Classic Velocity

Sometimes, the best rides are not in perfect conditions. The prior few days had been raining on and off. This day was forecast for rain again later in the day, so I decided to go out for a few hours in the morning. It was damp from the rain overnight, with completely overcast skies and cool conditions around 50 degrees. The conditions combined with the early hour meant that traffic was non-existent. Once out of town, the landscape was the kind of lush green that can only be created by days of rain. Leaves were changing, but still well short of peak colors. The grey skies provided a sort of uniform muted soft lighting for everything. It was like riding through a painting.

The chosen twisty route was without vehicles. The curves flowed side to side at a pace comfortable for empty roads and good sight lines. Left, right, left, right…..over hill and dale. Cows meandered out to misty fields, stacks of wood sat ready for the fireplace, streams and brooks swelled to test the limits of their banks, squirrels and chipmunks scurried about taking advantage of the gap in the weather, leaves glistened as they helicoptered to the ground. Left, right, left, right…..It was like riding through a movie.

It was drizzling by the time I approached home, and by the time I was in the garage it had evolved into a steady rain. I stood for a while drinking coffee and staring out through an open garage into the rain. The weather window had closed, but the day could bring what it wanted now. I had somehow stolen a glorious ride in a secret world that had now vanished……