A good day

365 Group

November 10, 2008
This morning was a cool one.

Reports varied as to the actual temperature with rain in the forecast. Safe to say it was somewhere between 30 and 45 degrees.
I decided to have another cup of coffee and let the sun get a little more up. My headlight has developed a habit of working when it wants to. When I finally got out it felt like about 35 to me. After much kicking and fussing about my old bike fired to life and I looked once again toward making a quick run to work before the rain started.
Bouncing down the driveway I realized that I could probably ride down my drive to the street in my sleep. It’s like I have every rock and bump memorized. Funny how you come to know things that well. Waiting at the street for traffic to pass I had another thought about my chain and sprockets and how I need to replace them. I keep hoping that things will improve and I can devote some time to fixing all the little stuff.
Easing out between vehicles I get that rush I always get when I take off each morning. That feeling of being alive. (If I could bottle it I wouldn’t ever have to work again.)
As I slid up to the highway I saw that everyone in northwest Arkansas had overslept. Traffic is almost literally bumper to bumper. This should make for a “great” ride. Once I finally got out and moving it wasn’t so bad. I found a niche at about 65 mph and everyone just sort of floated along. Nobody really seemed to be in too much of a hurry and the idiocy of the morning road was noticeably lacking.
My run around the foot of the mountain was pretty much over before I had a chance to think it over. The only thing really notable about it was three deer were running across a field toward me as I road by. I remember doing a quick scan of both sides of the road to see if there were others and then just watching them run. It was one of those things that you really don’t often see when you have the time to just watch and enjoy.
As I pulled up to Butterfield Coach Road I had to wait again to get an opening in traffic. Most everyone that went buy looked like they were a card carrying member of the Zombie nation. Just going through the motions of a Monday morning. A few looked at me with disbelief and waved. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. They’ll just never know.
As I eased into main traffic in town I couldn’t help but be surprised at how well everyone was behaving. There wasn’t anyone along my route jumping stop signs or tearing down the center turn lane… I even made all the traffic lights. (This has got to mean something!!) This morning was truly one for the record books. I didn’t see any of the usual bike crowd that I normally see on my way to work and I wondered if I had the record again.
As I turned off at work I noticed that there was a crowd standing on the dock like something was going on. Looking around as I pulled in I didn’t see anything that would draw a crowd. I figured everyone decided to go smoke at the same time and let it go. Later I found out that they were waiting to see if I would ride in or come by car. That tickled me. Most of them ride a bike and actually live within a few blocks of work.
I got my morning paper work done and looked out at my bike and decided to take the rest of the day off. Sounds kind of frivolous but I hadn’t done something like that just because I wanted to in a long time.
My relief showed up and I kicked “tilley” to life and pulled out to see if the traffic was still behaving.
I started out of town and the next thing I knew I was running down Hwy 412 toward Huntsville. It was such a nice ride that I toyed with the idea of running over to Eureka Springs and grabbing lunch then heading home. But as my luck goes I passed a pickup that was running his windshield wipers and that brought me back to reality. It was cold and rain was in the forecast. As I have gotten older I still don’t mind riding in the cold or the rain or both. However, If I don’t have to, I don’t. So I headed toward the house.
If the threat of rain hadn’t been in the picture today would have been a good day for riding. I really enjoyed running down the back roads toward the house. As I came into town it was really getting dark and I figure I timed it just about right to not get wet.
Stopping at the café in town I got a Biscuit and sausage and a coke and headed on to the house. My luck held. I made it home with enough time to unload my junk and take it in and put my charger on the battery and cover everything up before the rain started.
As I sat munching on the biscuit I thought about the morning and how much I would have loved riding over to Eureka and having lunch. I thought about the Deer and the traffic and just how much fun it all had been. I guess that’s one of the main reasons I ride. It’s fun!
Right at 60 miles
Hope to see ya on the road