We had to ‘hang ‘em up’ last year. We rode our motorcycles all around North America for 32 years. Every winter after work we would drink cocoa in the evening and plan next summers quest in front of the fire. The planning was as exciting as the ride. Now we have the memory’s.
We were riding into the last of the sun heading west through the Navajo Nation.
We are alone on Route 66. The long line of tourists are already tucked into their motels for the night. We ride side by side for a bit, the throaty growl of our Harleys the only sound in the world.
The Painted Desert comes alive in the brilliant dying day. The heat begins to lift as the sun loses his dominance and allows a breeze to cool the sweat from my neck. I whisper, “Thank you Creator” as the sky turns orange and deep red competing with the mauves, purples, and pinks of the hills.
From my peripheral Tj gives me the hi sign to pull off the road. I see the small turnout and back in, manhandling Big Black into position, her nose facing the road. He expertly falls in beside me. I slowly bring my leg over the saddle. I watch him do the same and we laugh. “Was never creaky like this twenty years ago” he chuckles, “ohh ouch”. I walk slowly to him as he unties the canteen twisting off the lid offering me the first drink. “This is a moment we will remember in our rocking chairs” I say handing the canteen back. “Hell yah, by the feel it won’t be long either”, he laments and grins groaning and holding his back.
He leans back against his saddle and crosses his ankles.I stand close to capture God’s handiwork, a private viewing just for us. He slips his arm around my waist and pulls me closer. I let my head rest lightly on his shoulder. I can feel the tickle of his hair as it brushes my cheek. I look up into the darkness where the sun used to be. “Look honey, look at the Moon coming up!” He follows my eyes and looks over his shoulder and says, “Yuh, still chasing Ol Sol. She’ll never catch up will she?” Faint and translucent still under the suns influence, Lady Moon brightens as he dims, his last rays like a spotlight on the purple desert.
His other arm wraps around encircling me completely as he whispers, “You know, no one in the universe knows where we are”. This man and me, travelling this rocky road called life; still new after all of these years.
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