Autumn Flavors

 

Song:  Ordinary World

Group:  Duran Duran

My mother likes getting some sun in her backyard as she looks upon 

her flowers and the autumn colors which flavor her yard.

My younger sister and I took in some sunrises 

just a few minutes walk down the street.

Although this Japanese maple in her front entrance area to her house is the slowest growing 

tree she has...

it is the most beautiful.

I had been growing it from a young sapling...

the one from an earlier shot when she had gotten her fish tanks.

This is just one of the trees in front of her home.

Without colors...

there is no flavor in the grand feast of life.

Almost every time I see a beautiful sunrise or sunset...

I am usually the only one out there...

or just myself and members of my family.

I am not one to sit on the sidelines of life...

nor should you.

I just purchased a top of the line recumbent off road trike (human powered).

It is an ICE Full Fat trike with rear suspension.

It has 3  26" x 4" off road tires capable of riding in sand / snow...

as well as other off road...and some on road...riding...

and a total weight capacity of 275 pounds...

and so, I will be able to pack a lot of necessities on the luggage rack...

in waterproof bags.

I eventually plan on riding long distances with it...

although I will start out on small rides.

I had bought very important upgrades from the beginning...

chiefly the rear hub and luggage rack.

You will notice that there is only one gear up front...

and one in the rear...

yet I will have 14 gears...from mountain gears to highway gears.

I bought the Rohloff 14 internal gear hub so there will not be a stack of exposed gears 

or a derailleur.

This is important...

not only to keep everything as maintenance and trouble free as possible...

but in rough terrain...

an exposed derailleur can easily become bent...

or otherwise damaged...

leaving me stranded in dangerous territory.

I have full disc brakes on all three tires...

and in the waterproof bags I had bought...

I will carry a lot of water, some food...

bike and tire repair kits...

along with an inflator...

and other items...

depending on where I will be going.

I hope to one day go on multi day journeys

with a sleeping bag and tent also strapped to the trike.

I will also carry my bass flute to play songs whenever 

I feel the calling of the mountains...

lakes, rivers, or the night desert sky.

Believe it or not...

this whole bike will fit into the back of the car...

with but a quick seat removal (quick releases).

In loose sand or gravel...

I will just deflate the tires some for more traction...

as fat tires are specifically designed to run at between 3 to 5 PSI to run 

on snow or loose sand...or at up to 20 PSI for hard roads.

This trike model was designed for, and used, on a record breaking ride 

from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole.

It has a chromoly frame...

and a rugged suspension system in the rear...

as well as indirect vertical grip steering.

In a few weeks...

I will be 64 years old.

And although I can no longer carry a heavy pack on my back for long hikes...

I will be able to trike very long distances in the great outdoors...

until the day I die.

Although I will continue to age...

I never wish to become feeble.

I am a man...

and the day I can no longer truly live life...

is the day I should die.

With this...

I will still have what I value most...

personal freedom.

And being self mobile in the great outdoors...

is freedom.

I will soon begin vlogging on it...

of the many beautiful on and off road bike trails...

fire roads...unimproved roads...

the great beauty which surrounds us

in the mountains and forests...

and even deserts.

I haven't yet fully outfitted it...

but I will begin to record some of my outdoor journeys

while riding it and living life...starting in spring.

I ordered reflectors, lights (I plan to do many night rides as well)...

an emergency electric drive (in case I need to go back to the car in a hurry)...

or to help me up steep inclines...

travel bags...bike computer...phone holder...etc...

but my primary mode of power will come from my legs.

Why a recumbent trike?

My knees can no longer sustain any long distance running, walking...

or standard biking.

Besides, as I continue to age...

I will eventually become unable to do many things.

However, I will be able to continue to exercise using this...

and to continue experiencing the great outdoors.

Even though I won't have my 360 degree camera and set up until spring...

I hope to make my first vlog riding it as I enjoy the neighborhood 

Christmas lights using my handheld Canon GX-3.

It will probably be rather an awkward shoot...

as I will be pedaling and handholding the camera...

but once I get the 360 camera and setup...

things will look much better.

Just as in life...

I will be taking the road not often traveled...

and I shall be doing it alone.

Solitude is so underrated in our overrated

and overly saturated socially connected world.