A great weekend. Relatively straight forward off-interstate (for the most part) routes both there and back. We picked up the Dime Box LSC point on the way down. Round trip miles was about 720 miles.
This time we decided to pretty much hang around and enjoy the rally and friends company. Saturday we really didn't do any riding, other than to the rally site, the dealership and to Gruene (pronounced green) for lunch.
We stayed at the Schlitterbahn resort, right on the Comal River. We got free tubes so Saturday afternoon a group of us took advantage of the river and did a couple of floats downstream and through the rapids. It was a lot of fun.
This was a great spot for a rally, good roads and lots of fun things. Great little towns including New Braunfels, the Wurstfest grounds and Gruene. As a takeoff point there are lots of great riding in very close proximity.
There was a very good turnout overall at the rally, we heard numbers of over 4000 pre-registered, and over 7000 final registrants. I think there were the typical administrative and organizational issues however, based on some feedback. First time rally for the organizers. We didn't participate in the bike games in fact we didn't even watch any of it, but the feedback was less than positive. Bands and venues were very good though.
I'll post pics seperately.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wharf Rat Rally
Special shout out to my brother-in-law David who has a nightster. My sister just told me he's got some new pipes so I'm sure it sounds pretty badass now. Being in the forces he's always succeptible to being transferred and unfortunately it looks like at this point in his career his number has come up again. Hope all works out in that aspect.
Hopefully he will be in town though for this rally, and they can go check it out. This one looks particulary fun, and its well regarded. And best yet, its in my former back yard!
Wharf Rat Rally in Digby, Nova Scotia. Check it out guys, its Labor Day weekend. Hey, we'll be on our way back from Milwaukee that weekend!
This coming weekend we are heading to New Braunfels, home of the Schlitterbahn, for the Tx State HOG rally.
Later this month it will be the <3000 mile round trip to Vegas, Baby, Vegas!
One last word, special thoughts and prayers to my other sister who is getting a cornea transplant this week. Thinking of you Michelle!
Hopefully he will be in town though for this rally, and they can go check it out. This one looks particulary fun, and its well regarded. And best yet, its in my former back yard!
Wharf Rat Rally in Digby, Nova Scotia. Check it out guys, its Labor Day weekend. Hey, we'll be on our way back from Milwaukee that weekend!
This coming weekend we are heading to New Braunfels, home of the Schlitterbahn, for the Tx State HOG rally.
Later this month it will be the <3000 mile round trip to Vegas, Baby, Vegas!
One last word, special thoughts and prayers to my other sister who is getting a cornea transplant this week. Thinking of you Michelle!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me!
Last week was my 47th birthday, and it was Ryan's 20th. This weekend was a celebratory weekend! Friday night Ryan and Darlene went to the Frisco Roughriders games as guests of Dave and Busters, where they met us after the game. We played in the arcade for a while and had a lot of fun.
Saturday was a full day, we started the day with our chapter meeting then did the Mother's Day pre-ride. Good route if I do say so myself....
From that point on it was full on self-indulgence as Darlene treated me (and her) to a full body massage, then a pedicure. I haven't had a full massage in years and it felt good although the masseuse was a bit aggressive on my calves and forearms, but in all it was quite relaxing. As for my pedicure I had never had one before and it was a bit different especially with my rather ticklish feet.
After being pampered for a couple of hours we picked up the boys and headed over to the Cheesecake Factory for monster portions of food and cheesecake. Stuffed but in all a very good day, thanks Honey!
Sunday Ryan and I went to the Bryon Nelson tournament. It was good and relaxing but it was cold! It had rained overnight and a cold front blew in, I don't think it got above 60 the whole day. I capped off my weekend with our final game of the season. We smoked the other team 14-2, I had two goals and had several opportunities for another but couldn't capitalize.
Oh yes, the Stars won in San Jose, and are now up 2 games to 0 in the second round, all is good....
Saturday was a full day, we started the day with our chapter meeting then did the Mother's Day pre-ride. Good route if I do say so myself....
From that point on it was full on self-indulgence as Darlene treated me (and her) to a full body massage, then a pedicure. I haven't had a full massage in years and it felt good although the masseuse was a bit aggressive on my calves and forearms, but in all it was quite relaxing. As for my pedicure I had never had one before and it was a bit different especially with my rather ticklish feet.
After being pampered for a couple of hours we picked up the boys and headed over to the Cheesecake Factory for monster portions of food and cheesecake. Stuffed but in all a very good day, thanks Honey!
Sunday Ryan and I went to the Bryon Nelson tournament. It was good and relaxing but it was cold! It had rained overnight and a cold front blew in, I don't think it got above 60 the whole day. I capped off my weekend with our final game of the season. We smoked the other team 14-2, I had two goals and had several opportunities for another but couldn't capitalize.
Oh yes, the Stars won in San Jose, and are now up 2 games to 0 in the second round, all is good....
Friday, April 25, 2008
Eye of the Zombie...
That's not your typical flash red-eye. Nope, no siree. Corey took keep your eye on the frisbee a little too litterally...
Actually he was with friends at a pool and turned just in time to catch a frisbee with his face, right in his eye. I think he thought he was going to get a shiner, a black eye, but instead got a much nastier result. This is about 2 days after the peak, when it was really nasty looking. We did go to the doctor, no damage other than what is visible here. His eye is fine but it will take 4-6 weeks before his eye color returns to normal.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Wildflower trip report
Back home safe and sound, and tired. We put on 1050 miles over three days, each of them long days with lots of scenery, curves and hills. The wildflowers were virtually non-existant as the Texas Hill Country had a very dry winter and spring and that apparently does not make for good growing conditions. It was quite a contrast from last year.
However to make up for lack of wildflowers we tackled some of the best roads in Texas. It seems like every new road we ride in Texas becomes a favorite. The highlights of the trip were our Saturday trip, we rode Hwy 16 particularly the section from Kerrville to Medina. That stretch rivals some many of the other excellent roads I have ridden. Additionally we did the Three Sisters, the Twisted Sisters, or the 100-mile loop, however that ride is called. The roads in particular are RR335, RR336 and RR337. Most excellent roads that are both curvy and hilly. Some sections are challenging and all are beautiful and quite varied. In the heart of Tx Hill Country and bordering on the Texas High desert. For a relatively small area quite a bit of change in geography and geology. From lush ranch land to rocky and relatively barren countryside. Along the Guadalupe River which was very clear and inviting.
Big group this trip. I heard we had 53 bikes at KSU and several others joined us at the hotel. For Dinner Friday night we had a confirmed count of 88 folks, with three arriving later. Don't know what the total bike count was but would have been over 60.
The weather was phenomonal, including the relatively cloudy conditions on the trip home.
My ride "posse" on Saturday.
Trip shots
However to make up for lack of wildflowers we tackled some of the best roads in Texas. It seems like every new road we ride in Texas becomes a favorite. The highlights of the trip were our Saturday trip, we rode Hwy 16 particularly the section from Kerrville to Medina. That stretch rivals some many of the other excellent roads I have ridden. Additionally we did the Three Sisters, the Twisted Sisters, or the 100-mile loop, however that ride is called. The roads in particular are RR335, RR336 and RR337. Most excellent roads that are both curvy and hilly. Some sections are challenging and all are beautiful and quite varied. In the heart of Tx Hill Country and bordering on the Texas High desert. For a relatively small area quite a bit of change in geography and geology. From lush ranch land to rocky and relatively barren countryside. Along the Guadalupe River which was very clear and inviting.
Big group this trip. I heard we had 53 bikes at KSU and several others joined us at the hotel. For Dinner Friday night we had a confirmed count of 88 folks, with three arriving later. Don't know what the total bike count was but would have been over 60.
The weather was phenomonal, including the relatively cloudy conditions on the trip home.
My ride "posse" on Saturday.
Trip shots
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Darrek's tattoos
While Darrek was in town, I took a few shots of his tattoos. I am certainly no expert on tattoos as I have a grand total of none. Anyway, he has pretty much a full sleeve on his right arm and is working his way to a full sleeve on his left arm. I believe all his work has been done by the same artist back home and the designs are related by some common threads, again, I can't even try to explain the concept and relationships of his tattoos, but I believe its skulls and faces in trees, webs, lizards and scorpions.
He also got a tattoo on his calf to commemorate his trip to the states, an alien (get it) taking care of business.
Just as a reference, here is a three inch long gecko we captured in the back yard.
He also got a tattoo on his calf to commemorate his trip to the states, an alien (get it) taking care of business.
Just as a reference, here is a three inch long gecko we captured in the back yard.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Ride prep
This coming weekend is the annual AEHOG Wildflower ride. We will be leaving early Friday for a three day weekend. I have pre-ridden so will very likely be an RC in some capacity this weekend, maybe leading or tailing most likely.
The wildflower reports are not very promising this season, apparently due to a dry fall and winter. I think that is mostly west of I-35, which of course is right smack in Hill Country where we will be. All the more reason to venture out a bit on Saturday. Right now I have a 270 mile trip to the Three Sisters (335, 336, 337) which are reputed to be some of the best roads in Texas. This will include riding through Kerrville and Leakey. I'd like to stop at the Frio Canyon Motorcycle Shop. It will be a fairly long day, as the average speeds will likely only be about 40 mph as the roads are twisty and hilly.
Round trip we should put approx 1000 miles. We are predicting over 60 motorcycles this weekend, not everyone will make the same ride we will on Saturday, as there are many local opportunities including the Willow City Loop, Enchanted Rock and Luckenbach as local riding attractions.
I have to keep an eye on my primary fluid, it may be a good idea to change it as I have a slight leak and may be down a few cl or even an ounce or two. I think I may have a bad gasket. Its one I have never touched but one of the other guys in group had a similiar issue and had it replaced under warranty. Topping it up will not be a bad idea.
The wildflower reports are not very promising this season, apparently due to a dry fall and winter. I think that is mostly west of I-35, which of course is right smack in Hill Country where we will be. All the more reason to venture out a bit on Saturday. Right now I have a 270 mile trip to the Three Sisters (335, 336, 337) which are reputed to be some of the best roads in Texas. This will include riding through Kerrville and Leakey. I'd like to stop at the Frio Canyon Motorcycle Shop. It will be a fairly long day, as the average speeds will likely only be about 40 mph as the roads are twisty and hilly.
Round trip we should put approx 1000 miles. We are predicting over 60 motorcycles this weekend, not everyone will make the same ride we will on Saturday, as there are many local opportunities including the Willow City Loop, Enchanted Rock and Luckenbach as local riding attractions.
I have to keep an eye on my primary fluid, it may be a good idea to change it as I have a slight leak and may be down a few cl or even an ounce or two. I think I may have a bad gasket. Its one I have never touched but one of the other guys in group had a similiar issue and had it replaced under warranty. Topping it up will not be a bad idea.
Crash!
Well our boy Ryan had a little fender bender yesterday on the way home from work. After leaving a red light the traffic apparetly stopped in front of him and he hit the vehicle in front of him. Fortunatley it was at low speed and he was on his brakes so no one was hurt. The other vehicle was a Honda Pilot (SUV) and when he hit the brakes, his truck dove a bit and went under the other drivers bumper. As a result the other drivers bumper took out his headlights, grill and bent but did not put any holes in the radiator. Unfortunately Ryan's truck is about 17 years old so its not worth a lot book value, parts are scarce so in all liklihood it will be written off. Oh yeah the driver side quarter panel took a bit of a nudge and jammed the drivers door. The bumper on the other vehicle had little damage, maybe some scratches and embedded glass from the headlights so it likely needs to be replaces as it was plastic covered. Not sure if there was any other damage. Its too bad, the engine is still in great shape and just had brakes, and some other work.
April 21 update:
As you can see the damage was not too bad, but for a vehicle that old its pretty much a write-off. We got hold of a small body shop and they were able to repair and get the truck roadworthy for a very reasonable cost. Ryan picked it up today and is back on the road.
April 21 update:
As you can see the damage was not too bad, but for a vehicle that old its pretty much a write-off. We got hold of a small body shop and they were able to repair and get the truck roadworthy for a very reasonable cost. Ryan picked it up today and is back on the road.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Tornado update
Its official. A small tornado touched down in the southern part of McKinney and Allen. It was about 2/10ths of a mile wide and had winds of approx 90 mph. I would say that is the tornado that hit the KittyHawk airport in Mckinney (Allen?) the Allen Cineplex and hit the powerlines and houses on 720 that I took pictures of.
I took a drive up Alma on Friday, between McDermott and SH121, and there was a lot of damage. Well at least as far as I was concerned. I haven't seen that much immediate damage from tornadoes or hurricanes before so it sure looked like a lot to me with numerous fences down, including brick and steel poles, as well as broken windows and a lot of roofs torn up. But most impressive probably was the rather large trees that were reduced to splinters at their breaking points.
So there you have it, that was close enough, and strong enough for me. I have no desire to be caught in any storm of that or greater magnitude!
I took a drive up Alma on Friday, between McDermott and SH121, and there was a lot of damage. Well at least as far as I was concerned. I haven't seen that much immediate damage from tornadoes or hurricanes before so it sure looked like a lot to me with numerous fences down, including brick and steel poles, as well as broken windows and a lot of roofs torn up. But most impressive probably was the rather large trees that were reduced to splinters at their breaking points.
So there you have it, that was close enough, and strong enough for me. I have no desire to be caught in any storm of that or greater magnitude!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tornado Alley
Its been a busy couple of weeks with lots going on and I haven't posted lately. Will try to give some updates soon on the race and other recent goings on, but the big news is the storms of late.
We are just coming out of several days of severe weather with us getting it the last two nights and most notably last night/this morning. This morning about 3:30 the storms starting getting close and then the power went out so we couldn't see their progress, before we knew it the sky was a constant lightning flash and the sirens were sounding. We rounded up the boys and the cats and took refuge in the bathroom, but fortunatley it quickly passed. We lost power for over two hours I think.
This morning I could hear the neighbors outside and sure enough a piece of our fence had blown over. I got that re-erected and shored up a post that had broken as well. I went for a little drive to see what kind of damage was locally as there was lots of damage all over the metroplex on the news.
It turns out we were quite lucky. A couple of broken tree limbs in the immediate neighborhood and very few to no shingles lost. On my drive however within a mile of the house was a strip that was hit very hard. Route 720, between SH-75 and Hardin. About 8-10 power poles were down, several snapped in half. Also several houses on the north side of 720 were almost stipped bare off shingles and tarpaper with several fence sections down.
We are just coming out of several days of severe weather with us getting it the last two nights and most notably last night/this morning. This morning about 3:30 the storms starting getting close and then the power went out so we couldn't see their progress, before we knew it the sky was a constant lightning flash and the sirens were sounding. We rounded up the boys and the cats and took refuge in the bathroom, but fortunatley it quickly passed. We lost power for over two hours I think.
This morning I could hear the neighbors outside and sure enough a piece of our fence had blown over. I got that re-erected and shored up a post that had broken as well. I went for a little drive to see what kind of damage was locally as there was lots of damage all over the metroplex on the news.
It turns out we were quite lucky. A couple of broken tree limbs in the immediate neighborhood and very few to no shingles lost. On my drive however within a mile of the house was a strip that was hit very hard. Route 720, between SH-75 and Hardin. About 8-10 power poles were down, several snapped in half. Also several houses on the north side of 720 were almost stipped bare off shingles and tarpaper with several fence sections down.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Gentlemen, Start your Engines!
Its NASCAR weekend in Texas! Dale, Peter and Darrek are already out at the track alongside Charles and Brenda and Crew. We will be leaving shortly to head out. Darlene and I will only be attending the Busch race tomorrow, or whatever the series is called now, but Ryan will be staying the duration.
Also tomorrow is the Fallen Eagle Ride on behalf of Karen Riley and other former American Eagle members who have passed away. We will not be able to attend but I also wanted to post the online donation site for any visitors who may wish to donate.
American Heart Association
Also tomorrow is the Fallen Eagle Ride on behalf of Karen Riley and other former American Eagle members who have passed away. We will not be able to attend but I also wanted to post the online donation site for any visitors who may wish to donate.
American Heart Association
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
We done got Hitched!
This past weekend we celebrated our re-marraige. It certainly wasn't a traditional marriage, and was a heck of a lot of fun. It was a Biker Wedding which I guess even in itself has no specific form, so I guess even more so it was "Our" wedding, very much so.
We will update our other blog with pictures, etc.
Davidson - LeBlanc Wedding
We will update our other blog with pictures, etc.
Davidson - LeBlanc Wedding
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Lewis Kaulback
I just spoke with Mom and Dad. Dad told me that Uncle Louie (Lewis Kaulback) had passed yesterday. Louie had been sick all winter and when he finally went to the hospital he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer (I believe) although it had also spread significantly and had a short time left. From what I understand he spent the last few weeks at home under care with family attending. Dad and the girls went up this past weekend and knew the time was close.
There are a few very special people in my life and he is one of them. In fact the whole family is. Angelina is Dad’s sister and I have always considered their home a welcome extension of my own. Their homestead, in Middle Stewiake, will always be one of my favorite places on earth, as is Bear Cove. With the exception of times like these I have no bad memories of my times spent there. The farm, the woods, the river. The animals, yes, even the memories of the barns, of course I didn’t have to work the animals, but that was all part of my upbringing. And most of all the people, the food, the stories and the great times, of which there were countless.
Uncle Louie, you will be missed by all those whose lives you’ve touched, and especially mine.
Lewis Kaulback 1936-2008
There are a few very special people in my life and he is one of them. In fact the whole family is. Angelina is Dad’s sister and I have always considered their home a welcome extension of my own. Their homestead, in Middle Stewiake, will always be one of my favorite places on earth, as is Bear Cove. With the exception of times like these I have no bad memories of my times spent there. The farm, the woods, the river. The animals, yes, even the memories of the barns, of course I didn’t have to work the animals, but that was all part of my upbringing. And most of all the people, the food, the stories and the great times, of which there were countless.
Uncle Louie, you will be missed by all those whose lives you’ve touched, and especially mine.
Lewis Kaulback 1936-2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Maintenance time again
Turned over 31K this past weekend, time for some maintenance. Right at 5K since my last fluid change. Our next big ride is April 18 weekend, the Wildflower ride. I'll probably log about 1000 miles that weekend as I really want to do the Three Sisters loop in Hill Country.
We've been busy getting ready for the wedding so haven't done a lot of riding per se, and haven't focused on my road captain training. I need to do a couple of pre-rides and dinner rides to get some feedback. I have two routes already under my belt with 3 more to go. I have a couple of routes in mind, not exactly dinner rides, more like lunch rides.
This past Friday was Good Friday and I had the day off work. Took care of a bunch of stuff throughout the day then took a quick ride up to Oklahoma and back. I wanted to check out a little something that piqued my interest. It was the single lane bridge at Carpenter's Bluff and was definately worthwhile. There's a couple of restaurants in the vicinity and isn't so far you even need to stop at a restaurant, but that seems to be out group's motto, Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride...
Fairly quick trip, about 130 miles, FM120 is a cool little road and Denison has an interesting looking downtown that is likely worth checking out.
This coming weekend of course will be a lot of fun, I guess we can call it a biker wedding, even though I'm a bit uncomfortable with that image. Stay tuned for pictures!!!
We've been busy getting ready for the wedding so haven't done a lot of riding per se, and haven't focused on my road captain training. I need to do a couple of pre-rides and dinner rides to get some feedback. I have two routes already under my belt with 3 more to go. I have a couple of routes in mind, not exactly dinner rides, more like lunch rides.
This past Friday was Good Friday and I had the day off work. Took care of a bunch of stuff throughout the day then took a quick ride up to Oklahoma and back. I wanted to check out a little something that piqued my interest. It was the single lane bridge at Carpenter's Bluff and was definately worthwhile. There's a couple of restaurants in the vicinity and isn't so far you even need to stop at a restaurant, but that seems to be out group's motto, Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride...
Fairly quick trip, about 130 miles, FM120 is a cool little road and Denison has an interesting looking downtown that is likely worth checking out.
This coming weekend of course will be a lot of fun, I guess we can call it a biker wedding, even though I'm a bit uncomfortable with that image. Stay tuned for pictures!!!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Wildflower Pre-Ride
This past weekend there was lots of riding. Darlene and several LOH ladies took an overnight trip to Granbury for wine-tasting and other debauchery. Actually it ended up being quite a bit of debauchery as the ladies decided to turn it into a batchelorett party for Darlene as well....
My ride was to Fredericksburg as the official pre-ride for the annual Wildflower ride. Dave Barnes planned the ride and I thoroughly enjoyed the route. We had several road captains and road captains in training. I was wing for Paul (Whiff). We are expecting upwards of 100 bikes, I think last spring we had +60 and there are more active members this year. Lunch and gas stops have become challenging but I think we will be good to go.
As its still early in the year, I think the deer are still quite active. I was surprised at how much road-kill we came across and on FM500 we had a bit of a thrill as 3 deer crossed the road directly in front of our pod. With that group was another 3 or 4 behind the fence that stayed to our right and did not cross. On the way home I saw a couple of other deer and a turkey.
Overall the Sat night was pretty mellow as far as these things can go, which is not a bad thing. The actual ride will be quite different as it will be at a different hotel and we will have a barbeque there.
On the Saturday of the actual ride I am planning a route to do the Three Sisters, or the Twisted Sisters, or the 100 mile loop as it is sometimes called. Down into Leakey and Frio Canyon. Those roads are supposed to be some of the best roads in Texas.
Sunday I rode home with Glen and checked out a old Harley he was looking at in Hamilton TX. It was a 1965 police edition, the last year for the panhead and first year of the electra-glide. The bike has supposedly been dormat for 18 years and while it was in surprisingly good shape for that aspect, it does need quite a bit of work. The lady who owns it (dead husband's bike) is a bit misinformed to its value, especially in the state it is in. I believe Glen is interested in it, but does not want to offend the lady with a good offer if she is truly not aware of its value.
The guy who was selling the bike on the lady's behalf was an interesting character. Ken French I believe was his name. He used to ride in the 40's and 50's and had some great pictures of him and his crew. He also rebuilds old cars and had a couple of great ones in his garage.
Oh, about 670 miles. Getting time for oil change, may do that this coming weekend.
My ride was to Fredericksburg as the official pre-ride for the annual Wildflower ride. Dave Barnes planned the ride and I thoroughly enjoyed the route. We had several road captains and road captains in training. I was wing for Paul (Whiff). We are expecting upwards of 100 bikes, I think last spring we had +60 and there are more active members this year. Lunch and gas stops have become challenging but I think we will be good to go.
As its still early in the year, I think the deer are still quite active. I was surprised at how much road-kill we came across and on FM500 we had a bit of a thrill as 3 deer crossed the road directly in front of our pod. With that group was another 3 or 4 behind the fence that stayed to our right and did not cross. On the way home I saw a couple of other deer and a turkey.
Overall the Sat night was pretty mellow as far as these things can go, which is not a bad thing. The actual ride will be quite different as it will be at a different hotel and we will have a barbeque there.
On the Saturday of the actual ride I am planning a route to do the Three Sisters, or the Twisted Sisters, or the 100 mile loop as it is sometimes called. Down into Leakey and Frio Canyon. Those roads are supposed to be some of the best roads in Texas.
Sunday I rode home with Glen and checked out a old Harley he was looking at in Hamilton TX. It was a 1965 police edition, the last year for the panhead and first year of the electra-glide. The bike has supposedly been dormat for 18 years and while it was in surprisingly good shape for that aspect, it does need quite a bit of work. The lady who owns it (dead husband's bike) is a bit misinformed to its value, especially in the state it is in. I believe Glen is interested in it, but does not want to offend the lady with a good offer if she is truly not aware of its value.
The guy who was selling the bike on the lady's behalf was an interesting character. Ken French I believe was his name. He used to ride in the 40's and 50's and had some great pictures of him and his crew. He also rebuilds old cars and had a couple of great ones in his garage.
Oh, about 670 miles. Getting time for oil change, may do that this coming weekend.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Going's on....
Whew, lots going on. This past weekend we didn't put on a lot of miles. Saturday was the Chapter meeting, and I had some concerns about the drive over. Thursday we had some more snow, can you believe that! Two significant snowfalls in one week, in Texas! But typically each lasted only about 1 day. I was concerned because there was 9 inches of snowfall in Denton on the Thursday, I figured there must still be some snow on the ground and certainly the roads would be wet from the melt if nothing else. Also it was about 22 degrees when we left Saturday morning, so any water on the road would likely be frozen.
We left early as Darlene needed some service on her bike, otherwise we may have considered taking the car. Anyway we stopped for gas close to the house and Darlene's hands were already cold. We switched up gloves and carried on. We took the south route, along 121 instead of 380 due to potential issues on the road. Not sure it was any better as once we started hitting intersections, we also started hitting ice. The worst one was probably the first one, we had a red light and on the other side was about 15 feet of ice that we had to drive over. Its very slippery.... We hit a few more patches along the way, but none as bad as that first one. By the time we got to the dealership, Darlene was pretty stressed out and relieved.
We hung out and didn't ride anywhere that day. Sunday was the ride to Windy's Catfish. I would have liked to have gone, but with my hockey game Sat night, and then the time change, plus the group shower and helping Corey with school, if I figured I better skip that ride.
So now this weekend coming up we should both be putting on a few miles. Darlene and quite a few of the girls are going to Granbury for an LOH overnighter, and planning on picking up a lonestar point on the way home on Sunday, adding about 500 additional miles to their trip! I am going on the wildflower pre-ride to Fredericksburg with several of the road captains and will likely put on about 800 miles or so. Will be time for oil change after that.
Wedding plans are in full swing, getting house in order, etc...
March break is next week for the boys.
We left early as Darlene needed some service on her bike, otherwise we may have considered taking the car. Anyway we stopped for gas close to the house and Darlene's hands were already cold. We switched up gloves and carried on. We took the south route, along 121 instead of 380 due to potential issues on the road. Not sure it was any better as once we started hitting intersections, we also started hitting ice. The worst one was probably the first one, we had a red light and on the other side was about 15 feet of ice that we had to drive over. Its very slippery.... We hit a few more patches along the way, but none as bad as that first one. By the time we got to the dealership, Darlene was pretty stressed out and relieved.
We hung out and didn't ride anywhere that day. Sunday was the ride to Windy's Catfish. I would have liked to have gone, but with my hockey game Sat night, and then the time change, plus the group shower and helping Corey with school, if I figured I better skip that ride.
So now this weekend coming up we should both be putting on a few miles. Darlene and quite a few of the girls are going to Granbury for an LOH overnighter, and planning on picking up a lonestar point on the way home on Sunday, adding about 500 additional miles to their trip! I am going on the wildflower pre-ride to Fredericksburg with several of the road captains and will likely put on about 800 miles or so. Will be time for oil change after that.
Wedding plans are in full swing, getting house in order, etc...
March break is next week for the boys.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Snow in Texas?
In March?
It was 80F on Sunday, a cold front came through and by Monday night it had dropped to freezing, about 32F. We had some pretty significant storms Sunday night with the front and it continued to rain throughout Monday, by Monday night we had a change to snow. I took a few pictures Monday night, which are not easy to do as the flash lights up the flakes directly in front of the lens, but then got up to a beautiful sunny morning a took a few more pictures.
We had upwards of 5 inches of snow here in Mckinney, I think the only place with more reported snowfall was Sherman with 6 inches. It probably stopped snowing around 2 or 3 am so it started to compress as it was very fluffy snow. I think by the time I got outside this morning it was still about 3 inches thick.
It was 80F on Sunday, a cold front came through and by Monday night it had dropped to freezing, about 32F. We had some pretty significant storms Sunday night with the front and it continued to rain throughout Monday, by Monday night we had a change to snow. I took a few pictures Monday night, which are not easy to do as the flash lights up the flakes directly in front of the lens, but then got up to a beautiful sunny morning a took a few more pictures.
We had upwards of 5 inches of snow here in Mckinney, I think the only place with more reported snowfall was Sherman with 6 inches. It probably stopped snowing around 2 or 3 am so it started to compress as it was very fluffy snow. I think by the time I got outside this morning it was still about 3 inches thick.
Road Captain Training
This past Saturday was our road captain training class. We had a good group of 9 riders taking class. For me a lot of the stuff I had already had exposure to, either by riding with some of the RCs already, some of the early training I have already been exposed to this year, as well as a lot of the stuff that Darlene had told me based on her riding experiences and exposures from the other RCs while she was a newer member and learning a lot.
Its all about responsibility, with of course the primary responsibility being the safety of all the riders. Other key areas are communication to the riders and of course the planning of the rides with focus on both safety, and comfort.
In addition to these things, the RCs truly represent the chapter and are very visible. Its important to learn the who the members are, including their names, and to recognize that once in this position, people will expect you to always be "on", so to speak.
In the words of some, if people see you getting on your ride, organized ride or not, you will likely have other riders following you!
After the class, which lasted about 3 hours, several of us went on the pre-ride for the Fallen Eagles ride on April 5. The Fallen Eagles ride is a memorial ride for American Eagle members who have passed away, including most recent Karen Riley. This ride will be to the Hard 8 Barbeque in Stephenville. Unfortunately we will not be in attendance as Dale and Peter will be down and we will be attending the races that weekend.
The ride was fun and was through a couple of interesting small towns. Total miles on Saturday was around 370 miles. Long day, left the house at 8 am and got home about 8:15 pm.
Its all about responsibility, with of course the primary responsibility being the safety of all the riders. Other key areas are communication to the riders and of course the planning of the rides with focus on both safety, and comfort.
In addition to these things, the RCs truly represent the chapter and are very visible. Its important to learn the who the members are, including their names, and to recognize that once in this position, people will expect you to always be "on", so to speak.
In the words of some, if people see you getting on your ride, organized ride or not, you will likely have other riders following you!
After the class, which lasted about 3 hours, several of us went on the pre-ride for the Fallen Eagles ride on April 5. The Fallen Eagles ride is a memorial ride for American Eagle members who have passed away, including most recent Karen Riley. This ride will be to the Hard 8 Barbeque in Stephenville. Unfortunately we will not be in attendance as Dale and Peter will be down and we will be attending the races that weekend.
The ride was fun and was through a couple of interesting small towns. Total miles on Saturday was around 370 miles. Long day, left the house at 8 am and got home about 8:15 pm.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
HOG 25th
Its time to start putting firmer plans in place for our big trip this year. The plan is to ride to Milwaukee in late August for the HOG 25th / Harley 105th anniversaries. We are not going on the rendezvous ride and doing this instead. I've done some initial route planning and have a pretty good plan, albeit a lengthy one with quite a few miles and for the most part staying off interstates.
Some of the highlights, which of course may evolve as we get closer and planning firms up.
Aug 23 - 31, which gives us an extra day, Labor Day, on the back end if we need it.
We want to be in Milwaukee area on Aug 27 as the events start early on the 28, and leave the party on Saturday the 30 so will miss that days activities.
Current route is 2640 miles, not counting incidental miles at stops, etc.
Six travel days, averaging over 400 miles per day, and 3 "rest" days. First day and two days on return are 500 mile days.
Natchez Trace from start to finish.
We will have 3 nights camping at Hog Haven in West Bend with several thousand of our closest friends.....
We plan on doing some ABC points, right now have opportunity for 15 states, although we have other opportunities for 3 of those states. May even get the rare and difficult city that begings with "X", which unfortunately is our easternmost point.
One travel option I am looking into is the Lake Express Ferry, a high speed ferry accross Lake Michigan that will allow us to avoid Chicago and lot of other populated areas on the south and southwestern shores of the lake. It may be very worth it, but unfortunately restricts us to a tight schedule on that day.
Lots of time left but there will also be a lot of riders heading in that direction from all points so will likely need to start making reservations sooner than later.
HOG 25th
Harley 105th
Some of the highlights, which of course may evolve as we get closer and planning firms up.
Aug 23 - 31, which gives us an extra day, Labor Day, on the back end if we need it.
We want to be in Milwaukee area on Aug 27 as the events start early on the 28, and leave the party on Saturday the 30 so will miss that days activities.
Current route is 2640 miles, not counting incidental miles at stops, etc.
Six travel days, averaging over 400 miles per day, and 3 "rest" days. First day and two days on return are 500 mile days.
Natchez Trace from start to finish.
We will have 3 nights camping at Hog Haven in West Bend with several thousand of our closest friends.....
We plan on doing some ABC points, right now have opportunity for 15 states, although we have other opportunities for 3 of those states. May even get the rare and difficult city that begings with "X", which unfortunately is our easternmost point.
One travel option I am looking into is the Lake Express Ferry, a high speed ferry accross Lake Michigan that will allow us to avoid Chicago and lot of other populated areas on the south and southwestern shores of the lake. It may be very worth it, but unfortunately restricts us to a tight schedule on that day.
Lots of time left but there will also be a lot of riders heading in that direction from all points so will likely need to start making reservations sooner than later.
HOG 25th
Harley 105th
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