Today was the day. The weather finally broke. After rain, wind and cold, with the last four days including snow, the sun finally came out and the temp crossed the 40-degree line. That’s all I needed to get the bike out and push for those last few miles to 5,000.

I was surprised at how smooth the bike felt tonight. The last time I had it out in the cold it was complaining a bit. Perhaps the SeaFoam made a difference, but it sure felt nice. I was grinning from ear to ear within two blocks of home. God it felt good to be riding! As I crossed Main Avenue I looked to the west and noticed that there were actually sundogs out. Usually you only see those on REALLY cold days, like -40, not +40. The sun, clouds, and ice crystals must have been just right to make them show up today. I actually laughed out loud when I saw that. Felt like a good omen for this ride.

Just did my usual loop around town, but it felt like I was on the bow of the Titanic. I wanted to stretch both arms out to catch the wind, but of course you can’t do that on a motorcycle. As it was, I laughed and grinned all the way around town. Was heading to Starbucks to celebrate, but I was still two miles short. So I added an extra loop and turned over the 5,000-mile mark in the neighborhood I grew up in. That too made me laugh out loud. It was just a fun night. And just before I reached Starbucks, I stopped at a stoplight and had a truck driver next to me roll down his window to chat Harleys for a second. He had three. So when I got to Starbucks I ordered “beer for my men, whiskey for my horses, and a grande nonfat chai for me.” I would have been happy to just hold the cup. After the 45-minute ride my hands were getting awfully cold.

I’m headed out of town again, but I can go in peace knowing I made the goal. I may get another ride or two in before calling it quits, but the pressure’s off. The weather is supposed to be better when I return, so maybe there’ll be another ride full of grinning and laughing.

Odometer: 5001 miles 😀