Surprising... Again... What's new?

DDT (12)

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Sometimes ya just gotta go...

Winter Springs, FL - Occasionally...

Surprising... Again... What's new?

« on: January 21, 2018, 11:49:34 AM »

First time we’d seen that in nearly a month! No, I hadn’t forgotten what it looked or felt like, but I do admit to a weird sort of curiosity… Yep, rain had re-entered the picture, and it was factoring into my ride calculus. I began keeping a watchful eye on things, but right that moment it couldn’t be ruled out that the schedule would be altered somewhat…

In fairness, TWC does get it right some of the time. Before turning-in the evening before, I did consult the forecast to see what might be in-store for us, and they had predicted drizzle the following morning… When I'd gone out early to see for myself, there it was! Congrats, TWC.

The radar showed no sign of any precip, however, but unless my eyes were playing tricks on me… that drizzle was on again, off again, with no sign of let-up soon. There was a 20-35 percent chance alleged it might continue for pretty much the remainder of the day… Now what should I do?

We had managed, however, to work our way out of the frigid temps, at least for the time being. It was twenty-three degrees warmer right then where we were in Uvalde, TX, than it was up in Brownfield, TX, where we’d spent the previous night! The ride the day before had been one of gradual layer reductions throughout the course of the day, and I must say it was nice. No miscalculations resulting in being too cold while out on the road, and no unplanned stops to remedy all the ailments being uncomfortably cold can produce!

Something else about that… I do not miss the static discharge when touching metallic objects! Yep, that had become downright annoying on much of this ride, but none since the last morning in really cold stuff! The worst part of it for me is that I forget about it… until… ZAP! The surprise more than anything takes a toll on the nerves of this tender, gentle gypsy…

‘Schedule slippage’ is something that normally has no meaningful impact on us… One day here or there is not a big deal at all, except only that it can mean a day of not riding, and having to do something out of the ordinary about food, snacks, and the like. Rare indeed that multiple days could be ‘slipped’, but that certainly can and has happened. Oh well… However, when it impacts others, well, that is another story entirely… like this time…

See, an opportunity to visit ‘super wrench’ for another look at ALI is in the works. She still has that persistent, minor oil drip-age thing going on, and now there is something new… A smallish cooling system leak too. Yep, now there are two wee puddles under our girl each morning instead of just the one. No idea just now if it’s a clamp thing or perhaps the thermostat or something else, but… it is something ‘higher up’ that I can’t check-out here. It will be checked-out soon by ‘experts’, though… depending, of course, upon when we can actually show-up down on the bayou…

Troutdude will possibly be ably assisted once again by MitchO, who is rumored to be on his way to the ‘north shore’ for just that purpose. Yeah, Dennis ain’t the only one who enjoys fondling our girl! She enjoys that herself, though, as they can do her far more good than I ever could; and, according to her, they both have soft, warm hands and wonderful bedside manor! To tell the truth, I rather like to observe that threesome myself, as the interplay between them is… ummmm… ‘educational’…

Sitting on one’s duff for an entire day or days could be really bothersome, if one were easily bored or hyper-active. For yours truly, these are times for reflection and reminiscing and for occasionally writing about recent events… So, while keeping a vigilant weather-eye out, I began this tale from life on the road...

I was standing there alone minding my own business when a local couple started chatting with me… They had a Harley at home, but they were in their SUV then… “Where you headed?” they inquired. “Yuma,” I’d responded… “Why would you go there?” they appeared genuinely curious… “I go there every decade or so to remind myself why I don’t go more often,” I replied with a broad grin. That seemed to satisfy them, and they left to go inside…

I find beauty in all things, and I do like to go to places like Yuma now and then to see what my recollection might have neglected to hold onto and to discover what I might have previously overlooked altogether… I was mildly surprised when I arrived! First, even on the ride down there, it had been much more scenic and interesting than I’d remembered, and I was immediately glad we’d made the ride.

Funny how ones’ views and perceptions of things can evolve over time, particularly as ones’ familiarity with nuances and details increases. My view of the desert is a classic example! At first, I'd felt it was so foreign, foreboding, and even hostile, that I wasn’t drawn to it at all… Now… I’m quite comfortable down there, and I do enjoy wandering around drinking it all in.

There is far more agriculture in that area than I had remembered! WOW! All that dry desert yields miles of green produce when irrigated, and it is amazing to see…

Major arteries (channels that divert water from the Colorado River)