A winter's ride

A winter ride, muted colors under grey skies

Gratitude for dry pave, I get to ride today

A narrow ribbon of road cuts through the white snow

Fallen leaves silent, buried below winter’s blanket

The cold bites, my tempo responds in kind 

Measured effort failed, I push now for warmth

Legs and feet long past feeling, spinning as trained

Rising from the saddle, the short day growing darker

Food gone, bottles empty I turn for home

Unclipping at my door I am safe from the cold

Years of dedication, sacrificing for victory

The journey is the victory now. Spent, I win

Summer no more.

I'm from Florida.  What is this cold, white stuff?

On Thursday it looked like this:

I'd call it an Indian Summer, but perhaps that phrase is now racist or I'm a day or two behind the political whirlwind of woke correctness and I should stick with just saying fall.  Anyway this is what late October looks like most of the time.....

It was predicted to happen Friday, and it did:

It took Kona a while to step onto the mysterious substance, 

but it proved to be an adequate running surface.

We are all adapting to a new season.