2009-09-12 33 -84

Graticule

About

Out in a very small town of Brooks Georgia.

Expedition

NWoodruff

Today is one of the cool days of Fall as Summer comes to an end. I looked at the Geohash spot this morning on Google maps and knew that this spot was going to be in a very small town of Georgia.

This morning I sit out on my back deck to grab a bite to eat for breakfast, a bowl of cheerios and a banana. As I stare off into the hustle and bustle of Norcross as I live off a major street, I think today would be a perfect day for a motorcycle ride.

Usually June, July and August are just to hot to ride a motorcycle in stop and go traffic. But, today I hop on my trusty iron steed and press the start button. Rrr, Rrrr, Rrrrrrr...click, clickk, clickkkk. Near dead battery. Have I neglected my iron steed for too long? Is it rebelling because I have ignored it all summer long? It didn't matter. I pushed it to the end of the driveway and down the small hill that I live on and hop on.

2mph... 3mph... 4mph... 5mph.... I turn the key on and pop the gear lever into first gear. I then let go of the clutch in one smooth move and the iron steed bucks like a newly broken in horse and springs to life.... Vrooom, Vrooooom......She is back to life and good to go. I sit at the end of the street for a minute or two at idle waiting for a right time to cut the choke off.

The first twist of the throttle, the engine gives some resistance like questioning is it too cold to be outside or questioning where have I been all summer long. It is a bike that loves to run, a bike that loves high revs. But this morning all it wanted to do was sleep.

Another minute passes and another twist of the throttle, ahh.. It is coming to life, like a sleeping dog just waking and stretching its legs. Another minute and a twist of the throttle and she is good to go, alive, awake, ready to run.

I flip down the visor on the helmet. Another blip of the throttle and a quick thumb flick to release the choke and she is revving and ready to go.

I crack the throttle open and feather the clutch just so. An army worth of trumpets hitting an octave note that would make any general proud and I am out of the neighborhood on one wheel, all 92 horses reporting in. Man, does she love to run in the cool morning air.

I immediately find the interstate for a ride south. Again another blip of the throttle and some feathering the clutch in second gear and I merge onto the interstate again, on one wheel.

As I ride through the city of Atlanta, I meetup with another group of sport bikes. I ride with them another 10 miles all jockeying for position, until my exit off the interstate and small ville Georgia.

I follow the eTrex as it points my way to Brooks Georgia. I've never been to Brooks Georgia before. It is one of those towns that if you have never been down this road before, you have never been to Brooks. The eTrex pointed the way to center of town consisting of four brick buildings. The eTrex then pointed to the one street in the center of town with 0.70 miles to go.

I turn to the street and see a sign that posts a curvy road ahead. Another chance to let her run. I crack open the throttle again and surf the corners with ease. The 0.70 of a mile came up quick. I grab a whole lot of brakes as the eTrex points to a hard right and a dirt driveway.

I ease up the dirt driveway and up to the house. I get off and walk up to the front door. The house is empty, not only of people, of everything. I knock on the door anyway. You never know, there might be someone there.

Nobody. I walk down to the Geohash spot and take a few pictures. It is now starting to warm up nicely. The long sleeve shirt I have on now seems like too much clothing. This morning, it didn't seem like enough.

I walk back to the house, take a few pictures. Me and my trusty Iron Steed have taken the hash spot. I thank the spirits from within and hop back on the gal. She fires right up, ready to run again.

As I ride back to Norcross and back to the sanity of normalcy that I was trying to leave behind, I make a mental note to do more geohashing on a motorcycle.