It is getting to be that time of year when the outside temperature is nice and cool in the morning, but warm (in the 80's) in the afternoon. It can be a bit of a dilemma as far as gear. My jean jacket can get hot, but I like wearing it more than my mesh jacket. The day will come this summer when the jean jacket will be put away until fall arrives, but not yet. I love riding when the temperature is in the 50's. It can be brisk when the wind chill effect hits you as you ride, but not so cold to be a bother.
I took a different route downtown today, East Douglas Avenue. I wrote about that street last summer while I was relegated to riding a bicycle. Its an interesting route, not too heavily traveled, and with a few interesting things to look at on the way. There are 2 school zones at 20 mph on the way. In a couple of weeks school will be out and the speed zone lights will not be flashing. I always reduce speed in these school zones, many other drivers only half-heartedly observe the rules. A Ford Mustang sort of blasted by me this morning in one of the zones. Alas, maybe he had a pill to take.
Sometimes its surprising what kinds of thoughts enter your head when you are riding. There is a particular topic that I have always wanted to write a blog post about, but have never gotten around to. It would take a little tech expertise to accomplish because it might involve a video taken while riding, or at least the assistance of another person. I thought about how to do this post while I rode this morning. Maybe someday I'll pull it off.
Sometimes I think about work while I ride, but am always a little afraid that my mind will not be attentive enough to the hazards of the road, i.e. other damn drivers on cell phones. On a morning like today, I am traveling west and I know that east travelers have to battle the low sun in the sky. I'll see someone approach the street from a side street and have to look into the sun as they decide on a spot to enter traffic. I hope to hell they aren't talking or texting on a phone at the same time.
As I rode I thought about the absolutely fantastic Mother's Day we had last Sunday. The kids fixed us lunch and afterwards we went to a local public garden know as the Botanica. The flowers were amazing and I got a few good pictures. Our son in law wasn't able to be with us (he was doing something for his mother), so it was just the 4 of us, sort of back together again, like old times. And we did really miss the son in law, but it had been a long time since it was just the 4 of us, and we had a great time.
Also, as I rode this morning, for a few moments, I watched my shadow on the road in front of me. The sun was behind me and my shadow was long enough to get a really good outline of Max and me on the pavement. I even practiced a few "waves" to see what they might look like to an approaching motorcyclist, and chuckled to myself as I was doing this. What a silly thing to do.
Watching my shadow, with the gear and helmet on, its easy to imagine that I look a little like a Storm Trooper from the old Star Wars movies or a football player riding a motorcycle. Kind of beefy in the shoulders, you know. So I though I would end up this post with this picture stolen from George Takei's (Sulu, on Star Trek) Facebook page. I don't think he will mind because I imagine he stole it from someplace else, from someone who stole it from someplace else, who stole............................... etc.
