Twice Told Tales

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A slow-riding 100 mile day begins adding
the rain suit over the leather jacket 
uncovering the bike in the rain
stuffing the wet bike cover in the cover sack
loading the saddle bag with tent dried overnight in the motel room
strapping the travel case onto the passenger pillion
pulling the rain cover on the travel case and tightening against the wind
loading the travel rack with sandals and the bike-cover sack
strapping them down in the rain
nearing ready unlocking the bike with the helmet on
wet hands slow going in the lining of rainproof gloves 
drying the seat with the travel towel
riding twenty minutes with dry hands in rain
riding another twenty minutes with rain-soaked gloves
riding 30 miles into a headwind of fog and mist 
low visibility on the unfamiliar road 
stopping for gas and pulling off wet gloves 
moving the bike to waddle inside the general store
helmet off 
rain and leather jacket unzipped
paying for coffee and gas with wet cold hands
in the mens room unzipping rain pants and jeans then
zipping up the jeans and rain pants again
warming ten minutes more with coffee and chatting
zipping the rain jacket and rain suit 
strapping on the helmet and unlocking the bike
hands sticky-wet into another pair of rainproof gloves
wiping the seat with the soaking-wet towel
20 miles into a pervasive headwind cloud 
low visibility on the unfamiliar road and
stopping again to adjust
waddling inside with jeans chaps and rain suit pants 
having never been here before 
can’t see much of the St Lawrence in this weather but
it’s an awesome road where’s the sun ha-ha let’s go and
stop for lunch in a while.