Riding in January

Ready to ride on a beautiful January day! I can tell you, when I snapped this picture, it was a full 60° warmer than it was when I took this one a bit more than two weeks earlier:

It's still winter. Cold and rainy weather, even a bit of snow, is in the forecast but today, I'm enjoying the sunshine. 

The preceding post was published earlier today (1/29/24). Now for the rest of the story... (Apologies to Paul Harvey)

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Okay... I'm home from work now. It was a beautiful day today. One of those days where it would have been a sin not to ride.

Winter riding is definitely a possibility here in the L-C Valley but one has to be careful. While the streets were covered with ice, the city kept the roads well sanded. When the snow melted, the gravel remained. You may as well ride over ball bearings as loose gravel. Fortunately, the city has been cleaning up most of the gravel from the streets over the past couple days so riding has been fairly safe.

Another post-winter hazard is the rider's skills diminishing. When I got my endorsement, I was taught in my riders' safety course that riding skills are perishable. Well, I experienced that today. It has only been about 5 weeks since my last ride, but I found myself not so sure about a couple situations... I had even forgotten how to engage reverse on my bike. (When riding a Goldwing, reverse is a necessity unless you have a 38" inseam and can leg press a thousand pounds or more.) It didn't take long for my riding skills to deteriorate. They weren't badly deteriorated but it was still noticeable. 

Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 BSB

Of course, I'm going to draw a parallel between this and the Christian walk... Even those of us who have been believers for decades, not getting into the Word, not praying or not being in fellowship with others causes our walk to deteriorate. We don't have the strength we used to when we face trials and temptations. The world tends to drag us down like it did when we weren't as mature.  The secret is to stay in the Word. Keep the prayer channels open. Stay connected to others who will build you up in the faith!

In this way, riding is like the life of faith... Well, almost. There are times when I would be foolish to be out riding around. But in my life of faith, I'd be foolish to take a break from the Word or connecting with others. 

I'll never get tired of finding so many parallels between my riding hobby and my relationship with God!

God bless!

Arnold.

Life in the "Banana Belt"

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below

-- Clement Clarke Moore, A Visit from St. Nicholas, 1823

Yes, that is -8° Fahrenheit on our front porch this morning.

First blog post in a year and a half!

As my dear readers (all six of them) know, Angela and I live in the Lewiston Clarkston area, affectionately known as the L-C Valley. Clarkston WA is about as far as you can get from Seattle and still be in Washington. Lewiston ID which is across the Snake River from Clarkston, sits on the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. At approximately 740 feet above sea level, this confluence is listed as Idaho's lowest elevation. Because of dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers, the port in Lewiston is classified as a seaport. 

Given its low elevation, Lewiston typically enjoys relatively mild winters (as compared with the rest of Idaho), giving rise to the term, "Banana Belt". Indeed, we enjoy mild winters and spring weather arrives for us a month earlier than does in surrounding areas. Local golf courses boast about being open year-round. Riding is possible all months of the year. But don't let the "Banana Belt" moniker fool you: winter still settles in, sometimes with a vengeance. Our state coordinator, who lives in Idaho Falls, was planning a trip up here one February when I told him not to worry about the weather. "We're in the Banana Belt of Idaho!" I said. Two days before he arrived, we got a foot of snow. The following year, the same thing happened. I don't think I will ever live down my Banana Belt comments. 

This winter, we enjoyed an exceptionally mild December. Temperatures climbed well into the 50s on several occasions. I was able to ride my bike many times. In fact I rode until within a week of Christmas. 

Alas, that seems like such a long time ago. As we descend into mid January, temperatures have been hovering around zero all day. In fact, tonight, January 13, 2024, we're heading for a second consecutive night of sub-zero temperatures. Our front door is cold to the touch. We cough whenever we step outside because the air is so cold that when we breathe, it irritates our throats. The battery in our truck just gave up and had to be replaced. My bike is sitting on its pad; covered and hooked up to the battery tender. Hopefully it will start when riding weather returns.

Life in the Banana Belt...🥶