Foggy in the morning

It's autumn, and September has given up her place to October. With the progression of the season, cooler nights have brought morning fog to the Conestoga valley. 

Riding in fog comes with it's own unique set of challenges and increased danger.  For riders whose primary riding takes place commuting over the same roads every day, there is the benefit of memory. We often find ourselves zoning out a bit on familiar roads due to familiarity. Fog changes that; corners, bumps, intersections, and other landmarks become a matter of memory or guesswork. A very familiar road is like an old friend; we know its traits and idiosyncrasies, and even its quirky sense of humor. In the fog, we are reminded of which roads are truly our friends, and which are mere acquaintances revealing a hidden character trait or two we never knew they had.  

 

Even those roads we ride every day reveal to us whether we truly know them when the visibility is poor. That little depression we always avoided, suddenly grabs a tire, or a hidden driveway belches forth an unexpected vehicle. Things we take for granted on clear days become a danger when the view ahead is dim.

But the sun always comes out eventually. It's harvest time here in Lancaster county. The farm stands are cycling away from fresh tomatoes, peppers, corn, and green beans, and on to more autumnal produce.

Occasionally one will happen by an "honor" stand, such as the pumpkin stand pictured above, where the prices can be extremely reasonable. The fall colors invite passerby to stop and browse at their own leisure, choosing to purchase or not, as fancy might take them. A pair of pumpkins and some gourds found their way into the scooter's crate to eventually find a home in the front garden next to some newly planted mums.

Autumn is such a peaceful sleepy time of year. The greens and yellows of summer give way to golds, oranges, reds and browns. Foggy mornings pass to reveal a waning sun which stretches its fingers forlornly across the landscape in a final attempt to warm the ground rendered dormant by the change of seasons relenting as it sinks into the southwestern horizon, defeated for today but resolved to return once again on the morrow to fight again the battle with the harbingers of winter.