Seeing double

The American Tobacco Trail is a wonderful stretch of paved trails that winds its way through Durham and beyond. It provides miles and miles of shaded outdoor hiking, walking, running, and biking activities for nature lovers and athletes alike. Though there are plenty of sidewalks to be found throughout my neighborhood, I really enjoy taking Paxton the dog for a walk at the American Tobacco Trail whenever time allows. He doesn’t complain either, as it provides for him new and improved places to mark his territory.
I went for a nice long walk early Sunday morning to spice things up a bit. I can tell Paxton is bored with our usual routine since he has begun acting out in a most appreciated way – his new ritual includes pooing on the hardwood floors and taking massive dog chunks out of our suede couch cushions. Dogs – gotta love ‘em.
So Paxton and I are about 10 minutes into our walk. We’ve passed dozens of other walkers, some with strollers, others with dogs in tow. We’ve passed bikers, runners and skaters as well.
I can hear a set of bikers approaching behind me. As they get closer, they each ring a little bell on the side of their handlebars to notify me of their proximity. Then they call out, “Good morning. Bikers on your left!”
As they pass by, I notice they are wearing matching, loose-fitting biking attire – long sleeves and pants on an already sweltering morning. Florescent orange reflective jackets, helmets, and knee and elbow pads are really hard to miss.
Now I can’t say that I’ve taken the time to study “the rules of public trails,” but how much of this gear is really necessary for biking in broad daylight?
I think this older couple was simply being overly precautious, but it was absolutely darling to witness. I can only hope that one day hubby and I will morph into a darling couple as well. I hope that there are many matching, reflective outfits in our future. Maybe even a tandem bicycle ride or two. Who knows what the future brings…