Get the new off the tires ride + picnic + magic

August 4, 2013
Colorado USA

Today was just a short ride to wear some of the new off the tires before we head out on the highway in a few days. We managed to make a picnic ride out of it, stopping for sandwiches in Johnstown's small park. We enjoyed our tuna salad sandwiches under a small pavilion and were packing it up when a couple of local boys (age 9 or 10) walked up and asked if they could show us a couple of card tricks. We said sure. They showed us three different tricks and pulled each one off really well. We thanked them for our impressive picnic magic show and they walked away looking mighty pleased with themselves. Ha!

The Ride

Tim waiting on me like one dog waits on another

Vik - I love picnic rides

The following are pics of our little card sharks entertaining Tim.

We saw much of the damage from yesterday's storms as we rode along. Gardens and cornfields were stripped bare. Trees were missing leaves and limbs. All kinds of debris had washed up on the roads. It is monsoon season in Colorado so we did not stray too far today. Yesterday's monsoon weather brought tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and torrential rain to northern Colorado. I thought for a while I was back in north Texas near the Red River. We made a parts trip to Thunder Mountain and back yesterday in a cage once we got a look at those clouds. We had not been home but a few minutes before all hell broke loose. I hope the Sturgis-bound riders we saw at the dealership rode smart and safe. Cheyenne WY less than 40 miles north (if they could find a room or a restaurant) was probably as far down the road as they got for at least a couple of hours because there's not a darn thing between here and there.

Clouds gathering over the mountains earlier are now rolling over

Yep - time to ride on home

Terry Lake - we are thinking we will be lucky if we get in dry - ha!

Anyway, today, because of the clouds and the severe weather threat, we rolled in much earlier in the afternoon than we normally do. We took the service road north on I-25 for a few miles and got a kick out of seeing all the grinning riders headed north. Ride safe to Sturgis and back people! We rode in just as it was beginning to spit and spent the rest of the day tinkering around the house and grilling shrimp kabobs and drinking beer on the patio while we talked over plans for the upcoming road trip.

Yesterday's clouds looming to the north for Sturgis Riders. It took about half an hour for the skies to go dark and get nasty.

Today's ride = 88 miles