Sunday, August 23, 2009 10:35 am
August23
| I am finding more and more that riding my motorcycle is an education in history and in life. I snapped the following photograph along Twin Arch Rd in Washingtonville, New York. The railroad bridge spans part of Otter Kill and the roadway with a twin arch (go figure!). While poking around on the internet for information on the small waterway, I discovered that Otter Kill is a tributary of Moodna Creek which draws its water from the Hudson River.
Like these spidering waterways, the information on the web too leads you in many directions. In the natural flow of my searching, I found that spanning the Moodna Creek is the Moodna Viaduct railroad trestle. In my years of turning wheels around Orange County, I don’t recall ever seeing it. Thanks to making the right on Twin Arch Rd., it is now firmly planted on my to-see list.
The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. -Lao Tzu
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Saturday, August 22, 2009 10:35 am
August22
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The mermaids of legend were said to enchant men with their nubile beauty and alluring song. They were notorious for running ships aground or luring sailors to their demise into the seas. Along the Massachusetts and New York border, I spied this curious piece of yard art. Just as in legend, this mermaid lured me in to come ever closer to her.
Have you heard that expression Good from far, far from good? I’m just sayin’…
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Friday, August 21, 2009 11:26 pm
August21
 Catfish has left the building
This morning our man Catfish left the Isle of Long in the dark hours of the morning heading for Spartanburg, South Carolina. He carries with him a pocket full of his friends well wishes and excitement as he is about to embark on this crazy journey that is the 2009 Iron Butt Rally.
Competitors have been arriving at the Rally headquarters all throughout the day. The buzz is starting; pictures are popping up all over the web. As of this moment there are only 2 days, 10 hours before the flag drops.
As of 9:00 PM tonight, Catfish was still on the road. Road construction delays, oppressive humidity, 100 degrees showing on the air temperature dial and 1 broken helmet visor fixed with duct tape. Welcome to life on the road!
Stay tuned for more updates!
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009 1:09 pm
August19
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Over the weekend we stopped in to see Catfish at work. His farkled-out, rally-ready FJR was parked out in front when we pulled up.
Farkle City
Holy smoke! Coming from riding a bike that doesn’t even sport a windshield I was on sensory overload. His custom tankbag by Linda T. alone is enough to give me fits, but all of the buttons… the buttons! Arghhhh! I momentarily imagined myself riding off the road in the grips of a maddening itch while trying to find the back scratching switch.
He fired up the Tesla coil, hit the Bunsen burner and threw some levers to show me one of his neat little doo-dads, Nexrad radar. Given my past track record with riding in awful weather, I think I’d rather not know what’s coming for me.
What do you think?
Is it better to know that you’re heading in to a wall of thunderstorms when your Iron Butt Bonus depends on it? Or, would you rather not know in advance and just deal with it as it comes?
Less the 5 days until Rally Time.
Stay tuned for updates. Catfish heads off to Spartanburg this weekend!
For More Information on the IBR – Iron Butt Rally:
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 7:10 am
August18
I love to ride through areas where the landscape is dotted with pastoral farms. I am often filled with a pleasurable feeling of simplicity as I move past red barns, curious cows and waving corn stalks. Just seeing so much open space puts my cluttered suburban mind at ease. I cherish those moments.
Is riding a motorcycle a form of meditation?
There is a popular saying, ‘You never see a motorcycle parked outside of a psychiatrist’s office.‘ The sentiment being that motorcycling keeps you sane. Does it help you discover deeper meaning?
When riding in rural areas, I often transition into a relaxed state. Everyday events and responsibilities largely fall away and I become open. I become more in tune with seeing, feeling and experiencing my immediate surroundings on a level that is much more acute than at any other time. Is this a product of having to be hyper-sensitive to the things that make you vulnerable on the bike? Or is this my mind tuning in to the important things?
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