“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” – John F. Kennedy
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. – 1 Corinthains 6:19-20
Tuesday night after our beautiful party, a few hours of heavy weather rolled in. The wind blew hard and the storm dropped a couple of inches of rain. The sea was animated enough that waves and spray were breaking over our jetty. In the morning my bike helmet, which had been snugly secured in a rocking chair, had made it into the driveway and my riding gloves were blown almost to the street.
At first the wind seemed determined to push me and my bicycle off the road but the leeward side of the island was more manageable so I rode east, into the stiff breeze and the rising sun, setting up a more comfortable return trip.
After six-plus miles I parked on the edge of State Road 399 for a breather and a look at the sunrise. Once again, the dawn was spectacular in every way. Just the idea of riding this spinning planet, holding on as the beach hurtles toward the coming day at close to 1,000 miles per hour, racing out of the shadows and into the light, is a miracle worth contemplating every time we are awake and aware enough to see it happen.
So I grabbed a couple of photographs and a brief video. That’s when I realized I was wearing my “Tarboro Cycling Club” shirt – so I balanced my camera on a precarious wooden post so that I could “represent.”
So here’s my shoutout to Steve, Mike, Johnnie, Scott, Eric, Bill, Brookes, Jim et al. I can safely say it’s not often that a Tarboro cycling shirt is seen out here on Pensacola Beach Island; so now we have the evidence for the archives!
I am not riding for personal best times, distances or speeds, just enjoying the views and the sea air and the flat out fun that is – always – the experience of riding a bike. You know, the eight-year-old boy in me.
Stay tuned for more from Pensacola Beach. This place is so mellow I just may pick up my six-string and start singing Jimmy Buffett tunes.
Peace in every way – DEREK