2Wheeltips

When I lived in Korea , and just started riding my motorcycle, often I would read the romantic stories of riders and dream that one day that will be me. I read an article where a rider described the different smells that one will encounter along the way. The smell of pine trees, hot tar at construction sites, the ocean, and one writer wrote about the romantic smell of cow manure. I chuckled within myself and said, “Yea, right.” I thought about the “honey wagons” that I had smelled in different countries. When I left Korea and lived in Hawaii, often I could smell the ocean, the pineapple fields, mangos, and fish from the marina. Well to my surprise while riding from Ann Arbor, MI on US-12 (Michigan Ave) headed towards Irish Spring and Sturgis, MI the great moment of a particular smell went up my nose. I first attempted to hold my breath, but that would not work, I knew I had to inhale and exhale in order to stay alive and what I was breathing was cow manure. I said to myself, there is nothing romantic about this as I thought about the article that I had read almost nine years ago. I made it through the smell and continue on down US-12 I went fast. Well I have been riding up and down US-12 for about two years and went I come to that particular spot, I prepare myself to inhale what the cows left behind. Today, I went for a ride and I rode to Monroe, MI to check out the state park to see what their beach looked like, and maybe go there on Labor Day weekend. On my way, I went through this town outside of Dundee, MI on M-50 and behold, I inhaled cow manure and it was strong, stronger than what I smelled on US-12. I said to myself, “That must have been a Bull.” I went to Monroe and saw the Vietnam Memorial, the State Park Beach, and several riders enjoying themselves. On my way back again, I passed “The Bull.” It was a very nice day. I stopped off at a Harley-Davidson place in one of the small town and did window shopping. I jumped on the bike and when down M-50 and onto US-12 and I came upon the old spot and for sure the cow manure smell was there. To my surprise it was not all that bad, and smell much better than what I had encountered earlier. The thought came to my mind to write an article “A Beautiful Day to Smell Manure.” It was a beautiful day to ride, the sun was shining and the temperature was nice. I was in a good mood and was enjoying the ride so much that even the smell of cow manure was a romantic smell over against that of “The Bull.” There are those who are reading this article and can identify with every word and there are those who think that I am “nuts”. Well, just keep riding and inhaling and exhaling as you ride down the old country road pass the farms and you will encounter a moment of breath taking manure that will truly take your breath away.