As I rode up the driveway this morning a little after 7:00 the temperature on the bike's gauge was 37 degrees. Fall is definitely here.
I do some volunteer work at the county jail every other Sunday morning. These Sunday morning rides are a special time. There's a sense of solitude and a feeling of more awareness than other times of the week. I generally see only a few cars on Sunday mornings so the danger they pose is almost nonexistent. It's a 16 mile trip through the country with interesting photo opportunities.
As I rode west this morning I could see the sunrise developing in my side mirrors. I started thinking of places up ahead where I could get a good view. As I continued to ride, the reflection of the red glare became visible on everything ahead. I was concerned about losing an opportunity before the road turned north where I could get a better angle. Just after the turn north I saw this scene. The bonus was Mt. Hood visible on the horizon.
_________________________________________________________
We helped our youngest daughter move to a different apartment this weekend. As we made the many trips up and down the steps on the slope down to the apartment, I noticed a cluster of Pampas Grass that became back-lit by the setting sun.
With the afternoon breeze they became slightly out of focus.
This ornamental grass blooms in the late summer and early fall and will be gone for the year in about a month.
When I think about the ride this morning it helps take away the muscle soreness from the move this weekend. I told our daughter we're getting too old to be doing this but that didn't seem to fly with her. It's a good thing she doesn't move often. But she knows we're always available.
Posts
Mike, beautiful pictures. I really enjoyed how you describe the solitude of your Sunday morning ride.
ReplyDeleteLance,
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading what's here and your comment. As you know, riding has different qualities than driving. I guess part of it is that the focus is different and riding gives more of the feeling of being in the scenery.
As I write this it's pouring rain in Seattle. I suspect you might be experiencing the same dampness just a few miles south.
ReplyDeleteYour post reminds me of the first time I encountered Pampas grass ... in the Big Sur area on the California coast. I remember how enamored I was with this tall and stately yet delicate grass.
Nice post.
Thank you Chuck for reading this and your comment.
ReplyDeleteThe weather people have been saying that a lot of wetness is coming but as I write this it hasn't happened yet. We've had showers but not the tropical downpour that's suppose to be coming. Oh well, it'll be good for the Pampas grass.