Domesticity be damned

January 20, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We started off the day as usual, with a couple of cups of coffee, watching the birds and squirrels feed through the picture window. It is a fine day and we agree it's a great time to get a few things done around the house before cold weather sets in again. So, Tim moseyed out to work in the back yard while I went about cleaning the kitchen. Ho-Hum!

Before long, Tim comes in and disappears downstairs. I think nothing of it until I hear the sound of motorcycle boots on the stairs. I look up and see a grinning Tim saying suit up - let's ride. I am weak. I admit it. I held out for maybe two minutes, arguing I had too much to do. Ten minutes later, we were scooting out of the drive on The Ride.

As we rounded the corner of our block we spied LeAnn and her brood on the way to the neighborhood park. I counted nine little heads. She said she'd rather be with us. No kidding! We stopped and chatted and answered questions about the motorcycle from curious little minds. Then we got them all in a cluster and I snapped a pic. One little guy reminded me to put the visor down on my helmet and be safe.

We thought we'd ride north to Poudre Canyon but given the brisk feel to the day, decided that particular ride might be a bit chilly so we agreed to ride on to the tiny town of Livermore and have coffee. True to form we picked up wind just past Ted's Place at the road that leads into Poudre Canyon. The road through the canyon is mostly shade so we made the right call. With the wind, it would have been a cold ride. The Forks at Livermore was closed. Actually, the place is for sale - too bad, as it is the last bit of civilization before you get to the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. So, we rode back to Ted's Place for coffee. Ted's Place is a bustling business. It is a popular stop for people heading into and leaving the Poudre Canyon. It's also the first stop over the Colorado/Wyoming border where Wyoming people can get a lottery ticket. Just for the record, if The Forks is closed for good, Ted's Place is the last refreshment/bathroom stop in winter on the way to Laramie. There is a rest stop but it is closed in winter.

I remembered it was Inauguration Day as we rode back into town via the scenic route. Yep, you guessed it - over the dam at Horsetooth Reservoir. It was a stunning ride. A rare day. The waters were calm, like glass, a true painter's lake. We saw many riders out and about, enjoying the day, many of them playing hooky I bet - all of them greeting us with grins.

We reluctantly turned The Ride toward home... no playing hooky for Tim today. I finally got the darn kitchen clean and caught the highlights of Inauguration Day on the news. Lots of folk were glued to their TV today. It is a historic moment in the story of our nation. Years from now when someone asks what we were doing the day a young, energetic, black man became the President of the United States (not by any fault of ours) I know I\we will remember riding on a Harley in Colorado under blue skies without a care in the world - at least - not a care - for a couple of hours.