Big Red’s place in the garage is now empty
Yesterday my Honda Gold Wing, dubbed Big Red, left for greener pastures. We gave it to a cousin, Winston, who wanted to fix it up and ride it. I had let it set in the garage for over two years, gradually deciding to give up riding. Now I have only the license plate and the space in the garage. Continue reading
Along the Blue Ridge Parkway
People often wonder what they will do when they retire, and many delay retirement because they feel uneasy about striking out anew. Jim Keighton, a retired middle-school science teacher, has solved the problem for himself. Jim has doubled-down on birding, especially with hawks, a hobby he started as a boy. As I wrote about hunting, retired men often return to activities from their youth. Continue reading
Wayne Flick
Last year, my brother Wayne and I motorcycled the full lengths of Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, visited some museums and rode the Cherohala Skyway between North Carolina and Tennessee. We spent 7 nights together, 4 in tents, and the weather was good throughout. It’s been the longest time I’ve had alone with a brother in many years.
The best parts of retirement are often adventures we never had time for in middle life. Both Wayne and I motorcycled in our youth, then we gave it up because of the risks and costs. Retirement offered us each a few years when we could again experience the constant accompaniment of wind as we rode with somewhat modest abandon through mountain roads. Continue reading