Fall is Fleeing & Winter is Fast Approaching (or is it Encroaching?)

Me, Penny, and the Girls - Pepper, Tawny, & Daisy

I love fall!  But it does herald the rapid descent into the deep frost and anti-motorcycle zone known not-even-remotely-affectionately as WINTER.... Burrrrrr.

 A little over a week ago, I thought I'd had my last ride for the season.  I mean, how often do you get a perfect 70F week in NOVEMBER, in Michigan.  Let me tell you, not often. It's rare to get such a perfect week just into October (and October this year had us in the 30s for a couple of weeks).



This year is seeing some drastic changes (& I'm not just talking about my radical hair color change).  At the end of September this year I had my dad out for his birthday ride.  He is 74 this year. It wasn't a very long ride (about an hour each way) and it was a perfect riding day. You can see by his smile, that he was loving it.  Unfortunately we both realized, this finally really was his last ride.  His ability to get on and off has been worsening, but his ability to balance to start and stop and for slow maneuvers was quite scary. As happy as he is in this picture, he was equally sad when he got home.

This is one of those things he has always loved.... motorcycles and fast cars.  It's been hard thinking that I'm losing my best riding buddy. I started as a baby between him and my mom on a Honda, up to riding cross-country on the back.  Up to learning to ride in the dirt and then head cross-country with him on my own bike. My dad really is one of my best friends, but the seasons change and fall and winter come to us all. I'm sure I still have many moto-adventures still waiting for me and I look forward to them. They will just seem a little more lonely.

My dad, Dale, on the occasion of his 74th Birthday.

Any day you get to ride (especially in the sun) is a good day.

This is today - Moto-Monday smiling!

 Well, unlike most Mondays - today is perfect.  Ok, with the acknowledgement that it will eventually be sunny and 60F which is pretty near perfect. (It was in the 30s this morning, when I headed to work. My fingers were not thrilled. We've usually had a standing rule that we don't ride under 40F... except for Polar Bear runs and desperate mid-winter, dry, sunny days :D )