20 reasons to be grateful for my #ridethehighlands 230723

Today was another perfect day for riding. I got up early and was away by 07:30; I got home more than eleven hours later. Of course I didn’t ride all that time, there were breaks for chats and pics and even a short siesta late in the afternoon.

Here are things I am most grateful for in (sort of) chronological order:

1. I am particularly grateful for the beautiful weather today and yesterday when so many others in Canada and worldwide are enduring adverse weather events such as floods, drought and wildland fires
2. I’m grateful for the early morning air and light (and the shadows that are cast by the latter).
3. I’m grateful for riding Tatlock Road for the first time in the early morning
4. I’m grateful for the wildlife I saw including a family of partridges (?), a wild turkey mom with her chicks and a red fox who scooted across the road well in front of me so no breaking was required.
5. I’m grateful for the chat with the KTM rider I met last year at the vehicle wash in Almonte and then randomly met again this morning in the Bogie General Store parking lot
6. I’m grateful for maps — the paper kind as well as the google kind (at least most of the time)
7. I’m grateful for technology that tells me when to turn right and left and which also works most of the time (see above and below)
8. I’m grateful for the two riders who gave me roadside directions to Barry’s Bay when 6 & 7 above were SNAFU
9. I’m grateful WindSister Kelly K. was at home and not far from where I stopped in Barry’s Bay and that we had a chance to meet, chat and swap moto stories
10. I’m grateful I successfully navigated the ten kilometers of roller-coaster, loose-gravel road that google maps sent me on with my not-meant-for-the-dirt little cruiser #shameonyougooglemaps LOL !
11. I’m grateful for my first time riding Letterkenny Road, which, I discovered, is all it’s cracked up to be (#mustride #speakingofrollercoasters)
12. I’m super grateful that the VERY COOL General Store in Quadeville has gas pumps, otherwise I would have been SOL. Never would have made it to the next available fuel – PHEW!
13. I’m grateful for the sevearal amazing new roads (besides Letterkenny) that I got to ride today
14. I’m grateful TheFox has a new front wheel assembly (stolen from TheTwin thanks to James A. <3) and I can once again come to a stop without fear of high-siding
15. I’m grateful TheFox is running like a top
16. I’m grateful my mirrors have never been so well placed
17. I’m grateful for the continuing opportunities to learn and practice my riding skills
18. I’m grateful Eaganville has a park with benches wide enough to nap on
19. I’m grateful I have the resources and abilities (at the moment) that allow me to enjoy the privilege of riding a motorcycle
20. I’m grateful I am home safe tonight

Take care and #ridesafe everyone. The Relive vid is here:

© 2023 Susan Macaulay. I invite you to share my poetry and posts widely, but please do not reprint, reblog or copy and paste them in their entirety without my permission. Thank you.

bison bits, hay bales and road snakes.

had to stop ’cause it was getting dark 🙂