Short Sunday Ride

April 26, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

After a dreary, somewhat rainy Saturday, we were happy to see the sun shining and we thought we might salvage at least part of the weekend for a ride. As it turns out, it was still too chilly as a cold front blew in early with stout winds of about 15-35 out of the north. We rode for about 20 miles or so and rolled up to the drive with the arrival of the first few drops of rain. I snapped a few pictures...


Along Lory Lake Road (I think that's what it is called).


This road intersects on the north end with the road that goes over Horsetooth Dam.


And it leads into the tiny town of Bellvue, not far from Vern's.


The old grange at Bellvue, now the Senior Center.


The Bellvue Store (and artist nook).


White caps on Terry Lake.

Short TGIF Ride

April 24, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We managed to squeak in about a 20 mile ride today before Tim took himself off to work. About the time Tim rolled the Harley out of the garage our neighbor LeAnn was trying to load the daycare kids into the van for a trip to the farm to see and pet the baby animals. We didn't help much because the kids she had in the van, came out of the van as soon as they saw Tim. Ha! I heard HI Tim! Hi Tim! Hi Tim! over the roar of the motorcycle as I was shutting down the house. Of course, Tim thrilled the kids by riding up to say hello. We chatted with LeAnn who said she was jealous... hmmmm... herding kids at a petting zoo? VS Harley ride? No - that's not too hard to work out... grin!

The weather was a bit unsettled today. Winds were switching direction, and it was blowing hot and cold. Rain is due in for the weekend. We ambled around town for a while and stopped for coffee in the park near where LeAnn had taken the kids I think. We parked far away from Moms in mini-vans, though.

First Sunset Ride

April 23, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

These days, no one wants to take off because there's no work - but - if such happens to be the case, one can only hope that the weather is perfect for a nighttime ride. We have ridden late in the day before, and Tim rides the Harley to and from work in the evenings when weather permits but until today, I had not ridden at night.

We rode just after 7 pm until about 9 pm, out across the eastern plains on farm roads we have ridden often in the daytime. Oh yeah - it was fun and beautiful. I can predict lots of nocturnal rides in our future. Below are a few pics, mostly of the sunset.

Plain Ol' Thursday Ride

April 23, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

In the old children's poem, Thursday's child has far to go... that works for us although we don't get very far on work days. We rode 66 miles and have accumulated 7007 miles on the Harley - and it isn't even a year old yet. Can you see me smiling? We've had a great time getting out when we were able through the winter and count ourselves lucky to have ridden as much as we have. You can bet we are ready for warmer weather and longer roads.

Our BTGTW ride today took us to Loveland again, this time on the popular Carter Lake ride. We are not really what you call lake people but we love the rides over dams, along rivers and around blue water. This particular ride includes a jaunt (side trip) past Flatiron Reservoir and up-up-up to Pinewood Reservoir. The road is great with lots of twisties and there are many places where you can see Loveland spread out in the valley below. The area attracts lots of campers, hikers, fisherman and lake people mainly because of its close proximity to Loveland and Fort Collins. If one can judge from the number of bikes in the parking lot, The Windjammer Roadhouse is a popular place, especially on weekends. It is biker friendly. We have it in our heads we are going to get up there one weekend and check out burgers with names like the knuckle, the panhead, the bad boy...

We are happy to report that with a few days of above seasonal norm temperatures, the snow in the high country is melting, the rivers are beginning to run and the lakes are filling. Compliments of the last snowstorm which brought much need moisture, the hills and valleys are beginning to green and the sun has teased pink and white blossoms and tiny leaves from buds on many trees.

Artsy Fartsy Earth Day Ride

April 22, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We had a great BTGTW ride today. The morning was even warmer than previous days and we are loving being able to get out earlier. Today we ambled back over to Loveland in a roundabout way, rode a couple of access roads along I-25, passed by Thunder Mountain a couple of times.



Eventually, we decided to stop and stretch our legs and have a cup of coffee so we found ourselves at Benson Sculpture Park in Loveland (located at 29th and Beech). I may have mentioned before that Loveland is home to many, many bronze sculptures. It's hard to drive more than a block of the main roads through town without seeing one.



After walking for a while, admiring the diversity of the art, scaring the minnows from the edge of the pond so that the water literally boiled and snapping a good many pics we took the long way home, repeating part of the Masonville trip from yesterday as we enjoyed the ride on the new road. We finally got a dam ride in this week as we weren't quite ready to bring it home when we topped out on the south side of Horsetooth Reservoir.

Below is a slide show of some of the sculptures, including the names I could remember.

Touristy Tuesday Ride

April 21, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

After calling Dad with a birthday hello and dutifully completing our daily exercise walk, we rolled out of the neighborhood in light jackets headed south toward Loveland. We ambled our way across Loveland and back down a road we've never ridden before... which goes around the back side of the road we normally take into Masonville.

We usually stop at Masonville if we're in the area. I don't know much about the town although the old town site is listed in ghost town registers. A gold rush, that never really materialized, is the reason Masonville was founded in the early 1890's. The Masonville Mercantile is fun to look at as it is decorated with some great murals depicting movie stars. I've been in the mercantile once a good while back. it caters to people who love Victorian, especially Victorian wedding and turn of the century Old West clothing. Across from the mercantile on the west side is a curious collection of tractors, farm equipment, wagons, assorted miniature old west buildings and more. I'm sure it was a busy tourist stop at one time. Across the way on the north is Nostalgic West Leathers, owned and operated by the same family as the mercantile I believe. It is a favorite biker stop as it is at the crossroads of several really great rides including Buckhorn Canyon (which leads to the upper end of Rist Canyon or the Poudre Canyon). Great summer rides!

So, we were sort of tourists, even though we've visited Masonville many, many times. The rest of the ride took us up and over the south end of Horsetooth Reservoir and the 15 miles back into Fort Collins...

Happy Birthday DAD!

April 21, 2009
Fort Collins, CO



Wichita Falls, TX -- Aside from being glad I am not responsible for lighting all those candles on a cake... (grin!) or making you extinguish all those candles... ha! I am wishing you a great day, with plenty of sunshine and time for a short ride or a visit with friends and family. You deserve every good thing that comes your way, today and always.

Thanks for sharing all that you are with us. I won't test your patience with the mushy stuff... I'll simply say -- I LOVE YOU, DAD. Lastly - I am missing you and wish I was there for your birthday...

Know I am there in heart and mind and spirit. -V-

This is the picture above converted to a digital oil painting... just for kicks. Click on it to see a larger version of it

This is more like it Monday Ride

April 20, 2009
Fort Collins, CO



We had a quick BTGTW ride. It is beautiful in Northern Colorado today. You'd never know we had a Spring snowstorm two days ago if you didn't see the evidence of it in the foothills and mountains beyond. We decided no dam ride today... because it is likely there is snow and runoff too close to the road and gravel everywhere. Instead, we took the long way across town and drove Hwy 1 north the ten miles to Wellington, then south to Budweiser, eventually winding our way back to the house.

The mountains were showing their best stuff this morning. This view is from the access road on I-25 just east of Fort Collins. Longs Peak is about centered along the peak-to-peak highway. If you'll recall, we were just up there weekend before last in the Tahoe. To the right are the mountains that loom over Estes Park which sits at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park. We're thinking it is going to be several weeks before Trail Ridge Road is accessible. Trail Ridge Road, which winds through the middle of Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest continuous road in the USA, with more than eight miles above 11,000 feet elevation and peaks out at over 12,000 feet. It is an awesome drive in a vehicle - we can't wait to do it on the Harley. It usually opens around Memorial Day if we don't have a late season snow storm. To the left of Longs Peak is the Indian Peak Wilderness. Brainard Lake (only eight feet deep), sits at the base of the Indian Peaks and is well known for fishing, camping, and numerous hiking trails - not to mention the breathtaking scenery.

That concludes today's travel log... the weather is supposed to improve as the week progresses... stay tuned for more BTGTW rides... ha!

Sunday after Snow Day Ride

April 19, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

After rain on Thursday, then snow on Friday, then rain and snow on Saturday you can bet we were glad to see the sun shining Sunday morning. Better yet - the streets were clear and drying fast. Fort Collins got lots of rain (over 4 inches says our rain gauge) and not as much snow as parts north and south and west of here. As soon as the temps hit the low 50s (just after noon), we were outside and on The Ride. We knew today would be a flatland ride as the foothills still had lots of snow. That's OK because there are plenty of country roads in the area and we managed to criss-cross about 124 miles of them and make a whole afternoon of it.

First, we headed to Vern's for some go-juice and then we ambled north but decided the winds blowing across the snowy foothills was a bit chilly. You could see snow all along the horizon which was probably about 15-20 miles out. If you can see snow that far in the distance, it's a sure bet it is deep. So we roamed south and east for most of the ride. Of course, south and east eventually took us close enough to Johnson's Corner to make it necessary to stop for coffee and pie. We met a nice older biker as we were going in the door so we chatted with him for a spell. We checked out three other bikes while we chatted in the parking lot, including a brand new H-D trike. The biker told us he rode in from Denver on the back roads and was headed back after his stop for coffee and pie. Like I said, getting within a mile of Johnson's Corner makes it an obligatory stop. He said he had 88,000 miles on his beautiful maroon Ultra Classic and was headed to Arizona to visit a daughter and ride the canyon (Grand Canyon), the west coast and up to Seattle next month for about a 2-3 week trip. Last year, he toured Montana and the Dakotas and said it rained on him every day. He told us the bike he rode before the Ultra had 102,000 miles on it when he traded it in. Yeah - we want that guy's life!

I never get tired of taking pictures of the mountains. No matter how many I take I have yet to them justice. Some things you just have to see for yourself to believe it. The Rockies in spring time are one of those things.

Here are a few pics:

Rodney Recovery Ride

April 18, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Wichita Falls, TX -- While we were stuck inside by the fire today with a Spring snowstorm, Dad and his buddies rode to the Red Rooster Restaurant in Haskell, TX. They rode with friend Rodney (#5 from left) who just got the all clear (after two surgeries) from his heart doctor to get back on his Harley. It looks like a good group and apparently the weather was fine for a ride - pout!

Look at Dad's helmet perched on his new sissy bar.

Photos compliments of John (aka Snapshot) Bailey, Wichita Falls, TX.

OOPS!

April 17, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Wichita Falls, TX -- I was so involved posting a picture of Dad getting ready for the Tea Party in Wichita Falls on the 15th - I forgot to mention the new sissy bar and luggage rack he installed on the Dyna just a few days ago. Kool huh? They look great with the lines of the bike. The new accessories are an early birthday present from Mom. Having been properly chastised by Mom for the omission... I am posting the pic posthaste! Thanks Mom for keeping all of us in line and grounded in reality... what would we do without you?

A girl's got to have her standards

April 17, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

It's a snowy day in northern Colorado. We are getting hammered with a late Spring snow storm... again... no riding for a couple of days so as we suffer from PMS, we are hanging out by the fire, surfing the internet and swapping emails with, well... anyone who is out there. LOL! Tim was sort of bummed earlier as he learned that Thunder Mountain has canceled the Bikini Bike Wash scheduled for tomorrow. Ha! I received the following joke from the folks this morning. Before you read it, you should know if you don't ride a Harley we won't hold that against you. Actually, we don't care what you ride... but being Harley owners we found it amusing...

A little 10-year-old girl was walking home, alone, from school one day, when a big man on a black motorcycle pulls up beside her. After following along for a while, he turns to her and asks, "Hey there little girl, do you want to go for a ride?"

"NO!" says the little girl as she keeps on walking.

The motorcyclist again pulls up beside her and asks, "Hey little girl, I will give you $10 if you hop on the back."

"NO!" says the little girl as she hurries down the street.

The motorcyclist pulls up beside the little girl again and says, "Okay kid, my last offer!

I'll give you 20 Bucks "and" a Big Bag of Candy if you will just hop on the back of my bike and we will go for a ride."

Finally, the little girl stops and turns towards him and screams Out... "Look Dad" "You're the one who bought the Honda instead of the Harley"! "YOU RIDE IT!"

The Ride Goes to a Tea Party

April 15, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

When you saddle up on a Harley - destination Tea Party is not what springs immediately to mind. But that's where The Ride brought Tim earlier today. He joined me at the park where the Fort Collins Tax Day Tea Party was held. We met many like-minded people today, including several bikers. About 2500 attended our local Tea Party, from all walks of life and all age groups. It was a good day to be an American. But... aren't they all?

Wichita Falls, TX -- This is Dad (Ted) getting ready to attend the Tax Day Tea Party in my hometown. He and Kenny were among five to six hundred patriots on the court house lawn of Wichita Falls, Texas. Of course, they rode to the festivities on their Made in the USA Harleys. Says Kenny: Went with GIF's hubby to tea party today didn't get no tea but got apple cobbler and ice cream later mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm If patriotism were the disease that some folks think it is -- well, I reckon this [good ol' Dad] is where I got it.

Gray Tuesday Ride

April 14, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

We had blue skies early, but they were fast receding as we rolled out the Harley for the BTGTW ride. This morning we had a mini-mission, locate the park where folks attending the Tax Day Tea Party in Fort Collins tomorrow will gather and organize.

After that, we rode north to Ted's Place and down a couple of new country roads on the way back.

BTGTW ride = before Tim goes to work ride

Monday After No Easter Ride

April 13, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Finally! Blue skies! Some sun! Warmer temps!

Our before-Tim-goes-to-work-ride took us over the dam of course, down into LaPorte where we stopped for fuel at Vern's. We rode a wide birth around Fort Collins on the semi-rural roads that criss-cross the area. We rode as far and for as long as we dared before heading back to reality. While temps were still in the sixties, the riding conditions were darn near perfect and neither one of us wanted to call it a day.

We startled a small herd of white-tail deer on the dam part of the ride.


And from a high vantage point on the east side of town, we could see the Rockies got a nice new blanket of snow overnight - we were just up there, Saturday.


We did not get an Easter ride in this year. The weather was just too cool and unsettled. We did drive the Peak-to-Peak highway and know from the looks of it that while Ol' Man Winter is still in residence, he will clear out before long. And, I think we will not be sorry to see him go this year.

Bunny Day Greetings...

April 12, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

With any luck... Mother Nature will cooperate today and we will be somewhere... anywhere but in the house sitting at a desk... running down a great road... shaking off cabin fever... clearing our heads...

May you find fair skies and clear roads wherever you choose to ride today...


Click for larger view...

Good Friday Ride

April 10, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

What's this? What's this? Today was supposed to be warm and clear according to the knucklehead weather people! We finally hit 50 degrees long about 1 pm - not really warm - not really the weather we were hoping for, but better than it looks for the rest of the weekend. It wasn't the Good Friday ride we were hoping for either as we thought to ride much further afield than our general area. We rode to Lyons, stopped in the park as usual to warm up and stretch our legs. After that, we attempted the run to Boulder, but turned around when we rounded a hillside and saw a snow squall coming over the ridge. We ambled our way back to Fort Collins, criss-crossing country roads until we declared it to be officially beer-thirty. We stopped for said beer and called it a day.

First April Ride

April 7, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

It was only a short before-Tim-goes-to-work ride, but it was great to get out of the house and go somewhere even if it was only over to Loveland, around the south end of Horsetooth Reservoir and back. It was also a let's see what the roads look like ride as well. Parts south and west of Fort Collins received over a foot of snow last weekend. There are still a few drifts along the roadsides and up in the hills and draws, but the sun and wind are doing a good job of melting it off and there wasn't too much gravel on the road. However, we cut the dam ride short because the wind was howling.

The forecast for Easter weekend is iffy at best - maybe rain, maybe snow, maybe not... but that didn't keep us from planning a maybe this route, maybe that route and if all else fails -- just get on and ride anyway route... stay tuned...

Patriot Guard Riders Honor Medal of Honor Recipients

April 4, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

Gainesville, TX -- Ted (Dad) rode from Wichita Falls, TX with fellow Patriot Guard Members to a medal of Honor Celebration and parade in Ganesville, TX.

There are 98 Medal of Honor recipients living. I believe 24 of them were present at this celebration, one of which will reach the age of 100 in July 2009.

To see so many people, especially veterans like my Dad, riding with flags flying in honor of America's heroes is an awesome exhibition of true patriotism that makes me proud... of my Dad... of the Patriot Guard... of fellow bikers who show their patriotism and support of the military... of Americans who are not too busy or wrapped up in their own little world to spare a moment to remember how to be AMERICAN.

Great slide show of the parade:
04-01-2009 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/seannholly/sets/72157616194263759/

Eat Dessert First

April 3, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

So, what do bikers do if Winter is loitering outside the door and The Ride is parked indefinitely?

Well, you sit around with your coffee and the road atlas and dream of sunlight on chrome and days warm enough to ride without getting frost-bite. You live vicariously through friends vacationing in Arizona...

With that said, friends Linda and Claude from Ohio who just celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary are vacationing in Sedona. They posted a couple of pics to their blog I just had to share. First of all Sedona is a beautiful area. I remember some of the places L&C have been from a Grand Canyon vacation with the folks when I was barely a teenager. They have dined at some kool places including Crusier's Cafe 66 (Williams, AZ) and the Haunted Hamburger (Jerome, AZ). Tim says no hamburger picture so the hamburger must be the ghost! They say the food is so good they did not have room for dessert so they took pictures of the desserts. Now, I'm thinking that's just wrong... course I do love dessert! Here's my advice, you are on vacation... what happens in Arizona - stays in Arizona. Live dangerously! When pies and cakes look like these I'm thinking I would EAT DESSERT FIRST!