Reminder Partriot Guard Burger Burn Today!

May 18, 2013

Saddle up Texas and Get Your Burger On!

Red River Harley-Davidson! It's PGR Burger Burn time!

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2013 Patriot Guard Burger Burn Flyer

Salute!

May 18, 2013

It is Armed Forces Day!

WWII Vets get Hero Sendoff

March 16, 2013
Colorado USA

TEXAS - Today Patriot Guard Riders in Wichita Falls, TX rolled out to escort local WWII Veterans scheduled for an Honor Flight. The first stop for PGR was a Jefferson Elementary School. Veterans were treated to a surprise send-off students, faculty and other patriots. Students expressed their gratitude by creating colorful signs and singing patriotic songs. The Rider High School band and color guard joined the festivities.

Texoma's Home Page (see link to article and video below)reports: Bill Thacker, a WWII veteran, says, "It's just unbelievable. I thought we were on our way out of town. They pulled in and I had no idea!"

Harold Jackson, a WWII veteran, says, "Ohhh! I bawled like a baby! I didn't expect this. I'm gonna cry, baby. I can't help it."

"Oh goodness. I bawled when those little kids came out," Jackson says. "I couldn't hardly speak to them, but ohhh, God bless America."

"I can't express it in words," Thacker says. "It's just unbelievable when they sing 'God Bless America.' This nation was founded on God. We don't want to ever forget it. That's what 16 million of us went to fight for."

"I came out and some of my good buddies didn't," Jackson says. "And I always think I should have been there, too. But this means so much to me and my family."

Local Patriot Guard Riders report is was a moving experience and an honor to ride escort for hometown heroes. Seeing the kids wave patriotic signs and hearing them chant USA was pure joy. About 19 or 20 bikes and 20 plus riders accompanied the Veterans to Henrietta.

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Photos compliments of Patriot Guard Riders Jimmy Murphy and Steven Bull
Source: Texomas Home Page (Video and article) WFISD Students Surprise Veterans

Mother's Day Ride 2013

May 12, 2013
Colorado USA

Well, it's about darn time. It's been a weird year. Either we have been under the weather or the weather has not cooperated. Needless, to say we are ready to get outside, soak up some sun and log some miles. Before we had finished our coffee this morning the day had warmed and blue skies beckoned.

After speaking with my sweet Mom and wishing her a happy day across the miles we rolled out of the drive for a Mother's Day ride. It was just after 10 am and the weather was fine.

About a mile out the odometer read 43512. 5/12. Get it?

We were thinking we might start the day off with biscuits and gravy at Fatso's Diner for the first time this year, but when we rolled into the parking lot we noticed signs that said closed for repairs. Disappointed, we rode on. It wasn't until this evening that I learned they had suffered a devastating fire in March. The owners, Matt and Julie plan to reopen but have predicted the cleanup and repairs to take about 90 days. We wish them well and were happy to hear no one was injured.

Yesterday, we took a cage trip to Denver for what Tim called a Mother's Day Shopping outing. Now, unless shopping includes a book store, antiquing, or biker stuff I'm just not much into the whole shopping thing. I could care less about malls and big box stores. Not to worry - Tim's idea of Mother's Day shopping was to visit two Army/Navy stores flanked by breakfast at Alice's Kitchen and supper at Jose O'Shea's. The yield of the day was a couple boxes of 22 bird shot, a holster for Tim's gun and not a chance of going hungry.

So, today our first stop was High Country Harley-Davidson where I spent some of Tim's hard-earned money on a couple of shirts and a new pair of fingerless gloves. Oh, and he has a new hat.

Afterwards, we canned an earlier idea of a mid-afternoon picnic because we were hungry now. We stopped at a trucker cafe not far from the dealership. PepperJack's is a plain-jane, no frills diner, clean and cozy considering it is attached to a convenience store/gas station. It was not busy and that suited us fine. There was a breakfast buffet set up but we skipped that and ordered lunch. I had my usual BLT and Tim had a burger. Both were excellent. We believe we will go back sometime and try the breakfast.

The rest of the day we spent leisurely rolling east along country roads. The mountains were spectacular, gleaming white with the late season snows. We are starting to green up a bit but the trees have yet to put out full leaves. Clouds rolled over the foothills in the afternoon but temps stayed warm. Everyone was out pursuing their pleasure. We shared the road with cyclists, joggers, and classic cars.

Spectacular Mountain View from every angle of our ride today

The Ride and Tim at High Country H-D

The Ride at PepperJack's Cafe

Platte River still running low near Fort Lupton CO

A friendly wave from Union Pacific - Platteville CO

Mother's Day Loot - thanks Tim

It was a great lazy day riding mostly local. We are getting the itch for a road trip now.

Today's ride = 172 miles

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Owners of Fatso's Determined to Reopen

Happy Mother's Day 2013 to Nezzie aka Mom!

May 12, 2013
Colorado USA

You are one of a kind - the best kind!

Stepping off of The Ride for a short spell to Salute Mom!

A soldier does not sacrifice alone, for when soldiers deploy overseas, the hearts of their families travel with them. – Brigadier General James Doty

A couple of years and a few Harley road trips ago, we shared Labor Day weekend with a group of Vietnam Veterans having a reunion at a little motel we rolled into one evening in Greybull, Wyoming. We were quick to respectfully thank them for their service and they returned in kind – thanking my husband as a veteran of the end of that era. Every evening the Vets gathered in the comfortable patio area of the motel and shared as might be expected, war stories and memories and ultimately a prayer or two for long lost Veteran-friends.

On the second evening one of the Vets noted my keen interest as perhaps a bit unusual. I simply answered My Dad is a Vietnam Vet. The man caught me completely off-guard when he jumped up and gave me a huge bear-hug saying, we should be thanking you for surviving without your Dad while he served in Nam and God Bless your Mother, too. That was the first time anyone had ever acknowledged to me personally that the families of Veterans (wives, mothers, daughters, sons) pay a different set of dues in service to country. I often joke that I have paid more dues than anyone in the family if you combine the military service of both of the main men in my life.

Every year on Mother’s Day, all through my life I have dutifully and lovingly acknowledged my Mother and Grandmothers for the positive role they played in my life.

I am the product of strong-minded, strong-willed survivalist women. The beloved Grandmothers are gone now and their strong-hearted contribution to my existence is sorely missed but hardly forgotten.

My lovely Mom, a precious jewel of a woman is the proverbial heart and soul of our family. A woman of gentle nature, she is still the strongest and most resilient person I know. During the military years, especially when Dad was stationed in harm’s way - Mom is the one who held down the fort so-to-speak. No whining. No complaining. No wringing her hands and pacing. No outward evidence of stress and worry except for perhaps a slight negative shake of the head when the postman failed to bring a letter from Guam or Nam.

No, during those times my lovely Mom began channeling a fairly impressive impersonation of a first sergeant, insisting we survive by stepping up our game and carrying on. Lawns got mowed, cars got washed and waxed and repaired, the trash was carried out, birthday parties happened, holidays were celebrated, and to her everlasting credit - we did not miss a single high school football game. In the interim, under Mom's direction, we (meaning the entire family) engaged in the industry of seeing to the needs of our servicemen. The family baked cookies and cakes, gathered books and magazines, and shipped countless supplies across the seas to a destination we could only vaguely visualize. It might not have been business as usual but the business of our household and structured family life was directed toward holding it all together while Dad took care of business elsewhere.

And damn if Mom didn’t look like a million bucks doing it! I salute you Mom!

Because when the same circumstances presented in my life - I knew what was required and how to cope. I knew I could manage because Mom did - in high heels!

While my lovely Mom is a personal priority on Mother’s Day, I also try to acknowledge military Moms.

Military Wives who never donned a uniform but served on the home-front and saw to the needs of military brats,

Military Blue Star Moms of military sons and daughters who bravely serve at the whim of the powers that be,

Military Moms who wear a uniform and spend far too many hours and days away from their offspring in service of their country,

and finally,

Military Gold Star Moms who pay the ultimate price of a lifetime’s work when a military son or daughter give their all in service to this country.

In a perfect world no Mom would go without recognition today, but as we all know the world is far from perfect. I cannot imagine it, and it pains me to think it is so, but there are forgotten Moms who will not hear from living offspring on Mother’s Day for whatever unfathomable reason… and there are Moms who will spend Mother’s Day in sorrow mourning the loss of offspring lost to tragedy or illness or war.

Washington Irving wrote: A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.

This is a Salute to My Mom and a nod of respect to Moms everywhere.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

May 10, 2013
Colorado USA

First I have ever heard of it - Kudos Military Wives - you deserve recognition today and every day.

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Source: Whitehouse.gov Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Eyes on the road people!

May 9, 2013
Colorado USA

The sky is blue, the grass needs mowing and the Harley is ready to roll. Keep your eyes on the road and your head in the car and everybody will survive the weekend. Ride safe. Drive safe.

Patriot Guard Burger Burn - TEXAS

May 8, 2013

Saddle up Texas! Save the Date - May 18th, 2013! Red River Harley-Davidson! It's PGR Burger Burn time!

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2013 Patriot Guard Burger Burn Flyer

Celebrating the Fifth of May in the USA

May 5, 2013
Colorado USA

Dissident Daughter shares a story.

Out of the busy-body blue I hear a question…

Actually, it is more like out of the mouth of ignorance…

Busy Body: You’re a Texan – do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? (pronounced: Cinco like sicko, de like be, Mayo like the salad dressing – oh me)

Now if this near stranger knew me better, they would know this is the last question anyone who knows me well would ask me. Anyone who knows me well enough to call me by my first name would already know the answer.

So, reining in the cranky side of my nature, I answered…

Lil' Ol' American Me: I am a Texan, not a Mexican. You do realize that Cinco de Mayo is not a Texan or American holiday?

Busy Body: Oh. I thought it was an Independence Day for them in Texas.

Lil' Ol' American Me: No, it is not an Independence Day for them. Why would we celebrate a Mexican Independence Day in the USA or Texas?

Silence…

Lil' Ol' American Me: Sigh! It marks a battle Mexico won over the French in the 1860s that has evolved into a Mexican heritage celebration.

Busy Body: I see...

Lil' Ol' American Me: Thinking to myself - I seriously doubt it.

History lesson over - I left it at that.

I celebrate the 5th of May in the USA much like I do any other day I am fortunate enough to wake up in this country and appreciate what it means to be American and free. OK, well maybe I celebrate it by wearing a blatantly American t-shirt and if we find ourselves out on the Harley by flying the American flag in tandem.

I don’t have a problem with ethnic celebrations but I do find it offensive:

• if the flag of another country is not flown in tandem and in the proper position below the flag of the United States…
• if the national anthem of another country is not sung after the Star Spangled Banner…
• if the pledge of allegiance is not said to Ol’ Glory and only Ol’ Glory…
• if you do not respect the country whose ground you stand upon…
• if you do not respect the rest of the population’s right not to give a hoot what you are celebrating…

Anything less than that amount of respect and consideration, then you are not an American – you are a poser. And that’s the long and short of the matter.

Party on, I say! But! If you want respect for your ethnicity, then I need respect for my ethnicity. Your right to dance in the street under another country’s banner is granted only by the law of this land and the tolerance of its citizenry.

Celebrating ethnicity is not free license to disrespect the law of the land or the vast majority of other ethnicities who are also citizens. My Grandmother, born in the great state of Arkansas lived to be 101 years old. She was of Irish and Scottish descent, but if you asked her about her ethnic background – she would (after she skewed you with a look that indicated what an utterly stupid question you asked) answer: AMERICAN. That answer, works for me. I am of American ethnicity.

It does not matter what the nod and wink politicians say while they pander for your vote – because their Americanism can be called into question on a daily if not hourly basis. Most politicians and heads of state do not understand that being a citizen of the United States of America has nothing to do with government or politics. Americanism is a state of being, a particularly hard-ass mentality that courageous men and women have bled for in the past and defend today. You either get that or you don't.

If you would be an American then BE ALL AMERICAN and learn to respect what that really means.

There can be no fifty-fifty Americanism in this country. There is room here for only 100% Americanism, only for those who are Americans and nothing else. Theodore Roosevelt

If you are rolling today in the USA - I hope you doing it loud and proud and with the proper American accessories - I know you are - carry on.

Are you rolling today?