People say that it really isn’t getting any warmer around, but that isn’t the case in the state of Kansas. I’ve lived here virtually my whole life and the weather isn’t close to the same as it was when I was a kid. I used to ice skate and sled often during the winter back then. Now it rarely gets cold enough to have thick enough ice to skate. It still snows, but not like it did. It is supposed to be in the mid 60’s the next two days.
Anyway, a couple days ago, I was riding in shorts. It was nearly 60. We were out by a little town, Harveyville, and over in the ditch, by a dormant corn field, there was an armadillo. I’ve seen a few armadillo road kill around Northeastern Kansas, but have never spotted a live one.
When I see an armadillo I automatically think of Texas. I used to think that armadillos were only in Texas and Oklahoma. But, not now.
It was a fearless little guy. It was so intense on rooting around that it didn’t even notice us. We got within a couple feet of it before it raised its head. It still wasn’t too scared. It finally hopped off into the corn field.
It is always fun seeing new wildlife out on a ride. Especially new wildlife that hasn’t really been indigenous in the area. It really made the ride.
Kind of creepy looking creatures.
Here’s a video my brother Kris took.
I feel like I saw them a few times back in KS when I was riding there in the 90s but they’re certainly more common in Texas, especially in the north. Funny critters indeed.
I wouldn’t be touching it. You can get leprosy from armadillos.
And nice helmet, Steve. But you don’t need one, you never fall…..
way up north in canada, its warm up here as well… this time of year typically calls for -30oC. Its going up to 6oC this weekend… yet, last year it was very cold for most of jan-feb, lots of -40oC.
I call the whole thing the stochastic effect which is a term used in physics as a PN junction is saturated with electrons or protons. It swings from one state then to the other state wildly then clamps down to one state. In this case, we get years of really really cold then really warm. Sooner or later it will clamp onto one state. Can’t escape the physics, chemistry, nor biological properties of the planet. Momma nature will ensure the planet’s survival, as for mankind.. .she doesn’t really give a damn about us. In reality, we are fools, over consuming with 7 billion of us wanting to all live big. Big is costly to the planet.
All that kinetic energy (oil) being blown away foolishly, at around 70M barrels a day can’t be good. We are now much much much bigger than any dinosaur ever was (require +2000sqft homes and 3000lbs cars all which require vast energy to move… ).
I think we are in for a wicked rude awakening soon, esp with the oil prices being manipulated (taking the last good reserves from the middle east which will cause much more tension there as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer… a perfect storm for mass tension).
Armadillos actually are a possible vector for leprosy ( Hansen’s Disease).Because of that, they were used in research for years. I doubt you would have been at too much risk if you touched one, but it is possible to contract the disease from them. Carville, Louisiana was the main Southern regional “colony” . I played golf with the patients a few times when I was younger. They were always cracking wise about their disease, pretty good sense of humor on the older men I met. The problem on a bike is we usually aren’t able to use proper hand washing technique. That is why picking up turtles on the road like we all do probably is not the best idea either.
I used to know a lot of guys in south Texas who would catch armadillos and eat them.
Must be global warming, LOL
How cool!
Cool little creatures. I thought you were going to get another finger injury there, Steve.
They’ve been popping up more in Missoura too.
They have really poor eyesight and they will jump 3 or 4 feet vertically when startled. They are also interesting because they will always have litters of 4 of the same gender. Quadruplets.
I also read that.
(don’t know if it true, of how infectious they are)
I can still remember this conversation between two cajuns on a crew boat going offshore in the early 1980s and the sing-songy way it was delivered.
“You know Bertrand a real coon-as will eat anything he get from alongside the road ‘cept fo the possum and the armadillo.”
“Den he a crazee coon-ass too Emile, becauze dat armadilla is real good eatin.”
Love the fact Steve till rides without a helmet. True sign of a real cyclist with lots of love for cycling. Not many of us around who still get that…
To the cyclist
Or the sign of too many concussions…
Much evidence that birds have moved their zones north in response to global warming. So no reason not to believe the armadillo is any different.
Easentially we are already fucked! To consider otherwise is to put your faith in the very science that got us here. Ride like there’s no tomorrow.
Sarcasm, right? Helmet, bright neon top, and side mirror “3rd Eye”. You’re just that much safer.
damn steve, the 2nd post up above is so correct. you fall down so many times, why dont you wear a helmet? everyone can do their own thing, but man oh man, 1 time hitting hard or the wrong spot at its all over.. whos gonna write your posts when you in a veggie state?
Yeah Steve, even the armadillo wears a hardshell.
What is the mean temperature of the earth “supposed” to be (and who gets to decide what’s right)?
Trudi and Catherine will most likely take shifts to handle the writing and drool-cup duties. I’m joking. Steve should ride with whatever headgear he chooses.
The easiest way to solve this is for a helmet manufacturer to sponsor Tilly with lids, hats and dough. Then he won’t ride with a soft hat.
Good point krakatoa; I’ve never seen a definitive/plausible answer to that.
Jeff: who is “manipulating” the oil prices?? Because you can’t answer that, I’ll assume your post was in jest.