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.

rider on motorcycle — I’ve been riding motorcycles now for just over four years! And I’ve come a long way since the school parking lot.

A Ride with Butterflies

Sunshine with a high of 72 for the day, and the butterflies loved it. Our little garage cabbage white fluttered by as we geared up, but he was just the beginning. My motorcycle odometer showed 2221, so Bill wanted me to take the lead and pull over when it turned over to 2222. I led us down the curvy road and learned shadows on the road can hide hidden dangers that I had to swerve to avoid (divots in the road from the construction equipment or a hidden sewer plate). I got to see the clump of yellow Japanese irises; usually I only see the Japanese iris in purple. And I hope to see the bald eagle, but I didn’t have that kind of luck.

We did get to see an osprey rising from the river and heading back to the nest with a snack for its chick. And I did spot a family of Canadian geese with five or six goslings. But what I saw mostly during our ride was butterflies. I counted thirty-one cabbage whites out enjoying the day, two ceraunus blue butterflies, a tiger swallowtail, what I think was a banded hairstreak, and a bright orange butterfly that may have been a question mark butterfly as we packed up the car.

Clearly, butterflies love roses, irises, and day lilies as I saw even more in bloom. And there is honeysuckle and the clean, fresh scent of magnolia blossoms for the butterflies to enjoy. I was right there with them, enjoying the cool air; it was a day made both for motorcycles and butterflies.

My experience with the shadows on the road made me appreciate more having Bill in the lead. Being in front requires more awareness as I’m the first to encounter obstacles such as the mail truck pulling out into our lane as we came around a curve. After the 2222 mile check, I let Bill retake the lead and focused on my riding. I did a little bit of target fixation swerving, but I was too busy counting butterflies to do too many. My on-street U-turns were all roadway, and my sudden stops went really well. I had two hitches, though. One was when I somehow had my left foot out of place on the foot peg and couldn’t find the shifter. It took me two tries before my toes finally got where they needed to be, but I didn’t panic. I used the clutch to help slow the bike with the rear brake. The second hitch was when I thought I had shifted up to fourth gear (which I had), so I didn’t downshift fully and left a stop in second gear. The R Nine T have a shudder but it didn’t stall, so I recovered nicely.

I don’t know how many more days we’ll have such wonderful weather or such wonderful company with the butterflies and birds. But I do know, I’ll be out next week riding to find out.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms who read this.

Near Miss and Not-So-Happy Ending

It was a mixed ride this week in part because I wasn’t feeling well. The day was beautiful with the rain holding off until tomorrow and the sun shining brightly. We made an early start of it so we could ride while the temperature was in the upper 70s as opposed to our usual time when the temperature would be in the mid- to upper-80s. I was feeling weak, but I still wanted to ride as I felt I could handle the motorcycle. It helped when Bill said our ride would be nice, slow, and easy.

My start wasn’t easy. I’ve explained before that there is a steep camber on the road we start on. For safety of course, I try and check for oncoming traffic. Due to the bright sunshine, I put sun shades in my car windshield which is parked on the street to our right. With the sun shades in, I can’t spot oncoming traffic through the windshield and have to edge out to see around the car. Now Bill’s Triumph Rocket has hill stop assist which means his bike won’t roll back on an incline. My lovely BMW R Nine T does not which means if I stop on a hill, my legs have to hold the bike from rolling back. My legs did not hold the 500 plus pound motorcycle from rolling backward. So when Bill took off, I rolled back. It took me a few moments to readjust and get myself going.

Our motorcycle cabbage white butterfly was back flitting about in the yard over and around the bikes as we geared up. I tried counting all the cabbage whites I spotted throughout the ride, but there were far too many of them. And nearly with each butterfly I saw, there was a dragonfly nearby. With the roses approaching peak bloom, the irises, clematis, and more flowers blooming, the butterflies had a lot of nectar to drink.

Less than half a mile into the ride, though, I had a near collision with a cabbage white! As we turned onto the main road through the neighborhood, I spotted the little guy to the right of the road and watched as his meandering path brought him straight toward my bike’s chassis. I tried to spot him out of the mirrors as I passed to see if he managed to avoid the collision, but I didn’t spot him. I feared I would find little white wings melted to the engine when I finished my ride, but I’m happy to say, there was no sign of butterfly body parts

During our ride, which was helping me to feel better, Bill stopped us and gave me an exercise. He wanted me to target fixate on something in the road when the road was deserted—a leaf, a pinecone, a shadow. While I target fixated, the drill was to keep my eyes on the target while I swerved away from it. This drill is to prepare me for accident or obstacle avoidance. I did well with the drill, which also helped me to feel better.

As we rode, I spotted a beautiful fuchsia colored peony in full bloom. I also caught the wonderful scent of honeysuckle finally blooming. Plenty of nectar choices for all the butterflies I saw. I think I caught glimpses of two ceraunus blue butterflies; these were very small butterflies with diaphanous wings (getting to use the word diaphanous makes me happy). We mostly cruised through the ride and cut into odd streets to avoid the many trucks with trailers we encountered. Our earlier start showed us very different traffic patterns.

We went down by the river where I’ve seen the great blue heron at low tides, but it has apparently migrated north for the summer. I spotted one turkey vulture high in the thermals before we headed out, but the only other birds of note I saw were the ubiquitous crows. I don’t really mention the crows because they’re everywhere and they’re crows. But as we finished up our ride, adding a circle back to avoid even more trucks, I spotted yet another cabbage white butterfly on the right side of the road and zooming across to the other side. I also glimpsed movement out of my left peripheral vision and saw a crow swooping in. My heart sank because I knew what the crow was swooping in for and, sure enough, as I passed the large oak tree, I saw the crow on the ground with white wings in its beak. I realize nature is nature and butterflies are part of the food chain, but I didn’t really need to see it, and I was glad the ride was coming to an end.

I let the fact that I made it through the ride and I saw so many butterflies not getting eaten by crows to cheer me up. I’ll have to get used to slightly different sights—I did see a Cinco de Mayo peppers blow up—and traffic patterns as we get earlier in our rides. As long as I keep riding, I’m OK with that.

motorcycle driven by Stormtrooper with sidecar carrying Darth Vader — May the Fourth Be with You! Happy Star Wars Day!

Happy-Camper Ride

Despite the dark, threatening clouds hovering in the northwest sky, we decided to trust the forecast and the sunshine obstinately holding its own against the impending storm and go for our ride. As we unloaded the gear, Bill noted what he thought were raindrops on the car’s back window, and I felt my heart sink. But the pavement was dry, and the rain wasn’t expected until 10 o’clock at night, so I voted we risk it and head out. I was reassured in my decision when the little friendly garage cabbage white butterfly fluttered over to check out the motorcycles. That was a good omen.

Something was up with traffic, though. On the drive over, traffic was heavier than it had ever been even off the highway in the neighborhoods. We hadn’t gone half a mile when we encountered congestion on the main road through the neighborhood. Bill had warned me to be aware of crazy traffic, and he wasn’t kidding. We ducked onto a road that made an arc from point to point on the main road and let the traffic pass.

Doing the duck away when traffic got a little heavy kept the ride pleasant and not too hectic. As we rode past some scruffy looking gentlemen in the road, we were given the two-finger motorcycle salute. I know one day my body will be too fragile and frail to let me ride motorcycles, but I take some comfort in knowing that with the two-wheel life wave, I can always be a part of the motorcycle life.

My thoughts did not remain melancholy; I think it is impossible to stay melancholy while riding a motorcycle. Whether it’s the fresh air, the wind blowing negativity out of my mind, or the giddy thrill of having an 1,170 cc engine with 109 HP moving me along, riding a motorcycle is a happy-camper maker. There’s also the visceral experience of being exposed in nature, feeling I could reach out and touch the tiger swallowtail as it flits by or getting hit by a leaf blown about in the wind. The flowers and trees seem more vivid in the colors perhaps because they are not filtered through a car’s windshield or windows.

I spotted more irises in bloom, a whole clump of lavender shaded flowers enjoying the sun. I also saw another peony bush with large, cabbage-like white flowers. The two peonies I have seen are both planted around the base of mailboxes. Perhaps the peonies are the latest trend; clematis and roses have been the most noticeable mailbox blossoms.

Speaking of roses, they are really blossoming now. I love the color varieties of roses, and they make a lush addition to any yard. So do the Japanese maples which are hitting full leaf and adding that lovely burgundy contrast to the explosion of green from all the other trees. I spotted several cabbage white butterflies in and out of all the foliage. And again, I saw a black butterfly above my head; based on its height and that it was heading toward trees, I’m guessing that it was a black swallowtail.

As we rode along our last big road before the ride’s end, I happened to glance up just as a dragonfly flew overhead. Dragonflies mean summertime (and mosquitos), but a day in the low 80s can be spring or summer and I’ll take it anytime of year. When we were in the garage, Bill asked me if I’d seen the skink in the middle of the road. I hadn’t; I was looking up at the dragonfly. But I didn’t run over the stupid little guy who Bill said didn’t move. I was following on the inside of Bill and out of the path of the sunning skink. That’s just one of the reasons riding motorcycles is so much fun; it’s always some kind of an adventure.

Easter-Eve Ride

From chills to warm thrills, this week’s ride was on a day heading into the mid-80s. I had to remember to open up the air vents in my helmet for today’s ride. We headed out earlier in the day to avoid the full heat of the day and, while I was warm, I was comfortable between the ride wind and the wind gusts.

I think the gusty wind kept my butterfly sightings down. I did manage to spot five cabbage whites throughout the ride, including my first friend who I caught out of the corner of my eye and first thought was a dogwood flower petal. I also spotted another tiger swallowtail, my first black butterfly of the season which was either a black swallowtail or a dusky hairstreak. And when I got home from the ride, I saw the little Atlantis Fritillary butterfly.

As we rode, I realized Bill would lead us through more slow-speed drills to take advantage of the reasonable warmth. My on-street U-turns were great; the second one was tight enough to leave a foot and a half of road before the berm. We even went in the hospital lot to work on sudden stops for the first time in a while. My stops still need work, but I really am enjoying the lean of the motorcycle and the ease of balance control as I spin around.

One think I’m bad at is forgetting to mention some of what I see on my rides. For example, last week I spotted a small peony bush full of blushing white blossoms. And most of the flutterings in the air weren’t butterflies but those helicopter seed pods from the maple trees. On this week’s ride, I spotted my first box turtle sunning himself on a log in the river. Technically, it isn’t the first turtle I’ve seen, but the actual first one didn’t make it across the road (I hate mentioning the bad stuff).

The only birds I saw were some turkey vultures high up in the thermals, some Canadian geese, and an egret flying overhead. It always amazes me how I can spot a large bird in the sky and how quickly it can seemingly disappear in the vast blueness. On the drive over, a small kestrel zoomed right past the windshield.

The azaleas are holding mostly strong, but the dogwoods are going green. The Japanese maples add a lovely contrasting burgundy to all the green. I saw my first day lilies, but I thought they might be newly planted fresh from the garden store as they were pretty uniform—not that I care. I spotted a few Easter decorations including an Easter bunny driving a carrot mobile to deliver eggs and Snoopy dressed up as the Easter bunny. I know it’s a lovely weekend for Easter, and riding my motorcycle out among the rebirth of nature is a wonderful way to celebrate!

Atlantis Fritillary butterfly (orange and black butterfly in green grass)

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

My usual rides are on Saturdays, and I was trying to psych myself up for the ride. It’s funny how a 50 degree day in the winter is a gift of warmth. But a 50 degree day in the spring is cold. Clearly, it’s all in one’s perspective, but I was in the midst of debating whether I should pull out my leather jacket or if I could tough it out for one ride. It didn’t help that the skies were gray and threatening and the wind was gusting enough to make it feel 10 degrees colder. After a brief discussion with Bill, we opted to risk the ride on Sunday because it promised to be 10 degrees warmer and at least partly sunny.

Well the sun did come out tomorrow. While there were clouds and it didn’t get quite as warm as promised earlier in the week, the warmth from the sun made for a mostly comfortable ride. I dressed in layers with flannel and thermal shirts in the mix and wore my Rev’It leather pants and only had a bit of a chill on my thighs that went away as the sun beat down on my black pants and the motorcycle warmed up.

The sun decided to shine on us throughout the ride, and the curvy road was passable again, so we zoomed up and down it. The Canadian geese are back in smaller groups and mating pairs—it is springtime. The azaleas are approaching peak bloom, and I rode by a house with a phenomenal array of azaleas with blooming dogwoods completing the landscaping. Reds, white, pinks, and purples arrayed in front of the white and pink blossoms of the dogwoods. The pink dogwoods are at peak, while the white dogwoods are a mix mostly of blossoms and leaves, though a few late bloomers were peaking. I also spotted the knockout roses beginning to bloom and am amazed to see several camellias still in bloom. I also spotted my first blooming clematis, and I expect to see more in bloom next week.

The day was so beautiful, Bill led us on a long cruise. I thought we might do some slow speed maneuvers because of the cool day, but our only turnarounds were in cul-de-sacs or the square lot. While I was turning in the square lot, I was reminded of my MSF test and the box—a twenty foot square box in which I was supposed to U-turn inside the lines. I didn’t stay inside the lines at the time but, as I made a tight turn, I recognized that part of the reason I couldn’t turn tightly was the motorcycle I was riding. A cruiser like the old Kawasaki Eliminator has a longer rake meaning the front forks are more angled and the front wheel is stretched out more. On the R Nine T, I’m in a more upright position and the forks are more up and down, so I can turn the wheel in a tighter radius. I realized that on my motorcycle, I would pass the box test no problem. And I was glad the instructors at the MSF course let me slide on my box test.

I spotted four cabbage white butterflies during my ride; I think they came out because of the sunshine because it was cool. I had hoped I might see an eagle since we went up the curvy road, but no luck. However, we did spot an osprey soaring up above the river and he put on a bit of an aerobatic show for us. I also saw the snow goose was back with the flock of Canadian geese. Mostly, however, I saw crows flitting all over; they get quite active in the spring.

The ride lasted longer than our usual rides, but I still hated heading back to the garage. However, I was really hungry, and I know I’ll be back on my bike for next week’s ride.

200 Rides and Still Going Strong

I began writing about my motorcycle rides as a way to reflect on what I was learning as well as to record the beautiful natural sites I saw. I’ve hit my 200^th blog and my 200^th ride and it was spectacular.

I did have a rough start, however. My gym closed and I needed to adjust my training, so I added a Saturday visit in addition to my usual ride. This extra step necessitated planning and packing; while I could wear my gym clothes, I needed to pack up my riding gear. Sometimes it would be easier to not dress for the slide like the young man we saw driving over who was on a motorcycle in his shorts, t-shirt, and Vans. That’s fine and cool as long as absolutely nothing goes wrong on the road. My riding attire, though, is padded jeans reinforced with Kelvar, knee pads, Dakota boots, two jackets, gloves, and an airbag vest. I opted for my jeans as the riding temperature was in the low 80s.

As I packed up my attire—t-shirt, socks, knee pads, and jeans—I reminded myself I would need a belt for the jeans. Unfortunately, I did not put the belt in my bag right as the thought occurred to me, so when I changed into my riding attire, I was beltless. I figured I would be OK for the ride since I sit down, and I planned on tucking in my t-shirt and my Alpinestars jacket inside the jeans to give me more heft. I shared my predicament with Bill for a good laugh, but Bill’s a problem solver, so he immediately began searching the garage for options. I had considered using an old extension cord, but I didn’t want to twist that up and possibly damage it. But then Bill spotted the bungee cord around my old suitcase cart (for those that don’t know, suitcase carts had a brief heyday right before wheels on suitcases became commonplace). The bungee cord worked and my jeans were secure for both the ride and the shopping trip after.

I did take mental note of my forgetfulness and registered the need to make sure I paid extra attention on the road. I received another lovely blessing as I walked down to the R Nine T; the little cabbage white butterfly that hangs around my parents’ house, flew right in front of me between me and the motorcycle. I laughed and wondered if the little guy wanted to ride himself.

With the dogwood trees hitting peak bloom, the Kwanzan cherry trees heavy with their puffy pink blossoms, the tulips blooming, and the small flower azaleas flowering, the butterflies and bees had a lot of choices on where to go. The pollen was so thick on cars and in bright yellow puddles in the gutters. I am very glad we get to keep the motorcycles in the garage. In addition to the pollen thickening the air, the oak trees have begun dropping their thin pollen “worms.” The pollen was so thick it had collected along the shore of the river, creating a large greenish-brown arc on the water.

I spotted nine more cabbage whites throughout my ride dancing among the new green leaves and the burgundy of the Japanese maples; numbers eight and nine were dancing around each other. And I did clearly spot a tiger swallowtail again near the top of a fir tree. I saw what I think was an eastern comma butterfly, and near the end of the ride, I sotted a yellow sulphur zipping about. The great blue heron was back in the shallows as the tide began to roll in, watching us carefully as we circled around in the cul-de-sac. And a few Canadian geese were grazing in the large field behind the church.

I do love riding in the springtime. I enjoyed the cooling air washing over me and leaning into my turns. And I especially love the sites as nature enjoys its coming out from the long winter hibernation. It was a warm day, but we kept the slow speed stuff to a minimum and mostly cruised. For a 200^th ride, this one was spectacular, and I will surely be adding 200 more rides.

Ten Cabbages and One Mystery

We’re on the cusp of hot weather riding already as March finished up. But today’s ride was just below sweaty as temperatures hit 78 degrees under sunny skies. I’m nearing the end of comfort in my leather riding pants and will have to switch to my baggy jeans for next week’s ride. I already only wore my Hanes t-shirt under the Alpinestar jacket and needed to lower my Klim jacket zipper to stay comfortable.

We did get a bit of an earlier start, so the temperature was only up to 76. As we head deeper into spring and closer to summer, our rides will have to get earlier. At midday, there was a lot going on. People were out and about and the traffic was much heavier than we’re used to. And lots of people were enjoying the beautiful day, working in yards, walking, riding, and running. Bill detoured us into a cul de sac and one point to let the cars thin out, and we’re riding through neighborhoods.

I spotted my first tulips of the spring in bright red, yellow, and pinks. The whitish yellow daffodils were holding strong, but the bright yellow ones are wrinkling and withering already. The Yoshino cherry blossom trees hit peak blooms this week. As I rode around, it was as though I was attending a private cherry blossom festival.

I fully expected to see many butterflies, and I did spot our garage cabbage white buddy before we started our ride. The next one turned up a mile and a half later, but then there was a long gap before I spotted another. Five more miles into the ride, I finally saw another cabbage white, and then they seemed to be everywhere—ten spotted throughout the ride. As we headed into a quiet cul de sac to turn around, I spotted a yellow butterfly high in the trees. I think it was a young tiger swallowtail, but unfortunately, it fluttered away from the roadway, so I couldn’t get a good look.

I noticed something about the trees as we headed up the long road. More trees are budding as their leaves prepare to open and, if you look at large group of trees, the colors of the buds very much mirror the various colors of autumn. There are greens of course, but also yellows, burgundies, even burnt umber. It was quite beautiful. I noted the dogwoods are beginning to bloom and even some azaleas, the ones with the small flowers, were already blooming.

My ride continued smoothly with me focusing on counter steering as I weaved back and forth on the roads. I also enjoyed turning tightly in my U-turns and feeling the lean of the motorcycle on my turns. After our ride, Bill pointed out the heat will probably keep us from doing too many slow speed maneuvers. I don’t mind; I enjoy success at slow-speed drills, but I really prefer cruising. And I’m not the only one. We spotted eight motorcycles out and about as we headed over for our ride; six of them were Harley-Davidson cruisers and two race bikes.

My smooth ride ended on a blip. Inside the garage I couldn’t find neutral with the shifter. After several attempts, I went ahead and shut the R Nine T off and reached down with my hand to move the shifter into neutral. As Bill explained later, motorcycles have personalities, and my shift quirk is part of the R Nine T’s character. I can live with the quirk especially since it doesn’t impact my ability to ride.

Sargent's cherry tree with pink buds and white blossoms

Winning the Weather Lottery

Spring officially arrived with Thursday’s vernal equinox and gave us another gorgeous day for riding motorcycles. The northwest winds from Friday shifted to the southwest under sunny skies, giving us temperatures approaching a balmy 70 degrees. In fact I had no chill whatsoever on this ride and was perfectly comfortable.

My comfort extended to my ride as well. Early in the ride, as Bill and I turn off my parents’ block, the road is terribly torn up with the different neighborhood projects. There are cuts in the asphalt, small metal access lids sticking out, and slippery gravel patches all over. As I returned to riding, I’ve had some concern over this stretch of road picturing tire slips or boot slips as we come to a stop. I’ve even thought I might catch the front tire between asphalt chunks, but so far I’ve navigated the rough roads OK. But the damage to the street does make me extra cautious and aware.

I focused on my engine braking, enjoying the chugga-chugga rumble of the down shifts. I also worked on my no-look turns and, since Bill led us into more U-turns, tightening up my turns. I feel my skills are returning back to their pre-break levels. I’ll know I’m fully back when I can do the on-street U-turn and my quick stops and restarts.

Just like last week, there was a cabbage white butterfly fluttering about before our ride. And two miles into the ride, I began seeing even more cabbage whites—eight in all and a little yellow sulphur whom I got an excellent view of as it fluttered beside me for several yards. The only large bird I spotted in the clear blue sky was a great blue heron lazily making its way down to the river. When Bill led us into a cul de sac where we stop and gaze at the view of the river, I spotted a little goldfinch moving about a large pine tree.

I did have my first bug run in. As I headed up the long road, I felt an impact against my throat from what I suspect was a bumblebee. Luckily, I had my neck tube on, so if the bug didn’t make it, I wouldn’t have bug guts on my neck (she made it). I’m not surprised the bees are out; the flowering trees are filling with blossoms. This week during the ride, I spotted several weeping cherry trees blossoming and the beginning blooms on the Yoshino trees.

It’s funny to realize that as a motorcycle rider, I am as excited to see the spring as a kid who’s been waiting to get to play outside. I suppose it is very comparable. Kids ride their bikes, fly kites, run around; I ride my R Nine T, and the fun I’m having makes me feel like a kid again.

Yoshino cherry blossoms beginning to bloom

The Butterflies Are Back

Officially spring begins this Thursday with the March 20 vernal equinox. But it was already abundantly clear that spring has sprung. The forecast was for clouds with the sun making an appearance around 4:00, but the sun pushed the clouds aside and shone brightly down on a gorgeous Saturday in the mid-60s. As I set the gear out, I looked out the window and saw a very small cabbage white butterfly making the unofficial start to spring “official.”

Later, as we were gearing up in the garage, another cabbage white flew from the left to right across the top of the garage. The spring riding season has been butterfly blessed. And I spotted the first cabbage white of the ride two miles in and the second one a few seconds later. All in all, I spotted five cabbage whites during the ride moving about the dandelions, daffodils, camellias, and flowering trees. The sugar magnolias are reaching peak bloom as was the one plum tree I saw. I also spotted two star magnolias in bloom and wished I could smell the blossoms. More trees are showing buds especially the red buds on the oaks. I did get to enjoy the crisp smell of freshly mown grass as there were several early mowers out trimming lawns.

My ride was very smooth. I focused on engine braking and “no look” turns. A no look turn is actually a turn where I look in the opposite direction for oncoming traffic. For example, if I’m making a right turn, I look toward the left. Again, I was very pleased with how easily the skills returned. It was such a beautiful day for riding I found myself weaving back and forth several times in sheer bliss.

Since we’ve entered daylight savings time, the sun remains higher in the sky for our rides, so there’s no issue with light in my eyes. On this ride Bill detoured us to the side of the road to discuss the approach to a tricky intersection with a yield sign. He pointed out that on our motorcycles, we are essentially unseeable by drivers who approach the yield sign and, if they don’t spot large movement from a vehicle, blow right through it. It doesn’t help that there’s a large patch of pampas grass and some cedar trees impeding the view. So Bill explained why he slows down and goes a little wide as we approach this yield sign to give us an opportunity for avoidance.

We did a little bit more with slow speed maneuvers, heading into the small church’s parking lot to do a few figure eights. I spotted a small group of Canadian geese in the field beside the church, a duck and drake enjoying a swim, and lots of crows. I was surprised to not see any vultures, and I wondered if it was too warm for them, and they prefer to float later in the cooler part of the day.

Soon the mating osprey will start building nests, and I hope to spot a bald eagle, though we haven’t been up the curvy road due to construction. Still, the eagles have to build nests too, so I’ll keep my eyes open. And of course, as we officially move into springtime, I’ll start to see a greater variety of butterflies during my rides; plenty to look forward to.

red leaf buds on oak tree branches against blue sky