Dreaming

The entire morning was focused on dreaming.  Or more precisely on ideas and paths not considered or taken, of flights of fancy and journeys of partnership that might be explored.  The morning ride had me thinking about what to write in Kim's birthday card.

Another cold morning though sunshine took the edge off making the snow and cold seem little more than a picturesque landscape in which to explore.  A week off work provided ample opportunity to acquire a taste for the cold and grow relaxed with the winter riding ritual. 

Seven days ago the thought of riding through a frozen cornfield would seem a technical stretch. Today it seemed almost normal.  So normal that thoughts of birthdays and dreams came easy.

Before the Vespa, Kim and I explored these mountains on foot with cameras and notebooks.  And before that fall and winter backpacking.  Now, as the Vespa slowly prowls along small paths and roads puzzle over what's next here for Kim and I; how will our lives unfold.

The morning had a postcard quality to it with blue sky draped with white clouds over a mix of snow and ice.  Riding was a joy.

Joy might give the wrong impression.  While the main roads were clear it didn't take long to find snow and ice still lingering on secondary roads.  Caution was in order.  

Coming across a local Christmas tree farm moved thinking from birthday to another season. Christmas will be here in less than a month.  Time is flying.

The ride at times felt like a dream, a scene from Lord of the Rings with familiar places transformed into new ones.

Riding this time of year when the temperature drops below freezing it's important to anticipate problems.  This snow covered road exits from a clear dry road.  On warm days I would enter this road at 40mph.  Knowing it might now be dry I crawled on at 10.  Good thing too because at a higher speed I would have lost control.  In cold weather you can never ride faster than what you can see.

Never.

The message of this picture:  I have little traffic to content with as I navigate the snow and ice.  And there was a lot of ice hidden beneath the light dusting of snow.

A view from Schlow Library towards the Vespa.  By the time I sat down at a table by the window my thoughts were complete and I wrote something to Kim -- a fine morning, a fine ride, and a fine day.

It's been like a dream...