A Fall Bicyclist

Warm fall days are superb for riding a bicycle. I love slow slumbering weekends when I don't need to drive a car to get from point A to point B. The pressure to get somewhere quickly is not required and I can do most of my errands by bicycle.

I try to avoid large shopping malls and supermarkets and only go if absolutely necessary.  I shop at a small, corner, neighborhood market; only a three mile jaunt from where I live. If my son asks me for a small personal size pizza for lunch, no problem, my bicycle can take me there: it's only one mile down the road. Carrying a small pizza on a bike—it's a piece of cake—an extra cord, keeps it in place.  The farm stand is also only a few blocks away from where I live.  I pick up fresh vegetables on a whim; the Carradice bag resting on the rack comes in handy.

Fall is now winding down.  Riding my bicycle these last couple of weeks the sun was warm and I watched as the leaves on the trees slowly fell to the ground—looking like showers of gold—dancing in the streets. Even motorists seemed to be kinder and gentler this fall. During a recent excursion, I noticed a truck carrying a large boat on a trailer, blocking the shoulder which I was riding on. A man, standing outside, talking to the truck driver from the passenger window sees that I'm approaching. And then the truck moves, and rides off just in time. The man at the side of the road, smiles at me as I ride by him and he says, "I got him to drive off, so he wouldn't block you." I thank him and tell him I appreciate it.  Maybe it's the golden light reflecting off the leaves warming people's hearts.

Such sun bliss and beauty these last couple of weeks for cycling... and then we get Hurricane Sandy.  We didn't lose power this time around (not like last October), we were one of the lucky ones. Southern New Hampshire did not suffer as much damage, but our hearts go out to those that did.