Kangaeroo is not a young marsupial.
He is old, fat and lazy.
Exercise is not his thing.
Yet, thanks to the humble bicycle, this exercise-averse old codger can enjoy a relatively healthy lifestyle.
Every morning, almost without fail, Kangaeroo wakes, dresses, has a cup of joe and gets on his bike.
For the most part, it’s not a long ride, but it’s a ride.
Kangeroo has got a lot of cobwebs in his head and these rides usually help to clean them out.
They’re back soon after the rides are finished, but even so, they would be much worse without them.
Kangaeroo got into cycling well into middle age, but it has become an increasingly central part of his life.
Things would have been much easier had it been a bigger player further back in time.
So it goes.
Every ride is special, but the past week has been a little bit more so than others.
The weather has been exceptional, especially on the cusp of deep autumn.
The mornings have been crisp, but not too cold, hovering somewhere from 8-10 degrees, making the first few minutes of a ride a bit of a trial, but easily accommodated thereafter.
Skies have been clear and stars visible. Although the morning ride generally heads in a northeasterly direction, the rising sun provides radiant heat from behind.
As the light broadens, the days have soon warmed up.
The warmth combined with the lingering cold of the night brings dawns where mist rises up over the river.
Being a river rider for the most part in the morning, Kangaeroo is then blessed with the delightful sight of mists rising over the greenery of the Tama River parks and riverside and, upon rounding and turning for home, the rising sun.
They provide priceless views.
It’s not just the mists, though.
Starting the ride downstream at this time of the year opens up the opportunity of getting a glorious view of the sunrise.
The sun seems huge heading over the Tama River.
Turning back also offers a few wonderful sights.
Gates along the river provide wonderful backdrops for a quick photo.
And not far from the river are plenty of wooded areas and parks offering delightful views of autumnal leaves in their burning red and yellow hues.
It’s worth rising early to get to see these views.
