July 8, 2023 Time Flies When You’re Having Fun.

A week flew by in the blink of an eye. One minute I was watching the sky light up with Canada Day Fireworks and the next I’m rolling the throttle and riding to the top of the mountain.

Big White Mountain. 

Summer has enveloped the valley with a blanket of heat. After days of movement and stress I got on my trusty Honda and rode to paradise.

A mountain paradise.

I rode through the city, sweat oozing off my tired frame. I longed to roll on the throttle and dance through the stream of cars. 

Through the stream of chaos.

Buy I resisted and went in short spurts. I’d open the throttle and jump ahead of a slow going car. Only to slow down again as traffic built. It was already 7:30 in the evening and I thought I’d miss the heavy traffic. I was right, I’d missed most of it, yet there were still too many cars on the road. Too many people…

As I approached the edge of town, I sensed the longing in my machine. Or was it myself? It didn’t matter. I satisfied the longing and rolled on the gas, leaving Kelowna in the dust 

I wasn’t speeding. No, sir officer, I was enjoying a nice afternoon cruise. Unlike the latest guy, on YouTube – he lost his license for posting a video of himself speeding. It’s pure case of natural consequences if I’ve ever seen one.

So, no, I was not, nor do I ever break the speed limit when I ride my motorcycle.

I became part of my environment, every sensation was alive. The smell of pine and fir, the sensation of change and relief when I turned onto Big White Road and the temperature dropped by ten degrees. 

It was a feeling of freedom.

Pure freedom dancing with the road as I wound my way up the first set of switchbacks. They were smooth and clean, I felt a thrill pierce through my body. Then I dropped lower on my knee and accelerated through the last winding turn.

It was over too soon. 

I rode my machine into a mountain paradise. Another world away from the chaos of the valley.

A calmness enshrouded me as I turned the last switchbacks to the mountain. A calmness my body, my soul needed.

People laugh and say how easy is your job? You take beautiful women for a tour of the lake. I also take beautiful men, children, and all other sorts of other beautiful people.

That’s the best part of the job. And it’s the hardest.

I need to stay on point and alert. I need to be on my A game at all times. I’m my harshest critic.

Back at the mountain, I can breathe.

Until tomorrow and I need to do it all again.