:: Nite Ride ::

:: daylight is slipping away i log out and heed the call of the ride. there is a briskness in the air that warns to enjoy every moment that is left before winter. the once familiar trail has been turned into something new as the shadows grow long and leaves hide the ground. how well do i remember this trail that i've been down so many times? intuition takes over and my trusty steed hops over obstacles and weaves between unseen puddles as if out of my control: i am the autopilot. it becomes inevitable and i have to use the high intensity discharge. suddenly all color is lost in it's garish blue grey glow. things alive seem lifeless, but the beings of my mind are animated. the bushes have arms that reach out and tap my legs. i quicken the pace feeling something following me, but the only thing behind me are the worries of the day. i quicken the pace. i ride first under and then next to and then above the highway. i feel free, not being bound by the tarmac. approaching the home of mr. grouse, i mute the light and soften the tempo, hoping not to disturb his slumber. reaching the halfway point i am faced with an option - head straight home or turn for more. before i realize, i've found the branch in the darkness and am heading down it. a steep rise in the trail is unfamiliar, but i am glad for chance to dig deep. the woods open to a field, and my presence startles a deer drinking at a pool in the moonlight. my blowtorch illuminates only his eyes as he peers back at me. then it happens - snakebite. a familiar sound and feeling as the life hisses out of the tyre, giving me pause to gaze at the stars. within a few minutes i am moving again and soon after i am rounding the final corner towards home. neighbors are cooking dinner, school children are doing math problems and practicing their piano lessons. chill is setting in and hunger is brewing, but i don't envy their warmth or comfort. the sun does not mean to slight us by leaving early this time of year. it means only force us to view things in a different light. ::