Labor Day Ride To Marshall, NC

Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, Labor Day.  Morning temp. 57, high 78.  Going to play some before doing any laboring.  Pushed out of the garage on Redbug at 7:15 a.m. for a 8:15 departure from McDonald's at the 407 Exit of I-40.  I will be meeting up with Paul and biker friend Eric for a backroad ride to Marshall, NC.  It was very cool this morning and I found out a bit later that I needed an additional shirt on.  Too late now.

Looking East, my traveling direction, from my driveway.  Going to be a beautiful sunrise today.

About 2 miles from the house the sun is just peeking out above the tree line.

No traffic, clear sailing to the meet up point.

Oops, spoke to soon as I ride into some fog.

And the fog got heavier but not so that you couldn't see the sun.

Ole Sol burning its way through the morning mist and making a soft appearance through the fog layer.

Nearing my meet up point the area close to the river is still very foggy must mostly over the land, not the highway.

After playing hide and seek, it suddenly pops out at you.  Love the glow.

As we journey onward toward our destination we take the time to admire our surroundings and the peacefulness of the early morning light.

An old cemetery across the highway from the church and community it serves.

The tree canopy appears to show that you're riding into a tunnel.  However, there are no stone walls in this tunnel.

This area has some great farm land.
 












And with the large farms comes the large barns and silos to care for the stock.

No, the line shown here was not shorting out causing that glow.  It just happens to be the sun causing that effect.  Surely it couldn't be rocket boosters shooting upward from those silos.

Later we ride along ponds of water that belong to a fish hatchery.  Darn, I forgot my pole but these would be to small to eat anyway.

Vineyard in the foreground and hay ready to roll in the back.  Now that's what I call a combination.

Two health thinkers out doing a fast walk exercise.

Silhouettes in the sunlight.  An old barn and a small house that is about the same age.  Looks more like a work shop than a house.

Tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes.  They'll be picking them right up to the first freeze.

And this corn is on its last days of green as the time is coming for it to be harvested.

And next to the corn is beef on the hoof.  Hamburgers, steaks, roasts, ah, I can just smell the aroma of cooking meat.  Oops, sorry, my vegetarian friends.

That old river water is smooth as silk this morning and its throwing a good reflection of the trees too.

Rambling through the back country allows you time to think and reflect every once in a while with such a peaceful setting.

And we even worked in a short stretch of packed gravel along the way, about a half mile.  Here you don't gaze off into the hinterlands or take a snooze or you will dance right off the road on those rocks.

As the sun gets past mid-morning we find ourselves still several miles from our destination.

So you let those wheels keep turning, burning up the miles ahead all the while nearing the mountains.

Shadowy little roads keep you watching for farm tractors and loads of hay.  With no lane markers it's any body's guess as to how much of the roadway you will have to pass them.

A long bridge to almost nowhere.

A lot of the roads will take you almost into a house, a barn or a shed before it turns.  Okay speed in the day time but slower after dark.

I found this a bit funny with my warped sense of humor.  A red car beneath a Red Crepe Myrtle Tree.

A barn for old cars?  A country used car lot?  I guess it could be both.

No, it was not a drive up window but if it had gotten any more closer to the road it could have been a drive through or drive under.

After our stop at Ingle's for a cup of coffee and an apple fritter we saddled up and headed back to the house.  I needed to get back early anyway so away we rolled.  Another good day of twisted roads to go along with our twisted minds but fun all the while.

Door to door was 208 miles.  Not a lot but just enough.  So until the next Valkyrie Adventure, I hope you take some time to think of all of the people that you love and give them a hug or a call.  Ride/drive safe.