Chasing Light
Solstice
Tomorrow is the winter solstice, To be more accurate it arrives in about 4 hours or, in my city/zip code/time zone of Roswell, GA at 4:20 am on Saturday, December 21, 2024, or when the sun is directly overhead at noon on the Tropic of Cancer. I’m up late spinning my wheels over things I can’t control, and when I do that, I try to make the awake time useful, so here I write quietly while the rest of the house sleeps.
According to Time and Date tomorrow will have 9 hours and 53 minutes of daylight. That’s 4 hours and 32 minutes less than the summer solstice.
I paid less attention to the solstice before I started riding. But, now that I long more consciously for the longer, warmer days of summer, and I enjoy solstice observances. It’s is a good time to reflect on leaving something behind in the dark and working toward something good, ahead in the light. It’s kind of like a New Year’s resolution, only, the focus on earth science rather than the Gregorian Calendar makes it better, more in touch and meaningful to me.
The Unexpected Ride
I got to ride my bike today. I didn’t think I’d get to go. We had a few days of “warm enough for me” temps, but I was home with a sick child, and, according to the forecast, my first free day would be too cold, but, while out of the house on an errands, I realized it was warm enough. I came home for my bike and gear and took off, forgetting to actually change out of my stretchy yoga pants into my long warm bike tights.
The ride was nice, it was at the edge of my comfort zone, but really enjoyable because it was unexpected. Two weeks without a ride and my body is talking to me. But, every winter ride makes building my stamina back up in the spring a touch easier, and it releases the endorphins that help me tolerate the darker, shorter days.
It was windy and sweetgum balls were everywhere. My tires are getting tired and pumping up the pressure in the cold made me a little nervous. I was paying plenty of attention to missing sweetgum balls far more plentiful than my photo captured. Not only could they cause a puncture on old, cold, brittle tires, they’re pretty solid, and if you hit them just right, they can cause loss of control.
Trail Etiquette
I call passes in case someone distractedly turns in front of my bike. It happens. Bike bells work too, but they convey intent less precisely. Usually, when I pass someone, I say “Coming up on your left” then pause and say “Have a great (what ever they’re doing). Some people calling a pass just say “on your left” , but I find that inexperienced trail users or those who didn’t quite hear may move left, right into your path, which is exactly what I was trying to prevent. Those extra two words give people a chance to realize someone is talking to them and listen.
The extra greeting afterward is sincere, but I also do it because people are clannish. Walkers tend to see their perspective, riders theirs, runners theirs. Most times other trail users realize calling the pass is about safety and appreciate it, but some think that a cyclist calling their pass is saying. “Get out of my way, I’m coming through.” Honestly, some of them are, and without any kind thoughts. I prefer to spread connection rather than separation, so I add the greeting, sometimes fumbling, saying morning when it’s afternoon, or walk, when the person is running, but with sincere goodwill, even if the words get goofed.
Today while passing a guy I said “Have a nice ride, walk, run I mean, run. Run, run, run.”
I’d like to pretend it was dodging sweetgum balls that distracted me, but it’s more likely that I’m known on the trail as that woman who goofs her greeting. I’ve actually been corrected before. I was berating myself a little for having trouble when the guy yells from behind really loud “MERRY CHRISTMAS.” What a perfect response! I laughed and waved.
The Photo OP
I stopped beside a field that frequently has deer by the dozen to get a photo of the sweetgum balls. I didn’t expect a deer to necessarily give me the more awesome shot, but I was going to let it happen if it would. I sat at the edge of the trail and leaned in with the phone. My right pants hem was up around my thigh so that my calf was exposed. That was to keep it out of my bike chain, but it could have looked like I had been inspecting an injury. While taking my time incase that deer showed, three people asked me if I needed help. Kindness is everywhere. You don’t have to look. You just have to see it.
As soon as I put my phone away and got back on the bike, there was the doe I was hoping would show, right in the middle of the path. The nice thing about the trail is that the experience is always better than any pictures.
This Week’s Reading
Hope In the Dark, Untold Histories and Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit
I listened. This may be an annual repeat for me. It did give me hope in the dark,
Have a glorious day, and we’ll see you on the trail.
