Rode my Harley-Davidson Dyna down to Roanoke and back Thursday to meet with doctors about upcoming surgical procedures in two weeks.

Great weather for the ride and I took the long way home on the Parkway coming back.

Had another appointment at Carilion Riverside Friday and the weather forecast predicted “isolated thundershowers” about 1 p.m.  My appointment was at 10 a.m. and was expected to last no more than 45 minutes (followup on skin cancer surgery four weeks ago), so I fired up the Dyna for another ride down the mountain to the Star City.

It was cloudy and cool for the first five or so miles, then I rode into a bank of thick, soupy and wet fog just past Thunderstruck on U.S. 221.  By Check, I both the bike and I was wet and the fog all the way to halfway down Bent Mountain before it cleared.

Had time to stop at the 7-11 near Roanoke Memorial Hospital for coffee and a chance to dry out (a little) before the short hop over to Riverside.

As happens, the appointment ran longer because the dermatologist didn’t like the look of a new cyst of my arm and he decided to slice it off for biopsy.

The weather looked dry when I wheeled the bike out of the garage and headed back to Floyd. Then the rain started falling as I reached the bottom of Bent Mountain. Bike and I were wet again by the top of the Mountain and we ran into the thick fog again.

Speeds for all of us on the road dropped dramatically as we proceeded through the downpour and sharply-reduced visibility of the fog through Copper Hill, Check and to the intersection with Stonewall when visibility improved dramatically and the rain lessened.

Then the road dried just past Radar Hollow and things appeared dry as a bone when I turned onto Poor Farm Road for the last two miles before home, off Sandy Flats.

My arm where the doctor removed the cyst hurt, so I took my pain medication and laid down to let it kick in.  Five or so hours later, I woke up and night had fallen.  That meant I missed the wedding of a friend on Friday afternoon.

Did any “isolated thunderstorms” pass over our house Friday?  Not that we heard.  The driveway outside this morning is dry.  If any moisture fell, it wasn’t even enough to create any puddles.

Too bad.  We need the rain.

My bad for believing the forecast from the National Weather Service.  Riding in the rain is not my desired way to enjoy life on a motorcycle.

Doing so with a bandage on my arm is even worse.