First Ride Of The Year

Usually I have my first ride some time around April 1st.  This year things didn't work out that way for me.  I've had way too much stuff going on.

On Saturday last weekend, I decided to go get my inspection sticker on my bike.  Jesse came too though he will get his sticker someplace else.

We were on our way there when we passed the local ice cream parlor.  As we passed there were MANY familiar bikers there waving at us as we went by.  They were a group of Women On Wheels members.  This was their last stop on their ride.  They had gone out to cruise back roads and cranberry bog roads.  They had been out all day.

We turned around to go say 'hi' to them.  We didn't have any ice cream, but got lots of hugs.  Cooper barked a lot with excitement.  He recognized so many of his Aunties and an Uncle.  What an exciting treat for Cooper to see everyone.

After about 20 minutes we continued on.  We went to the place where I always get my sticker.  The guys there remembered Cooper from the previous couple of years.  He got some attention, and quite content to stay on the bike and watch everything the guy was doing to my bike to make sure it passed inspection.

While we were there our neighbor from across the street came to have his bike inspected too.  We talked for a while and Cooper got MORE attention.

When we left there with my new inspection sticker and a socially satisfied Cooper, Jesse led me through some nice back roads with wonderful smells of blooming Lilacs and fresh cut grass.  Someone was having a cookout that caught Cooper's attention most of all.

We rode and rode for maybe an hour until Jesse pulled into a convenience store to get a cup of coffee.  He got a bottle of water for Cooper. I didn't have anything for him to drink from so I went in the store to get a paper cup to cut down for him to drink out of.

As I cut the cup, Cooper watched and acted excited.  Jesse thought it was funny to see him get excited over the activity of cutting a cup, but since Cooper has seen me do this before, he knew it was for him.

I gave him a drink of cold water in the cup.  He drank his fill and then became most interested in socializing with the two bikers we parked near.  He got much more attention especially from the lady who was there.

After we finished our coffee we took the scenic route home.  No one was in any hurry to end our ride.  We enjoyed the ride and the weather until it started to get cool.

My bike was so filthy, having not been bathed since last fall.  When we arrived home I decided to give it a quick wash.  I got a bucket of soapy water and a rag.  Cooper watched my every move.  This is a very un-familiar activity for him to watch.

He stayed on the bike the whole time I washed it.  He watched and wondered.  I could see him acting as if he was ready for me to give him some instruction for the first ten minutes.  After a while he decided this was no big deal and he could feel safe in taking a nap while I continued washing my bike.

We washed Jesse's bike too, then put both bikes away.  Cooper likes to ride up into the shed on the bike when we put it away.  When the bike was tucked in well, Cooper was content in following me into the house to see what was next...

LIKE DINNER!!!