February Hoping

 

February 2000 was a strange month as far as weather is concerned. The temperatures were well above the melting point for most of the month. If you read this post you'll see what my feelings are regarding prematurely taking your bike out in the spring, but this year was different. Not only were the temperatures warm, but it also rained for a few days straight, which removed nearly all of the leftover sand and salt on the local roads.

I had purchased my brand new Ducati Monster in October and I was really anxious to get out and ride. While I was debating if the roads were in good enough condition to take the bike out, a friend of mine showed up at my house and made the decision for me. He said the roads were in great condition and I needed to get off my ass. So, we spent that Sunday riding nearly 100 miles. It was a pretty eventful ride with the most memorable part being my run in with a partridge. Actually, the partridge flew into me, leaving a huge cloud of feathers in my wake.

The reason that I'm sharing this story is to point out that no matter where you live, the weather can throw you a curveball and you could be out riding way sooner than you expect. Take advantage of these days and savor them when they come. In fact, let's cross our fingers and hope for a similar February this year!

"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption