Just a Ride Yet So Much More

Happy Pi Day!  In honor of the occasion, I made some circles on my motorcycle.  I also drew some figure eights, several Us, and lots of straight and wavy lines.  Despite winter’s revenge on Thursday where the temperature fell over 30 degrees in a six-hour span, Pi day was a beautiful day for riding motorcycles. 

            My little buddy greeted me as I unloaded my gear.  The little cabbage white butterfly came straight across the neighbor’s yard and passed right in front of me, excited for me I suppose that I would be riding my motorcycle.  He even stopped by before I headed out to wish me a great ride.

            And it was a great ride.  I only spotted one other cabbage white two miles into the ride, but after the weather we had on Thursday, I was happy to see any still fluttering around.  I also saw several Harley riders out and about, though I didn’t spot the one behind us that Bill said was trying to catch up to our bikes.  Harleys are built for cruising not speed, so he never could catch up.

            Last week’s blooming sugar magnolia fell victim to the violent weather shift, but other trees began blooming to replace it.  Several pear trees were in bloom as were some early Yoshino cherry trees.  I hope we are done with winter and the worst of the wind so we can enjoy the blossoms for several weeks.  I also hope winter is finished because springtime rides are about the best there are.

            Despite the thickening pollen in the air, the spring gives us warm but not hot riding weather, and it gives me plenty of natural beauty to enjoy.  The greener grass is growing, and the trees are budding as they prepare to open.  And I take all of this natural beauty in while riding through it.  I suppose feeling the air on my skin and the taste of pollen on the back of my throat makes me feel closer to the landscape than I would in a car.  Yet all of this enjoyment can’t be at the expense of my attention to the road and what’s going on around me.  Maybe the joy comes from the super awareness one has when riding a motorcycle, everything is keener and therefore more beautiful.  And I look forward to a deeper understanding on next week’s ride.