Toss your troubles to the wind...

February 25, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

In an email this morning, Friend Linda said: Hope you have another good day to ride Vickie, just toss your troubles to the wind and enjoy it.. might as well.

I think Linda may be a biker in disguise...

I've never been one to ignore good advice, so about mid-morning I pushed away from the desk, walked out back where Tim was digging a post hole for fence repairs and simply looked at the sky and shot him a grin. We haven't been married 37 years and counting for nothing - he knew immediately what was on my mind and being the spontaneous kind of guy that he is - well, shortly after, The Ride took us out of here.

True, our lives just got a bit more challenging. We will soon join the vast ranks of the unemployed as Tim's job just evaporated before our eyes. (For the Record: It is on the way to China.) We will be moving soon to who knows where for a job if we can find one. We have much work to do to get organized for that move and pennies to count to make it happen.

Friend Nancy has a tag-line on her email that says: If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

Yes, if any of us look beyond the end of our nose, we soon realize there are plenty of folk out there in dire straights. People in real trouble. People losing houses and cars and jobs with many mouths to feed. People who are much worse off than we are and many who think some sort of help is on the way... and so, they are doing nothing. They are waiting.

Of course, knowing there are others who are worse off, doesn't lighten our own burden. We do not consider ourselves as unfortunate as some, or maybe we prefer not to dwell on it. Being kind of pull ourselves up by our boot straps people, we are not expecting help from imaginary benefactors with fountains of wealth... nor are we expecting a hand-out. We do not believe we are entitled to anything more than the opportunity to move on and start again. We do not need anyone to dictate or otherwise legislate that opportunity. So... while times are tough, you will not hear us complaining overmuch. We have lost jobs before. We have moved under duress before. We have down-sized before. We can do it again.

We have the support of family and friends. We have each other. Some how we will muddle through. We always do.

There is one big difference these days. For several years now, it has been just us two. Now we are three. Tim, the Harley and Me. Whatever trials lay before us, as long as we can keep it a threesome - I'm going to believe everything else will be OK.

I keep the following quote on a bulletin board over my desk: George Bernard Shaw said, People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.

OH !!%^!!#!!^#!! Canyon Ride

February 24, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

With temps nearing the 60 degree mark, it's hard to resist getting out on the Harley. What started out as a typical before-Tim-goes-to-work ride became a sort of mini-adventure and a test of our newbie rider skills.

The day was so pleasant we decided to ride up and over the Dam (yeah, there are quicker ways to ride north, but they are not as much fun), made a left-hand turn west out of the tiny town of Bellevue and entered Rist Canyon. I said Rist Canyon. The twisting, turning, undulating hills and sharp curves of this canyon ride is a well-kept secret like many of the great roads in northern Colorado. Well-kept except among northern Colorado bikers, that is. It is a favorite ride and gorgeous in spring and summer when the foliage turns a lush green and the wildflowers are in full bloom. It is spectacular in the Fall when the rabbit brush lines the roadside in a golden haze. You can spend a day winding in and out of connecting roads and canyons and all of it is just a few miles west of Fort Collins.

We discovered this morning that despite our warm temperatures and below average snowfall along the front range, the same doesn't happen to be true of Rist Canyon which rises in elevation to around 8000 I think. We knew the roadsides would have drifts of snow. That's normal for this area, even in the city, until late May, sometimes early June. First, the pea gravel on the road became a nuisance, then a hazard, and a few crusty/slushy almost icy spots in the turns didn't improve the ride. Coming out of the canyon, turning south at Stove Prairie School and riding the 14 miles into Masonville was not quite as bad although some spots in the road had just as much gravel. We picked up a stout westerly cross wind about 7 miles out of Masonville and were glad when the road turned east so it would be on our backs.

All-in-all it was still a great ride and Tim did a great job maneuvering the bike through it all. It took about 1.5 hours to ride 48 miles. I caught the first part of the canyon ride on video (posted below). Keep in mind what you are seeing is far from the best part. I ran out of memory before we got there. I didn't pick up the extra memory because Rist Canyon was the farthest thing from my mind when we headed out. That's just where the road took us this morning.

OH !!%^!!#!!^#!! Canyon Ride

Too Cold to Ride?

February 22, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Temperature 48 degrees, mostly cloudy, 11:45 am. We ask ourselves - is it too cold to ride? Answer: A resounding NO with a shared grin.

No doubt about it, the air was a mite chilly as we headed out under gray skies. We changed to full-fingered gloves at the Shell Station where we gassed up The Ride before cruising along the semi-country roads in and around the outskirts of Fort Collins.

About an hour after heading out, we stopped at Vern's Place in LaPorte for coffee and hot apple pie with ice cream. Vern's Place is a corner cafe among other things, which has been around since the 1940's and is a favorite stop for rancher-type locals as well as motorcycle riders, cyclists, joggers and others on their way to and from Horsetooth Reservoir, the Dam, Poudre Canyon or Rist Canyon. The food is reasonably priced, abundant and down home tasty. The decor is -- well, for lack of a better word -- and I'm smiling when I say this - DEAD. Ha! Deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, linx, trout and all sort of winged creatures look down from every wall and the place houses an awesome collection of old, cast-iron trains and toys.

We took our customary route over the dam and down country lanes past Loveland and back with no particular objective in mind other than to be out and away from things. Lots of other bikers were out, taking advantage of almost bearable riding weather. Just for fun, I tried to catch as many of them as I could with the camera. As the afternoon progressed, we did see temps in the low 50s and celebrated the sun when it broke through the cloud cover.

There's something to be said about getting out on a motorcycle. It is difficult to put into words. Some say: If you don't ride, you don't know... That's about IT in a nut shell. As soon as we were out of the driveway, we shed our cares and worries like a tree sheds leaves in Fall. For the space of just over 3 hours and 80 some odd miles, we didn't think about the job we may or may not have next week, the economy or how much money is in the bank account, yahoo politics, taxes or anything else other than the stretch of road before us, the endless sky above us and the unobstructed view of hill, vale, lake and the great expanse of the Rocky Mountains beyond. You've heard the old sixties adage BE HERE NOW. That's where you are when you are on a motorcycle. Here. Now.

Patriot Guard Honors WWII Veterans

February 21, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Wichita Falls TX - Patriot Guard Riders (including Ted, my Dad) braved chilly North Texas weather to ride to the reunion of WWII veterans and their families in honor of the 64th anniversary of Iwo Jima. The Patriot Guard and a boy scout troop formed the flag line at the event which included a reenactment of the raising of the American Flag on D-Day February 19, 1945 on Mount Suribachi. Thirty-four WWII survivors and their families were present at the reunion.

Despite less than desirable riding conditions, I can tell you that not one Patriot Guard Rider regrets the decision to seize an opportunity to honor those who fought so bravely to preserve the freedom and liberty of the USA.



There are six Flag Raisers in the photo. Four in the front line and two in back.
The front four are (left to right) Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, John Bradley and Harlon Block. The back two are Michael Strank (behind Sousley) and Rene Gagnon (behind Bradley). Strank, Block and Sousley would die shortly afterwards. Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon became national heroes within weeks.

Source: http://www.iwojima.com/

Photos: Courtesy of Nezzie (Mom) and John aka Snapshot Bailey.
More pics of the Reunion: http://jjskewlstuffii.blogspot.com/2009/02/pgr-attends-the64th-iwo-jima-survivors.html

5280 Mile High Miles and Counting

February 20, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Yesterday, The Ride went in for the 5000 mile maintenance that Harley recommends. It was a chilly ride over to Thunder Mountain at 9:00 in the morning. When the service rep checked the bike in, we had them sign off on the Harley-Davidson Mileage form so we can send off for the patches. The mileage was exactly 5280, thus the Mile High mention.

Tim didn't sleep well last night... ya'll reckon it was because The Ride had a sleep-over at Thunder Mountain?

We picked the bike up about mid-morning. The ride back was somewhat warmer than yesterday but the winds were/are howling. Cold weather, maybe even snow/rain is in the forecast for the next day or so but the end of the weekend is looking like riding weather. At least, as close as you can get to riding weather at this time of year in northern Colorado. Wish us luck in that regard...

Happy Birthday Lil' Bro'

February 15, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Holliday, TX -- My little brother is celebrating his 52nd birthday today... I bet he's spending it watching the Daytona 500... happy day!

Happy Birthday Kenny!

February 13, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Wichita Falls, TX - Kenny, Dad's riding buddy these days celebrated a birthday today! Do I smell cake? Or maybe catfish?

Too Superstitious to Ride Today?

February 13, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Will you ride on Friday the 13th?

It is said that many people avoid traveling of any sort on Friday the 13th, refusing to drive cars, ride motorcycles, fly - whatever. We won't ride on the first Friday the 13th this year, but it isn't because we are superstitious. Nooooo, it is because it is cold and snow is in the forecast. Riding today would have more to do with stupidity than superstition.

While I was surfing the web in that regard (that's what you do when it is too cold to ride), looking for those brave souls who will ride on a day numbered 13 - look what I found. These are my kind of people. They ride every Friday the 13th and have been doing so for over two decades (started in 1981 with about 25 bikers). KOOL! In June 2008 over 150,000 people and 30,000 motorcycles participated. The 2009 rides are February, March and November. Sounds like fun to me.

Port Dover Ontario Canada Friday the 13th Rides
http://www.pd13.com/event_pictures.htm">http://www.pd13.com/event_pictures.htm (sorry, dead link)

Texas gets in on the Friday the 13th act with a Motorcycle Rally that starts on February 13th in Boerne, Texas (between Kerrville and San Antonio). I don't know much about it, but they sponsor therapeutic horse rides for children with disabilities.

St Valentines Day Motorcycle Massacre.
13-Feb-2009 - 15-Feb-2009

Join the Alamo City Gypsies and hundreds of bikers at their annual rally at Kendall County Fairgrounds. Live music, two halls of vendors, bike contests, food and drink booths, and much more.

http://www.bikerplaza.com/url.html?state=TX&url=www.boerne.org/events/8765.aspx (sorry, 'nother dead link)

It ain't here yet...

February 7, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

I tell ya... times are tough. We had to ride purt near twenty miles today to pick up a radiator hose for the Tahoe. The operative word in the former sentence being ride. Ha!

The cold front is on our doorstep but we both agreed - it ain't here yet. Even with temps in the low 50s, the sun was weak and the winds have an icy feel.

Word is, it is sunny and warm in Texas. Dad and Kenny may ride to Oklahoma to have some good BBQ at Jake's Ribs. YUM!

Siamese Harley Built In Wichita Falls

February 6, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

I found the following article while doing a routine check for articles or photos that might surface of Dad's early riding days and the time he spent working at the Harley-Davidson shop in Wichita Falls, Texas in the early fifties.

I confirmed it. Dad was working at the Cycle Shop when this baby was built.

Just for the record: I am always on the lookout for photos or articles about Les Myers's Wichita Cycle Company and The Kickapoo Kowboys.

---

The Siamese Harley

One of the interesting oddities in the Walksler collection is a Harley-Davidson lightweight featuring a twin-cylinder engine built from two siamesed singles. The motorcycle was built by Ace Elliott in 1953 when he was shop foreman and service manager for Les Myers's Wichita Cycle Company in Wichita Falls, Texas. 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.

Elliott says that he took one engine, destined to become the front half, and sawed off the gear box with a hack saw. Then he dismantled the two engines and began cutting away portions of the crankcases to make them fit together, fore and aft. The shop had a heavy steel plate deck that was used to straighten frames. Elliott clamped the same-side crankcase halves onto the steel deck, then heated the whole thing up until the cases were hot enough to weld without distorting. He reports, “I didn't know much about aluminum welding, but I talked to a guy who told me a little about it and what kind of alloy the welding rod needed to be made of. I mixed my own compound, melted it, then poured it into a crack in the cement floor to make my own welding rods.” Elliott would carefully weld on the cases, cover his work with a sheet of insulation, let the whole steel table slowly cool overnight, then begin to grind, file, and clean up his work the next day. This process was repeated again and again until the siamesed crankcases were finished and in proper alignment. Elliott recalls, “It took from November through March, and I did not even go to Daytona that year because I was working on this thing.”

Anyone who has owned one of the little post-war Harley lightweights will recall how easy it was to make them run backward. Elliott utilized this feature by mating the cranks and timing the engines so the back cylinder runs normally and the front cylinder runs backward. He also found a simple solution for installing the lengthened twin in the Hummer chassis by simply cutting through the bottom of the frame, stretching it open five inches to make room for the long twin engine, and welding in sections of tubing. The upper backbone of the frame was not cut, stretched, or altered in any way. How did the project work after a half-year of intensive development? With obvious satisfaction, Elliott says, “It ran like a 250 Yamaha!”

Source: Ed Youngblood’s Motohistory
http://www.motohistory.net/news2005/news-sept05.html

Harley Hummer Information
Harley Hummer http://www.harleyhummer.com/

Flat Land Ride

February 5, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We rode today -- again under clear skies... still marveling at the fact that we've been able to ride in the middle of Winter.

The Ride took us east across I-25 to the flat lands beyond. It's all small towns, farmlands and ranches on the eastern plains and long country roads. The rolling hills are dotted with farm steads, barns, frozen ponds (we call them tanks), much the same as you see anywhere in rural America.

The water just looks cold - doesn't it? Trust me. It is frigid.

Part of our ride was a bit stinky -- a short time later, we found the source of the stench at the end of a road that dead ended into another road that went to dirt a few yards either way. Feed Lot!

On any given day, I'd rather be in the mountains but a flat land ride has one redeeming aspect- about five to ten miles east of I-25 the view of the Rockies is spectacular.

As the day progressed and we were headed back into town, bikers were on every corner, taking advantage of the last day before the weather turns cold and wet again.

Yep, snow is in our forecast. Our thinking is: If it's gonna be too cold to ride, then it might as well snow.

'Nother Dam Ride - Part 2

February 4, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We rode this morning under clear blue Colorado skies. The weather was crisp but fine. In January, I shot some video going over Horsetooth Dam from south to north. Today I shot the video in reverse which shows more of Horsetooth Reservoir and the mountains beyond. We are having fun, even if we are riding close in. We are counting ourselves lucky to ride at all in the middle of a Colorado winter.

'Nother Dam Ride - Part 2

Tuesday Cruisin'

February 3, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

The sky is blue, water is wet and the Motorcycle Gods are smiling down on us this week...

We don't know where Ol' Man Winter is hiding although we suspect he's up to mischief in the mountains. It certainly looks like it, doesn't it? That's blowing snow over the peaks in the high country.

The Front Range forecast this week is a gift of 50s and 60s weather with no precipitation and mild winds. Yippee!

We hopped on The Ride about mid-morning and headed west and up. Something you need to know about us, if a destination is not pre-set (before we get out of the drive) then you can bank on the fact we are headed west and west from just about anywhere on the I-25 corridor is up.

Our ride took us beside the cutoff and the still partially frozen south shore of Horsetooth Reservoir. We decided against a dam ride today choosing instead the route through the tiny communities of Stoudt and Masonville and continuing along the west side of Loveland, out onto the flatlands south of Loveland and via a wide, circuitous route home through mini-ranch country.




The eastern shore of Loveland's lake was packed with geese. We think because we have had such a mild winter in these parts that many of the geese didn't migrate further south.

If Tim didn't have to go to work, we'd still be out there somewhere - dang it!

Super Bowl Sunday Ride

February 1, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Super Bowl Sunday. We wondered out loud while sipping our coffee this morning if the day would warm up beyond expectation since we had sun early. At noon, we still had temps in the mid-30s and wind. So, Tim resigned himself to yard work and I went about making snacks we would share later with our neighbors, the Browns when we gathered to watch the Super Bowl.

At 2 pm, the temperature hit 40. Unable to resist the sunshine, I stepped out in the yard and asked Tim did he think it was warm enough to ride. I know, stuuuuuuupid question. The rake hit the ground fast and lay where it dropped as we suited up. Ten minutes later (we're getting good at this) we were out of here. Keep in mind, there is still snow on the ground in the shady spots and the roadsides and most of the lakes and ponds are frozen.



Admittedly, forty Degrees is a bit chilly for a ride, but ride we did. About ten miles later, we were pulling over to swap out gloves. We didn't ride long or very far. We took a short tour around the north end of town and east of town, stopped at a McDonald's for coffee and to warm up, stopped again at the grocery store (along with the rest of the world) for chips and two hours later found our way back home.

We have a couple of nice in-town rides on the outskirts of town with lots of twists and turns so even a short ride is fun. This time we rode north on Overland Trail and east on Vine, crossed I-25 for a short rural ride and then back to town.




Here we are warming up cold noses and fingers at the McDonald's on the east side of town. This McD sits adjacent to Thunder Mountain's Custom Cycle Shop.


We rounded out our day with friends, watched the Super Bowl, munched on wings and nachos and generally counted the day about as good as they get.