Summer’s spell

Rain, glorious rain – I can’t say I enjoy getting wet but I’m not about to complain. It’s great that for once the dams are filling faster than they’re emptying, at least over here on the East Coast.

We’re still having plenty of sunny and therefore hot days. I just love it when I pull up at a servo, bathed in sweat under my safety gear, and find the car driver at the next pump looking at me enviously as he steps from his air conditioned cocoon.
“Must be great to be out on a bike, mate. Terrific weather for it!”

What do I do? Tell him the truth – that I’m boiling and the sweat running into my eyes feels like diluted hydrochloric acid – or play along? Being careful to not let him see the sweat pouring down into my collar, I nod.

“Yes mate. But it’s great motorcycling weather any time!”
Then I duck into the air conditioned servo and pretend to be fascinated by the dreary magazines that servos sell, just to cool down for a little longer.
Am I avoiding lengthy explanations about bikes and weather, or am I simply a congenital liar? You shall be the judge…

I don’t usually run readers’ letters here, but this one from John Rowe just cried out for it.
“Bear,” he writes, “am having a home clearance (yes, the wife is going as well – true!) and have RR magazines Vol 20, 25, 27-33 and 36-45 to give away.

“They can be collected from Frenchs Forest Sydney or posted at cost. If anyone is interested they can contact me on 0414 187 728 otherwise they will be recycled.”

So give John a call if you’re missing those copies, or know someone who is!