Well, as I’m writing this, the remains of Hurricane Hermine are rolling across South Georgia and my game plan for a speedy escape this evening and a couple days on the bike are somewhat stymied. Not to worry, though, I’ll be on it by Labor Day at the latest – it just depends on if there is any storm drama in this neck of the woods.
The really sad part in all this is that for a lot of us, Labor Day marks the unofficial last days of summer – especially the further north you go. The one guy I know up north in Boyle, Alberta (Canada) has already put up his bike and is more worried about hunting season than getting the last few miles in. Down here, riders are more concerned about college football season than poker runs and planning tailgate parties that involve recreational vehicles instead of bikes.
This time of year makes me feel like the last guy at the bar on a Tuesday night.
On the other hand, a lot of the really good days for riding here in the southern latitudes are just getting started. If this fall goes as most of them do, we won’t have a freeze until late October and the foliage will be amazing in that third and fourth week. You can finally wear all your leathers and not bake up like a pot roast while taking in some really beautiful countryside.
More importantly, it seems like the best days are always just ahead. Looking out of the office window at the torrential downpour, it’s hard to get excited over Labor Day or even going out to the store for those smokes that I forgot to buy last night on my way home. For those guys too far north to be able to get more than a few more weeks out of this season, the best news is that the chance to handle all the upgrades and goodies you’ve been bookmarking online is coming – deferred maintenance, go-fast stuff, and shiny bolt-ons are right around the corner for you.
Whatever Labor Day weekend means for you, a day with the family cooking out in the backyard, the end of summer, or the start of Fall, I hope that you can get the same feeling that it gives me – the best rides are still ahead of all of us.