Thanksgiving

November 27, 2014

For the family and friends who have chosen to be part of our lives,
For the blessings we find in each other,
For the freedom to travel the roads we have ridden this year,
For the hope of riding those that lay beyond today's horizon...
We are grateful.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Celebrating #43 Today

The card we received in the mail from the Folks said this: Love is not for sissies. Love is not all music and moonlight and romance. Love, real love, takes work. It takes patience and courage and commitment. Real love - the kind that makes two people make a promise as big as "I do" - isn't easy, but if anything in life is worth the effort, it's real love...

What a great card - we could not agree more!

After 43 years and some together, we do not do a bunch of thinking and talking about love. We know what love is - it is not something you think about - it is not something you talk about - love is the breath of a life shared... love is something you do - something we do - every damn day.

I guess if we would add anything to the list of things love IS - we would add the s'miles we get from riding the Harley. Riding is a gift we give ourselves - it trumps cards and flowers and sissified stuff - romance is found on the side of a road we have just traveled for the first time or at the end of the day when we find ourselves in a town we decide to call home for the night. It is time shared and memories made in tandem. No, we do not talk about love overmuch. We talk about the places we've been and the things we've seen and the times we've had - together. And we talk about the places we want to go and the things we want to see and the times we look forward to - together - because whether it is loving, living, sharing or riding - we just cannot stop doing it - together - stay tuned.

A few pics from our Colorado >> Kansas >> Missouri >> Arkansas >> Oklahoma >> Texas road trip this past summer...

Salute to my favorite Veteran and all other Veterans

November 11, 2014

My favorite veteran... my first hero... the face I put on the word hero today... a pavement patriot, a road warrior... It has been a tough year for this old Vet... but then, he's a tough old guy and so... those who thought to take him down by unscrupulous means were the authors of their own demise. When all was said and done - there is one still standing with his integrity in tact.

RESPECT! You don't demand it. You don't command it. You don't lie and scheme and pretend your way to it. You either have it or you don't. And people who know you will give it or they won't. FACT...

What I have is a man who earns the respect of others just by virtue of being himself, a man who stands his ground, a man who knows there is no grey area between right and wrong, a man whose principles are not subject to popular opinion or the winds of adversity, a man who leads not with intent but by example, steadfast and true, -- all bundled up in one neat package labeled MY DAD.

What follows is an excerpt (with minor edits) from the 2012 Vet Day post.

I am a military brat. I am the proud daughter of a USAF Vietnam Veteran. I am the proud wife of a USAF Vietnam Era Veteran. I often joke that I have 28 years of service myself (a veteran's daughter for 20 active duty years, a veteran's wife for 8 active duty years). All in all I have 50 some odd years of Veteran appreciation under my belt. I am the niece of Veteran uncles. I am proud friend to many Veterans. Needless to say, Veterans have always played a huge part in my life and continue to do so today. Talk about counting your blessings!

I saw an interview with children a good while back. The children were asked a simple question, "Who is your hero?" The children were very young so as you might expect, the answers were quite imaginative. Fireman. Policeman. Sponge Bob (Oh me!). Harry Potter (of course!). Batman (I had to grin at that answer). When a child answered with Dad or Big Brother, the interviewer asked what Dad or Big Brother did for a living. The children answered car salesman, teacher, banker and one child rolled his eyes and said in a duh sort of manner - he's a DAD.

What struck me as interesting about the answers in particular is this: Not one child answered Soldier/Marine/Sailor. I am guessing there were no military children in the group because most military children are well acquainted with the concept that military/soldier/veteran types are heroes - by default. In fact, when I was a kid, the whole mine-is-bigger-than-yours base housing playground mentality was all about whose Dad worked on the biggest, fastest airplane. I thought about it and wondered what sort of answer I would have given then and now -- and I am fairly certain I would have answered My Dad is my Hero, followed by the proud announcement -- he is in the Air Force and works on jet engines! (After reflecting on it - I realize I might have answered John Wayne but since I have always equated Dad and John Wayne's characters like Big Jake as being somewhat one-in-the-same - I am sticking with Dad.)

Yep, that would have been my answer - then and now. My Dad is my Hero, he is a USAF Vietnam Veteran, a man who makes it his business to see that Veterans - all Veterans - past and present get the recognition and respect they deserve.

Photo: Ted (aka Dad - with a WWII hero)

---- Veterans are the heroes of my America. Veterans standing shoulder to shoulder, flag in hand, respect being the order of the day. Veterans astride motorcycles with flags streaming behind them. Veterans behind shades, chins slightly dipped in respect. Veterans snapping a misty-eyed salute as Old Glory marches by. Veterans getting a bit choked up when they get to the words o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave... Hoary-headed Veterans, grizzled, bone-tired, weary though they may be rising to the day's challenge. Veterans calmly going about the business of honor and duty with unfailing loyalty and firm resolve. Veterans who will go it alone if something needs doing. Veterans clearing trash from a neglected cemetery. Veterans placing a wreath on a forgotten soldier's grave. Veterans with a clear-eyed, stern countenance under bills of patriotic hats. Veterans with a firm grip on the elbow of other less able-bodied Veterans. Veterans ready with hands extended in camaraderie and friendship. Veterans offering the solace of huggable necks and strong, comfortable shoulders. Veterans who in the width of their stance and the pride of their bearing convey strength, integrity, endurance and unwavering courage. Veterans who in the core of their beings understand the ideology of America will thrive because men and women such as they have risen and will rise again without qualm and see her through whatever force of adversity places a stranglehold on liberty and justice. Veterans understand the cost of FREEDOM and still venture forth to pay the price.

Today American Veterans across the nation are engaging in patriotic activities honoring veterans past and present. Many of them I know are riding out with those of a like mind as they go about the business of the day. Hopefully they will get a handshake and a heartfelt Thank You For Your Service! somewhere along their busy way today. Ride safe. Stand Tall. Carry on. You make me proud.

This is my tribute to all Veterans today. I SALUTE YOU! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, INTEGRITY AND FORTITUDE. THANK YOU FOR BEING THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF AMERICAN GRACE UNDER FIRE. In a world where alleged leaders have to "toot" their own horn and decimate the reputation of others to serve their own egotistical, self-serving agendas in tiresomely repetitive rhetoric - it is comforting to know that some heard the drummer and quietly and unequivocally answered the call of duty long ago because it was the "right" thing to do. Those few brave, independent souls are doing the right thing still. Today. Nobody tells them to do it. Hardly anyone ever applauds them for doing it. They do it naturally because being a Veteran defines them in ways that those who have not served will never understand. We know being a patriot is never the "popular" thing to do. Thank goodness for that - because there is not a Veteran of my acquaintance who gives a hoot about the mainstream perversion of principles dictated by popular culture!

Finally, Thank You Veterans, past and present for reminding me who I am by being who you are. American Veterans - my Heroes one and all.

This is my favorite definition of a hero.

Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid... He is the hero, he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor, by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world. -- Raymond Chandler

Salute Timothy!

Photo: Tim saluting the colors at the Salute to American Veterans Motorcycle Rally 2014.

This is a nod of respect to my in house Veteran. This is a guy who gets me out of the house and out of my head and knows when I need to get some wind in my face. He takes me anywhere I want to go on our Harley. He will search for and find out of the way Veterans memorials. He will circle the block if I didn't get a good shot of something. We pay our respects to Veterans in our own way every chance we get and then we saddle up and ride the free roads of this country in celebration of the founding principles of this country. Our mantra is Ride Free and that's exactly what we do.

I salute you Timothy - for your service, for your patriotism, for the honor of standing by your side. I got lucky about 43 years ago... not a day goes by that I fail to realize that.

Salute!

Are we riding?

So asked a friend of this blog... What's up? Are you riding? Answer: Yes we are and yes we have been. We rolled over 80,000 miles this summer (since we started riding late in 2008). Am I blogging about our rides? Answer: Not when we can be riding... **grin**

The gutters needed cleaning. The leaves needed raking. The gardens needed de-stalking. And the Harley needed riding. Guess what chore actually got done. This photo was taken yesterday as we toodled around our neck of the woods just before old man winter arrived. Today we have snow and frigid temps. Blogging and posting ride photos is a winter-time pursuit... stay tuned.

Last Dam Ride 2014

It is our favorite local ride and right out our front door. In a matter of minutes we can be cruising the roads around Horsetooth Reservoir. It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon although a winter storm is in the forecast. By the time we turned The Ride towards home, the winds had kicked up and clouds were rolling in from the north. And now we will settle into the winter waiting game and sneak out on the rare warm day or two we see in northern Colorado.

A seasoned Veteran... doing what he does

Texas: Here's my favorite Veteran rolling out to honor all other Veterans. The Veterans Day parade is today in Wichita Falls, Texas. This particular Veteran has been participating in the parade in some capacity for decades now. The parade in my hometown is always a significant event... significant to me and mine anyway. I have stood on the sidelines many times through the years and it was always a thrill to salute the colors, watch the military and high school bands march by, feel the thump of drum cadence in my chest, and hear the patriotic songs with a lump in my throat. Today parade-goers will hear the rumble of respect coming from motorcycles... that's what my favorite Veteran is doing today... I salute you DAD! I salute all Veterans.

A moment of respect

November 7, 2014
Colorado, USA

Out of respect for a Veteran friend who was there - pausing for a moment of respect for the brave Blue Spaders who paid the ultimate price at the Ambush at Srok Rung, November 7, 1967 - Vietnam. May these heroes Rest in Peace and may their friends and loved ones know - they are not forgotten.

The following was shared with me a while back by the wife of the Veteran friend mentioned above. It seems an appropriate time to revisit it.

COMBAT VETERANS

Once the COMBAT PATCHES go on, they never come off whether they can be seen or not. It fuses to the soul through adversity, fear and adrenaline, and no one who has ever worn them with pride, integrity and guts can ever sleep through the `call of the wild` that wafts through bedroom windows in the deep of the night...

We wonder if he knows what he is leaving behind, because we already know.

We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain as a longing for those past times.

We know in the world of veterans, there is a fellowship which lasts long after the uniforms are hung up in the back of the closet.

We know even if he throws them away, they will be on him with every step and breath that remains in his life.

We also know how the very bearing of the veteran speaks of what he was and in his heart still is.

Because we served, we envy no man on earth.

Keeping a good thought for you today Ray and whispering words of respect for those you knew and loved and respected who did not make it to today. - V