First Ride 2010!

January 30, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

Tim rolled out of here at 3 pm for the first ride of 2010! He was determined to get a January ride in. You should have seen the grin on the man's face -- and nope - he didn't look back. Ha!

It is 43 degrees and clouds are moving in. I have answered the what temperature is it question at least six times since 9 am. Flurries are in the forecast for tomorrow. It was now or never (or at least February). We still have patches of snow on neighborhood streets, especially at intersections and corners but there are paths and once out of the neighborhood, the main roads are decent... doesn't matter if the ride is ten minutes or ten miles... at least he's rolling.



It was half an hour and 19.4 miles. He says it was a cold ride, but he's still grinning.

Oh no! Not again!

January 28, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

Snow!

Grover "Ace" Elliott (1925-2010)

January 25, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

The following is an obituary for a veteran and fellow motorcyle enthusiast. In February of last year I ran across an article about a Siamese Harley built in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1953. So, knowing Dad worked at the Harley shop (Les Myers Wichita Cycle Company) in Wichita Falls at that time I asked about "Ace" Eliott and the Siamese Harley. Dad remembers the man and the build.

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Elliot explains, “We had a Hummer that had been wrecked and another that was repossessed. Every Friday when we got off work, we would go across the street to the Kemp Cave, a bar in the Kemp Hotel, and have a couple of beers.” This explains a lot, because the unusual machine pictured here is precisely the kind of thing you might expect to come from a lot of ingenuity fueled by a little alcohol.
See link below.

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SHORT NOTICE MISSION:

Grover “Ace” Elliott, Jr., 84, of Wichita Falls, passed away on Friday, January 22, 2010.

The funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m., Tuesday, January 26, 2010, at the chapel of Owens & Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls, with Pastor Gene Krieg, officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Owens & Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls.

He was born May 20, 1925, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He proudly served our country in the United States Coast Guard during World War II in the South Pacific and during “D-day” at Normandy. A long-time resident of Olney, Ace worked as a mechanic and was a motorcycle enthusiast. He was preceded in death by his son, Donnie Elliott; grandson, Jackie Elliott; and his daughter-in-law, Linda Elliott.

Survivors include his son, Ronnie Elliott of Wichita Falls; daughter, Sherrie Otto of Decatur; daughter, Cyndi Bindel and husband, Michael of Rhome; daughter, Lynda Elliott of Wichita Falls; daughter, Deborah Kilfoyle and husband, Hank of Saginaw; son, Robert Earl Elliott of Pennsylvania; grandchildren, Kristy Elliott, Ronnie Dixon, Britney Otto, Eric Bindel, Jessie Elliott, Dyllan Armstrong, Luke Linder, and Annsleigh and Jemma Anderson.

The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. Monday, January 25, 2010, at Owens & Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls.

For those desiring, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Disabled American Veterans or to Hospice of Wichita Falls.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.owensandbrumley.com.

February 6, 2009 - Siamese Harley Built In Wichita Falls

In Memory of: Marine Sgt. Gary S. Johnston

January 23, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

Just a moment of respect for our friends

J.B. "Nubbin" and Angela Johnston
and their family and friends

~~~

Marine Sgt. Gary S. Johnston

May 24, 1985 (Windthorst, Texas)
January 23, 2007 (Anbar Province, Iraq)
3rd Reconnaissance Battalion
3rd Marine Division
III Marine Expeditionary Force

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

-- From: For the Fallen (1914), Laurence Binyon --

Well I'll be Plowed!

January 21, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

It's about damn time! We heard a gawd-awful racket earlier today and when we investigated the source of the disturbance, we were amazed to see plows and front end loaders and dump trucks!

You can bet Tim is calculating just how quick our streets will thaw out now that the city has finally showed up to clear them. And he's figuring when he can ride out of the neighborhood on the Harley. Me, too!

We have had snow-packed streets since the week after Thanksgiving. Approximately eight weeks. Myself and many other residents were complaining -- big time. I doubt that had much to do with it, but we'll take whatever bit of service we can get. Of course, they are only clearing the main streets and intersections and hopefully the storm drains. The rest of our cul de sac is still a skating rink, but that's mostly because the people down there in the circle are stupid about how they clear their walks and drives if they bother to do so at all.

We'll see how it looks after a day of sunshine (we hope) tomorrow. Rain and snow are in the forecast for the weekend but we're hoping Mother Nature will give us a pass this time through. Wish us luck!

First Ride of 2010 Still on Hold

January 19, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

Yep... we are still waiting to get the first ride of 2010 in... this is a view of the street corner near our house. The main streets and roads of Fort Collins are clear. The neighborhood streets are far from it. Storm drains are frozen completely over so what melts moves a few inches and freezes again overnight.

The only thing that will help is if Mother Nature gives us an unseasonable warm spell, rain and winds. Street maintenance (neighborhood) in our city and many other cities in Colorado is deplorable, but I can guarantee you every damn mile of beautiful, cement bicycle path in the state is clean. Bicyle lanes on the main roads are clean. I don't get it - bicycle riders do not directly contribute one tax dollar to parks and recreation or road fees... but motorized vehicles in Colorado are paying double and then some... geez!

By this time last year we had ridden at least six times... not very many miles but enough to shake off cabin fever.

Meanwhile Dad and our Texas buddies are enjoying some very Spring-like weather and getting out on a few rides. There's been talk of "borrowing" a Huey and a Colorado rescue mission... a few more days of this and we're going to start taking the offer seriously - grin!

The Ride is all shined up and ready to go...

But - just like us - is wrapped in a blankie and suffering from a severe case of cabin fever.

Tim and a Mostly Naked Ride

January 17, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

Just because you can't ride doesn't mean you have to spend a cold Sunday in the house watching really painful football games... noooo... you strip down the ride to mostly naked and give her one hell of a detail job...


Smirk! Made you look - didn't I?

Meanwhile... Dad (riding solo again today) and other biker buddies (headed in a different direction) were out enjoying North Texas highways in mild 60ish weather... hope you all had a great ride.

No fair! He's doin' it again!

January 11, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

Wichita Falls, TX -- Mom writes for DAD: Hey Ya'll (Ya'll being those of us still iced or snowed in) Look what I did today. I rode from Wichita Falls to Petrolia and then Henrietta then Jolly for a piece of pie and then to Windthorst and back to Wichita Falls. It was fun riding in the cool, crisp air. (I bet - sigh!)

WISH YOU WERE HERE TO RIDE WITH ME. -- LOVE, DAD

Nice ride, Dad. Right now, we wish we were there to ride with you, too. Thanks for sharing - uh - I think.

Seriously, last year we were riding in January in northern Colorado. This year, thanks to GLOBAL WARMING (that's what Algore calls it) we haven't been out of the garage since Thanksgiving... and yeah - that's way to looonnnggg... sigh!

Until we thaw out - we'll just have to live (ride) vicariously through Dad.

Dad is having a "the cold front ain't here yet ride..."

January 6, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

As I sit here watching yet another round of snow fall on the snow that never melted from December, November, October 2009 Mom calls from Texas to report that Dad took the Road King out for a spin this afternoon. Temperatures in Texas were in the fifties today ahead of the cold front that will put Texas in the deep freeze along with most of the the rest of us...

Way to go, Dad - rah! rah! rah! (that's the roar of snow-bound bikers cheering!) At least someone is getting to ride... sigh!

Mom's note enclosed with the photos said: YOUR DAD ON HIS FIRST RIDE OF THE 2010 YEAR. HE RODE BEFORE THE COLD FRONT GETS HERE. HE RODE TO DEAN, THORNBERRY, BURKBURNETT AND THEN BACK TO WICHITA FALLS AND HAD A GREAT RIDE AND HE SAID HE SURELY FELT GOOD TO RIDE IN CLEAN COOL AIR AND BE FREE OF ANY WORRIES. HE SAID HE REALLY DID ENJOY.... LOVE, YOUR DAD, 1-6-2010

Just for the record: Tim is going to need a sedative when he gets this news...

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2010
Fort Collins, CO

From our neck of the woods to yours - have a great New Year. Ride Safe! Ride Free!