Temptation, again. It was a public "road", no signs, no fences, and, it was calling. The surface looked fine. We had had heavy rains, but, this area seemed high and dry. First, correct, second, not. I was moving along and the steering seemed to be getting "heavy". Heavier. The bike stopped. I rocked it and it moved again, slightly. I turned it off. The front wheel was full of mud and rocks. If it dried, it would become cement. I needed to turn the bike around. Its front wheel was in a fire ant bed. Ants were climbing on board. The bike weighs 414 pounds and is not even a year old. I weigh 180 and am 56 years old. Not good odds. I am so glad I was not on the 540 pound Guzzi. The little bike has hand grabs on it. I pulled it first away from the ants and then, thinking that the "big one" (heart attack) was coming, pulled it around 180 degrees, slipping in the grease that was my footing. I had a screwdriver in my pocket, a real one, not the toy that was in the tool kit. I dug and I dug under the front fender. Finally, I tried it, no, more digging was needed. It was getting late and I had to decide whether I needed to diassemble the bike or not. I'm lazy, plus, I feared losing parts in the mud. I dug, then started the bike and it rolled heavily. I tried to stay in the grass. It was slippery and I used my legs as outriggers.
I got back to hard ground and stopped the bike, knowing I had escaped a real problem. I dug more and got it freer. A game had turned into reality and it was time to consult the gps. I wasn't far from a highway, about 30 miles from home. I got to the blacktop and rode a while. I stopped and checked my front tire. It was hot, the mud was still there, and contacting the tire. I dug some more with my screwdriver. I feared a big chunk of mud brick would come loose and cause a wreck. I putted home slowly, knowing that I had arrived at that most feared place, Too Far. Everyone has a Too Far, hope you never find yours. The reflection in the rearview mirror is my reminder.
Let's get out of here. Hit Next. |
