Outdoors in the rain.
After you’ve ridden your share of hours through stormy weather (cue Storm Music), a special kind of appreciation toward the coverage of trees or the occasional sheltered public space goes through the already-raised-and-almost-predictably-on-fire roof.
The weather in Western New York is peaking, you know like something that’s at its peak, of course. 70s and 80s, light breezes, and long days mark the inevitable seasonal return of WNY expats who left for Florida or Arizona or Carolina or California or….
…so come and visit now, won’t ya?!
Riding in the rain is liberating. As adults, we generally get out of the rain at the first opportunity, but there’s something special about being in the rain and accepting that you’re going to be wet and that’s the way it is. Currently though, I’ve got the coverage of a tabled umbrella and a Fruit Belt tree keeping me out of a pretty solid rain – one that reminds of a day on the Natchez or maybe through Ohio. I really miss riding all day every day, seeing every sight, smelling every smell, feeling every feel, meeting new people at every stop, and problem solving my way to caloric and electrolytical replacement on the daily. I’ve been saying for more than a decade that if I could do nothing else, I’d just ride through space in time. My life would be one big ass bike tour. That sentiment is particularly stinging now in a postpartum sort of way. Maybe my happiness lies in the basement of the Alamo. Maybe it’s just within. I ease back into the patio chair – realizing that I wouldn’t mind being in this rain, but being out of it has its advantages too. Normal life is light years behind Stranger Things 7, but it ain’t so bad. I guess…
I’ve got about 2 weeks off this fall. Taking possible November bicycle tour suggestions, so if you know a great region to bike during that time and/or want to come along, lemme know!
Hoping for a Tail Wind 