IT WORKED out fine for Thanksgiving, no reason why an under-the-radar Christmas and New Year’s can’t work just as well. Occupationally, there’s more potential for Covid exposure in the D2 and D3 orbits of the nuclear family, so they did their own thing this year and we were invited over to D1’s house.
Between there and here, we have four livelihoods earned out of home offices; no exposure to Rhode Islanders who resist taking responsibility Covid-wise, or did at first but grew weary of it. Because people got lax the hospitals here are full to capacity. Likely the same is true where you are. Our governor opened a so-called field hospital the other day, 335 beds in an office building to handle the overflow.
We had planned a Thanksgiving Day hike but it rained, so we got out in the fresh air on the Friday instead.
That’s D1D1 riding on dad’s shoulders, D1D2 hanging on to mom. The girls are sneaking up on 6 and 2, respectively.
D1D1 and I camped out that night in the playhouse under the side stairs. It was damp but mild, low 40s. We read books and turned in at 8:30 p.m. At 4:30 a.m. she woke me to say she wanted to go in the house to use the bathroom. Camper girls pee in the woods, I said. To which she said, “Oh, brother.”
On the hike in Lincoln Woods State Park, she kept running ahead of us on the trail, so I said in the west, you know, there’s wildlife that will drag kids off that don’t stick close to the group.
Again she takes the lead, this time farther out. I say, Watch it! I see a bear hiding up ahead trying to catch little kids!
She calls back, “I’m not little!” Keeps going…
A cairn she made on a previous walk in these woods with her dad. Still there.
Dunno if I ever mentioned that I’m minding the littlest little girl to keep her out of the commercial daycare petri dish. We take long walks around the neighborhood, usually two a day.
She likes to see geese and ducks in this field that typically floods off the Pocasset River.
I have her from 8:30 to 5:30. How do moms do this? She wears me out.
I sat down on the couch after she went home yesterday, fell asleep for three hours. Got up, had leftovers for dinner, wrote a bit of Phantom copy that King Features Syndicate and Mike Manley will be looking for on Monday. Then about half past midnight I saddled up the iron piggy and went for a blast up the road to Providence.
A nice night. Dry. Bracing, at two degrees above freezing.
Best of all, the roads were nearly deserted. Little Rhody’s not under lockdown, technically, but nothing’s open at night. Gas stations, if you care to dine there.
I bought gas, rode I-95 on the way up, did a loop around downtown and the State House, took Route 10 on the way back. Cut the motor and coasted in, so as not to wake the neighbors.
Here’s some video I shot in the wee hours this morning, if you have anywhere from 1 to 19 minutes to waste.
Tony DePaul, December 3, 2020, Cranston, Rhode Island, USA
I really enjoy your videos, feels like I am right there on the bike. I must say after all these years, it still gives me the itch, but I am better off just grabbing the bike rides from you. The next best thing to riding Hero.
Hero’s quite a horse, around since 1944 and still strong at the gallop!
Hi Tony: I just enjoyed your ride thru downtown and 95, I can’t believe how little traffic, even with Covid and even at that time of the a.m. Enjoy your days with your little one, you lucky Granddad.
Thanks, Ellie. It’s funny how all of a sudden the biggest questions in my day are Did she eat a good lunch? Did she have a good nap?
Today’s verdict: Great lunch, terrible nap.
nice, IN THE WIND…….Bob
Thanks for watching, Bob. I’ve never seen the roads around here so empty. In daylight it’s a traffic jam moving at 70+ mph.
I was nervous watching the video. I asked myself why, and eventually I think I figured it out. Virtually any moto video I’ve seen on line is taken before, during, or after an accident or near miss of some sort. So I figure I’m conditioned to be expecting that. Nobody publishes a video like you did, of just a ride down the road, nothing more, nothing less. After I figured that out, I really enjoyed the ride, but I’m sure it was not near as much as you did. Carry on.
Thanks for watching, Chris. Glad you enjoyed it. For riders who have a GoPro recording at all times I imagine the odds of filming a mishap get better with every mile.
34 F is ok riding for a few hours IF you have a windshield to hide behind. Without the wind protection I would not ride down my driveway. Hats off to you Tony. And thanks for the enjoyable night ride.
Thanks, David. I like a windshield myself. I need to figure out how to mount the GoPro forward of the shield, maybe secure it somehow to the top of the headlight nacelle. Or just buy a new shield that the GoPro can see through.
Great piece, loved the pictures. Glad you are on other side of the big “C”. Ride when you can!
Gonna! Hope you’re enjoying the new digs in NH.
Pretty cool ride, literally. A short ride today at 40 degrees Fahrenheit had me feeling chilly. Of course, dressing for the weather might have helped. I’m familiar with Providence, it was interesting seeing it at night. But that’s probably the only time you won’t sit in traffic. Pretty good lights on the bike. It’s encouraging that no one hassled you regarding the 10pm curfew.
I actually talked to a cop around 1:15 and there was no mention of the 10 p.m. thing.
I sat at a red light on North Main Street for more than three minutes, couldn’t get the green. No traffic at all but I sat because a police cruiser was parked there with the lights flashing, part of a street maintenance detail. So the light doesn’t change, doesn’t change, doesn’t change, I finally set the bike on the kickstand, walk over to the cruiser and say, um… this light doesn’t appear to be working. The officer says give it ten more seconds then go through it, there’s no camera at this intersection.
I edited that conversation out on one of the dissolves…
Hey Tony, I too have lots of trouble with signal tripping. If I am unfamiliar with the area, I will wait about a minute. There are about 10 in my local area that I treat them as a stop sign if no cars are pulling up. Wish there was a better solution.
Time with the kids is precious. Glad you are getting it. We have no grandkids yet so travel is the game. I can see that changing if kids appear.
All the best, Roger
Hi, Roger. So true, grandkids do change everything. Pam gave her retirement notice at the bank this week, she’ll finish up in May. We’ve talked about traveling together (four-wheeled travel, she’s leery of motorcycles) but I don’t see her able to stand a whole lot of time away from the girls. By May she’ll be seriously determined to catch up on all the fun I’m having now. So I’ll likely be sleeping out in the weeds by myself again at some point
Well, you can do what Martha and I do with a small Minnie Winnie (22r) and then pulling the bike on a trailer. It allows us to do short jaunts on the bike without sleeping in the weeds. I suspect the grandchildren are the bigger problem.
Haha, I think so, too. They’re way too much fun. We were invited over this afternoon when they were decorating their Christmas tree. They gravitate to Pam, or “Mimi” as they call her. Actually, now I think we probably all call her Mimi half the time.
Red light sensors that don’t change have always been a problem. My last bike was over 800 pounds and it wouldn’t trip them. Luckily I’ve never been ticketed. I’m pretty sure the technology is capable of being adjusted properly.
I always run into this at the Pontiac Avenue off-ramp on 37 east, the sensor just doesn’t see the bike. The state prison is right there, cop cars in & out constantly. It’s only a matter of time before one pulls me over for turning left on red.
Another great bike video, it really cheered me up watching (all!) of it. There’s something about a night drive…In fact it cheered me up so much I just had to write a comment to say thanks for posting it. Looks like you’ve got some good lights on the bike.
My grandkids are 4 and 6 so appreciate the fun you’re having with yours.
Keep on keeping on with the Phantom (also the more aircraft it has in it the better).
Best wishes and stay safe
Bill
Thanks, Bill. Hey, those scenes I wrote last night had blackhawk helicopters in them!
Ace stuff!! Looking forward to those appearing…
So, sounds like the big “C” is in the rear view mirror. That’s great. On another note, I hafta say, that moto looks awfully clean ‘n shiny. Maybe it’s just the lighting…..
Hmm… can’t explain that. She hasn’t even been rained on recently.
I just watched the start and coast in. Peaceful run, but I kept thinking how effing cold it was. Great family you have. Keep them close, life is but a gift on loan,
Not cold yet! I didn’t bother breaking out any of the electric wear: the socks, the gloves, the vest. If I were going to be out all day I would but… you can’t get cold in an hour.
Thanks for the midnight ride. Dry pavement, empty streets, nice easy even Harley rumble, what’s not to love?
I’ve got to fix that annoying rattle every time I roll off. It’s the rubber mounts in the muffler hangers, they’re shot. Can’t hear it through earplugs, the GoPro clued me in.