Today I took a bike ride by myself; out Route 12, up Gould Hill and up to and around the ridge that North Street runs along. What a beautiful day for a bike ride. As I rode out to Gould Hill, another biker passed me, apparently too busy to say hello. Or maybe huffing and puffing too hard. Anyways, I passed this same rider again as he came zooming back down Gould Hill; his grimmacing face was hunched over his handlebars. Again he must have been too busy/huffing to say hello. I've never been one to care much about pace, speed, or milage. But some people take themselves very seriously.
As I rode up into the hills of central Vermont, I heard and saw and smelled so many wonderful things. The dandelions and other green leaves are popping up everywhere. Daffodils are blooming. Damp, heavy clouds hung in the valley headwalls and in the sags between summits. It looked like thunder and sunshine both at the same time. But the birds were singing, so I knew it wouldn't rain on me. I even heard the distinctive call of a red-winged blackbird; the arrival of these particular birds means that Spring is now truly here. The sweet, sappy, stinking smell of dank, thawing earth was on the wind. A light mist hung over the reservoir and over streams and open fields. My legs and lungs felt worked and my mind was cleared. And on my way back into town, I passed someone I knew heading out on a run; it was nice to see a familiar face and to say 'hello.' Again, what a beautiful day for a bike ride. I just wonder whether huffing/puffing/zooming man noticed any of these wonderful things.
Don't forget to have fun out there. Happy trails!
