it is good

this is a ride.

the weather finally broke in vermont. plenty of clouds and spring rains, but with temps in the 50's, the riding has been great. so many new roads to explore. time disappears when i'm out. earie how quickly it goes by, it's a totally new experience. in boston, most of my riding was commuting - then wknd rides on roads full of those fleeing the city, whizzing by, impatient for their destination. found salvation during mtb rides w/andy on the north shore, romps in the busy Fells kept me sane, but in vermont, i'm a child again, desperate to be outside. so much to see, to absorb. before the weather broke, i'd plan rides only in our valley - up and down one side, across the Mad River and up and down the other - plenty of options, but without great distance, the sense of adventure was not great. with nice temps and non-frozen feet i've been exploring beyond, a sense of adventure rises in the chest.

found myself on a dirt cut-through to moretown gap last wk, passed a gaggle of fellas drinking coors light in their pickups miles from anything. they waved and remarked on the sanity of my skinny tires, told me they were fixing an odemeter, not just sitting around in the middle of nowhere drinking. like i could care? or don't do the same? road narrowed, rugged, to muddy ruts. "not recommended for winter travel" it mentioned. pitch's increased, ruts deepened. got a touch freaked, sliding sideways, chunks of mud flying-up, was smiling like a fool shortly after when back on the gravel. with so much room to roam, i can't imagine being bored - and i haven't been on the trails yet! i feel very lucky to have found such a place to live, to raise a family. i'm very lucky to have a wonderful wife who understands my need to explore - and at the end of each "trip" there is nothing i want more than to be home with them. vermont has awakened me. throughout my life 7a always came too early, now 6a can't come soon enough. not a minute can be wasted.

then back in boston for work. the ride from swampscott to downtown through saugus, lynn, everett is such a stark contrast. an hour feels like much more, the smell of gas and oil permeating the air in everett, cars and trucks gunnin' it to make a sketchy pass only to stop at the next red light as i cruise past and up the road into the next batch of commuting chaos where bostonians fight each other to the death for a car length. the ride back to swampscott is better. the reward of the ocean in a quiet new england seaside town.