Riding a Harley

Riding a Harley is my commitment to living life fully. The ride is a promise to myself that I will celebrate each day with joy in my heart.

Like the Leaves of Autumn

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” 
~ John Muir

Autumn on the Parkway

We will be traveling to Boston in a few days and will miss a couple weeks of the Asheville autumn colors, so we decided to take a fast ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway and down Highway 151 to take a look at how much the leaves have changed so far.

The forest is mostly green, still, but the reds and yellows are making an appearance! And everything seems so vibrant and full of life.

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” 

~ John Muir

Parkway Magic

What a stunning day on the Blue Ridge Parkway today. Perfect clarity and intense colors everywhere.

We are heading south, toward Mount Pisgah. 

What is around the next bend? 

The road to discovery... and freedom!

Looking up. Soar.

It sure felt good to be on the Harley.

"Let's take a selfie with Pisgah in the background," I said.

Two Trees

You and me

Together 

like two trees.

Weathering vibrant.

So close

our roots thrive 

tangled in love.

Blue Heart

Blue Heart in the Sky

Another fantastic ride on the Parkway today up to Mt. Mitchell and back. It takes us a little over an hour to get there. Today there was little traffic and lots of beauty.

We shared a spectacular ride. And even looking up, the blue sky formed a heart.

Wildflowers, Pure Delight

North Carolina Wildflowers

Alongside the road, thousands of wildflowers dancing in the sunshine... Pure delight.

"The temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers."

~Basho

Green Curves, NC-151

Over Steven's Shoulder

Another lovely ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway and down the very green curves of NC-151, through Hominy Valley and then home...

The road is alive,
And so are we.

Green Hwy 151

"Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come."

~  Chinese proverb

Spring on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Mt. Pisgah Visibility

There are no words to describe the absolute beauty of today's ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had a made-to-order day--sunshine, blue skies, visibility, and the colors of Spring finally bursting through.

Best way for us to enjoy Spring? Aimlessly wander and soak it all in.

Spring Colors Kiss the Blue Blue Sky

Coming Out of the Tunnel, in the Mirror

Me, in the rear view mirror, taking the shot. I just keep shooting and hope for some magic in the light room. I am always pleasantly surprised.

“The sun shines not on us but in us.” 
― John Muir

Spring Whispers, Finally

Why does the fowl cross the road?

Spring is finally here and the trees and plants are whispering colors in the bright blue sky.

We rode about a hundred miles in all.

We were on the road early enough to miss the traffic, but the animals were out and about, including this one, crossing the road near Biltmore Lake tennis courts...

In life, there are always unexpected photo opportunities. You gotta be ready.

Spring Whispers, Finally

Steven plotted a great route through Candler and Hooker's Gap to North Leicester to Marshall. From Marshall we rode down 251 along the French Broad River, through Weaverville, up to almost the Parkway then down the very lovely Elk Mountain Road.

NC-251 Along the French Broad River

Riding south on NC-251 is quite lovely, with the river on your right. There were some bicyclists, but few vehicles with us.

Watercolor, French Broad River Near Marshall, NC

We ended up at Marco's Pizza for lunch and a quick stop at the Fresh Market for sourdough bread before heading home.

I Need to Work on Taking Selfies

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” 
― John Muir

Kolo Hates to Be Left Home Alone

I love to ride, but it is always hard to leave our dog Kolo because she always looks so sad to be left behind. This morning, while getting ready, I took a selfie, then turned the camera on her.

See what I mean?

Selfie, Getting Ready to Ride

Kolo's reaction to my getting ready to ride

She has such an expressive face.

Pond Road, Asheville, North Carolina

Pond Road, Asheville, North Carolina

We were able to ride around Asheville, even though it was a bit chilly, a bit windy, but still nice to be out on the motorcycle, soaking in the blue sky. I took several nice photographs, including this one from Pond Road, just off of Sardis Road, very near to my house. I loaded the photo onto a new iPad program called Waterlogue and it created this watercolor.

Suddenly I am a better watercolor artist. I like it very much.

Spectacular Tree

Photographing while on the Harley is a wonderful adventure. I become immersed in the landscape. I take a lot of photographs. And I often fall in love with the landscape which is available to me just beyond my view finder. Here is a spectacular tree that we discovered today.

Baby, You Need a Shave

Still a Cutie Pie

Softer in Watercolor, Still a Cutie

Riding in Asheville

Clear road, open sky

Spring Is Coming Y'all

Here we are, trying to get a ride in and it is COLD. But we can stay close to home and explore Asheville. Around the corner, at Vance Elementary... Hope and a smile.

Idealist

I am organizing my photographs, adding quotes with my iPad, and then connecting my images and words with my large site, dailycelebrations.com, my photography site Celebrations and Sunrises,  and my poetry blog, Miracles and Love.

As I work with each photo,  I discover new ideas for creativity. And over and over I am humbled by my good fortune and how much I love riding on the back of our Roadglide, photographing what I see, and translating my experiences on line.

Will I ever have enough time to add all the photos and write down all of my thoughts? I do not know. But there certainly is great joy in trying. The world just seems wide open with possibilities.

My goal is to connect all of my sites this way. The connections complement each other and reveal the light and colors of my heart.