For an unemployed guy with a loan free new bike; life ain't so bad. Silver is sorted out pretty much the way I want it. Ultimately I'll get some side cases for extended trips. But, winter is just starting so no rush.

I was leaving the driveway yesterday and an SUV kinda rolled to a stop. I figured out that he wanted to talk about something, so I circled around and came back to the driver's side door.

He said he'd seen me riding the Strom in the neighborhood; had even followed me a time or two. He's looking to buy a 1000 Strom. Turns out he rode bikes lots of years ago, but kinda gave them up for the wife.

In October he had a heart transplant and laid in the bed recovering and thinking about riding bikes.

I told him bring his down and show it to me when he got it!

Then I was on to some adventure riding. From Leiper's fork to Fairview runs "Old State Hwy 96", a road I've never ridden. The easiest way to get there was out Old Hickory Blvd to hwy 100 and then to the Natchez Trace Pky.

Early afternoon on a Monday; piece of cake. Hardly anybody on the Natchez Trace and I rolled a bit over the limit. The Wee will easily get you a reckless driving ticket.

Natchez Trace Pky at Hwy 46

I circled back to Leipers Fork on hwy 46 as there is no exit from NTP to old 96. This is a kind of road I really love. Old, narrow, and somewhat forgotten. There are a lot of people living out there, but the road hasn't been urbanized. It follows the landscape naturally and is a fun road: hills, curves, swoops.

In Fairview there was another road I wanted to see: the CCC road. There are a few of these roads around: cut by crews of young men working for the government during the depression. It was pure hilly woodland then....not much different now, just a nice ribbon of pavement running through it.

There is another CCC road off hwy 16 near Alabama I want to check out. It is probably gravel.

So, a nice 100 mi winter afternoon. Course its raining now, so fun on hold for another day.