1.31.2011 Ride: Through a Wet-Sprinkled Lens

Timing is everything.  The other day, I was on Hwy 45, a fast throughway where one is just not certain what  mood a a driver might be in.  A semi comes around the curve behind me and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.  Cars are coming from the other direction and the shoulder is miniscule at best.  He honks from about 200 feet away and I'm trying to figure out just want does he want me to do. Ride off into the ditch?  Maybe.  I pull as close to the esge of the road as I can, as well as leaning my body off to the right.  It's always hard to determine how close these calls are but there wasn't a whole lot of breathing room between the two of us.
Today, my ride started off with dry roads.  The clouds looked like rain but I rode anyway.  Halfway through the ride heavy mist/drizzle did kick in.  I'm on Hwy 45 again headed home.  Despite the rain, it's been a good ride and I'm enjoying being out.  I try to ride very safety oriented.  I always wear yellow.  Today, both my pannier bags are sprouting their yellow covers, And, now with the rain, I have turned on my intense red flashing light that is strapped to my Camelbak.  I also ride with a helmet mirror which is a real lifesaver.  It allows me to observe the cars approaching from behind and if I don't see them inch over or towards the center lane, I know I need to take decisive measures, which I have done more than once.  Today, with the rain, the headlights glare off the droplets on my mirror and it's hard to judge exactly where a vehicle is in the lane behind me.  I'm approaching almost the same spot as the other day when the truck came up from behind.  I look in my mirror and, sure enough, there is another semi.  But, as I said, timing is everything.  I am not in the exact spot but a couple of hundred yards earlier in the road where there is a small "left turn only" lane up ahead.  As luck would have it, the truck and I both reach the extra width in the road at the same time and he easily passes me.  Having the extra space was nice.  But even without it, I sensed that this driver was different.  He was slowing down and he was trying to look out for me, trying to make sure our paths crossed up ahead on the road where there was more breathing room.  There was also the timing of having that driver in that truck on that curve in the road on this rainy day.  I value those close bonds that exist for what seems like only a micro-second. Those micro-seconds add up to create troves of treasured time.