a very fine line

   It's a fine line, that's what navigating life is all about. I'm easing into the April evening, trying to muster enough energy to finish the daily list of must-do's and should-get-done's. I must feed the horses and the kids, maybe I'll even eat more than a banana myself. But really, I'd rather go out to the carriage barn and polish my buddy's vintage Harley.
   I know winter is over, or nearly over, when my mind abandons all responsibility for riding that sweet bike' comfortably seated behind my outlaw sweetheart. The fences need mending, I need to scout out some additional Learn'ed Horse Project students and I really need to re-home the last five rescued horses. Yet my mind is easily distracted with the memories of past miles and the dream-scaping of this season's expectant rides. A trip to the Maine coast and one perhaps to Niagara Falls; and always the glorious roads of Vermont. Am I lazy or just tired or actually ambivalent. Just this puzzle alone drives my mind, again,  to the bike and her beckoning chrome.
  He brought her up to my place as I'm on a paved road and have ample space in my barn. We even found an ace shovel-head mechanic for his vintage low ride. He might even get the bike fit enough to pass inspection and dawn a legal sticker. I'll need a new nickname for my driver then,  but that remains to be seen. Still though, it'll be exciting to assist in the low-ride's rehab and learn the mechanical details of the chrome pony I've come to love as dearly as my awesome brown horses.
 When he surprised me two weeks ago in arriving with her tethered in his truck bed; I was as giddy as a child on Christmas day. It got better still, when after unloading her, he dusted off the winter grime and turned the key, sparking the hearty engine to life. The sound of her throaty pipes and rhythmic Vtwins was music to my winter weary mind. He turned her around to face the road and signaled me to jump on. There were snowbanks in the yard and plenty on the mountain still, but the traveled lane was clean and the temperature was 60+; we were gonna ride. On April 9th, it would be the earliest I had ever gone out.

   Where to?" he queried. "East and north on 109; it's in good shape; no ball-buster holes anywhere..." my eager reply. Zipping my leathers up snug; I was struggling to swing my right leg over the familiar sissy bar. ' I'll need to limber up and start stretching for the summer ahead...' I muttered to myself. Settling into my pillion seat, I gave him a hug and and my ready to ride smile. Pulling onto the lane, he revved the throttle and set a a pace that made my heart jump and then soar. We were riding, rolling past snow banks that would hide the wintry acres beyond them and marvel and the snowy fields that blanketed the hillsides ahead. What a rush to ride in warm wind with ample snow still lining the roadways. Onward through Waterville and Belvidere; to Eden and North Hyde Park;  deeper the snow became as we rumbled north.  
   Pausing only for a brief picture of him next to the banks of snow, as we toured the snow-littered spring time, I couldn't recognize our summer landmarks. The vistas that were so green and comforting in July were frozen and foreboding in this early April spin. Not a time of year to break down and no room on the roadside to push a dead bike. Fortunately, our ride ran flawlessly, purring without hesitation in the effort. Seeming like even she wanted to bust lose of winter and stretch her chrome features against the bare roads.  As we wound our way home, we had covered a pristine 44 miles in our first ride out for this promising season ahead.
   Watching the ribbon of road fading behind us in the side-view mirrors, it struck me how all of life is defined by a very thin line... between dreams and duty just as it is between winter and spring... a pile of work here, a bank of snow there. It all works out as long as we 'mind' the line and keep all things where they belong.
   enjoy the day and keep the shiny side up ~ ell

this one is for them that live their dreams, and share that ride ~ peace