Spring Is Coming!

Friday going home.

It has been snowing light, but steady most of the day. Now, when it is time to go home it is changing from a wintry mix to freezing rain. Fortunately I managed to get home before the freezing part took hold. Even so, I did have to wipe ice off my helmet visor several times and I locked up the back end while braking for the turn into my driveway. The weather gets steadily worse and I reflect on how lucky I was. If I had left 15-20 minutes later, it would have been a very challenging ride.

Sunday errands downtown.

Everyone has heard the saying, "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes." That is very true for Sping time in Duluth. Saturday was an icy wonderland, but Sunday is sunny and 50° and the melt is on. Minnesota is land of 10,000 lakes and a new one seems to be forming in my back yard. And if my yard out back is a lake, the road in front is now a river. I really need to get some dedicated riding boots (CTB or Lites). The boot covers are great in a pinch, but they add an element of hassle in getting ready and they really aren't meant for as much walking as I do in them.

Monday morning.

There is a layer of frost on the ground and this has me worried a bit as I slipped walking off the back porch. It turns out the roads are just wet; though some of the shady, less traveled spots look like they could be slippery. So far, the roads have looked worse than they actually were. The reality is this is the kind of weather that gets me thinking about starting to motorcycle commute regularly again. That urge is strong in me now considering the elements I have already ridden through this Winter.

We are coming into the dirty, messy part of Spring. Any snow that remains along the side of the road is grey/black with a coating of salt and sand. The main hazard to watch out for on the road is no longer ice or snow, but sand; it is at every intersection and in every turn. This is always the case with my first rides in the early Spring, but I feel much better prepared for it because of the riding I have done through the Winter.

I will be considering getting my own bike out soon. Trading the electric Zero for my gas-powered Yamaha, silence for the scream of an inline 4, the ease of twist-and-go for rowing up and down the gears. To be honest I have kind of missed the noise and work. On the other hand, I don't know that I would have made it through the Winter without the unplug-and-go ease of the Zero; it would have been just too much hassle.