Kamikaze Butterfly

All credit to Bill for the title for this blog. I was thinking about it being the summer solstice and, as I rode, noting the beauty and lushness of a summer with plenty of rainfall. I’ve never seen the magnolias with new buds this far past spring, the roses and day lilies joined by the brown-eyed susans, hostas, and gardenias blooming in the deep summer greens. The temperatures were summery, in the upper 80s, but that was a relief from the mid-90s we saw in the middle part of the week.

On take off I struggled with my newfound strategy (using the rear brake as my hill stop). But I’m not surprised; new skills take practice and this was only my second practice. I was able to catch up to Bill and practice my other skills like no-look turns, target fixation swerve, and on-street U-turns. Other than my right hand going numb halfway through the ride, I enjoyed the ride, especially the muted beauty of the day.

The sun was out but throughout our ride, threatening clouds covered it providing shaded light to the flowers and greens. The animals were pretty quiet; I didn’t spot more than one cabbage white butterfly during the ride. We roared into a cul-de-sac and startled the great blue heron into spectacular flight out of the muddy low tide. As we rode up to the historic house with the gravel lot, I made a mental note to request more gravel lot practice once the summer ends and cooler weather arrives. To my surprise Bill led us into the gravel lot where I got an up-close view of the brown-eyed susans in the center flower bed. As we arrived in the lot, I spotted a black pipevine swallowtail butterfly heading toward the flowers. There was lumber stacked up in the parking lot blocking my two-spot U-turn, so we rode a few loops around the lot.

As we rode toward the exit, Bill did a sudden stop. The pipevine had decided to land on the gravel right near the Rocket’s front tire. Had Bill not stopped, there might have been a smushed smear of a butterfly left among the seashells. However, it was the pipevine’s lucky day; we stopped and watched as the butterfly smoothed out her wings and sat there for several seconds before finally lifting off out of danger of the tires. She followed us a bit up the road until becoming lost among the shadows of the trees.

When we arrived in the garage, Bill asked me, “Did you see that kamikaze butterfly?” I responded that I had and was happy to know the kamikaze mission failed and she flew off perhaps to join us on a future ride.

American Cooper

I can’t remember a Memorial Day weekend this cool and comfortable. For today’s ride the temperatures will barely hit 70 degrees and the sun is shining brightly. We headed out early enough for me to be hopeful of seeing many butterflies, and I did spot eight throughout the ride, including my first ever American copper butterfly! Mostly, I spotted the cabbage whites; six of the ones I spotted were these ubiquitous yard butterflies. But I also managed to spot what I believe was a tiny gray hairstreak. This little guy isn’t even an inch in wingspan, but he fluttered up by my right shoulder.

My ride went really well with much smoother turns than last week. My U-turns were also nice and tight, but we didn’t do the on-street turn, so I couldn’t test that one. I realized during this ride that I feel more confident on my motorcycle. The idea of dropping my motorcycle now seems more like a fluke not an every ride possibility. I think hearing the weight of a motorcycle (487 pounds fully fueled with my R Nine T), the thought of having to prevent a fall seems intimidating. But with some strong legs and the riding skills to use the clutch and speed, slips in balance can be corrected and drops prevented. My front tire slipped on a rock during a U-turn and though I wobbled a bit, I had the presence of mind to let out the clutch and allow the bike to use speed to correct.

Because the day was so cool, we headed into the hospital lot to practice quick stops. My stops are short—within two parking spaces. But I still have the ABS (anti-lock brake system) kick in on my sudden stops. I tried using engine braking with the downshift to help stop the motorcycle without having the ABS kick in, but my stop rolled over three parking spaces. In discussing the issue with Bill after the ride, I decided I should try longer stops without the ABS kicking in. Once I can use the downshift and engine braking without the ABS, then I can start working on shortening my stops.

As we headed toward the last loop at the end of our ride, we came across a swarm of dragonflies near a Yoshino cherry tree. I suppose there were lots of good eats in the tree and the dragonflies were having a feeding frenzy. We also spotted the Canadian geese, stopping in the road to let the mam goose and her goslings cross the street. Bill saw a hawk but I missed it because I had spotted both an egret and the blue heron wading not far from each other in the low tide. I guess the heron didn’t migrate north for cooler air, and with our current weather pattern, there was no need.

The extended spring temperatures are also allowing some roses to hold on to their blooms longer. They are joined by even more day lilies bursting with color and the hydrangeas now sporting their colorful flower balls. I did see a few crape myrtles with flowers already, but it’s a little early yet for them to reach full bloom. The magnolia blooms are holding strong and their perfume is joined by the tiny white blooms from the ligustrum bushes.

All in all, it was a lovely ride for the Memorial Day weekend. And a shout out to the riders who are part of Roll to Remember in Washington DC this weekend for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Ride on!

American copper butterfly--orange with black spots on a yellow day lily — Photo by Erik Karits on Pexels.com

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.

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)

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

I Forgot My Terrific Title!

I started off the ride fully geared and fully zipped because it was cool—high 60s. I even added my neck scarf to keep my neck warm, and I needed it. But with the right gear, the ride was pleasant though I can feel the need for my turtleneck coming soon.

As I mounted my motorcycle, I noted the odometer was at 1998.4, so I planned on stopping in 1.4 miles to snap the big 2000 shot. But as we set off cruising on this beautiful day, my mind wandered, and I totally forgot to get the picture! Instead, I was feeling the road beneath my wheels and the wind against my body. I was looking for more change in the foliage spotting some more bursts of red and yellow among the green leaves of the trees.

But for some reason during this ride, my mind wandered to the Tim Allen movie Wild Hogs. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it as a funny glimpse into the yuppy trend of buying Harley-Davidsons and becoming riders. Tim Allen’s little group of four call themselves the Wild Hogs, and they head out for a weekend ride to escape their daily grinds. That’s what my mind was musing on—the healthy escape and spiritual recharge riding motorcycles provide.

I’ve been dealing with some health issues recently, yet I won’t let them keep me off my motorcycle. Luckily, my health hasn’t curtailed my ability to ride, and I’m grateful for that. I can forget about any pain and feel the joy of my body and my bike working together in the ride. So I really leaned in on the counter steers during my turns, but I realized during my U-turn practice that I have not been using my body fully. I haven’t been applying pressure with my foot on the outer peg from the turn, so I haven’t made that a habit of my ride yet. More to work on.

I did spot a cabbage white butterfly during our ride, and there was even a small flock of ducks sitting near the lake where it comes up close to the road. And the Canadian geese gaggles are getting larger. There were tons of squirrels out running in front of us and running off on the grass as they gather their winter stores. Bill had a near run in with a mockingbird flying low and in front of him, but the roar of the Rocket chased him off. All in all I needed this ride to escape the worries of the week, and I look forward to next week’s ride that lets me escape those worries.

As for the title of this piece, early into the ride (probably around mile 2000), I thought of great title. But by the ride’s end, packing up the gear, running errands, and getting home, I no longer had that amazing title in mind. So one negative about riding is it isn’t great for writing down brilliance (ha!).

No Bones About It, I Had a Great Ride

Apparently the theme for this years Halloween is skeletons. In addition to the giant half-skeleton coming out of the ground from last week’s ride, I saw some people having some fun with their bone buddies. As we headed into the cul de sac where we do our on street U-turns, one neighbor had placed a skeleton in a lawn chair and a Green Bay Packers jersey waving. Across the street, a second skeleton in a lawn chair was hanging out and waving back. I liked those Halloween decorations much more than the house that had a giant scary clown blow up in front.

I also noted a lot of spiders and webs strung about lawns. I can enjoy the seasonal décor because I’m riding past everything on a beautiful, sunny day. Even the creepy clown isn’t too scary in the bright sunshine. But there was more to look at than just the Halloween decorations. The most exciting sight was what I believe was my first ever Diana Fritillary butterfly. I spotted her two miles into the ride as she floated across the street. At first I thought it was an odd looking swallowtail, but it was furry looking and smaller, so I think it was the Diana Fritillary.

She wasn’t the only butterfly out. I spotted five cabbage white butterflies during our ride. And I was startled by an Orange Sulfur butterfly that appeared over my left shoulder and nearly flew into my visor before heading out away from me. I find it odd how last week I only saw two butterflies the whole ride, yet this week I spotted seven. The weather for both days was very similar, and we were riding at about the same time of day. At some point I should do some more in-depth research on butterflies and their behaviors because the more I ride, the more curious I am about them.

We encountered two large gaggles of Canadian geese of twenty-plus. Or we encountered one very large gaggle of over forty that had spread out over half the block. And of course, there were squirrels being squirrely. I don’t mind, though, as this gives me quick braking practice. I did dab my foot during the second on street U-turn which led me to think about why I dab. Obviously, there is a feeling of unbalance, but I have experienced that feeling and been able to increase my speed and rebalance the motorcycle. So I wondered after the fact if I could have saved the turn without dabbing. But I think dabbing is more of an instinctual reaction to the unbalanced bike. I would like to work on saving the bike without dabbing, but that’s rather difficult because I would be risking dropping the bike on asphalt. If I still had the field behind the school, I might risk the drop to work on this skill.

I was disappointed that we didn’t head up the curvy road for two reasons. One reason is my enjoyment of riding the curves and counter steering. My second reason was getting the motorcycle to 2000 miles. I’m at 1998, but I will have to wait for next week’s ride to break 2000, and I am looking forward to it!

Diana Fritillary butterfly--black with orange tips on wints