Finally. The good weather is returning and I even got out for a ride. It was warm enough last Sunday for me to drag the 1991 Honda out of the garage and go for a spin. Despite having been idle since October the Honda fired right up, settled into a steady idle and took off like it had only been used the day before. It isn't that nice on the roads yet. Everything is still kind of brown and the trees are vacant of leaves. I'm still suffering from Winter Rust on the bike and took it easy on the curves. As part of the route I used the Taconic State Pkwy. and cleared a little carbon from the engine. After a couple of miles it was running like new which isn't bad for a twenty-eight year old bike. I added a few twisty miles to my usual trip and arrived home rejuvenated. There will be more rides to come.
I have a word of advice for everyone. Enjoy your families while you can. Things can turn on a dime and change overnight. It is really sobering to see someone who was formerly active begin to grind to a crawl and become a different person in a matter of months. I'm watching my Dad approach his end of days and it's fairly painful to watch. His dancing and social life is not what it used to be.
In the meantime we are making regular trips to Long Island to help out when needed. The traffic there is just crazy. Either you're stuck in a traffic jam or you're in the middle of a NASCAR race. The term "Speed Limit 55 mph" is simply a suggestion there. Mostly you're driving at 65 mph and just trying to stay out of the way. The snowstorm the week before Thanksgiving this season had 465 reported traffic accidents on Long Island. The way people drive in dry weather reveals the level of craziness going on so a few hundred accidents in the snow is to be expected.
I hope you're all enjoying the weather and if I get a chance more often I'll be back with more tales.