Twice a week we ride south from our home near downtown Miami. Once a week north. Once a week east to to Key Biscayne. Three days a week short rides near home on our slow bikes. A couple of times a month a road trip for a change of scenery. Our basic routine is much the same all year long. Sometimes the trips away from Miami are longer. Sometimes shorter. Coastal rides are somewhat cooler. Inland Florida rides are definitely hotter.
Dust blows across the Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara Desert giving Miami's sky a soft, milky cast near the horizon. Hard on the sinuses, but it makes for beautiful sunsets.
There are compensations for summer's heat. Sights to savor, sensations to enjoy. The way riding in the heat makes your skin sparkle and glitter with sweat, defining muscles as they work. The luxury of sipping icy cold water. The sun shimmering on the waters of Biscayne Bay. The pleasure of feeling the sea breeze. The sensuous feel of cool air that sometimes flows out to you from the canopy of trees. The wonder of stepping into air conditioning at the end of a ride.
The summer is long and languid. We pedal and let our thoughts flow, thinking of trips to take and places and people to see.
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| Enjoying the shade under the bridge to Key Biscayne. |
