A taste of summer in winter

While everyone else is snowed in, much to my chagrin, Indiana sits between the two major storm fronts with no snow.

I don't mind winter as long as there is SNOW. Otherwise, it seems like a waste of cold weather.

And it keeps me from riding my motorcycle. The riding season in northeast Indiana is short compared to those in the south. I try to soak up as much riding time as possible during good weather. I'm itching like crazy to ride this winter, and can hardly wait for that first perfect spring day.

The only good thing about the Indiana roads I ride is that they are great for learning to ride. But once you're experienced, it can get a little boring because they are long and straight. I'm constantly praying that God keep the deer and squishable critters out of my path. I worry more about them than traffic. (Except on major highways, and then I have a bit of a fear of semi tire blow outs. Let's just say, on the back of my motorcycle, I've developed a very active prayer life.)

Since northeast Indiana is rather flat and the roads straight and long, I'm delighted whenever we can happen upon a curve or two. Riding in the Smoky Mountains ruined me. Oh, how I long for a switchback.

Thankfully I have some video footage of a few past rides so I can pretend to ride during the winter respite. I've posted one below where we found a few little curves outside of Huntington.

Click play on the video below to put yourself on the back of my motorcycle, following my husband. He has one of our twins on the back with him, and the other is on the back with me.

Happy writing -- er, riding!

 Karla Akins is a pastor's wife, mother of five, grandma to five beautiful little girls and author of the best-selling Jacques Cartier (that went #1 on Amazon in its category), O Canada! Her Story.  Sacagawea  was released in Jan. 2013. Her debut novel The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots  is due out in 2013. One of her columns on MNN.com was featured on the CNN homepage. Represented by Hartline Literary Agency, she lives in North Manchester, Indiana with her husband, twin teenage boys with autism, mother-in-law with Alzheimer's and three rambunctious dogs. When she's not writing she dreams of riding her motorcycle through the Smoky Mountains.