I’ve been landscaping Edweena’s pen a bit. I’ve used plants she can eat, of course, and she was very pleased. She went straight over to one of the sedums and started to eat it. There are now two sedums and two hebes, which I hope will provide her something to browse on, some shade and some interest.
I’ve been thinking of why I want to learn to ride a motorbike – I have an increasing tendency to think things through nowadays.
It’s a whim. I like whims.
It’s a challenge, and a purposeful one too. It’ll get me places.
Driving is useful but pretty boring. This won’t be boring.
It will need my entire concentration, and I think that will be a good thing. I will have to be far more aware of reading the road, looking for changes in the road surface – whether it’s a pothole, a manhole cover, a patch of oil or a rough surface. Also, what other road users are doing or might do at any moment, completely unaware of a vulnerable novice puttering towards a junction. I relish that need for alertness.
I don’t search out danger for its own sake, but I am not particularly timorous physically. When I was Sir B’s pillion passenger on the dual carriageway at 70mph (I suppose), I was holding on tightly and thought “if something goes wrong or I let go, I’ll be dead. Better not let go, then” and it felt ok.
I am careful and sensible, but I’m conscious that this is possibly my last opportunity to be irresponsible. My children are all grown up and independent, I don’t have to worry about them. Russell’s fine about it, so that’s ok. I can please myself.
It’ll be fun to try. I find cycling pretty boring and it takes so long to get anywhere, though non-weightbearing exercise is good for me.
I like something new, I enjoyed riding pillion but it wasn’t enough.
I think I’m coming back to the whim now, and why not?
Have you actually bought a motorbike yet or what will you do your training on? And if you have, what is it?
I actually passed my motorbike test in 1973/4 when I was a student, but I don’t think I could probably ride one now, the arthritic knees and what seem to be slightly dodgy hips mean that I could never swing my leg over the top to get on one. But still it is quite an exciting way to get around, especially if you can get out into the countryside.
And I’m slightly concerned that you are planting things for Edweena, but are you keeping ahead of her appetite? *says this after discovering slugs have eaten a whole pot full of baby flowers that looked really promising the day before*
You certainly have to ride defensively. I firmly believe that if car drivers did the same, there would be fewer accidents. If I may amend your thought slightly, it should read, “might be dead”. You certainly would not have come to grief if you had let go. Mrs B has taken photographs from the back of the bike. You suppose correctly, we certainly did not exceed 70 at any time. That is my story and I intend to stick to it.
By the way, motorcycling is only irresponsible if you ride irresponsibly. I really hope that you enjoy it. For me, the pleasure comes from not looking at the scenery from inside a steel box.
Re something mentioned on your previous post, the only pressure to succeed is from yourself. If it does not work out, we will all applaud you for having a go. No embarrassment will be required.
I wouldn’t have chanced letting go, Sir B, though I felt quite relaxed. I feel that being a pedal cyclist has made me more considerate as a driver and I agree about driving defensively and I hope that riding a bike will also make me a better car driver. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it, the only question is whether I’ll manage it – I’m slow to pick things up nowadays. And if I have admitted defeat, you can all console me! I’ll be disappointed but not humiliated.
You can’t ride a bike on the road until you’ve passed the basic test, so the training place provides one, with the helmet etc. Sir B has taken me to a showroom and I’ve sat on a few machines to give an idea of what’s wanted, but I’m going to ask him for help when it comes to buying one. I’m tempted to get it all sorted before I take the test, but if I can’t do it, I’ll be stuck with a bike I can’t ride.
We will feed Edweena daily, but she enjoys grazing growing plants too, and it has the advantage that they won’t wilt if she doesn’t eat all we put in but fancies a nibble later. I do realise that she might eat the sedums down to the root, if they vanish too quickly I shall replace them, repot the ones I’ve planted and coddle them for a while and swap them about as she eats them. I’m planning to grow annuals such as marigolds, to plant so she can eat them too. We give her all sorts of things to eat, mostly wild plants such as vetch and plantain, also rose petals and other flowers, artichoke and echinops leaves etc.
Hey Z! A whim? You make it sound so small. It’s an ADVENTURE! And we love adventures! Indigo x
I started blogging on a whim and building the wall was a whim too. I’m a productive whimmer. Adventure is good too x
Wow! I’m looking forward to you arriving here on a bike. And can I have a ride?
I heared there’s a new Honda F6C …
Do me a favour. Please.
Never ride without gloves.
Never ride without that belt. (In German Nierenschutzgürtel, no translation available. Just pull it around your waiste, yes ?)
Always wear strong shoes, better boots – not just for changing gears, but to protect yer feet & ankles.
Trust your protection. Like what we did in training – just throw you around and see what a difference the gear makes – it is important for your reactions.
Never, ever, trust somebody else on the road.
You are great, and we ( equals : all your readers here ) know it, and we love you. (For being you that is)
And we know that you’ll take care.