Yes, Yes It Is...

Tam mentions it being the season for open-roading, and I've got to nod my head in agreement. We had a spell of warmer-than-average temperatures here in the frigid Northeast about three weeks ago, followed by two weeks of torrential downpours and flooding like some bearded dude was gonna go by in a large boat with twin animals. It's supposed to abate this weekend, with promises of 75ºF weather and sunny skies. It cannot come soon enough - basements are flooded, rivers are swollen, and nerves are frayed - a welcome, warm, and dry respite from the incessant deluge.

Oh, and did I mention I'm getting the Harley out of storage Saturday morning?

There's nothing quite like the first ride of the season. You get on the bike, your faithful companion for 5, 6, 7, or more months out of the year, eager to re-acquaint yourself with an old friend. You're itching to re-live past rides, forge ahead with new ones, and take her around town just to be seen. Oh, sure, there's that awkward first few moments where you forget exactly where the clutch catches or that you need to click up with authority to hit second gear rather than neutral, but it's all part of the dance of spring on two wheels.

April is a magical month for those that ride in colder climates. It's warming up so that you don't get frostbite just going around the block, it's light out later so you can ride with less fear of encountering one of G-d's wonderful but dim-witted and slow-moving creatures at dusk, and it's cool enough that you can really bundle up and not be too hot. Spring showers mean less time on the road, but they also mean a cleansing of the salt, sand, dirt, and other assorted road debris that is often the bane of a biker's existence - I've known more than one person who went down in a corner rimmed with sand from the previous winter.

It's also springtime, second only to fall for the best time to be on two wheels, and I'd even make a strong argument for spring being ahead of fall by a hair. Sure. there's the magnificent fall foliage to view in autumn, which is nothing short of spellbinding when viewed from the saddle. It comes with a price, however - you know that, as surely as day follows night, that winter is coming. You know that while the leaves are exploding with color, you're adding more and more layers in anticipation of cold weather riding. Riding in spring lacks the expansive palette of color, granted, but with flowers blooming, trees budding, and birds singing, there's a grand symphony to drink in - all the while knowing the whole riding season stretches out ahead of you.

It's a great time to be on a bike - but then again, when isn't?

That is all.