I live now in an area that snows each winter. Some years we get a couple of snowfalls of two feet each. Suddenly I realize I'm thinking of these periods as opportunities for fettling my bikes. I like it. But it's surprised me this morning, thinking this way. I never used to.

Growing up on the west coast my riding time was never apportioned into on and off seasons. Even in the rainy months I rode year-round. I realize now that this is an uncommon perspective; not everyone sees riding like that. Now I understand how different from the rest of the country the California ethos is. Or was. Even Californians are riding a lot less than they used to in today's shrinking powersports world. Now that I ride like the rest of the world it feels normal enough, but still a little unusual. A little foreign. Something has been lost. It has changed and I have changed. Motorcycling isn't a lifestyle any more, for me most of all. I miss that. It was a special world.

But the times they are a-changing. While I feel the loss of a part of my life, I enjoy the snow and cold weather. It's refreshing and stimulating. And I'm looking forward to some major wrenching on my two machines, themselves vintage time capsules of another era.