With clear weather and high-sixties temperatures predicted, I anticipated a great ride today. I went to the gym Wednesday evening before choir practice and got the Thursday weight workout done early. After choir practice, I went back to the clinic and did my paperwork. Got my cardio workout done before breakfast and, wonder of wonders, the appointment schedule went relatively smoothly.
Right on schedule, my riding buddy calls, psychically knowing that I’m ready (I think). He was actually thinking that, but was also letting me know that he had to be back home by 2:30 to pick up the grandkids from school. Heck, we usually don’t get on the road that early. Nonetheless, we managed to get an hour’s ride in.
Sixty-three degrees, sunny, no wind, and a beautiful blue and cloudless sky make for pretty decent riding weather. I was able to dress warmly enough to enjoy it. A couple of quarter-sized bug-smashes on the face-shield confirmed that it was indeed warm enough to enjoy the ride. The bugs know. The middle of February: a week ago it was bitter cold with temps down in the teens; today I met other motorcyclists, two freshly road-killed skunks, and one gigantic farm tractor on the road — all sure (if perhaps premature) signs of spring’s approach. I keep Ol’ Red’s clock set to daylight savings time and soon it will be right on time.
We made a circle through Marmaduke, Arkansas and a visitor’s eye finds it pretty well back to normal after last year’s devastating tornado. ARI’s factory appears to be in full swing and Smoot’s mobile home emporium has a respectable number of units on the lot again. I’m sure the residents could tell a more detailed story, but the place doesn’t look like a disaster area now.
It was good to be fortified by today’s ride, as tonight was my fourth night (of six) to work at the Kiwanis Youth Basketball program. Our season is four games a night, four nights a week for roughly eight weeks. Even slackers like me will work twenty-four service hours during the season. Basketball committee members put in even more time so that several hundred boys and girls can have a good time.