A Changing Rider

About a month ago, Unconventional examined Our Changing World, using roads as a metaphor on deeper societal issues. But not only do roads change, but riders do. For most of our Gray Hog rides, we had a long first day just to reach the main part of our ride. 650 miles became typical, sometimes more. At age 70 I began one of our long trips to Canada with an Iron Butt ride, 1080 miles in 16 hours…before heading into Canada. And for the three of us in SoCal, to beat the morning traffic, we’d have to wake up early to get on the road by 4 AM. And we loved it! The challenge, the break from the routine of work brought joy. A fine accomplishment.

Then in 2022...

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Pages Turning

Looking ahead, my spiritual vision is maybe 20/400. But looking back, it may approach 20/40. Maybe you’ve experienced the same—the past has more clarity than the future. Looking back, I see my bad decisions, my good ones. The times that God has gently nudged me in ways I didn’t comprehend until later. The times he took a figurative 2 x 4 to me. We can all benefit from looking back to gain a better insight into…

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Roots

Our annual cross country biker group calls itself the Gray Hogs, in a veiled allusion to Tim Allen’s movie Wild Hogs. Two prime requirements to be a Hog: you don’t need to belong to the Harley Owners’ Group, just pack a few extra pounds, and to sport some gray hair. Oh yeah, and to ride a bike and to get along with the charter members.

Even so, old totally dominated part of our ride to the Taos NM area. We visited the country’s oldest continuously occupied residence, Taos Pueblo, which dates back to 1000 AD. A bit later in Santa Fe we explored the country’s oldest church, the San Miguel Mission from 1610 (I snuck up and rang the bell before learning they allowed it), the oldest seat of government from colonial days with Santa Fe’s Palace of the Governors, also 1610, and what some claim to be the country’s oldest residence, the De Vargas Street House, from 1646. All…

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Deadheads

No, as much as I loved their music, this post won’t focus on the Grateful Dead band and their fans. Sorry to all the deadheads, but the allusion is unavoidable for a 60s child! A few years ago, we prepped our house and yard for an overnight visit from my sister, her husband, and her friend, and I got the task of “deadheading” our Iceberg roses in the front yard. Icebergs produce abundant white roses, but flowers die and need to be pruned for new blooms to blossom. Hence the name “deadhead.” The process is to…

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Seasons and Timings

Compared to our southern California, all arrives early in Idaho, but somewhat irregularly. In mid-September, Sheila and I visited our grandkids there and discovered The Village at Meridian, a small “city” of streets and shops and cafes, centered by a marvelous fountain with hourly shows that synced music with the streams of water and lights. But while sitting at an outdoor table at Bodovino by the fountain, Sheila pointed out what may be even more intriguing. A nearby tree, maybe in the maple family, was already…

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Changes and Mistakes

Funny how some changes and mistakes can benefit us. Although a regular at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers conference near Santa Cruz, I missed the previous seven years before returning in 2016. However, my confidence never dimmed regarding directions, so I left the map at home. Never even glanced at it. A well-traveled route. But Palm Sunday came early that year, right at the switch to Daylight Savings Time, and the conference changed its close from lunch to a 7:15 breakfast, so I left in the darkness at 6 AM, hoping to beat the metro LA afternoon traffic.

Those changes led to my mistake. You need…

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