Back in the Saddle, and the Gravel, and the Rain, Again.
Thursday, June 19th, 2014
So after over a year of not being on two wheels, here I am back
again! I thought it would feel awkward, but after a few seconds I felt like I
was at home. I backed The Black Pearl out of my brother's garage, and turned it
around. With the press of the start button, the engine turned, but didn't come
to life. I waited a second, then pressed the button again, and with only one
turn of the starter motor, the 1800cc's came to life, and my heart paced a
little faster.
I followed Kasey, in her Ford Explorer, known as Ivory, out of
Lafayette, Indiana, and we headed south down US 52. Near Thorntown, Kasey
continued south and east while I headed west on SR 47. I took this road into
Thorntown, and then headed south on SR 75. Kasey and I had a different set of
errands to run, so we were splitting up to accomplish them.
I know it sounds strange, that one of my stops was the storage
unit in Avon, Indiana. I mean, I am the one on the motorcycle with limited
luggage capacity, and she is the one in the Ford Explorer, but we weren't
looking for big items, just some things to get us through the next week of
riding to Gathering of Eagles (GOE) Cruiser Club, USA's national gathering.
Even though I hadn't hit these roads in a year, the views came
back to me, rekindling my memories. My memory also served me as point of
reference for all those things that had changed since I last passed these
places. SR 75 is a road that has a few meanders in it as it rolls through
Indiana Farm Land. Two ninety degree corners that switch back let me know that
I was about to enter North Salem, Indiana.
Here I would take a left, and head east and south along US 236. It
is a great road with lots of sweeping corners and some of the best views in
Hendricks County. Eventually, it would end at SR 39, which would take me south
into Danville.
SR 39 joins up with US 36, and takes you right through the heart
of Danville, Indiana. It is a great little Indiana Town, and the people at
Mayberry Cafe will always welcome you on two wheels. There are some other great
places to grab a bite to eat, so you can visit frequently. If you do travel
through Danville, Indiana, let me know, it is where I usually live!
After cruising through town, checking out the changes, I headed
for the storage unit. It was a hot day, as it should be in Indiana in June. The
last time I was here, in January, it was three below zero, without the wind
chill! I unloaded about a third of the unit, why we put the motorcycle stuff on
the bottom, in the middle of the floor space, I'll never know. The tub full of
the two wheel gear is now perched on top. After some other ingenious packing,
the door closed with more space left in the unit.
Stop number two would take me further east on US 36, and through
Avon, Indiana. I had needed a haircut since before we left Costa Rica, but the
old barber in San Rafael was closed each of the three times I tried to visit.
We ran out of time before I could get another Tico Trim.
After the haircut, it was time to head back to Lafayette. I
started out on back roads, eventually working my way back to US 52, for an
easy, and quicker cruise. I was running behind, and knew I was not going to my
make my brother's, or more importantly, his wife's dinner time. I had to make
time, and that just wasn't going to happen!
As I headed north on SR 39, nearing Lebanon, Indiana, dark storm
clouds headed south, like we were on the same road. They were also sliding
east, I thought if I could divert west, maybe I could skirt the edge of the
storm. I decided before I got to US 52, I would take a county road to the west.
It looked solid and paved, that was until it passed the first house. The gravel
was well packed by farm equipment, and I decided slow on gravel and staying dry
would be a better option.
I still got a little bit of rain, but made it to another paved
road. After about a mile, and near a construction zone, the road veered right
back under the clouds. I made a u-turn, and took the next road to the west.
This one stayed paved, and lead me to another northerly county road.
Eventually, I found myself heading toward Crawfordsville. I knew I
could hit SR 47 then, and maybe find a road to the north before US 52, or
arrive after the storm had passed. I also had to stop for gas. When I did, my
phone was dead, and no way to charge it. That meant no GPS, and not letting
anyone know that I was going to be late.
After the sweepers through farm country on SR 47, I found myself
through Thorntown, and back near US 52. It appeared that I was already back in
the saddle, had been back in the gravel, and was headed to be back in the rain.
Silly me, I thought I still had allowed enough time for the storm to pass, so I
didn't slide on the rain gear.
Along US 52 I toughed it out in what I thought was light rain. I
had found the sweet spot behind a semi, and didn't get all that wet. Once I had
to go on my own, that was a different story. Welcome back to riding, Rodney,
here is your baptism by fire, er I mean water.
I was so happy to see Lafayette, Indiana, and it shined with the
sun pouring on her wet roads and turf. I could feel the warm air hitting my wet
shirt and jeans. I had my riding jacket on, but being made of mesh meant that
the elements just went right through. At this point, many would have thought
this was a terrible ride, but I was riding, so nothing was terrible.
I rolled up my brother's driveway, Kasey was already back, and so
was my brother and his wife. I pealed my wet body off the bike to see what mess
I had made of The Black Pearl, she was more grey now, with coat of road grime
on her.
Comments