What a Difference a Few Hours Make!

Last week we rode earlier and I went to the gym after our ride.  This week, despite the 88 degrees high temperature, I went to the gym first and we rode our motorcycles in the early afternoon.  The few hours later in the day made a big difference in the number of butterflies I saw during our ride—less than half of last week’s number.  So butterflies must take afternoon siestas.

            I did see more dragonflies, more than two for every butterfly I spotted, including one little guy who flew directly at my left shoulder.  I never felt an impact and there weren’t four wings stuck to my Helite airbag vest after the ride, so I believe he managed to veer off and continue with his day.  Of course, with the warmer air and the increasing number of dragonflies, the mosquitoes are around.  Luckily, we ride early enough in the day to avoid them.

            My ride wasn’t the best in terms of my technique.  My shifting and stopping went well, but all of my turns were wide.  I turned a corner so wide I went into the oncoming lane (luckily free of oncoming traffic).  And my on-street U-turns both went a bit onto the grassy berm.  I think part of that was my distraction because one of the cabbage white butterflies was flitting along the side of the road right where we did our turns, and I was watching her flit about.

            As we turned up one road, both of us spotted a young osprey working on its flight skills.  It seemed the osprey was following us along our route up the road in a zigzagging fashion which was really neat.  But soon the parent osprey showed up to guide the little guy either back to the nest or back over the water to find lunch.

            Despite the heat of the day, I wasn’t uncomfortably hot.  Sure my t-shirt was adhering to my back, but there was a lovely breeze blowing with some cooler air to keep the ride mostly comfortable.  Plus, we didn’t go into the hospital lot for slow speed maneuvers.  I saw some more bright scarlet day lilies in bloom, and the magnolia blossoms are holding strong.  But some of the roses have begun to fade, and the blooms off the honeysuckle were gone.  I noticed that the leaves on the Japanese maples seem more burnished and less bright than they did a few weeks ago.  Summer is fast approaching which means even more relaxing rides.