Saturday, May 24, 2008

Pedaling in Pollen River



Unlike the creek shown above, the forceful, south wind was a mighty, pollen river. Pedaling, upriver as it were, against the current was not speedy. Those of us with seasonal allergies will tell you this river is massive and its been flowing for days. As is the common practice, the Saturday loop began upriver. There was plenty of time to look forward to the down current easy return. But ease and speed are not the goal, and even traveling against the current had it's rewards.

There was a time, not long ago, when speed was the goal. In those days, pedaling with a purpose meant head down and focusing on the digital display on top of the bars. When the speed dropped, effort and focus must increase and pedaling against the current sometimes meant frustration and exhaustion. Not so today. Pedaling against the current, even in Pollen River, meant pleasure and celebration. It was a balance of effort with noticing the landscape. It was a peaceful taking of what the situation offered...a kind of "count your blessings" opportunity. Here's just a few of them.











Epilogue

To the lady in the aircraft carrier-scaled old green car who passed me in time to brake hard at the stop sign and offer no turn signal, I offer my sincerest apology. I should have been more patient and less interested in maintaining my momentum for the upcoming climb. Given your apparent haste, I underestimated your reaction time. I hope that your lecture and name-calling efforts didn't cause you to miss your appointment by 5 seconds.

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