Solitary Ramble

The sun was shining, the weather was incredibly warm for November, and I was off work, so I decided to go for a solitary ramble. There will not be many more days like this before cold weather begins and it would be a shame to waste it. Why is it that almost any nice day off the bike has come to seem wasted to me? Sometimes I wonder if my life has become unbalanced, but I can't deny that I am happy on the bike with the sun embracing me and the scenery unfolding, God's masterpiece. Originally I intended to go ride the club ride, but some things came up. Frankly, I was not sorry. My only regret was not getting off in time to round it out and do a century.

I worry that I have come to enjoy these solitary journeys as much as I have. That was one reason I was glad I had such an enjoyable ride with companions last week-end. Do my friends feel me slipping away from them? Do I feel them slipping away from me? There is no doubt that I love my companions, these men who share the road with me. But while I love them, I know that their presence in my life is temporary, a gift to be treasured. Or is it just the melancholy that tinges this time of year. All I know is that I need this time occasionally, time to process things.