Yes, I am asking the question—do crows eat goose poop?  This puzzlement is one of the many thoughts that play through my mind as I ride.  But there is a specific incident that led me to this particular pondering.

            First, let me start by saying today was probably the prettiest August day for riding ever.  The whole week has been kept comfortably cool for late summer by winds coming down from Canada.  Daily highs have been in the mid-70s with low humidity and plenty of sunshine.  Luckily, the weather held into Saturday; it was so comfortably cool for late August that it didn’t matter that we had a late start and didn’t head out for our ride until after 3:00.  In fact Bill had joked that had we gotten up to ride at 6:00 AM, we would’ve needed to wear our leather jackets.

            So here I was on a late summer day not getting wet underpants because I didn’t sweat at all during the ride.  And we weren’t the only ones out riding, though we were the only ones on motorcycles.  I spotted more than ten bicyclists out and about including two intrepid youths out with their training wheels.  One boy on his bike looked at us as we passed and I waved to him to keep his future dreams of motorcycles alive.

            Before we headed out, I spotted a bird of prey.  At first I thought it was an osprey, but as it flew closer overhead, I made out the white head and brown underside of a young bald eagle.  I smiled at this wonderful sight and was hopeful for more fun wildlife during the ride.  Despite the beautiful day, though, I only spotted one sulfur butterfly before our ride and one eastern tiger swallowtail later during the ride.  And I saw a turkey vulture circling high in the sky with another large bird; however, this bird’s wing shape was different from the turkey vulture.  From my research I believe it may have been a gray vulture, but as he was very high in the sky, I can’t be sure.

            The squirrels are a bit more assertive this late into the summer.  Two ran out in front of Bill during our ride and both just kept right on going as though they owned the road.  One of them had something large and white in its mouth, maybe a pale squash though it seems too early for squash.  We did have an unexpected sighting.  Someone’s pet dog, I believe a little Lancashire heeler, was out in the road.  I looked around and only spotted an open garage.  He didn’t try and chase our motorcycles, but he was friendly and began approaching us before we moved away.  When we came out of the footless stop, which was totally full of feet as a truck was coming so we had to stop, the little dog was heading up the road.

            But we rode on, heading up the fast road.  We turned into the square lot for U-turn practice where I spotted the crows.  As we rode into the square, I looked around to see what so many crows were feasting on.  But all I saw was the Canadian goose poop that covered the parking lot.  This observation led me to wonder if crows do eat poop; the best answer I could find was maybe.  However, it is the ability to make such detailed observations from the seat of my motorcycle that lets my mind wander into such profound thinking (HA!).  I was grossed out knowing the goose poop was getting all over our tires, but there was no way to avoid it.

            We circled back to check on the little dog, but he had made his way home by then.  I was happy about that.  One disadvantage of motorcycles is they aren’t ideal for carrying things or dogs.  Bill isn’t too shot with carrying passengers on the pillion, which is why I get a motorcycle of my own to ride.  I could still ponder goose poop eating crows and spot butterflies and birds from the back of a motorcycle, but I wouldn’t have any where near the fun I have working the clutch, rolling on the throttle, and working with the balance of the motorcycle as I turn it around.  I also think it’s very healthy and helpful for my aging brain—to multitask with working the motorcycle while observing the wonders of nature around me.  I can’t wait for more brain work next week.

We are halfway through August and signs of autumn are beginning to appear.  Soon the meteorologists will be recounting how this was the hottest summer on record.  And I won’t believe them.  Two weeks into August, past what should have been the dog days of summer, and we’ve been sitting with temperatures in the 80s.  For the mid-Atlantic coast, this makes for a balmy summer.  It sure made for a comfortable summer ride.

            The sky was cloudy as well, though no rain was in the forecast.  The cloud cover contributed to the comfortable ride.  Still, because it is still summer, Bill led us on a cruising ride with no slow speed drills.  I did get to practice my footless stop—another 0 on the speedometer.  And I continued working on my engine braking with only one full pull in on the clutch during the whole ride.

            As we rode, we passed three groups of Canadian geese, each one progressively larger than the other.  The third gaggle was over twenty geese; this many groups is a sure sign of fall migration.  Fall of course is spectacular riding weather, and I am definitely looking forward to those cooler days and the colors of autumn.  Not that I mind still seeing the crape myrtle blossoms, roses, brown-eyed Susans, and brightly colored vincas still flowering.  I was surprised, though, to still see flowers in bloom on the magnolia trees and credit that to both the milder summer and the abundance of rain we’ve had.

            I spotted a spicebush swallowtail that’s been hanging around my yard as I sat in the car waiting for Bill.  During the ride, a different spicebush swallowtail flew aggressively toward Bill on the Rocket before backing off and fluttering away.  I will miss spotting butterflies as we head into the colder seasons.  But I am hoping I’ll see some bald eagles as they have been conspicuously absent this summer.  When I get to ride my motorcycle, I can find something wonderful in all the seasons to enjoy.

            I did not get another day like last Saturday for my ride this week.  The weather decided to remind me that it is August and produced a hot and humid day.  As I loaded the gear in the car, my sunglasses fogged up from the humidity, and in the direct sunlight, the heat was on.  The official temperature was only 92 degrees; even so, I could smell the asphalt as it softened in the heat.

            There had been rain forecasted as a possibility for Saturday, but it came and went earlier in the week.  I do appreciate the rain we’ve had this summer as it has kept the grass and trees lush and green and the flowers in bloom.  The wildlife was sparse, though, resting from the heat.  We were well into the ride before I spotted a mockingbird and some robins flitting about.  No butterflies were spotted during the ride, but as I began taking my gear off after the ride, a tiger swallowtail made an appearance in the palm trees across the street.

            Due to the heat, the ride was focused on movement.  I continued to work on engine braking and managed to utilize it all but one time.  That one time was when Bill last minute decided to turn.  There was a breeze, but it was out of the southwest, so the wind was warm.  I could feel sweat trickling down my back and, yes, dampening my underwear.  Yet I marveled at how the reinforced Klim riding jacket really isn’t that hot.  Bill even wondered at how people can ride wearing shorts as the heat from the engine and gas tank would be right up against bare skin.

            I turned my head in the helmet more during this ride, and this motion may have helped keep my forehead from chafing.  I had a red mark on my forehead from the helmet lining, but it wasn’t as big as it has been nor was it painful.  Of course it could be that I’m developing a “scalp callus” to deal with the chafing (just kidding).

            A few times during my ride, I had some missed shifts between second and third gear.  Because it was here and not between second and first, I didn’t end up in neutral.  Now the R Nine T doesn’t have a gear indicator because it is what is known as a retro motorcycle.  But I could feel the lack of throttle response as well as hear something odd in the shift to let me know I wasn’t in gear.  I’ve ridden the R Nine T the longest and it is becoming clear to me that I am learning the motorcycle in a way I never did with the 310 or the Ducati.  This knowledge is a good thing as I won’t be getting a 1300 GS anytime soon—BMW has just issued a recall.