gratitude to infinity and reflections after a week

This little gnome gif above summarizes how I feel after a week of being off the bike and "home". Here are some of my highlights for the record before too much time passes and I'll possibly forget.

Things I especially enjoyed on the trip:

• sitting in cafes and discretely listening to conversations around me in order to write down "overheards" and boy-o-boy some were so interesting I could not write them down at all but see the last bullet point here for one of my favorite overheards
• laughing when the waitresses in restaurants routinely asked me when I sat down "so what will you both be having" -- assuming my "other" must just be in the restroom
• noting that many of the miles on this route were completely devoid of traffic, quite the contrast to the density of the Bay Area
• thankful for evaporative cooling vest and cruise control on the motorcycle
• very thankful for a handful of friends that put me up in their homes along the way, making the trip much more affordable
• the stability, smoothness and functionality of my 2011 BMW R1200GSA ~ it just performed flawlessly and was a comfortable ride to boot
• the wild animals never ran across my path with the exception of one daring prairie dog ten feet in front of me in Utah's Flaming Gorge area. Quite honestly before I left... the thought of a deer coming across my path had me concerned but the Hornet Deer Avoidance System seemed to actually work, I swear I saw a few deer running away quickly after seeing/hearing the device. I learned a new word at Arches National Park ~ Crepuscular and that's what deer are so they say
• at Trimble Hot Springs near Durango on June 9th, a man in his late 50's and overly tan with shoulder length blonde hair appeared to look like an aging rock star was casually talking to a guest in the "hot hot" pool where I was relaxing... I floated along, trying to not look like I'm listening but finally between the parboiling water and what he said, I bolted. He said "I do spirit work for love donations and I don't have a fixed price."

Arcata on day 2 of the trip

three days before the end of my trip in Park City getting psyched up for three constant days of desert riding

the plastic flowers were there at the side of the road so why not?

Afton Wyoming in the morning ~ most of Wyoming looks about like this with occasional snow fences 

the Colorado National Monument

me and Banjo (Jenny Oh Hatfield's dear dog) in Durango on a "perfect" day

Silverton Colorado is really a lot like Switzerland

Crepuscular animals like this are good as long as I'm not encountering them on the motorcycle

me with Eleanor in Park City ~ didn't make it to the Film Festival but how fitting just for my trip

Ecker Hill Park City

I do feel the sense of protective forces when I ride especially on a trip like this

It's the little things I notice that make it so memorable ~
see my hands in reflection here as I take the photo on the Durango Silverton Railroad (between the cars)

a total of 3,927 miles ~ 3 weeks ~ in a clockwise direction