Essay: On the Longest Shadow
(2015) With a difficult schedule I still managed to get out on the bike to bid the weekday sunlight of 2015 adieu. Considering daylight saving (yes it's saving, not savings) ends this weekend, and considering the intense amount of rain received yesterday, today was one of the last post-work rides to happen for the year. Any weekday rides from here on out will require a paid-time-off signature from the boss. What I wanted to get was a photograph of how long my shadow would be on tonight’s ride. As a matter of fact it’s what motivated me out the door. The secondary motivation was justifying the amount of time spent cleaning the bike amidst the rain last night. It was all shined up. The chain was quieted with Pro Link. It needed to take a few turns.
The season had other plans. As I made the turn to come home with a roaring tailwind the sun decided to call it quits early tonight. A bank of blue clouds acted like a boxing coach throwing the robe over his boxer. I kept looking for the sun to return. It didn’t.
In my pursuit of the ticking sunlight I observed the moocows regarding me passing by. The horses didn’t seem to start caring this day either. Buzzards seemed to be enjoying the tailwind as well as they streaked across the sky. Everyone – and everything – is packing it in before the darker approaching days.
What lies ahead are only weekend rides and blasted trainer rides. We can all shudder together at the thought of the grimacing trainer. Perhaps this thought was the larger motivator to get out on the road tonight.
I have a weird insistence regarding monthly rides: I insist on riding the first day of the month to start off well, and I make sure to ride on the last day of the month to bookend a month of efforts. Perhaps I will be able to squeeze in one last ride after work Saturday. With it being Halloween in these parts, perhaps I should consider one other possibility: people will shout, “Look! He’s dressed as Lance Armstrong!” in which case I’ll try to emulate that disappearing act the sun accomplished tonight. Or perhaps it could be the greatest way to end a month of riding.
