Another report from Virginia yesterday morning on the 4th - another fine morning for getting out on the ebike to enjoy 20 miles of countryside.
After a bit of a debate - the gravel roads on the new Gazelle, or the paved roads with the Vado - I opted for the quieter , less traveled gravel roads on this busy family oriented American holiday. Any cars on the paved roads this morning were guaranteed to be rushing to the grocery stores for last minute picnic/barbeque items, just the kind of traffic I prefer to avoid.
So my morning ride took on the tone of quiet and serene, the first two miles finding me stopping to chat with neighbors before setting out to earnest down roads with long views across many a hay field full of rolled bales ready for pickup.
The extreme amount of rains this Spring slowed the earlier hay production to a crawl, but thankfully the more prevalent drier mid-summer weather had been a blessing to the farmers. It shouldn't have surprised me that I saw far more farm tractors on the gravel roads than cars. What did surprise me was all those tractors seemed to be in a massive hurry to get from Point A to Point B, sending up plumes of dust as they rocketed down the road with the same urgency as someone who just realized they hadn't purchased near enough ice for their blowout 4th of July picnic and had to race to the store before all the ice was sold out.
In the case of the tractors, it was a race against time and the 4 days of coming rain due to arrive midday on the 5th. No wonder these tractors were cranking out the speed.
I had to stop and squeeze over into the roadside grass to let this one tractor pass. Even with him squeezing to his side of the road there was barely space to breathe between us as he passed towing a massive hay mow which took up the lion's share of the road.
With all the modern hay production suddenly at high speed in just about every field I passed, it was amusing to see this long retired horse drawn hay mow, a rusty reminent of "days gone by", finding new purpose among the marigolds as a driveway lawn ornament. The cows seemed unperturbed by the local activity on the roads.
A moment after I took this photo two Teslas, one behind the other, carefully passed me, both drivers happily waving hello. The second Tesla has been wrapped in matte black - a rather strange selection if you'd ask me. Neither was interested in kicking up any road dust, which I appreciated. I set off once again, the roads back to being solely mine.
I had planned to remain on the gravel roads, but, on a whim, I deviated when offered the choice of jumping onto a local paved road to head into the town of Upperville where bits of history are presented in weatherproof plastic on the sides of the roads for those willing to pause for a moment and rediscover the horrors and sadness of a conflict that still resonates today.
I stopped to read about the battle, taking in the map showing "you are here" to give the reader a sense of place and time, while behind me the 21st century traffic zipped by, unconcerned about anything other than the present.
Inside the town limits the local fire department was out in full force at the fire house, the volunteers decorating their engines for the upcoming town parades later that morning and exchanging calls of Happy 4th as I passed by. Further in town at a local car shop, which was closed for the holiday, I spotted this MG in mid-restoration, surrounded by scattered old pieces of its interior, bonnet up, waiting for an engine. I was informed later by my in-house automotive expert that this was a kit car because of blah-blah this and blah-blah that not being original. Nonetheless, it was a colorful bit of nostalgia that brightened my day, kit or no kit.
The paved town road, throttled by a speed limit slower than an infant's crawl, morphed into a faster paced highway at the town border. The traffic, released from its constraints, and the need to either get to a holiday party or get more ice at the stores before it was sold out, stomped on the gas pedal and swung wide to pass me as we all headed out of town. A few moments later I turned back onto the quieter country roads, leaving the traffic behind. The sun had risen higher, the cool morning air giving way to the warmer and more humid air traditional for this particular holiday. Back on the gravel roads where time slows down and memories of old battles over freedom and ideology are long faded in the shadows of the young trees and the mowed fields. I didn't need any ice or last minute shopping for that evenings barbeque, so I was happy to simply take my time on the final gravel road taking me home.
For those residing in the US, hope you had a Happy 4th of July... with plenty of ice!
Happy Birthday @Brix
The view of the Clyde Valley from part way up the climb!
