Time of Renewal

Spring is just around the corner! After the dreary months of winter, the promise of warmer temperatures and more sunshine brings a lift to my spirit. The season has been milder than most here and I am sure it will have a 'last hurrah' before it slips away. Such is the way of Old Man Winter. The saying for March of 'in like a lamb, out like a lion' generally holds true. That said, the reverse is always possible. March has come in sweetly with warm, sunny days that have started to melt away the white blanket on the ground. Not to be outdone, winter will once again claim the landscape. I do not know when, I only know it will happen. I have seen it time after time in my growing up years and since my return in 2000.


Daylight Savings Time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. In 2010, March 14^th will see this take effect. Generally, I like the longer daytime hours. My body clock, however, takes a while to adjust to losing that hour's sleep. I seem to remember younger days when it did not make any difference. I would jump out of bed, ready for a new day, without feeling any negative effects of the time change. Now it takes at least two weeks of intense concentration to go to bed early enough that getting up at my 'usual time' doesn't hurt. It's a small price to pay for the extended pleasure of enjoying the nice weather. At least, I keep telling myself that during those first nights when I lay awake willing my body to relax and fall asleep.

The balmy days we are having now call to me: get the bike out of storage, get him ready, and start riding again. The only thing stopping me from doing this is the knowledge that 'it isn't over until the fat lady sings.' In this case, 'until Old Man Winter howls.' Once that happens, rest assured, Purple Haze will come home, be inspected, and lovingly groomed. Joyously we will take to the roads for our first ride in months. What freedom to ride along watching nature wake to a new year. I will have the added security of riding with my RoadID. The peace of mind that, were something terrible to happen, my RoadID is there to speak for me is a comforting thought. The roads aren't the safest place to ride but they are convenient. I do my best to fit my riding into the hours when there is minimal traffic. There were a couple close-calls last year but I have been lucky and escaped without mishap.

The nice weather will mean more pedestrians and cyclists will be out. Please do yourself and everyone else a favor: don't practice Distracted Driving! Cell phones are a great example of things not to use when driving. Many other things cause distraction, too. When I am driving, I pay attention to what is going on around me. My phone isn't answered, my car radio stays on one station. It is tempting to put in a CD or change the station. I am making myself get in the habit of not doing these things when I am alone in the car. I don't want to take a chance that I could have my attention on something else, even for a brief time, and cause harm to another or take a life. That said … Celebrate Spring! Celebrate Life!