Benefit Ride - Byers, TX: Cornwall

September 26, 2010
Colorado, USA

Wichita Falls, TX -- Today Dad (Ted), Mom (Nezzie) and friends rode to Byers, TX to a benefit supper for Byers resident Del Cornwall. Del is the husband of Tracy Cornwall, owner of the biker-friendly Byers Cafe. Del does not have health insurance and has had to quit his job due to an unspecified illness that requires him to make several trips to Dallas for treatment.

According to the Folks there was a good turnout of locals and bikers from all around the are. Plus, word is the spaghetti supper was really good.

Slide show (11 photos):

Likely the last Wyoming ride of 2010

September 26, 2010
Colorado, USA

Fort Collins, CO -- After experiencing yesterday's crowded mountain roads in Colorado, we chose southern Wyoming for today's ride. We learned on yesterday's color ride that this was free park weekend in Colorado. It was such a lovely weekend, just about everybody could be found in the high country where there is a park.

Long about noon, we rode out and headed north on scenic Hwy 287 to Laramie, WY. The ride was great and the weather darn near perfect. We stopped on the edge of town and browsed through Bart's Indoor Flea Market. Nope, didn't buy a thing, but we had fun looking. Later we browsed through Hastings Book Store, (again, didn't buy a thing) before grabbing a quick bite to eat at Shari's.

We found a bit of color near the Lincoln Rest stop where a giant bust of Lincoln towers over the highway and again near Vedauwood Road between Laramie and Cheyenne. Vedauwood refers to a group of rock outcroppings that can be seen from I-80. Vedauwood is said to be an Arapahoe term meaning earthborn or earthborn spirits. Some people refer to the area as Skull Rocks. Otherwise, northern Colorado and southern Wyoming are brown. Dry and brittle brown. We counted ourselves lucky that we did not see a spiral of smoke on the horizon all day.

Vedauwoo Rock Formations - Arapahoe meaning - Earthborn Spirits

The ride from Laramie to Cheyenne was breezy as they say in Wyoming. Breezy will not take your head off, but it will ruffle your feathers. Ha! As always lots of trucks were on I-80. We rode on through Cheyenne intending to take Hwy 85 south toward home. Normally this is a fun, no fuss ride. A few miles out of Cheyenne, we encountered road construction just after we crossed the border into Colorado. The road was down to bed rock for about nine miles the pavement ends signs indicated. We stopped just short of it (it looked really rough) and turned around agreeing that was no way to end our day. As a result, we crossed over to I-25 along Terry Ranch Road which runs east-west just south of I-80. We had never ridden it. We decided it will be a great crossover route when we ride or drive that way again. Hardly any traffic. Decent road.

We exited off of I-25 on the first paved country road (Buckeye Road) that we know of that would take us back to Fort Collins eventually, riding past farm and ranchlands and through tiny rural communities easing ourselves back home just before dusk.

Unless, we get lucky and have an extremely long Indian Summer, this is likely the last motorcycle trip into Wyoming. Soon the howling winds that presage the arrival of ol' man Winter will bedevil any travel north of our city limits signs.

Here is a quick slide show of today's ride (20 photos):

Peak-to-Peak Color Ride

September 25, 2010
Colorado, USA

Fort Collins, CO -- Yep! that's me ready to ride in my old faded hoodie. The weather in Colorado is gorgeous - bone dry but perfect for riding, especially in the high country.

We knew the weather people had announced to the world that the Aspen were showing their gold, but we did not hear anyone announce it was free park weekend or we might have chosen another route to avoid the near bumper-to-bumper traffic heading up to Rocky Mountain National Park. The normal fee in the park is $20 per carload or $10 per head. Free park weekend in Colorado is c-r-a-z-y. People who do not normally drive in the high country or anywhere outside the town they live in will venture into the mountains and into all the parks on these weekends. We were caught (unintentionally) in Rocky Mountain National Park on one of last year's free weekends. We said never again.

We stopped at the visitor center in Estes Park long enough to take care of business and got the heck out of there. It was as crowded today as we've ever seen it. The roads were crowded with an unprecedented amount of traffic and photo hounds were parked along the roadside the whole way. Inns and eating establishments were busy as well, which is good to see - those small businesses need all the help they can get.

Looking west at Estes Park from Hwy 34 - Rocky Mountain National Park in the background

We were not the only ones that thought today was a great day to ride the high country

We found color in the high country - aspen gold is the real treasure in these hills

Scenic stops like Lily Lake (couldn't even get a shot of it) and The Old Rock Church aka Saint Malo Chapel on the Rock were packed with visitors. We rode on by. We found color, I snapped a few good photos from the back of The Ride. Normally we will ride the peak-to-peak, head down and most of the time head back up and down again, zig-zagging through canyons. Today, once we got down - we stayed down, opting to run around in Denver before heading home. That ought to tell you something, we preferred the traffic in Denver to the traffic in the mountains today. Good grief!

What follows is a slide show of today's ride (70 photos):

Smoky Dam Ride

September 24, 2010
Colorado, USA

Fort Collins, CO -- We rolled out for a quick BTGTWR (Before Tim Goes To Work Ride) about 11 am, just over the dam and back. As soon as we headed up the dam I spied a plume of smoke on the northern horizon. I had said earlier that I smelled smoke in the wee hours of the morning and there it was... filling the valley below the dam with brown yuk just hanging over everything. We barely had a breath of wind today. No rain is in our extended forecast... and we are dry here in northern Colorado. The state is also about to go up in smoke. Wildfires have sprung up all over the state since Labor Day, including one this week just a few miles east of here that scorched over 2000 acres of farm and grassland.

As it turns out, the road we chose to go home (the one we usually travel) went right beside the source of the fire. We would have swung a little wider on the way home had we realized that. The fire destroyed a huge stack of hay bales and was still burning when we rode by. Fire crews were on hand. Fortunately, the wind was out of the east so we didn't ride through more than residual smoke. That was enough.

Smokey dam ride

Smoke hanging in the low areas

The source of the fire, a huge stack of hay bales beside the road

Other than being bone dry, the forecast for the weekend looks like perfect riding weather. The mountains are calling. The colors are changing. The S-word has been invoked (snow fell in the Rockies last week) and I fear there's no stopping it now... perhaps ol' man winter will content himself with dusting the mountains with snow for now. Meanwhile, we ride while we can and keep our fingers crossed for a really long Indian Summer.

Mission - Wichita Falls, TX: Lt. Riley (retired)

September 21, 2010
Colorado, USA

Wichita Falls, TX -- Patriot Guard Riders stand in honor of Jerry Riley. Jerry was a retired Lt. for the Wichita Falls, TX Police Department. He proudly served and protected the citizens of Wichita Falls for 26 years.

Ted

John

Joe

Tex

Slide show (26 photos):

Static flag line at the church

Jerry Riley was a long time friend of John "Snapshot" Bailey (the biker who tries to keep up with my Dad and send such great photos. More about Jerry Riley can be found on John's excellent motorcycle blog North Texas Bikers

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Source:North Texas PGR

Mission: Police Officer - Texas

September 21, 2010
Colorado, USA

Wichita Falls, TX -- Ted (Dad) rode with several riders to stand the flag line at the memorial service for Lt. Jerry Riley, Wichita Falls Police Department (retired). Photos of this mission are compliments of John Bailey who is a close friend of the deceased.

This was what Dad had to say upon filing his first completed mission report (he was ride captain of this mission):

We formed a flag line to honor Ret. Police Lt. Jerry Riley, who faithfully served the City of Wichita Falls for 26 years. We presented his wife Amy with a Certificate from the North Texas PGR. She was very appreciative of both the Certificate and our presence and especially the flag line. I told her we were honored to be a part of his memorial.

The weather was warm (not hot) with a breeze, just enough to make the flags stand out and blow free with the wind.

I would like to thank Amy and her family for inviting us to be a part of Lt. Riley's Memorial. In addition I would like to thank John "SnapShot" Bailey for being the "Go To Guy" on this mission and Ray "Tex" Calvert for his assistance and bringing the flags and water.

A slide show follows (9 photos):

See the blog North Texas Bikers for more of John's excellent photos.

Out and about on Veteran Business - Texas

September 20, 2010
Colorado, USA

Wichita Falls, TX -- Friend John of North Texas Bikers snapped some photos today while on a memorial scouting mission with Ted (my Dad) and Tex (aka Ray) and Joe.

John takes photos of Dad (and sometimes Mom) when they are out and about and is kind enough to share them with me. Plus, he's an excellent photographer as is evidenced on his North Texas Bikers blog.

Lookin' good today guys...

Bright Sunday - First Fall Color Ride 2010

September 19, 2010
Colorado, USA

Fort Collins, CO -- Yesterday was a cold, gray, damp and dreary day in our neck of the woods. We spent the day running errands, goofing off in second hand shops looking for Hallowe'en (my favorite holiday) treasures and brought home our first truckload of firewood this year.

Today started out a bit gray and cool early but the sun made an appearance about mid-morning and by the time we rode out about noon the weather was perfect. We packed the leathers, but did not need them. Our biggest decision was which route west and up would we travel. We decided to take the northern route. That means we traveled scenic Hwy 14 up the Poudre Canyon traveling alongside the Cache La Poudre River, over Cameron Pass (elev over 10,000), past the Nokhu Crags and to the Moose Center near Gould, CO. Normally, we would travel on to Walden and take a wide circuitous route home through Laramie, WY. Not today, the winds were high and it was getting late in the day. The trip back we would travel down the canyon the way we had come up, turning off on Stove Prairie Road and riding Buckhorn Canyon on the way home ending up near Masonville, CO.

Fall has come to the high country

Speaking of moose (I did mention the Moose Center) - we had a couple of MOOSE sightings today. In all our travels up and down the Poudre Canyon, we've only seen moose one other time. Today we had two moose on the way up and a single moose on the way down. Get out your magnifying glass. Both sightings were a good ways from the road. I snapped several pics in the hopes of getting a few with some clarity, but the camera I carry on the motorcycle is not geared for that sort of detail. We enjoyed seeing moose in the wild... they are magnificent creatures.

We stopped several times to enjoy the scenery and for photo ops especially near the Crags. The sheer face of the Crags is one of those scenes that changes with the light of day and the play of shadow.

Vik at the Crags - near Gould, CO

The Ride at the Crags - Hwy 14 - CO

Tim at the Crags near Gould, CO

We've had one wildfire after another lately in the high country with considerable damage to property. It's easy to see why - as it is about as dry as we've seen it up there. With humidity in the single digits, it doesn't take more than a spark of static electricity in the wrong place to cause problems. Add to that, the extensive beetle kill in the pines and high winds and well... it is a recipe for disaster. The brown in the photos is dead pine trees. It's a shame but the future forest will look nothing like that which we have known. We did find color, the aspen are changing. We may be about a week early, but the timing for aspen color is delicate -- one freeze and the leaves will drop immediately or a high wind can strip the trees bare in a matter of hours at this time of year.

We found plenty of color in the northern high country on the first Fall Color Ride of 2010

Here is a slide show of the first part of the ride -- from Fort Collins up the Poudre Canyon to the Moose Center near Gould, CO (85 photos):

Here is a slide show for the second part of the ride -- from the Moose Center, down the Poudre Canyon to Stove Prairie Road through Buckhorn Canyon (70 photos):

MISSION: Soldier Sendoff -- Texas

September 18, 2010
Colorado, USA

Wichita Falls, TX - Today Ted (Dad) and Patriot Guard Riders rode on a send off mission for the son of Doug - one of their own. Doug's son U.S. ARMY SPC Che Whitaker deployed for Afghanistan from the Municipal Airport in Wichita Falls, TX. Airport road was lined with flags and many PGR stood the flagline in front of the airport lobby.

So long soldier. Know that you carry the pride resting in the hearts of those you leave behind, filled with fervent wishes for a safe and timely return.

The following is a slide show with some photos by Dad and other photos by friend John Bailey of North Texas Bikers (26 photos):

All gave some... some gave all...

September 17, 2010
Colorado, USA

POW/MIA
Recognition Day

POW/MIA Recognition Day honors the commitments and the sacrifices made by our nation's prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action. By custom, it is on the third Friday in September.

National POW/MIA Recognition Day is one of the six days specified by law on which the black POW/MIA flag shall be flown over federal facilities and cemeteries, post offices and military installations.

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Fittingly... on this day in 1787 the Constitution was signed and once ratified, it gave America an enduring framework for religious liberty, economic opportunity, secure national independence, and a flourishing society of republican self-government - all in the name of a simple but radical idea of human liberty. -- Matthew Spalding

And it is this fundamental liberty for which all gave some and some gave all...

PGR Mission - Wichita Falls, TX: Ellis

September 14, 2010
Colorado USA

Wichita Falls, TX -- Dad and fellow Patriot Guard Riders stood the Flag Line at the Vieth Family Cemetery East of Henrietta, TX for:

Kenneth L. Ellis, United States Navy, WWII Veteran, age 84

Slide show (12 photos):

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Source: North Texas PGR

Texas - Mission - WWII Veteran - Henrietta, TX

September 14, 2010
Colorado, USA

Wichita Falls, TX -- Today Dad (Ted) and Tex (Ray) served as PGR Ride Captains. They and other Riders took to their bikes and rode to stand the flag line at Vieth private cemetery in Henrietta, TX for Kenneth L Ellis, World War II Navy Veteran.

May family and friends of Mr Ellis find comfort in the memories of their loved one and solace in the knowledge that this veteran's service to our country did not go without homage.

Here is a slide show of Dad and friends preparing to honor this veteran. Photos compliments of John Bailey who writes an excellent blog North Texas Bikers where you will find more photos of PGR missions and other biker events in North Texas (12 photos):

Happy Birthday John

September 13, 2010
Colorado, USA

Smoke on the horizon - not good...

September 12, 2010
Colorado, USA

Fort Collins, CO -- Our weather right now is darn near perfect for riding. What I mean by that is temps are mild and we are dry. When we rolled out of the driveway around noon we were thinking - mountain ride!

That changed as soon as we had a look at the horizon. Smoke was boiling up over the ridge near the lakes we rode around just yesterday. It took a few minutes to pinpoint the location but the fire was just north and west of Carter Lake. That's about eight miles west of Loveland, CO. There are two other lakes in that area - Pinewood and Flat Irons. We passed on riding around them yesterday. That's too bad because that area will never look the same again. In my last post I pointed out how dry the area was in a photo near Carter Lake.

Low humidity, no rain, lots of dry brush and timber and high winds all contributed to the fire danger. Our area has been under a fire ban for several days now. It is rumored the fire was started by someone who chose to ignore the fire ban. Not good. Two canyon fires near Boulder destroyed 169 homes, many outbuildings and scorched near 7000 acres last week.

Reservoir Road Fire

Reservoir Road Fire

Reservoir Road Fire near Loveland, CO

We rode some closer but not wanting to get caught up in the looky-loo traffic we backed off and travelled a different road to observe from a greater distance. Much of this fire was roaring on private land initially, rugged and not easily accessed. It was too hot to get the hot shot people in there. Multiple slurry planes and helicopters were working the fire. They didn't have to go far for water as the reservoirs were in the middle of the burn area. Still, it is scary to see them fly into smoke engulfing the mountainous terrain. The size of the fire probably tripled in size in the short time we were out. Update: The fire has destroyed about 750 acres.

It wasn't long before I noticed my eyes were burning, so even though it didn't seem like it - the smoke had travelled down to lower elevations. We moseyed on home to the patio and called it a day.

Vik - Beer:30

Tim - Beer:30

Dad attends Gathering of the Guard - Texas

September 8-11, 2010
Colorado, USA

Wichita Falls, TX -- September 8th: As we were riding north out of Raton, NM toward home after our Texas State HOG Rally Road Trip, Dad and his friends were trying to make up their minds whether to ride south to Killeen, TX (near Fort Hood) to the Gathering of the Guard (Patriot Guard Riders). The forecast was for heavy rain, some of the area was already flooding. I was relieved to hear that Dad (Ted), Tex and Laura postponed their ride until tomorrow.

September 9th: Dad (Ted), Tex and Laura, Joe and Sherrie and a few others rode south to the Gathering of the Guard today. They ran through rain just as they arrived at the edge of town. By early afternoon they were checked into the motel and ready to ride out to Ann's Motorcycles to check in and pick up their packets. The weather held for the rest of the festivities although it was hot and muggy.

Field of Honor - Gathering of the Guard 2010 - Killeen, TX - Dad says rolling up on this sight was an awesome experience... very beautiful and serene.

Laura snaps a photo of Tex near his Blue Spader buddies on The Wall (lost in Vietnam, 1967)

The following is a slide show (6 photos) of a motorcycle. It is a 79 model Harley, beautifully restored in memory of a son killed in action in Iraq. It is an amazing tribute to a son and soldier who gave his all for his country.

The following is a slide show of photos, shared courtesy of our friends Nubbin and Angela (22 photos). Nubbin lost a brother, Gary C Johnston, in Vietnam (1970). They also lost a son, Gary S Johnston, in Afghanistan (2007). Dog tags could be purchased and hung with the flags on the Field of Honor and one of the photos shows Nubbin hanging the tags. Nubbin had the opportunity to ring the traveling Liberty Bell for his brother. Angela had rung the bell for their son before. In Nubbin's words: You ring it 7 times in the memory of your hero, and on the 7th toll you place your hands on the bell and it burns in the memory of SSgt Gary C Johnston, and like his nephew Gary will travel with the bell wherever it goes. "Let Freedom Ring"!!! Nubbin was one of the Gold Star Dads who had the honor to participate in the laying of the wreaths.

Dad said attendance was down the first few days, probably because of the weather. He had a good time and says it was a great experience. The following is a slide show of other photos that Dad took at the Gathering (28 photos):

Thanks for sharing Dad... wish we could have been there with you and the others. The only thing I can see wrong with the photos is you didn't step in front of the camera yourself.

Patriot Day Ride

September 11, 2010
Colorado, USA

Fort Collins, CO -- We flew our flags today and rolled out in search of flags flying elsewhere. It is Patriot Day aka the anniversary of 09/11/2001. We saw flags flying from a few houses, fence posts, and in front of businesses, many of them at half mast. I have to wonder... unless you have your head stuck in a place where the sun don't shine... you cannot have escaped knowing what today is and what it means to all Americans whether you acknowledge it or not. So... I have to ask... where are those signs of respectful American patriotism?

It wasn't a long ride. Actually, we ran a couple of errands and took a spin around the lakes and stopped for an ice cream before heading back home to relax on the patio. I'm thinking we are a bit weary still from our great road trip to Texas.

Nostalgic Leathers - Masonville, CO - Exhibit their patriotism

Lazy ride around the lakes

Riding down from Carter Lake - look how dry everything is - low humidity and no rain in weeks... you can almost feel the crackle in the air

Scruffy Tim enjoys ice cream cone

This is my favorite flag shot of the day -- a tiny produce stand in the middle of nowhere - not far from here was a large well-to-do bedroom community - not a single flag flying

It is Patriot Day - Remember...

September 11, 2010
Colorado, USA


Remember September 11, 2001 with respect for those we lost that tragic day. Remember too, how the people of this nation showed strength of character and courage in the face of that senseless act of violence and terrorism. Remember who THEY were. Remember who WE are. Americans one and all. Teach the children why this day is important to all Americans. And, remember the face we put on today should be one of unity and honor and pride.

Road Trip #3 - Texas State HOG Rally Ride Recap

September 9, 2010
Colorado, USA

Fort Collins, CO -- What a great time we had in Texas! 2245 miles

Here's some of what we did:
Visited with the Folks and the daughter and friends.
Attended the Malford Milligan concert at Red River Harley-Davidson.
Attended all three days of the rally, visited with old friends and made some new friends.
Rode with Dad and the brother on the Historical Marker Run.
Attended casino night at Kiowa Casino (I gambled for the first time ever).
Rode with Dad and Patriot biker friends on funeral mission.
Rode with Dad to a family reunion in Oklahoma, visited with family.
Visited with my 99 year old grandmother, and other family members.
We rode for Tex Mex and Catfish. We had plenty of BlueBell. We had steaks-by-Stormy with beer-by-Rob.
Tim gave three of the four grandsons, and Rob and Stormy a Harley ride.
We rode cold, hot, wet, wind-blown - all more than once.

Stand by for the show and tell... I will post the links as I get the posts done... lots of pics coming.
Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 1 - The road to Texas

Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 2 - Checking in

Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 3 - Historical Marker Ride and Casino Night

Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 4 - PGR Mission and more Rally fun

Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 5 - Family Reunion, Catfish and a visit with Grandma

Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 6 - Visiting the Daughter & Family

Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 7 & 8 - The Ride Home

Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 7 & 8 - The Ride Home

September 8, 2010
Colorado, USA

Fort Collins, CO -- September 7th: After a good night's sleep in The Cave (upstairs big boys bedroom), we rose to rain in Frisco. Bah! Watching the forecast for the local area and Colorado prompted us to get ourselves together and get on the road. We said a quick goodbye and thanks to Stormy, Rob and Chevy for their hospitality and rode out of there just after 8 am.

We rode in light rain at first, then heavy rain and some small hail. By the time we reached Nocona, we needed to stop to dry out a bit and grab a cup of coffee and a light breakfast. Stopping for that short period of time gave the rain time to catch up with us. We had hard rain until nearly Henrietta.

The plan for the return trip was to ride across southern OK, through the Wichita Mountains and back through Mountain Park to visit our friends Don and Nancy. With that weather bearing down upon us, we reluctantly nixed that idea and rode across north Texas on roads with which we are more familiar. Looking over our shoulder at the dark clouds brewing, we didn't stop in Wichita Falls for one last visit with the Folks. I called Mom and told her we were riding on through in an attempt to get ahead of the storms.

We stopped at a rest stop near Quanah to stretch and drink the thermos of coffee Stormy thoughtfully prepared for our ride. I spoke with a man pulling a horse trailer who said he had seen us riding in the rain near Henrietta. He said he wanted to tell us that he had spoken with a friend in Amarillo and the friend had told him skies were clear in the panhandle. I thanked him for that welcome information. We rode on and eventually out from under stormy skies about Amarillo. Skies were not clear, but it was not raining either. After that, we had fair, but very windy riding conditions. We rolled into Raton just after 8 pm, checked into the Motel 6 and called it a day.

September 8th: After a good breakfast at the All Seasons Restaurant, we rode out from Raton under cloudy skies. It was chilly until after Colorado Springs. We didn't piddle-fart around on the way home. That's what Dad calls it when we do not take the straight road home. Too bad, we really excel at piddle-fartin'. Ha! The weather forecast did not look good for the afternoon so we did not stray from I-25 until we reached the southern edge of Denver when we adjusted our route to avoid rush hour and to travel one of our favorite routes home along the weatern edge of Denver. Once again, we managed to stay just ahead of the storms that were brewing all along the way. About an hour after getting home, we had rain and gusty winds. More wind than rain. We are still under a wildfire advisory. We could see the smoke from the wildfire near Boulder as we rode in about 3:30 in the afternoon. It is a good thing we did not take a mountain ride home because it would have been a smoky ride.

There are no photos of the ride home. I packed the camera where it would stay dry before we rode out from Dallas yesterday and that is where it stayed since the weather threatened and it was windy most of the way.

Vik & Tim - Road Trip #3 - Texas State HOG Rally - Wichita Falls, TX

We had a great time in Texas! If we saw you, rode with you, shared a meal or a cup of coffee or an ice cream with you, or met you for the first time - we are glad of it. If we missed you, we are sorry about it and will try to do better about making the rounds next time. Road Trip #3 to the Texas HOG Rally is our last big trip of the year on the motorcycle. We are out of vacation and almost out of money. Ha! Fall is hard upon us in Colorado. Soon our riding will be more limited than we like. The winter months will have us sitting before the fire with a road atlas and the ride planner, dreaming of where to ride and who to see next summer.

Road Trip #3 - Texas HOG Rally - Day 6 - Visiting the Daughter & Family

September 6, 2010
Colorado, USA

Frisco, TX -- We rose early this morning, packed the bike and rode out from Wichita Falls just after 8 am. It is always hard to ride away from the Folks. We always have such a good time with them.

Tim and Vik - ready to ride to Dallas - Mom snapped this pic just as we were leaving

We stopped in Henrietta to visit with Grandma again. She was up and dressed and ready to roll out on the porch for a look at the motorcycle. I don't know how well she could see it, but she pointed out that a seat could be put in the box on the back so she could ride off with us.

This is Grandma discussing bike alterations with Tim - alterations that need to be made so she could ride off with us - haha!

Grandma (age 99) and me

We had a good visit with Grandma. No visit to Texas is complete until I have hugged her neck. Grandma sat in the doorway, laughed and waved as we rode off on the motorcycle. We stopped by the hospital to chat with my Aunt Alice for a few minutes before turning the ride east on Hwy 82 again. Next stop was breakfast and coffee at the DQ in Nocona and then gas. Today we rode to visit with our daughter and her family in Frisco, TX. This is the first time we have visited newlyweds Stormy and Rob at their home. We had good instructions from Stormy, but took a scenic tour through Frisco before finally popping out the Garmin to take us on in. Eventually, we will learn to use the GPS more often I guess, but can't help thinking of all the things we might miss along the way once we do.

After cooling off and rehydrating for a few minutes and getting a tour of their lovely home and meeting Walter (the puppy) Tim gave everyone a ride on the motorcycle before taking Rob up on his offer of a cold beer or two or ten. Everyone included three of four boys (Chevy age 14, Carl age 13, Scott age 10) and Rob (on a dare from the boys) and Stormy. The only one that didn't get a ride was Walter (the puppy) and I don't know why we didn't think of that. Ha!

Walter, the Harvey family dog

Here is a slide show of the Harvey Harley Rides (some photos courtesy of Stormy) (27 photos):

Needless to say, after Tim gave everyone a ride on the Harley, he was ready for a beer. We settled in with beer and chips 'n dip, then gigantic steaks and potatoes followed by a delicious home made Russian dessert called pavlova. YUM! This is the first time we've had pavlova - did I say YUM? Carl and Scott departed early in the evening with their mother. We didn't get to see Stewart (age 7) this time through as he was with his dad. We spent the rest of the evening visiting with Stormy and Rob and occasionally Chevy on the patio. We laughed at Walter's antics. Stormy gave up her Tahoe's spot in the garage so we would have a dry place to park the ride. Chevy gave up his bed for the night and even turned the covers down for us (a thoughtful touch).

It is the close to another great day on road Trip #3. Tomorrow, we start the journey back to Colorado.