Had a meeting in Roanoke late Tuesday afternoon and the weather forecast kept changing so I took a chance and rode one of my Harleys down with the hope of not getting soaked in one of the forecast “occasional thunderstorms.”

For a change, Mother Nature was on my side and there was clear sailing to the Star City and back, pulling back into the driveway of home just with darkness falling.

Storms have taken their toll on our often-abused driveway.  Ruts, runoffs of gravel and general disrepair make the first and last part of any trip of the day on the rough side.  The mixture of dirt and gravel remain wet and needs to dry more before I can even attempt repair.

As any of us know, even routine repairs around the house can become major chores as one ages and slow down.  My battered legs, held together with metal, weaken and hurt when any task required bending and breaks become often.

But sitting on a Harley on the road is a perfect position to relieve stress and pressure on sensitive body points.  I can ride a hundred miles or more at one time without any pain or complaints from my legs or other joints stiffened from past injuries and present arthritis.

In a car, a drive to Christiansburg leaves me limping and hurting.

Will get to the driveway, if the weather ever clears long enough.  Got a little half of the lawn mowed last Friday between rain storms.  Hope to get the other half done this week.

But the roads are clear and the change of precipitation is low.  The Harley drinks far less gas than a Jeep Liberty so it will be the vehicle of choice on scheduled projects on this Wednesday.

Ah, the little payoffs of life.