Traffic in the Country?

Coming home tonight after working at the jail I was surprised by the mile-long line of traffic going the opposite direction.  I know this road like the back of my hand and I've never seen this before so I had to pull over and record it.  It's really no big deal but traffic isn't suppose to happen in the country is it?  I mean that's why it's called country.  There are less houses and people.

One bonus out of the event was turning the camera sideways and including the almost-full moon.

I got some interesting looks from the drivers while they passed by slowly.  My side of the road was smooth sailing until further ahead at a stop sign.

This shot is blurry but captures the unusual sight.  Ordinarily one or two cars might pass by while swooping around this curve.

I usually take the long way home but tonight in a small town at about the half-way point the road was closed due to construction.  For a split second I was bummed but then I realized it meant being on the bike longer to double back.

I don't care for traffic when on the bike but tonight I was just glad to be holding the handle bars again.  Maybe the traffic was a result of the detour or maybe an unusual infusion of Christmas shoppers.  Who knows.  All I know is it was good to be riding on an early evening in mid December with a full moon.

God's speed.

Pressing the Starter Button Again

This is how the Beemer looked early Thursday morning after opening the garage door.  Just a trace of morning light was glancing off the side.  Not having its starter button pressed in almost a week it seemed to have a cold and lonely look.

I was leaving the house for the 170 mile trip to Roseburg but with the temperature at 39 (F), the starter button wouldn't be pressed that morning either.  I'm not opposed to riding in 39 degree weather but to sustain that for 3 hours is beyond my scope of what I call enjoyable riding.

We've had cold, wet, and windy weather for most of the week but Thursday turned out to be a nice day. Of course, that's the day I didn't ride. Yesterday the rain and wind came back until this afternoon.

Some might remember from a previous post in which I wrote about a Saturday afternoon ritual I have of making a yogurt run.  We like the yogurt but I really like the excuse to ride on Saturday afternoons and not be concerned about the weather.  This afternoon I pressed the starter button again and reconnected with my machine.

It was great to get out on the road again; to hold on to the handle bars and feel the pull of the engine.  And it's always fun to stop and take some photos along the way.  I took the long way home on some backroads.  I couldn't go too far though because the yogurt had to get home. Next time I go a week without riding I'll have to remember to ride first then get the yogurt.

I hope you've been pressing your starter button these days.

I wish you and your family a blessed Easter!

Relax and Ride

 

I worked all day today at home in the office. I know that sounds pretty good but work is work no matter where you are. Don't get me wrong, I really like my job and I'm fully grateful to God for being employed and for the job that I have.

Late this afternoon I had to get on the motorcycle and relax and ride. One way to do that is to go for a spin in the hill country. This area has the right amount of peaks, valleys, and curves. That style of course gives the right amount of concentration as well as relaxation. It's like a soothing mental salve that makes one forget worries and issues. When I use to play tennis I found that in order to play well you have to fully concentrate on the ball and forget everything that's on your mind. I've found it to be similar when riding through many twists and turns.

 

Not too far from where we live are vineyards where grapes are grown that produce Pinot Noir that rivals what is produced in France. It's been recognized as one of the premier Pinot Noir producing areas of the world.

 

The warm summers with cool evenings give us a long growing season. Of course, this gives you another reason to visit Oregon. We like... no, make that love tourists.

 

Well, the ride was short and sweet, only 37 miles but the results were good. 

I had what could have been a bad incident while coming down the back side of a small mountain through some switch-backs. I saw a construction type truck cutting his corner short and over the center line as I approached the curve. He saw me so he corrected and got back over the line.

Although it wasn't a close call, it could have been. Close calls can bring to the surface areas that need attention and refining. Making myself visible was probably the key to not getting hit. Sort of like a tennis ball in that you want to be visible, you just don't want to get hit.