Bike 2 Boat - Oct 2025

There were other ways to get to the boat. I rode my bike to meet our usual boat crew.

I started out on the bike. Early fall. Cool enough to ride hard without thinking about it. The roads were quiet and ran through farmland and small patches of woods just beginning to turn.

I rode about twenty-five miles, mostly rural. Long stretches without traffic. The kind of riding where you settle into it and stop checking the time.

At one point I stopped at a Mennonite stand by the road. Baked goods laid out on folding tables. A few words exchanged. Cash passed hand to hand. Then back on the bike.

Later, a dog came out of nowhere. Fast. Loud. Closer than I wanted. I pedaled hard until it dropped back. When it was over, I rode another mile before slowing down.

By early afternoon I was back at the lake. The boat was already waiting. A small group. Familiar faces. No rush.

We went out onto the water and let the engine idle. September sun. Leaves along the shore starting to change. Someone opened a drink. Someone laughed at something that wasn’t that funny.

The lake stayed calm. The day stretched out.

By the time we headed back in, my legs were tired and my head was clear.

It all fit together better than planned.