Long Island: The Leaves of Brown Came Tumbling Down in Bethpage...
 

Although I unofficially declared my riding season over several weeks ago, I have continued to commute to work on good days and to steal a few hours on the saddle whenever the weather surprises, like it did today (Saturday - 60 degrees plus).

This afternoon, I had an hour-and-a-half to myself, so I got on the Bethpage Bikeway at Sunrise Highway and took it up to Bethpage State Park. A few weeks ago, this was a picture-perfect Autumn scene, one that makes you wonder why anyone would drive all the way upstate to see the leaves changing. Today, I'm sad to say, the trees are mostly bare, and anything left dangling is brown and crumbly.

In total disharmony with the obvious signs of an impending winter, the playlist on my mp3 player was still intact from the summer, so songs like Zack Brown and Jimmy Buffet's "Knee Deep," as well as Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds (Don't Worry Bout A Ting)" kept taunting me without mercy, making me wistful about past summers and impatient for next spring.

I don't know how much longer I'll be able to drag myself out on the bike this year, but bare trees and all, I hope to grab every opportunity that presents itself.

I went out today, from Brooklyn to Alpine, NJ for the hill climb on River Road. On the way back though, the sun got lower and the temperature dropped quickly and I was cold so I hopped onto the subway for the ride home from the GWB. I still managed 42 miles. Tomorrow I'm on the trainer watching the Jets.

I do have a goal, and that is to climb Mt. Haleakala in Maui over the holiday break, so I have about a month left to train for it. I'll be out there as much as I can, looking for every hill. Unfortunately there aren't many.

And it only keeps getting colder...

I don't have any goals left. I'm just hoping to be able to keep doing the same stuff over and over for a long time to come.

Surprise, surprise...got in another ride today (Sunday). This time, my wife came along and it was raining, but the temps were perfect and we covered a good amount of pavement.

These "late season" rides may be short, but they are surely a gift.