Riding with Mother Nature - Appreciating her power

Sometimes she's very calm and quiet when we're out for a ride, those days with perfect temperatures and a steady light breeze, and other times, yeah, she is fiercely letting us know about her presence through an approaching storm or a strong cold wind. I think our relationship with Mother Nature in every ride is what distinguishes those who proudly call themselves motorcyclists from most everyone else out there on the road. Maybe it's our acceptance of the fact that Mother Nature is in control of both the good and the challenging days when we're out on the road. Maybe it's our acceptance of the fact that Mother Nature is in control of both the good and the challenging days when we're out on the bike. Yeah, maybe it's the acceptance of our limited control, and that's almost comforting. We're talking about someone very special, aren't we? Someone who we all know, maybe who we need to better appreciate Our mom, mother Nature. When was the last time you spent some real quality time out there with Mother Nature, out there on your bike? Just the two of you. Because here's the thing Mother Nature is always with us, whether you acknowledge her or not, and as motorcyclists, our connection with her is something very unique and maybe accepting what Mother Nature has in store for us on any given ride. Well, no matter what she has in store, no matter what she has to teach us, well, that may be just what we need to hear, what we need to feel in that moment out on the bike.

Ron: 2:01

Let's talk about it, stay tuned. Recorded in beautiful Loveland, colorado. Welcome to Peace, love Moto the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful, easy feeling as we cruise through this life together. Are you ready? Let's go. I know what you're saying and you're right, very true. If you live in a large city where it's hard to find those lonely roads and, yeah, I'll just talk about connecting with Mother Nature hard to find those lonely roads, and yeah, I'll just talk about connecting with Mother Nature that's a challenge, and I think most everyone would agree that riding in traffic is not something most of us enjoy, because it feels like every driver is out there to kill you, and that's what we teach all the beginner riders, right? Remember, everyone's out to kill you, to try to be extra careful.

Ron: 3:03

Well, sometimes we may certainly, too, find that the city is just not where we should be writing. You know, it's just, it's just. Yeah, it's just quite dangerous at times. On top of that, it's just so much hotter in the city as opposed to the country. A lot of the times, I think we create too much concrete in a confined space and we just don't leave enough grass and trees alone out there. Well, enough about the city. I don't know if there's anything you or I can do about that, but I think you'll agree that, given the opportunity to ride away from the city, out on whatever is your lonely road, maybe by a lake, maybe through a forest, by a river, near a mountain, that's where we'd like to be and that's where mom seems to reside and speak most clearly.

Ron: 3:58

It's those days when I'm traveling for business or there's ice on the ground and I can't get my motorcycle out. Oh, those are the days I really miss her. Those are the days I so want to be back in Mother Nature, getting on your bike, that crisp morning air as the sun rises. Have you felt that? Maybe that's Mother Nature just saying good morning? That breeze cooling your skin on a summer early morning ride. Maybe that's her saying I hope you enjoy this day.

Ron: 4:44

Then there are the other moods, because she's got those too right the way she fiercely announces herself with a sudden storm when it just rolls in, and how she throws those strong crosswinds at us just to remind us who's really in control. Then there's the heat, the cold, the rain and the ever-changing sky. She speaks to us in a language only riders and maybe only sailors can truly understand and appreciate. And maybe, just maybe, that's what sets us apart from most people out on the road. That's the acceptance of and the preparation of changes Changes in the weather, changes in Mother Nature's mood, like using gear that provides protection both against the rain and the sun. Most importantly, it's an understanding that she's in control and not us. We all know the weather can change at any moment, especially here in Colorado. She harnesses the power to rock large ships in the ocean and shake the most advanced jetliner, and it's in that realization, maybe in that surrender, that she's larger than what we can even comprehend. Or maybe there's just something oddly comforting about that. How many times have you been out on a ride just feeling the warmth of the sun on your back and thinking this is perfect? Or maybe you've been caught in an unexpected downpour and instead of being frustrated, you just smile and embrace it Because, hey, that's part of the ride too, right, it's part of the experience, it's part of this relationship that we have to have when we're out on the bike, relationship with Mother Nature. If you're not already aware of Itchy Boots, that's right.

Ron: 6:45

Itchy Boots, the riding adventurers of Norley, from the Netherlands. She has such an amazingly positive attitude when faced with incredible challenges out on her motorcycle journeys around the world. You can find her on YouTube Somehow, even in the most treacherous of circumstances, when many of us would give up, she embraces the challenge, seeks help from the locals as best she can and continues with a smile. Amazing. Now I don't know what happens off camera, but she is traveling alone and, yeah, just recording these events live, and her reactions are mostly positive. It's amazing. I so admire that.

Ron: 7:37

It was about 10 years ago, riding my Honda Goldwing through Monument Valley, I stopped in the spot of the road that they call Forest Gump Point. That's the spot in the movie where Forrest Gump decided to stop running and just go back home. Anyway, out in Monument Valley there's not much in the way of shelter. That's evidence if you go back and look at the movie, that scene. Anyway, I was riding south down toward Arizona and the distant road just disappeared. It disappeared into a black wall, or I should say a blackish green wall. It was a combination of rain and hail. There was really nothing I could do but just duck underneath the windshield and go. So, yes, that's what I did I just ducked and went and the rain hit hard and the hail was small, thank goodness, but it hit hard too and it hurt. But it seemed like just as quickly as I entered that blackness that I came out the other side into full sunshine. As I glanced in my rearview mirror, I'll never forget what I saw In the blackness of that storm I had just ridden through was a beautiful double rainbow.

Ron: 9:08

It was like Mother Nature saying aren't you glad you kept going? And, more importantly, aren't you glad you kept going? And, more importantly, aren't you glad you looked back. And so, my friends, here's my challenge for you and for myself Next time we hop on our bike, let's take a moment to acknowledge the fact that our mom, mother Nature, is all around us, the fact that our mom, mother Nature, is all around us, appreciate her on those calm and gentle days and respect her when she needs to show her strength. And, most of all, I'd say, let's embrace the freedom and the gift to ride our motorcycle. What a gift, what a gift. My hope for you and my hope for myself is that I'll always remember to appreciate Mother Nature, to appreciate the beauty that's all around us. Our hope is just to have the eyes to see and the ears to listen to the wonderful things our Mother Nature has to show us, as always. Thank you so much for listening and for telling your friends if you enjoy it. I wish you peace and I wish you love.