Journey to Shelly Cove and back

Today, I rode my trike for about 21.5km and walked/hiked for about 2.5km. I actually thought I might skip my ride today due to forecast of possible rain, but I saw there was no cloud over the parts of my city I was planning to go, so I thought I'd be okay. Turned out I was right. It was an interesting ride. Before I even got on my trike, I noticed a little green jumping spider on my handlebars. I've loved spiders since I was a little boy and I find them adorable little critters. I remember finding solace in their company when I otherwise felt alone. My path today involved some street riding until I reach Soroptomist Park, located near the beach, which is a beautiful park created by a women's rights movement organization. Then I travel along the footpath there northwest past Rowes Bay and along Pallarenda until I reach near the end of the footpath. At this point, I moved onto the left road shoulder and cycled until I reached the end of the road within Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park. At that point I walked until I reached Shelly Cove Trail and then I walked and hiked it until I reached Shelly Cove. Then I walked along Shelly Cove until I reached its end and returned. On a previous trike ride, I saw what I presumed was a homeless lady near the beach on some bedding around the northern end of Rowes Bay. I saw her again today. Well, I saw her bedding, and I saw movement within it, so I assumed she was sleeping, and I tried to be as quiet as I could to not wake her. Unfortunately, we were near a bridge and I was on a trike, so some noise was inevitable. Fortunately, I didn't appear to wake her. Since getting into walking and cycling back in March, I've seen probably about four different homeless people that I recall. Before this I had very little exposure to homeless people. I was pleased to see no obvious attempts by my local government council to make the lives of homeless people more difficult, such as by developing anti-homeless architecture and infrastructure. The true test of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. Or, if you're Christian (I am not, but I was raised one and hence much of my sense of morality was formed by it), and I'm paraphrasing Matthew 25:40 here, however you treat the least of these my brothers and sisters you treated me (said Jesus). I also saw many walkers, cyclists and joggers along my journey. One was a jogger in Cape Pallarenda Conservation Park. He examined the map at the start of the park's hiking and biking trails. Consequently, I assumed he was likely new to the park and I thought it was possible he was going where I was, Shelly Cove, and I asked if he was. The reason is that I was happy to provide him directions if he wanted. But he had earbuds in, so he just smiled and waved. I also saw a bush turkey along Shelly Cove Trail. It let me get closer to it than other bush turkeys have. I think they are beautiful animals, too. You can see a photo of it that I took attached. I said "G'day" to most people I saw along my trike ride. Most people respond with "Morning", "Hi" or "How are you?" One elderly jogger I saw along the way back from Pallarenda to Rowes Bay replied with "Go to hell!" But I didn't take offence, I just assumed he was having a bad day or perhaps a bit bitter. I felt empathy for him, as I know life has given me plenty of opportunities to turn bitter and choosing not to go down that road is often easier said than done.