It looks like this will be my last autumn in this area. With the absolutely gorgeous weekends we have recently enjoyed, I took the bike over roads that have become as old friends; I know them well now, and am able to take them either quickly or slowly as the time of day and scenery may allow. This area has an abundance of decent pavement, and if you time it right, you can have them to yourself. The Snickersville Pike, Lime Kiln Road, Clark’s Gap Road, Loyalty Road, Mountain Road, even short little Sam-Fred Road (and others) all have become familiar, and I’m going to miss them in a way. Yes, I’ll be pulling out of <st1lace w:st="on"><st1laceName w:st="on">Loudoun</st1laceName> <st1laceType w:st="on">County</st1laceType></st1lace> next year, no real idea of where I’ll wind up (nor does it matter greatly.) But I’m looking forward to making new friends of roads I find wherever it may be, in much the same way I expect that I’ll find more human friends as well. Recent riding has gone into scenery, not speed or technical riding (for one thing, the tires were (and continue) suffering from cooler temperature softness, more each week, which didn’t become apparent until I challenged a curve a couple weeks back.) The leaves are starting to turn, and some of the hill tops show a bit of what might have been had the summer not been quite as hot and dry. What color there is won’t last long I fear, as fast as they turn, they fall. We are still way behind on rain, and the temps are still higher than normal, tho’ getting into the range my old bones favor. In a regular year, a rider would simply have to stop to take in the views that appear over nearly every rise in the pavement. And that can be extended to any time of the year, from greenup in the spring to the too infrequent snowy vistas. Some days later (another Sunday) the weather topped out at about 58 F. I’ve again overestimated the ability of this ancient carcass to tolerate the chill at speed on the familiar roads (this case, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Evergreen Mill Rd.</st1:address></st1:Street>) Pretty good wind, my helmet was lifting about like it does at 90 mph. I was clocking 60 at the time, so there was a head wind --. Anyway, I’m outa here (no regrets, it’s been a bit of a change from hanging out in <st1lace w:st="on">New England</st1lace> too long.) Next spring will find me relocating again barring something unforeseen in the way of income producing activities locally. I’ve reached the stage where I can take it or leave it, my dues are paid; it is time to live rather than exist.
