Goodbye Red Asphalt Road
The first time I successfully cycled to Guelph, I took the "southern route": across the Fairway St bridge to Kossuth Road, and then up the highway to Guelph. Getting to Guelph felt like a huge accomplishment, and when I arrived I was greeted by beautiful red pavement. Something in the aggregate that was used to pave the roads had a red tint, which made the pavement stand out.
These days I usually take the "northern route" to Guelph, up to Bloomingdale and past Maryhill. I often return via the southern route, though, and those red roads were the signal that I was on my way home.
You know where this is going. Guelph is doing road maintenance, and they are repaving or resealing their roads. The red asphalt is being covered over with ugly black sealant, and the once red roads have become the standard gray/black that we see everywhere else. This is a metaphor for something. I will miss the red pavement.