15 October 2011

Random glimpses of nature in the city...

First up... the Urban Wild.

When thinking about the perils of the Urban Athlete... what comes to mind?

Blazing a trail through The Asphalt Jungle?

Having to fend off the "Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat..."while trying to get a few miles in?

Several months ago, I paid homage to the Semi-Urban Athlete. Today I am looking at the flipside... where nature intrudes upon man's construct.

Although this city ranked 5th in the nation's City Crime Rankings in 2010...nature and all her bounty are in abundance. It is rather surprising to be running in a city like this one and see actual wildlife! But just the other day, I stumbled upon this scene...

can you see it? under the tree? 

and here's the mama deer and her baby (click to biggify)
Hard to see? 
They call it camouflage...
Helps animals blend into their surroundings ;-)

I know what you're thinking... "so....ummmm....yeah... it's a deer...big whoop" and your wondering "where's the peril?" And maybe you live in the real mountains like in Colorado or Montana or some place with forests and bears and stuff. But the pictures above were taken within a five-minute drive of hardcore ghetto (see below) and in the midst of a fancy-ish residential neighborhood. Sometimes these deer do literally go slumming... I've seen it (but I was too slow and too stunned to get a picture that time). They might learn gangsta moves when they venture into the rougher neighborhoods, or they might be rabid... or both. So... yeah... possible peril. Amazing what can exist almost side by side.

image by Yung Grasshopper
...source and interesting op-ed piece

Next up... Natural Beauty on the Road in Town

This next series of Nature-In-The-City photos wasn't shot while I was engaging in any sort of athletics. And it raises the question:  While it is illegal in many states to text while driving... and I am assuming this law would extend to updating Facebook statuses and tweeting, right? ... is it illegal to take pictures while driving?

There was no way I was passing this up, though...

I noticed amazing things were starting to happen while I waited for the light to turn green...

Heading due west on that same street, a mile (and less than 5 minutes later) this was the scene while waiting for yet another red light...

This does make it look a lot more yellow-orange than it really was... it was more peachy-reddish...
same intersection as above.

Things continued to morph once we got on the freeway...

Sometimes even beautiful, natural things can occur in Top 10 Crime Cities...


O... you're saying I probably broke the law?

Throw the book at me then... but can you make sure it's a really big book and aim well so that it hits my "bible bump"?


It's right under my middle finger... really.

16 comments:

  1. Love this post! I get so used to the stuff I see here in Colorado, and it is so fun for me to see the views others experience during their daily runs. That sunset is gorgeous!!

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  2. Beautiful!!! Even cities have pretty moments....among the graffiti!

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  3. You're killing me! The pics are gorgeous, though. Nice work.

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  4. I love a gorgeous sunrise. Nothing beats it.

    The deer must have been an exciting thing to see! It is strange that they go into the city sometimes, but i guess they must get bored too. :)

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  5. Looks like a beautiful place to live. I assure you yesterday's run through B'more introduced me to much more lovely parts than I had ever seen before .... and 1 section that was way more awful ... they had cycle officer going up and down the bad section next to the runners.

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  6. In Alberta, if a cop saw you taking the potos, and was minded to do so, he or she could give you a ticket under the distracted driving laws that were recently introduced. Essentially using your hands to manipulate almost anything but the steering wheel could get you a ticket. Specifically included is using your phone to do, well, anything the phone can do. It's ok if it's mounted in a bluetooth thingie, and you are using it hands free. Eating might get you a ticket. Applying makeup certainly will, as will repressing your children.

    Still, very nice photos. I got a couple on the way to work on Friday, but I was a passenger. Which reminds me I ought to post them. Maybe later today.

    A few minutes run from my house is a huge urban park. A bear (black) was tranked there a few years ago. There was a scare about a cougar a little while ago, they had good footprints, but it got out on its own. Various kinds of deer, coyotes, fox, and other critters are common.

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  7. Miami is a major crime city too, but i think like anywhere it depends on where you hang out :)

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  8. Those dear need to RUN. I'm afraid they are going to eat something toxic! If I see a three headed dear here in Florida, I'm going to know he/she was once in your neck of the woods. ;-)

    Love the sunset!!!!

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  9. I wonder if deer parents worry about their kids getting mixed up with a bad crowd? ;)

    PS - Great photos!

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  10. I love nature and sunsets and deer. Cute nice post. I hate bites. That looks like it itches and kills :( sorry

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  11. What a beautiful sky! I think it's good to remember the simple beautiful things that happen every day around us :)

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  12. I love running across deer. I live in the city (but not the CITY city), and it's about as common on our local bike trails as it is on the slightly less local singletrack around here. But it always makes me smile. And, after that crazy video of the biker in S. Africa getting bowled over, a little nervous. ;P

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