ÜberDoober
05-04-2008, 12:36 PM
Sunday morning up for coffee and some toast. Check DooberVille.com (http://www.dooberville.com)to make sure the website is working and I go ahead and spoil the results for today's later broadcast of the MotoGP from China. :(
I should update the race thread with the results and reply to a few other posts but I decide instead to toss on my ridin' duds and take the bike out for a little bit of going nowhere.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=38
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=37
I dump a few ounces of Seafoam in the tank and head to the corner station to fill up. I'm riding without earplugs today to listen for all the things that I normally can't hear or the things I think I might be hearing and can't when I have them in.
Within a mile or so, I get the feeling that it's going to be a "good" day. A day when the bike and the rider flow as one and it's as if she's reading my mind and responding to my thoughts. I decide to sharpen up my traffic and city street riding skills and truck around town and by a bike shop or two to kill some time. I drive by kelstr's shop to see if he's home for a suprise visit but the place looks deserted.
After about 12 miles of doing much of nothing except confirming the feeling that I'm riding in top form and the bike is behaving flawless, I decide finally to take to the freeway.
Down the ramp, 11K in 2nd and 8K in 3rd and I'm doing 90+. I let off and merge into the freeway traffic right in front of a Highway Patrol. I'm thinking everything is feeling so good today that I should hit the serious twisties at Canyon Lake but the little angel over my right shoulder tells me to fagedaboutit. Too much traffic this late in the morning (10:00), too many boats on trailers on my side of the double yellow and too many cops. I motor on at 70 and the DPS car passes me.
Knowing that I would be really pissed at myself for trying the lake and getting stuck in a parade, I decide to take a swing out by the river before it turns to chaos for the summer tubing season. On the road up and through the pass, there's a sherrif's Blazer in front of me and a Crown Vic behind me so it's nice and easy. I pull off to take a few pictures.
Going up Usery Pass looking back toward the east valley.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=40
The spring green of the Sonoran Desert has started to fade, but the saguaro's are in full bloom.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=41
The famous Phoenix sign as seen by air travelers arriving from the east.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=39
While I am parked at the road side, two more sherrif's vehicles pass me. All in all I saw over 15 different cops in the Salt River recreation area so the summer madness has already begun. :mad:
I stop at where the river tubers begin their ride to snap a few more photos. In spite of being in a sporty mood, the ride turns into a sightseeing adventure.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=42
These photos are of the Salt River below Saguaro Lake.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=45
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=44
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=46
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=43
Unfortunately, I must have accidentally changed a setting on my camera when shoving it back in my tank bag as the remaining 20 pictures taken at my next stop were all fuzzy.
It was warm enough to sweat but the breeze was cool and everything about the day just felt connected. I didn't think about work. I didn't think about the forum and the website and I didn't think about anything other than riding my bike on this beautiful day. My mind has been cleared and even though it was only a few hours and a piddly 80 miles, the batteries of both my Ninja and my spirit have been recharged.
Note, all included pictures have been uploaded and linked from a photo album created in my User CP. View my profile and you can view my albums directly.
I should update the race thread with the results and reply to a few other posts but I decide instead to toss on my ridin' duds and take the bike out for a little bit of going nowhere.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=38
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=37
I dump a few ounces of Seafoam in the tank and head to the corner station to fill up. I'm riding without earplugs today to listen for all the things that I normally can't hear or the things I think I might be hearing and can't when I have them in.
Within a mile or so, I get the feeling that it's going to be a "good" day. A day when the bike and the rider flow as one and it's as if she's reading my mind and responding to my thoughts. I decide to sharpen up my traffic and city street riding skills and truck around town and by a bike shop or two to kill some time. I drive by kelstr's shop to see if he's home for a suprise visit but the place looks deserted.
After about 12 miles of doing much of nothing except confirming the feeling that I'm riding in top form and the bike is behaving flawless, I decide finally to take to the freeway.
Down the ramp, 11K in 2nd and 8K in 3rd and I'm doing 90+. I let off and merge into the freeway traffic right in front of a Highway Patrol. I'm thinking everything is feeling so good today that I should hit the serious twisties at Canyon Lake but the little angel over my right shoulder tells me to fagedaboutit. Too much traffic this late in the morning (10:00), too many boats on trailers on my side of the double yellow and too many cops. I motor on at 70 and the DPS car passes me.
Knowing that I would be really pissed at myself for trying the lake and getting stuck in a parade, I decide to take a swing out by the river before it turns to chaos for the summer tubing season. On the road up and through the pass, there's a sherrif's Blazer in front of me and a Crown Vic behind me so it's nice and easy. I pull off to take a few pictures.
Going up Usery Pass looking back toward the east valley.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=40
The spring green of the Sonoran Desert has started to fade, but the saguaro's are in full bloom.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=41
The famous Phoenix sign as seen by air travelers arriving from the east.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=39
While I am parked at the road side, two more sherrif's vehicles pass me. All in all I saw over 15 different cops in the Salt River recreation area so the summer madness has already begun. :mad:
I stop at where the river tubers begin their ride to snap a few more photos. In spite of being in a sporty mood, the ride turns into a sightseeing adventure.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=42
These photos are of the Salt River below Saguaro Lake.
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=45
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=44
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=46
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=5&pictureid=43
Unfortunately, I must have accidentally changed a setting on my camera when shoving it back in my tank bag as the remaining 20 pictures taken at my next stop were all fuzzy.
It was warm enough to sweat but the breeze was cool and everything about the day just felt connected. I didn't think about work. I didn't think about the forum and the website and I didn't think about anything other than riding my bike on this beautiful day. My mind has been cleared and even though it was only a few hours and a piddly 80 miles, the batteries of both my Ninja and my spirit have been recharged.
Note, all included pictures have been uploaded and linked from a photo album created in my User CP. View my profile and you can view my albums directly.