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 ...

The last few weeks have been extra busy at work. I decided to keep things as simple as possible, so I drove to work instead of riding my bike. I missed my bike. Today I rode, but before I walked out the door to head to work, I grabbed my camera, thinking I just might need it.

When my alarm went off this morning at 5 am, I snuggled into my pillow, reluctant to get up. I could hear the wind blowing the rain against the bedroom window. The forecast had called for a blustery, cold, and wet day, and that's exactly what Mother Nature was serving up, making it not the kind of day for riding a bike to work. Today would be the first day in two weeks for driving. I was a bit bummed over not being able to ride, and when I saw some die-hards with their heads down, pedaling with everything they had into the 25 mph westerly winds, I saluted. After the first of the day's meetings, a colleague asked how far my commute is, and when I answered 3 miles from my house to the office, he seemed genuinely impressed. I had to laugh, though, as the 3 miles seems really, really short. I guess from the perspective of someone who doesn't cycle, 3 miles does seem a good distance. My son wasn't nearly as bummed as I about not being able to ride this morning. We've...