The sun is losing its edge, no longer sitting so high in the sky. Its weakening power is seen in shorter days and sharply slanted rays – even at midday. The dark comes at 4PM now, a full five hours sooner than just a few short months ago. And mornings arrive with ice on the pond, frost on the cars’ windshields, and perhaps a sprinkling of snow on the ground. The feel of winter is constantly in the air.We live in hope of that occasional, spectacular autumn day when the inexorable movement of the seasons seems to reverse itself, even if only for a few hours so we can have one more ride. But the odds are increasingly stacked against that happening as we move into late November.
I managed to use the one nice day last week (nice being above zero, not raining, and not too windy) to give my bike its final bath of the season. But even that was just a lick and a promise (as me dear old mam used to say), enough to get the bugs and mud off, little more.
It’s now tucked away in the garage, battery charger connected and fuel stabilizer in place. There are a few maintenance tasks to be done but I think I’ll wait with those until the depths of January/February when my need for a motorcycle fix of any sort will be at its highest. Spring will, by then, at least be visible on the distant horizon.
Meanwhile we hunker down to wait, dreaming of warmer days and envying our friends in warmer climes. Try not to brag too much please.
Brag, brag, brag...
ReplyDelete"Keep calm and hunker down"
Well said. Last year I was lamenting the arrival of winter, this year, not so much. Still riding but I think that it has transformed from recreation to transportation and I'm not sure whether or not that's a positive.
I've been noticing the same in recent years. Used to be I'd spend every free minute riding, and where didn't matter as long as I was on the road. I still do some of that, but not as much. Now I find most of my riding is with a destination, or some particular errand in mind. Don't consider it better or worse, just different.
DeleteEver since the Winter of 2006-2007, where I was trapped by snow for 38 days of no riding, I swore I'd never let Winter snow stop me again....it's been a lot of fun, these last five years....no more digging a tract out (in restrospect, a lot of work that I could have bypassed by going really slow). Desperate measures back then: LINK
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite ready to go to 3 wheels so I can ride in the snow and freeze my butt off in the process. But I have been tempted to invest in some good cold weather gear so I can extend the season until the snow flies and the roads become icy. Maybe next year. :-)
DeleteI feel bad that you have to put the bike away for the winter.
ReplyDeleteOregon isn't really a warm climate this time of year but at least we can ride in the rain. We rarely get snow in Corvallis. Riding definitely gets less and less and the rides shorter too.
Cold rain sucks, probably more than snow. But at least if you're properly equipped you can get out without worrying about icy road conditions, which, on 2 wheels, absolutely terrify me.
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ReplyDeleteCanajun:
ReplyDeleteI am feeling sorry for you. We get frost/ice in the mornings but most of the year you are able to ride for a few hours until late afternoon when the chill comes back. We don't get much snow, perhaps a couple of weeks a year but this will be my first year without a bike insured through the Winter, so I will be in anticipation . . . just like you
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Honestly, I'd rather have snow than 4 months of rain. But at least you could get out for a ride on that rare sunny day. Anxious to hear if you make it all the way to spring or give in and insure again before the winter is over.
DeleteNo gloating here Canajun. I think you were riding almost comfortably in August when it was 118 here in the dry heat. Every place has its trade offs. Be sure to post a picture of your white Christmas and I will post a sun drenched one.
ReplyDeleteThat's true - the heat can be every bit as bad. In September when we were riding into Las Vegas it was 104 degrees crossing the desert and I seriously thought I was on the verge of heat stroke at one point. So yeah, there are trade offs.
DeleteSadly there's no perfect place in Canada. If there is a perfect place in the world, it has to be somewhere in California, I think, somewhere between Sausalito and San Diego for sure.
ReplyDeleteFor sure - until the 'big one' comes and they float off to sea. The Caribbean is pretty nice too, except for the hurricanes. Australia's nice but for the drought and wildfires. Aw hell,maybe I'll just stay here.
DeleteEvery place does has its ups and also its downs. I kind of enjoy the seasons as they change even if it means the things I get to do also have to change. Winter is inevitable - we might as well embrace it eh?
ReplyDeleteI don't really mind the seasons either but it would be nice if winter was, say, 2 months instead of 5, eh?
DeleteI do miss the snow and having 4 seasons. In southern California its really a 3 season. Enjoy before you know it, it will be Spring.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, the way time seems to fly by these days it will be here before we know it.
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