Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

I defied the weather forecast today and rode my bike to work! And I got rained on during my ride home. But I really didn't mind. Instead, I remembered the day on the Pacific coast ride when it was rainy, foggy, and cold, and I had no hat, no gloves, and no leggings. I was miserable. Until I caught up to a couple of the guys who had reached the little town where our first rest stop was scheduled. We were ahead of the van, so we found a small cafe to get coffee and warm up. The server, the person bussing the tables, and the chef treated us like royalty even though our mud-covered shorts left the chairs a mess, and our jackets dripped water all over the floor around the table. We were given kitchen towels to dry off with. Our coffee was refilled without once having to ask, and the server gave us a heads-up on cycling the road out of town, what to be careful of. When we left that cafe, each of us felt ready to tackle the next twenty or so miles and the sun was beginning to break ...