May 19, 2014
The weather is great again and I’m back walking and biking
at Robinson Preserve. This feeds my soul, but I had a rather upsetting
encounter last week.
I was cruising along at about 10 miles per hour on an
asphalt trail enjoying the scenery and watching for Roseate Spoonbills on the
pond. There were no walkers or bikers on the path and the wind was blowing
through my hair. Suddenly without warning, a HUGE frog came flying out of the
weeds and crossed right in front of me. Close on his heels was a four-foot long
black racer.
I hit my brakes and swerved, but there was nothing I could
do. Both tires bumped over the snake before he continued on into the bushes. I
pulled over, my heart pounding, and didn’t know what to do. He must have been
hurt. How can you get hit by a bicycle with a full grown woman on it and not
get hurt? I felt little comfort in that fact that he kept going and wasn’t
lying squished in the middle of the road.
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I stood there and called out to him – “I’m sorry. I’m SO
sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.” I said prayers for his recovery or quick
death. I didn’t want him to suffer. I felt awful and didn’t get back on my bike
for a long time. I just stood there apologizing over and over again and sending
him energy for whatever was his highest good.
My heart ached for the snake and the damage I had done to
him, but then the frog spoke. He was grateful that I had saved his life. He
couldn’t have timed his escape any better. He chose the exact moment to cross
that road, when a bicycle would stop the predator that was closing in on him.
My bicycle.
The snake and the frog stayed with me for a long time. In
the end, I realized that while I can be sad and sorry for the snake, it really
was the frog’s day to live, and I know he’s rejoicing.
