Saturday, November 2, 2024

2024 Coffeeneuring Challenge #9: Autumn Leaves

The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

— Joseph Kosma 

**********

I slept poorly last night, and decided not to try and meet up this morning with the Coffee Outside PDX gang at the south end of the Esplanade. Instead, I slept in.

It was a good choice. I awoke at 9 feeling better rested, enjoyed coffee with Sweetie, and slowly warmed up to the day. Around eleven, the sun broke through the clouds. Sweetie told me it wouldn’t rain until around three, and that perhaps I might like to grab a short ride around the neighborhood. “Plus,” she said, “we have no chocolate in the house.”

My partner is so wise.

I dressed, grabbed the Peugeot and headed up Dekum. I stopped for coffee and a baked item at Woodlawn Coffee, and got them to go. Then, I nodded around the neighborhood and enjoyed the colorful leaves, in the trees and on the ground and a few on their way down. I stopped at a mom-n-pop store to grab some chocolate for Sweetie, and then made my meandering way to the pocket park on 10th. The weather was dry, and clouds were moving in, but I figured I had some time to enjoy my own private Coffee Outside before riding home.










On the way home, while I admired the many colors of fall, I began humming the song, “Autumn Leaves” and it became an earworm.

I probably managed a little more than two miles, and a quietly lovely mood that will make the day nicer.

Happy riding.

No comments: