At Brant Lake we live on a bicycle road. Every morning a pack of cyclists wearing blue, yellow and red spandex uniforms race along the lake road and, as I watch them pass, I travel back to the village of Venasque in the south of France.

It was the day of the Tour de France and we were staying at a Château on the path of this historic race. I had always wanted to be a spectator at the tour, a race that traversed the whole of France, changing venues every year.

I found an empty spot along the rural road where the cyclists would pass and I began to set out a picnic lunch. Suddenly I heard a deep voice beckoning me–A farmer sitting on his tractor: “Monsieur, don’t turn away from the road or you will miss the cyclists.”

Turning around I saw the first peloton of racers zooming past my spot. Sitting high in their saddles they were followed by the team vans. The vans held all of the auxiliary equipment like spare tires, back up bikes and the team of helpers ready to assist if these cyclists encountered difficulties along the way.

The overall impression was that of a rapidly moving colorful cloud averaging speeds in excess of 50 miles an hour. If I had not been warned to look by the farmer on his tractor I would have missed the entire race. As it was I only glimpsed the tail end of the competition.

The bikes and vans were already in Carpentras, the night’s stopover, before I returned to my Château but I dreamed about them at night. I still saw the greatest cyclists in the world speeding by and I realized that not only bicycles but time can move rapidly and if we close our eyes we might miss both our present and our future.

It was at that point that I realized the importance of always being aware of the unceasing and rapid journey of time. Keep your eyes open!

This blog is going on vacation. I hope to be with you in the not too distant future. Have a great summer and say hello to the loons.

Sheltering