Thursday, May 28, 2009

Ozark Getaway Part Two

Riding a motorcycle puts you up front and personal with everything around you. The heat. The cold. The wet. The steep, narrow, curving roadways. (Yep. Had to throw that in again.)

The aromas wafting from the roadsides can be so intoxicating...honeysuckle, ligustrum. Oh! One fence was just covered with an antique rose bush...and the bush was filled to almost solid white with blooms. It may have been a Lady Banks.

In addition to the sweet intoxicating scents from flowers, several hazards abound.

18-wheelers hauling cattle
Dairy farms
Chicken houses
Roadkill

Now, roadkill falls into two categories. Fresh or putrid. Ah, yes. There is a difference. As you approach and pass fresh roadkill, you detect a metallic coppery scent. Putrified...well, that needs no explanation.

I learned. When I saw something in the road, or a cattle truck headed my direction, or chicken houses in the pasture, I would take several deep breaths. Then hold my breath as I approached the offending object. As I passed it, I would slowly release my breathe. Worked most of the time to keep the lingering scent from hanging around.

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