critic has been published by Otis Books/Seismicity Editions and is now available through SPD in California! The book collects a few of my Smyles and Fish columns and a huge amount of new material, including snarky references to Princeton landmarks, a trip to the moon, and a few dozen synonyms for halberd. You will love it beyond reason!