Now this... is about as perfect as it gets.

BEING a long time motorcyclist and sometimes racer... I am familiar with being horizontal at times. 

Fortunately it's usually something minor like my leg is too short, or I'm doing a tight circle in a parking lot, the engine coughs and stalls and I step off, not so gallantly.  Generally it's a low speed and soft surfaces get off.  I don't usually take photos of such times, being conscious of the fact that my engine is hot, the bikes is laying on it's side and gas is spilling from the overflow, and the adrenaline is pumping!

NB is criss crossed with rivers and streams

The first thing is some expletive deletive from my lips which thankfully has gotten fewer and fewer over the years as I've mellowed. 

I'll usually stand and stare for a second or two and then depending on where I may be at the time, (parking lot/dry wash/in front of my house) I'll quickly surmise the situation and right the bike. 

Typically.   

A few years ago in the Bradshaw mountains north of Phoenix Arizona, I was crawling up this narrow and steep dry wash that was only about 3 yards wide, lamenting on the fact that my latest gearing ratio choice was one bridge too far... for off roading and the 6 speed gearbox was spending a lot of time in low gear while the clutch was taking a beating. I had lost momentum in the deep sand and large boulders ranging from golf ball to basket sized and I stalled.  This was one of those times that my left leg was too short, in fact 6" too short and over we went, XT and I.  Bang Glang!  Fortunately I had my soft bags on which cushioned the blow and because of the rocks I was able to wiggle my way from under the bike without too much difficulty.  All the while I am doing this, the gas is leaking from the overflow to my inner left thigh! 

This is almost a freeway compared to some

Once extricated from underneath the bike and the saddlebags now a hindrance as I struggled for a place to grip the something solid with both hands and the fact I was on the downhill side with little grip on my Icon's in the deep sand, I decided I would try lifting the bike in two actions.  Because I was on the low side with the front wheel more or less pointed upstream and there were heap big boulders all around, I would lift the bike to my thighs, change grip (hopefully) and then push the bike fully upright.  I didn't have time to think this through and the handicaps were great, but I gripped the left side of the bar and with right hand under the seat onto the rear sub frame as best I could with the bag there.  There was no point in counting to three, after all I was alone (as per usual) and I knew it was best to do this when I still felt the affects of said adrenaline!

I got the bike more or less up half way before re gripping and pushing it up the remainder.  There it was, XT sandwiched between the two boulders the front tire get snagged on and me on the downhill side lunging the bike upright.

Just out for a little trail ride enjoying the southern weather.

Well guess what... over it went the other way with me sprawled out on top of her!  (All my bikes have been she models and believe me the position I was now in was akin to a bad porno movie on VHS... so I've been told)  Having not been hurt in the fall nor the first lift, I felt my body mentally to see if anything was broken/bruised/scraped.  There wasn't. 

The good news, I could now lift the bike from the uphill side and that was much easier than the former.  Holding the bike by the front fender I crawled over to the downward side and wedged a rock under the side stand.

The Adventure 150 on tour for the day

Once I believed the bike was secure, I immediately removed my helmet, gloves, light weight jacket, vented jersey, boots and pants and found some shade under some stunted cholla.  You see, the outside temperature that day in Phx was around 95F.  Where I was it must have been 110 or more and the exertion of the past 15 minutes had come very close to overheating me.  This had only happened to me twice in my riding career if memory served, once in Baja where a simple fall resulted in a fractured ankle and a very long and painful ride out the way I had come in and this day.  Both occasions I came within a whisker of tossing my cookies!

ANYWAY... getting back to why I am so happy today, the sun is shining, there is a slight breeze, the rains that came yesterday are just enough for me to put off mowing the lawn today and I am prepping my 225 for a day ride tomorrow. Nothing spectacular, just a dual sport ride on some of the back roads and trails of Queen's County. (We're big on Royalty hence the Prince, Queens and Kings county's.)

Excellent riding in the back roads of NB

I have been laving a lot of psychical issues this year.  Some may stem back the the Calgary rear end collision, some to my hip and shoulder problems, some maybe age...

So when I see a decent weather report I get excited.

This spring and summer I have spent quite a bit of seat time riding the southern parts of New Brunswick and naturally enjoying myself with covered wooded road bridges, old style gas stations that didn't have slots for credit cards, where you had to interact with a human to pay the gas bill.

Just like the old days!

I was making great use of the free ferry system, good food (like Kredl's outside Hampton) little traveled local roads some of which aren't even numbered, with names like "Lover's Lane" or Wharf road.



All of the Maritime provinces offer superb riding opportunities and heck... if you have a valid passport, Maine is a stone's throw away with the White mountains just beyond.

There are days when I am laying stiff as a 2x6 and looking outdoors from within, stuck in bed cuddled up to a heating pad, Coco usually right next to me.

I used to tell people that questioned why I wasn't working my rear off so I could have more money at retirement as I was heading once again to Playa Los Cocos in Baja CA and not so gingerly point out that when I hit 65... I may nor have what it takes to ride the desert any longer!

Does it get any better...?

I'm 63 now... we shall soon see :)