Falling Colors

Landscape in October
Originally uploaded by Giorgos ~.

The year moves on: Summer gives way to Fall. Chill night air triggers nature's orgy of color.

Riding through fields aglow in Autumnal elegance brings to the soul an incredible focus. The air smells different, wonderful. Gone are the floral aromas of Spring -- here are the dusky smells of the past saying goodbye--the future saying hello.

Enjoy the days of nature's last hurrah. Tomorrow the earth sleeps neath a snowy blanket. And new life prepares an ever so soon grand entrance.

Ride safe and well.

BALANCE AND THE SIMPLE LIFE

Balluminaria
Originally uploaded by waxinggibbous.

Nature must indeed abhor a vacuum. Offer nature even the tiniest opportunity for life to flourish and flourish it will. The balance in this is obvious upon observation.

Peak at a slight crack in a roadside boulder and observe. Tiny dust particles recently settled transform from atmospheric flotsam to a nourishing soil for a litter of lichen. How perfect this life force.

Life is simple. As we too are life therefore we are simple. We nevertheless try so hard to complicate our lives: we confuse ourselves on a daily basis. I am as capable of this mistake as are any of us.

Yet balance and purpose unfold to show a path to perfection.

Example time – let’s take one of my favorite topics, motorcycling. If we ride for joy and toward a goal we wish to achieve we are riding in balance with nature. We are pursuing a simple life.

If, however, we ride out of pain we are not riding in balance. If we run away from something we wish to avoid, we are making a mistake. We are failing further in the healthy pursuit of a happy and simple life. In a simple, balanced life, we must first deal with the cause of our pain, take action to fix it, and then ride.

Like most motorcycle enthusiasts, I’ve ridden both such rides. I’ve learned more of life these past few years. I’ve learned that the joy of riding toward my goals far surpasses the shallowness of riding away from problems.

The problems, left unresolved, will be there to greet us when we return. And that is the antithesis of a simple life.

Destiny on the Road

Llugwy Downstream
Originally uploaded by Stu Worrall.

Go easy now -- we'll meet along the way. Later on the road will rise up and bring us home.

SUNSET SAILING and MOONLIGHT RIDING

I would expect that a sunset sail across Buzzards Bay for dinner at The Chart Room (on Cape Cod) would be the perfect conclusion to a fine day. It can be, and yet it can fall short of the perfection of a sunset in the mountains while on a motorcycle tour.

Please think me not a dismisser of fine sailing and the sea. Those who know me know that I treasure these things.

Yet now, in the brilliance of tonight's full moon shining down I am reminded of so many sunsets and moonsets not on the sea but on the land. I remember camping in the desert with a moon so big it seemed to fill the sky. I recall sleeping on Cape Breton beaches neath moons so bright it was hard to remain asleep. I see evenings in Alaska when the moon fought hard with the summer sun to find a place in the late night sky.

There are hundreds of full moons I recall seeing while cruising on motorcycles. Few, however, hold the magic I now see in tonight's moon.

There is magic happening, and I know not where or why. I will trust the universe to set things right. I feel ready for a new life, a life filled with adventure and simplicity. There's too little of that in my world lately.

I am ready for my moon.

A Green Wave

On a Green Wave
Originally uploaded by maruchan313.

A few weeks ago I went Body Surfing. No it wasn't that spectacular stuff we see on television when nubiles grab huge tubes off the coast of Hawaii -- it was more like swishing into the path of a small swell off the coast of Maine. Indeed, it was cold but very refreshing.

Temperature and size are not the issue here. The simple act of swimming out to the point break and then dashing toward shore to catch 15 seconds of rapture is what I'm talking about. That's the magic of "Catching a Green Wave."

Truth be known the ocean up here is cold. Truth continuing, as it should always, body surfing in our cold New England seas is worth every effort. When you're done you know you've enjoyed an excellent day. You've melded with the ocean, and that's pretty good, no?

Hay Rides

Montana sky
Originally uploaded by Jodene.

The fields are full of mown hay -- bales, rolls, stacks, and mounds abound.

The air is pungent with a grassy perfume.

Two months of great riding remain before the gales of November and the snows of December set upon us. Get out and ride friends.

Breathe in the organic air of late summer/early fall. Its simplicity is more than pleasant. It is seductive.

Belgium at Night

Orange & blue
Originally uploaded by Jason's Travel Photography.

I remember Belgium. After a ferry crossing of the English Channel my Triumph 650 and I headed north to Belgium as I many years ago commenced a Continental Tour .

My strongest memories are of the people and architecture of Belgium. I don't recall eating Belgian Waffles: I do recall dining with fine wines and yummy meals.

The architecture, however, stands out strongest in my mind. Canals, colorful manses, tall steeples, these I remember so well.

Then it was on to the Netherlands for me. Looking back I wish I had stayed just a few days more. The young man rushes. The wise man pauses to look deeply into the soul of each place and its people.

Orange Sun -- Salty Sea

Buena pesca
Originally uploaded by GomoX.

The sun and the sea - - a marriage of light and liquid creating a perfect day's beginning and end. Every motorcycle ride should begin or end at such times and places.

Ride into the mountains but begin at the sea.

Ride through farmlands and lakes and end at the sea.

Start or finish with a plunge into an ocean gloamed in the orange light of transition. You are reborn and ready to ride again.

TREATS ON THE ROAD

Berries
Originally uploaded by ·júbilo·haku·.

This is the northern season when berries of all species explode aside scenic twisting backroads and byways. A stop to investigate, nay to pick makes a long day's ride tasty beyond compare.

A recent spirited blast through Crawford Notch suprised me with yummy roadside blueberries, glistening blackberries, and a few other little treats. The sweet feast broke up an otherwise gorgeous yet hot daylong cruise to the Maine coast. It was surely a pause that refreshed.

Wouldn't it be nice if these tiny treats of nature flourished all year long.

Z is for Living

Z
Originally uploaded by sandcastlematt.

Sea and sand melded together into a perfect Z. How wonderful. Z may be the last letter of the alphabet but it is the first letter of Zen.

Z is for living, Z is for balance, Z is for perfection in balance.

I watched a perfect moon illuminate the sea this weekend. Diamonds of light glittered along the waves as they lapped the beach. Tranquility adorned the shoreline.

Earlier in the week I enjoyed an evening ride with a bright three-quarter moon riding my left shoulder all the way home. Its brilliance shone along the highway more beautifully than any daylight could. I sang songs aloud to myself with the ease one normally finds only in the shower. I was of course bathed in moonlight, so why not?

May your day be balanced in Zs to lead your heart where you need to be. May your night be gloamed in moonlight to lead your soul where you truly should be.

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

Enchanted Pool
Originally uploaded by SplodgusMaximus.

Water seeks water.
Hope seeks hope.
Love seeks love.
Souls seek eachother.

Bridges, Oceans, and Chocolate Martinis

Fog
Originally uploaded by konaboy.

Where there's water there's sure to be a bridge. Some bridges are more famous than others, though all bridges join worlds otherwise divided.

Motocycle travel, too, joins worlds that otherwise seem divided to one trapped in the cozy confines of a car. Certainly yesterday's wild and wet ride from Newburyport Harbor to home proved that to me once again. I not only drove through a pounding and relentless downpour, I was literally immersed in it.

And it was fun. (I'm glad that a hot shower awaited my arrival, nonetheless.)

Bridges and cruising are just part of the joy of visiting friends and family far and wide. On Saturday evening in Maine, my sister Marie suggested that we concoct a new, untried Martini recipe. So we did.

We made our own version of a Chocolate Martini: chilled vodka, shaken with Coffee/Chocolate Dibbs (little ice cream marvels), squeezed orange rinds, a bit of fresh squeezed orange pulp, and a liberal pour of pure Pomegranate extract, all gently poured into tall Martnini glasses that had been drizzled with chocolate syrup.

I must report that these new liquid wonders are a decidedly undebateable delight.

So was my Sunday morning ride down the coast of Maine to Newburyport, Massachusetts. I was privileged to crisscross ocean bays, a wide river, and estuaries via beaucoup bridges. Some were of steel, others of wood. Each was a joy on a perfect Summer day.

Perfect, that is, until a black wall of rain advanced from west to east directly between me and my intended destination -- home.

All is well. My clothes and motorcycle have dried without harm. My mind and soul are refreshed. The sea and the motorcycle have a way of enlivening the spirit. The Chocolate Martini didn't hurt either.

ROAD ZEN REVISITED

Love These Roads!!!
Originally uploaded by Farol's Fotos.

Here is a road for the motorcycle enthusiast to dream of. Awesome!

WOVEN VINES

Cottage charm
Originally uploaded by Lawrence OP.

Woven fabric, twisted vine;
hand spinned silk, hand woved spline.

A house in the meadow, a home Divine,
Take me there tomorrow, take me there in time.

Reaching for Greatness

Silence
Originally uploaded by SezzRS.

We reach for greatness when we strive to do the best we can do: no less, one hopes for a bit more.

We reach for greatness when we look deep within ourselves and ask the hard questions.

Like the cactus flower that reaches for the sun, we reach for our destiny when we grab our magical machines, our motorcycles, and speed purposefully into our futures.

We are alive.

Pond Zen

Reflected
Originally uploaded by gilmanr.

Ponds are alive with life, color, and flora.

I spent time earlier today walking through seacoast wetlands and shoreline gardens. Birds of every sort sang songs of comfort. A tiny rabbit bounded from beneath a thicket and then vanished within a patch of orange hued flowers.

How fortunate we are when we happen upon nature splendid.

How fortunate we are that ponds dot our landscape with that life giving nectar we call water.

Magical Motion

Great surf this morning
Originally uploaded by stormsurfer29.

One finds magical motion while motorcycling. It can be found in surfing too.

I no longer crash the waves as a surfer: a few shoulder surgeries took care of that for me. I do, however, still find the perfection of motion in the ride.

Magical Motion is alive and well for me and for all who love two wheels in sync-- and that , as they say, is a good thing.

MORNING WALK

morning constitutional
Originally uploaded by Greg'.

How beautiful to walk early in the morn when the sun rises to chase away the night.

Summer In the City

Summer Night
Originally uploaded by alex.dorand.

The thermometer read 102 F when I left work today. I was worried that I was destined to spend a hot night in my city flat. I

nstead two nice things happend: first, dear friends called and invited me to dine and swim at their suburban home. Second, when I returned to the City I found such laughter and happiness in the streets that the stickiness of the heat evaporated.

Downtown is alive this night. Couples young and old are strolling, hand in hand. Music seeps from doorways. Laughter is ubiquitous tonight.

I might begin to like this urban living thing. As Tony Bennett says, "Out of the Tree of Life I Just Picked Me a Plum."

A SURPRISE SOJOURN

Puffin Sunrise
Originally uploaded by abstract_effects.

I enjoyed an unplanned ride to the coast for dinner with my cousin this evening. By 6 pm, when I was able to motor, the late day sun still burned hot and bright, and a large rising moon pulled me east for an hour's cruise to the Atlantic shore.

The ocean was unusually calm, almost still. Tiny waves, too small for even a squirrel to surf, lapped lazily onto the sandy beach. They made no sound. Gulls darted here and there.

I pulled into the parking lot at Ron's Landing. A large sign said "Valet Parking Only," but motorcycles are immune from such things. "Park your bike wherever you like," said the friendly young man in the white valet uniform. "Thank you," I replied.

Dennis soon arrived on his Harley. We dined upstairs in the perfectly air conditioned lounge where we spoke with a number of the diners, each with a different story to tell. A fellow from Alabama made us laugh when he chided the bartender by telling her that she "was as crazy as a lab rat." I whispered to Dennis, "I always thought it was the lab technicians that were crazy, not the rats."

By 8 dinner was done and it was time for a gentle sunset ride home. Daylight faded to a gloaming in the west and my beautiful moon was at my side.

She stayed with me all the way home. Thank you Moon for being there for me.

LIFE IS FOR LIVING

table for 2
Originally uploaded by Pete the painter.

Night and day repeat as if an endless dance of time and light. But they are not endless. We know that.

Each sunset caps an amazing day that soon melds to night. Each night brings sleep and dreams that prepare us for the dawn. All is as it should be.

Yet we so often fail to appreciate each day's gift.

It may be that we are distracted by work or poor health. It may be that we are forgetful of our bounty through the jealousy of comparison with others' bounties. Whatever the distraction we are the poorer for it.

Let it go!

Look at the rain and embrace it. Ride in the rain and embrace it. Sure enough a rainbow will appear and we will be reminded of how life is like Sangria: a swirling mix of fruit and wine, of sweet and bitter, of light and dark, of sharp and smooth.

Life is for living. Drink it up.

Misty Mountain Roads

Misty Road
Originally uploaded by CaptPiper.

The morning rainstorm ended as abruptly as it began the other day. I was cruising in The Adirondacks. The air warmed as soon as the rains departed.

The road was warmer still. The damp macadam brewed an earie mist that rose into the air in swirls. The entire scene became dreamlike in a sense.

I slowed appreciably as visibility decreased: deer were about, so a more patient pace was wise.

There is magic in mysty roads. There are hearts hidden there. There is beauty clouded by mystery. I shall ride such mysts again I hope.

SERENE Stillness

Bolsena
Originally uploaded by Roarsthelion.

Daylight awakens upon quiet lake waters. The coolness of the air refreshes our souls.

The serenity of softly diffused light upon the smooth, glasslike watery canvass reminds us why we are called to such places.

We are called from deep within our souls. Much as a wild Loon beckons its lover and chicks home with tender callings, the peaceful lakes whisper sweetly to us in our dreams until we journey back to their shores.

Sometimes You Just Have to Go

R399
Originally uploaded by Will Design Works.

Sometimes the best way to figure out where you're going in life is to step off the train you're on and take a good long motorcycle ride. It's amazing how a few tankfulls of gas and a clear mountain road can clear the mind.

IN THE MIST

No One Sees You
Originally uploaded by _marmota.

The morning flowered slowly, softly, damply.

A sea fog had rolled onshore. The birds, but for two romanticly inclined morning doves, were unusually silent.

My duties today required that I ride away from the coast. Rain was coming soon so I hurried a bit more than usual for an otherwise still Sunday morn.

I soon found the rain.

A quick stop allowed me to don the rain suit. The rest of the ride moved from rain to fog and back again. Yet a feeling of total peace engulfed my soul as I zoomed along atop the motorcycle. It was just quintessentially peaceful.

I do not mind riding in the rain --high winds, yes, but not simple rain. In rain we find ourselves deeply sure that we know most things important.

There is always, however, that one special dream, that one particular harbor, our one fantastic goal that remains elusively just beyond our grasp. I want to embrace that dream and make it no longer a dream but a reality. I shall ride until it happens.

Perspective is Everything...No?

farsistradalentamente..
Originally uploaded by laperegina.

Some days begin with a feeling of "Good Morning Heartache": others commence with an exclamation ... "Good Morning Lovely World."

I suppose our feelings are inseparable from what goes on around us. Some folks have the Monday Blues. Others embrace Monday as a new chance for success.

The sun rises and sets each day. Each event is either magical or sad.

If we're in a blue mood we might ask the sun and moon to stop haunting us: if we're feeling loved and cared for, we might shout out, Hello Moon.

Either way everyone needs to be cared for. Everyone needs to be cared for: how simple is that?

DOWN TO THE BLUE SEA

Blue boat
Originally uploaded by kostas.v.

Come with me down to the blue sea where we will run in the sand and ride beside hidden coves of crashing waves and crusted stone.

Come with me down to the blue sea where we will arise before dawn to watch the sun rise up out of the water. Like the sun, we will glide into a brightening sky.

FIGAWI RACING AND BACK

I am back from an amazing long weekend of sailing, racing, singing, and sharing the joys of Nantucket with friends who were kind enough to invite me to race in Figawi 2007. This annual event includes hundreds of vessels all trying to sail as quickly as possible on a course set between Hyannis Harbour and Nantucket Harbour.





The weather for the race was perfect in every way.



I was a bit scruffy from having been at sea for three days.



All hands enjoyed the thrill of the competition.

GRAND MARNIER SUNSETS

May Sunset Above Manchester
Originally uploaded by MontaukRider.

This eve I found an amazing urban sunset invading my third-floor downtown balcony. Thankfully my camera and tripod were nearby. Oh how fabulous the sky became as it fired into the last blast of the aft.

There are so many sunrises and sunsets awaiting all of us. We need only to go out and find them. And then the magic just seems to happen. So neat indeed.

Fire on the Water

Fire on the Water
Originally uploaded by night86mare.

Orange sorbet atop a silken sea -- a sunset to ponder from start to finish and then remember a lifetime. We should all be so lucky.

Sweet Riding

k 11 Utxarroz
Originally uploaded by Dálmata.

I prepare for a long cruise. In my mind are thoughts of mountains, rivers, valleys, and twisting roads winding throughout.

Then I see this photo and I am humbled. Dalmata has captured the spirit of the ride in a single moment when I , more tied to the saddle and miles, see it as a continuim of dance. His photo portrays both, movement and stillness. Perfect.

When next I ride long and hard I shall think of this photo and smile.

Water Zen

Water Zen
Originally uploaded by MontaukRider.

Gently falling waters hidden within this urban garden's womb gifts soothing tranquility to those lucky enough to discover it. This particular pond is home to a mated pair of cardinals, gangs of smaller birds, black squirrels, and of course, several little fishes of differing colors.

The Garden of Eden could not have been nicer than this spot.

spring cleaning

spring cleaning
Originally uploaded by sharply_done.

How do we all accumulate so much "stuff"?

Clean it and the blue sky shines right on through.

Garden Zen

Hidden house - Taormina
Originally uploaded by fede_gen88.

We ride to find perfect balance and that singular moment of "the zone." We garden for much the same reason, though with different pace and different medium.

The garden, once planted and tended, creates beauty and focus. It becomes a nowness to itself.

PERSPECTIVE

....
Originally uploaded by ~charlie~.

Look what happens when you look more closely at what is really in front of you. A whole new perspective, yes?

Patience...

Patience...
Originally uploaded by Maggiet96.

I rode my motorcycle a lot over the past few days -- I was hoping to free my mind of troubled thought.

As hoped for, the riding, coupled with wise advice from dear friends, brought forth renewed insight.

Patience is the key to life fulfilled. I have tried to be patient in most matters yet I' ve not always succeeded. There is no need for us to wish for instant this or overnight that. The best things in life are worth waiting for.

Time must be given the chance to allow all things possible.

FOG?

Pinnacle
Originally uploaded by vonvonvon.

Karl Sandberg wrote that fog creeps in on cat's paws. I think he was right.

Especially do I feel so when I think of our frequent blunders in life, those where we've thought one thing only to later find out that another thing was in fact the reality.

It's not the "fog of war," it's the "fog of life" that I'm talking of.

If I had but one wish it would be this: May all of us lose the fog for just one day. For that one day may we see and understand what is really important to us, and may we act accordingly. That would be a nice world indeed.

No fog allowed -- Think Clearly. We should all strive to do so.

Life Renews Perfectly

The Summer has Beginning.......
Originally uploaded by rogilde.

The moon tonight is waxing 99% full. The sun, tomorrow, will be brilliant. Spring is here and Summer is soon to follow. Alas, another cosmic circle commences again.

Now: Ride the rides you dreamt of all Winter. Seize each day and make it perfect. Work hard -- play hard. Settle for nothing less than the best.

Everything else will take care of itself.

Figawi Race

Figawi Start
Originally uploaded by wmmumford.

I'm quite excited about the upcoming Figawi Race from Cape Cod to Nantucket. The legend of Figawi is huge, so this year I was elated to be invited by friends to attend on their gorgeous Little Harbor sailing yacht.

When I joined them a few years ago in Bermuda for Race Week it was certainly educational and, well, downright fun. I expect Nantucket to be no less so. Herman Melville aside, Nantucket is one of my favorite salty haunts.

Montaukrider is up to the task: The pirate in me says "Arrrrrrrr."

Adirondack Spring

spring sunset, tupper lake,ny2
Originally uploaded by GroovyIslandGirl.

Spring sneaks in slowly in the Adirondacks. By mid April the air warms and the ice disappears. Birds chirp louder -- flowers poke up from the forest floor.

Like a migratory bird I hope to return to The Park as soon as I can. The ride through the Green Mountains and on into the Adirondack Park is simply breathtaking.

The Montauk and its rider are ready.

FLOW RIVER FLOW ....

Where peaceful waters flow…
Originally uploaded by Vol-au-Vent.

No more peaceful place exists than the riparian shore of a languid canal. We can search far and ever without finding more tranquility.

To the rivers and canals of the world Montauk Rider salutes you. Thank you for bringing such balance and calm to an otherwise hectic world.

Turquoise Zen

Originally uploaded by BlueDjinn.

Were I a painter I'd want turquoise on my brush day and night.

Were I a poet I'd craft an ode to the finest Hue of Blue.

Were I a mountaintop lake I'd wish to be as blue as blue and as deep as deep can be.

Alas I am none of these, but I am one who adores happening upon mountain lakes and tropical coves where sunlight and aquatic realm zenify into my favorite blue, the color Turquoise.

CURVACIOUS CRUISING

Originally uploaded by Cloe007.

Life undulates around us; friends circle about our realities. No matter how you analyze it life moves, curves, slides all about our otherwise planned activities.

I enjoy seeing symmetries in all this motion. A road bends, a Puffin dives for fish. Everything is in balance.

Beyond each turn is an experience we've not yet encountered.

Reflection Zen

On the country
Originally uploaded by Hans van Reenen.

Still waters, blue skies and shapely trees -- a perfect mirror of life's perfection. Like friends who know each other's thoughts, these elements complete one another.

This is living; this is reflection. This is perfection.

Woods Riding in Maine

Dirt Road Woods Riding in Maine
Originally uploaded by MontaukRider.

With warm weather returned I was able to ride this weekend. Maine drew much of my attention.

On one particular ride I found myself beyond paved roads and in the midst of a what appeared a managed forest. A vernal pool caught my attention, so it was off the bike and into the woods for exploration.

Sometimes dirt roads offer attractions beyond those we find on the highways and byways of our land. The woods are full of life and blessed with an abundance of stories.

A tree falls and dies. Its decaying wood suddenly hosts an army of plant and insect life that feed on its banquet of carbon and nitrogen. The circle is complete and ready to begin again.

Yes, riding into the woods is well worth the trip. Just remember to park the bike and walk a bit. We see more when we slow down.