Thursday, June 21, 2012

I'm Ferally female

Wow! Went riding with my son this evening and I am hooked. I am a huge fan of wind, as some of you may know, and what better wind than on a motor scooter? The heat was bearable as long as we were moving, and the smells... If you've never ridden on a cycle, in a convertible, or in the back of a pickup truck, you have no idea the things you smell. 



There are the smells people make, and they are varied. Everything from gasoline, exhaust fumes, and lawn chemicals to burning wood, freshly mown grass, and food being grilled.


Then nature assails the nose. Bogs smell putrid. Places dense with trees smell woody. Patches of wildflowers would make the best perfume on earth, if the scent could be drawn from the air.


The temperature changes as the landscape changes. Areas without trees feel hot and dry. Where trees arched over the road like a canopy, the air was cooler and damp. Temperature varies even in stretches of the same vegetation, but I think hills and valleys sweep currents of air around me.


Lots of odors gave me a snippet of a childhood memory. The best one was something that smelled like freshly picked green beans. It reminded me of a summer when I was about 7 years of age or so, but the scent was very quickly replaced with another.


The extra nice thing about this evening's ride is the friends I got to see. There's something entirely informal (in my mind) with pulling up in front of of the house, wallerin up off my scooter, and moseying up to the porch. The first stop was at my positively delish friend Larry's house. We caught up on the latest gossip and just had a good time. My poor son bore it all with patience!

We cruised by Rhonda's house, another bestie, and she even fed me a slab of watermelon while my dear old son watched some cooking show on television. Bless his heart.



Now, I have the grace of a ballerina. Well the grace of a 2-year-old ballerina, but grace nonetheless! For some reason, my takeoff is a wee bit shaky, and my stops abrupt. I guess that's why they permit you to ride solo with a permit for a while before you take your test. What fool would want to get on the bike with me? 


I'm proud to be the geekiest grandma on a scooter. I know at least one grandchild is embarrassed, and I can only assume the others have the potential to be humiliated by me. I know if they come to understand how much I enjoy it, they might forgive me the embarrassment. As we wound up the homestretch, I giggled aloud. I really, sincerely enjoyed the ride, and hope I can find time to do this often!