1st Day of Winter Ride

I knew I had to ride today when I went to retrieve the mail and saw a green anole basking in the warm sun on the wall beside the mailbox. We have had a wet, cold fall, which bodes well for the wildflowers, but gives me a raging case of cabin fever. I had my bike in the shop for a 10,000 mile tune-up and I was anxious to scrub in that new back tire.

My regular riding buddies were AWOL so I went by myself which turned out to be AOK since I've been cooped up riding herd on a teenager doing last minute projects and high school finals and nursing a post-op knee surgery my DH had last week. Along with the usual "tis the season" preparations, I took a look at everything that still needs to be done and said, "Looks like a good day to ride."

I couldn't get outta there fast enough.

My last ride was miserable and I was ready to redeem it.

The temperature was a blessed 65 degrees and sunny with a slight wind. My new gloves are great, Windshielder gloves from Harley, took some getting used to since I already have fat grips, now I have a handful of grips, leather, and lining to deal with, but my hands aren't cold.

I rode out to my favorite twisty road, only to find a brand new BMW X5 meandering slowly down the road. The driver, clearly unaccustomed to the performance capabilities of such a car, braked at every curve, thwarting my efforts to scrub the chicken strips off my new tire. Such a waste of a fine machine. I blew their doors off with my little 805 cc engine with a scathing look as I passed by. Sorry about that, but I had riding to do and I didn't want to spend it in 3rd gear.

My mechanic is a genius. The once clunky gear shifting now slips into gear with barely a touch of my toe to the shifter and a soft "snick". What once was a cold starting wench, now fires right up on the first try even on the coldest day. And it runs like a bat of out hell. It truly is Fabulous!

After a bit of highway riding and a short stop for gas, I took the run home through the Brazos River Bottom. The temperature was falling so I stopped to add another layer at the tree beside the cutoff to Washington on the Brazos State Park. A raccoon, apparently sitting at the base of the tree, scrambled up into the tree as I got off the bike, startling me mightily! Wow, he was big.

I passed the Brazos River and turned onto the Allen Farm Road and was surprised to see all the tractors working in the fields. The fields have been so wet the tractors leave huge clumps of dirt on the road as they leave the fields. Thankfully it was all dried up so it was just a bumpy ride and not a slippery one. The air smells of wet, molded maize that could not be harvested. They are out in the fields now, turning it under. The birds are feasting on it.

If it's not the mud on the road, it's deer. Several deer challenged me on the side of the road between the railroad tracks and the cutoff to Wellborn. I crept through their territory without incident and made it to the highway back into town.

I got into the fast lane on the highway to get past two gravel trucks and the first one was either overful or didn't have it's bay shut completely because it was dropping kaliche all over the highway. That's extra exciting when you're on a motorcycle. I hope someone called it in, that size rock could easily break a windshield. I know the 3 rocks that hit me wouldn't have felt so good had I not been wearing full armored gear.

Life's little blessings and challenges, all condensed on a motorcycle ride. Good and bad, joy and terror, problems and solutions.

The song for today is...Roll Me Away, Bob Seeger

MotorcycleBelle

CHICKFEST FALL '09 Ride

We had 10 chicks and a chicklet participate in our fun filled all girl's ride to Las Fuentes Mexican Restaurant in LaGrange, Texas last weekend. It was a beautiful fall day with gorgeous weather and temperatures in the high 70s.

We had ladies come from Huntsville, Katy, Kingwood, Houston, Dallas, and College Station.

We had a great time getting to know each other by our real names after talking on-line under our screen names for so long. We all agreed this should not be a "once a year ride.

It's a Ducati!!

Here's the picture of me at the Women's Motorcycle Conference yakking it up with Kathy Jo Porter, owner of the Ducati dealership from Eugene, Oregon. If you remember from one of my earlier posts about the conference, I had mentioned that Genevieve Schmidt had interviewed me while I was talking to Kathy about the Ducati. I didn't realize she had a photographer with her. But here's the proof! Is that a great looking bike or what!!!

Here's the caption from the article on the WomenRidersNow website.

Kathy Jo Porter (white jacket), co-owner of Bend Euro Moto in Eugene, Oregon, talks to Jan Mikeal of College Station, Texas, about this Monster 696 that Jan is thinking about taking out for a test ride.

Song for today....Rock Me.....Steppenwolf, of course

New Friends and 9,000 S)miles!

The sun finally showed up this past weekend for the first time in three weeks! Fall is in the air and the leathers have come out with the falling temperatures. Friday was chilly with a frisky wind blowing the fallen leaves across the road. It's an interesting sight, the falling leaves and the second flush of wildflowers on the side of the road, thanks to the recent heavy rains. My new friend, Jackie and I scooted up the twisty and scenic 390 to LaGrange for some great Mexican food. It's was a great girl's day out.

Saturday was a lot warmer and an afternoon ride over to the Antique Rose Emporium escorted between two Harleys made it a treat. The two jokesters driving them made the day even more fun. Matt even got to go along riding pillion for the first time on a Harley.

If Friday was the "too cold" day, and Saturday was the "too hot" day, then Sunday was the "just right" day, if you're Goldilocks. The weather was perfect. I rode by myself through the Brazos River bottom and checked out the cotton crop, looks pretty good to me. Looks like one more picking and they'll be done. I'm sure they rain was too late for the corn though.

I met up with my riding buddy Steve, and we went on a spirited ride through the Navasota bottom land and finally hung it up after I turned over 9,000 miles on the bike.

Great weather, great new friends, great riding, as usual, can't wait to do it again!

MotorcycleBelle

Song for today...Shiny Shiny by Amelia White

Ode alla Vita OR Why I Ride

In Bar Centrale in San Miniato, in the heart of Tuscany, on a wall out on the terrace with a stunning view of the rolling hills of Chianti, there you can see this poem painted on the wall. For me, it sums up why I ride.

Ode alla Vita

Slowly dies the one who becomes a slave of his habits
and lets the days become alike,
the one who doesn't change direction,
the one who doesn't change the colors of his clothes,
the one who doesn't talk to strangers.

Slowly dies the one who doesn't turn the table
and doesn't find pleasure in his work,
the ones who doesn't dare to risk his safety
to reach a dream,
the one who doesn't at least once discard all
good advice.

Slowly dies the one who doesn't travel,
the one who doesn't read,
the one who doesn't listen to music,
and find pleasure in these things.

Slowly dies the one who lets the days go by
without searching for happiness,
the ones that complain about their bad luck
or the rain,
the one that abandons his projects before they start.

We avoid slow death because we do not forget that
to live demands more than merely breathing.

Only immense patience will lead to immense happiness.

Martha Medieros

From the Ridiculous to the Sublime

The twice yearly Junk-o-Rama over at Round Top, Texas was held this past week, a veritable smorgasbord of junk, antiques, cast-offs, crafts, and all kinds of craziness stretching for 15 miles along Highway 237 from La Bahia all the way to Warrenton, Texas.

For the rest of the year this area is my favorite motorcycle ride route for some beautiful scenery, but in the spring and fall, this stretch of road comes alive with every kind of "anteek" you can imagine!

Texas weather is as unpredictable as usual, but this day was like early springtime all over again.

After the record breaking heat of the summer, we have had cool temperatures and rains, coaxing the wildflowers back into bloom and the roadsides are awash in coreopsis and gomphrena, along with the goatweed and ragweed.

Like the Hill Country, the crepe myrtles are blooming again, even my own Natchez Crepe Myrtle, which could not muster even one bloom all summer, is suddenly blooming like a champ!

As you can see from the pictures, anything goes!! The outfit of the day is certainly "Texas Chic" complete with petticoat, boots and a t-shirt advertising the bustling metropolis of Warrenton, Texas, population about 5 people on a busy day! But they do have a service station and a great bar with a terrific band! And don't forget your pink cowgirl hat and blinged out guitar!

I saw so many carnival rides like used to be out in front of all the grocery stores. There's good old Donald Duck offering a ride for a nickel. You can have him for the princely sum of $450!!

A vintage christmas wreath will only set you back $275..it's all ready to hang and oh, so shabby chic! The great weather we are having would be a great way to spend some time in the cool vintage cabana rocker, complete with it's own wet bar under the seat. A very nice patio piece!

But please, don't wear the chickens as hats!! Apparently that's become such a problem that it requires a sign!! Words to live by!!

And my favorite sight of the day.....a head lamp, followed closely by a leg lamp. Look closely at the ladies' head. It is actually a lamp. Oh that violet rinse is to die for!! And now, they had two versions of the legs...one was a lamp, surely you saw that in that Christmas movie, but the other version went ahead and encompassed the whole lower torso right on up to the waist, making a very functional table. How very, um, creative. And please don't miss the stripper boots on that model with the 4 inch platforms. Just want you to get the whole effect! It was quite a novel(ty) use of cast off mannequins. FYI, it was not an equal opportunity mannequin booth either, I looked. No MANnequins were being fashioned into lamps or tables, if you know what I mean.

The odds of finding really strange things (and people) to look at is 100%. It a great time and I never miss it and I'm never disappointed!!

It's a trip down memory lane, fantasy lane, strangeland lane and I can't wait to go again!

Song for today....Fireflies by Owl City

MotorcycleBelle

The fog was thick and wet this morning at 8am when I left the house. The weather report said visibility was 0.2 miles. I think that was optimistic. It was worse outside of town. The trees beside the road were murky, appearing like hulking rocks, then forming themselves into trunks and leaves as I moved past them in the gloom of early morning. I'd rather ride in rain than fog, the road as slick as glass, waiting for the shriek of tires....ENOUGH OF THAT!!!

I met up with Steve, who now has a new name...."What'saSTOPsignSteve". NEVER met a stop sign he could put his feet down for. (kidding, I'm kidding, keep going!)

Anyway, finally the fog burned off and even if it didn't we were already going anyway, so off we went to Kyle, Texas for the Pie Run. We always go the back way in order to distress my magic eight ball GPS as much as possible AND stay out of traffic, which today, was a very neat trick, since the sips and the Ags had a home game. The Harley peeps had a rally in San Marcos so 5 meelllion HOGS were in the vicinity too.

We made it to the Pie place and met up with the TWTex people and enjoyed their company although they did not sell coconut cream pie by the slice!? This abomination was met with silent derision. They did offer to sell me a WHOLE PIE, but I could not imagine how I could get it home in an acceptable condition on my motorcycle. The meringue you know.

So, onward. I wanted to ride over to Wimberley to my favorite petticoat and boot store and Steve is ALL ABOUT SHOPPING, so we went. Another big disappointment. My favorite store where I bought my most excellent Escada motorcycle scarf, if you can believe it, is closed forever. I just about cried. They also had the best petticoats you ever saw and I was going to get one for the Junk Gypsy Prom next week even if I had to wear it home on the bike. Don't think I wouldn't. So now we have no coconut pie and no petticoat store. But I am riding my bike and the sage is blooming.

The recent rains in the Hill Country have made the purple sage bloom, the crepe myrtles are blooming again, wildflowers are blooming, some of the creeks are running a little. It really looks pretty. So, we rode over to Luckenbach again to see the characters who congregate there. It's always interesting.

Then the ride home. We got stuck behind a big group of slow riders, I think they must have been having a parade. First them, then 4 other bikes of various "off" brands. Our GSYamakawisuzis were stacked up behind them furiously pounding our GPSs for an alternate route. Found one, peeled off, what do we find? Another parade!!

The greatest ride today was the road to Driftwood from somewhere, I dont know. Holy cow....what a great road. Then we got over I35 to Rockne, Tx and found some kind of hootenanny going on! Too bad we didn't have time to stop. It really looked like fun.

We raced the sun home and lost. It was 8:20 before I got home. The most treacherous part of the drive was the last 5 miles, from 2818, past the football stadium, where 60,000 fans were screaming, 10,000 people were roaming the streets, I think 1,000 people were in cars on the street talking on the cell phone playing chicken with me on the road.

12 hours, 350 or so miles of happy times!!

Song for today...Take it to the Limit, The Eagles

MotorcycleBelle

Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over

The Closing Banquet, a table full of new friends, good food, a terrific speaker, and bittersweet goodbyes. The next morning, we would see each other at the gas stations in town one last time before zooming off in all directions back home.

The whole trip was indescribable. There are so many things I can't put into words. It was definitely one of the finest things I have ever done.

MotorcycleBelle

THE ASSASSIN

Remember the unlikely assassin? That's me! The seminar on Personal Safety had Debbie Gardner pick me out of the audience as the most dangerous of all criminals, the assassin.

The most dynamic seminar at the conference was this one, Survive Institute, teaching personal survival skills. She made a very serious subject one I will remember for a lifetime. If you ever get the chance to see this seminar or buy the book, be sure to attend. It will surely be worth the effort.

MotorcycleBelle

MORE PICS from the Trip

Roadside repairs on the way to Ouray

MotorcycleBelle Hams it up at the HOG Meeting

My stint as a public speaker went well at the HOG chapter meeting tonight. Leo, HOG Chapter President, invited me to speak to the chapter and tell the story of my adventure. I was welcomed by the Harley faithful even though I ride a Suzuki. I tried to pull them in with the tried and true, "It's not WHAT you ride, it's THAT you ride."...but it was cooly received. I'm sure they'd heard that before but in the Harley camp, it's truly WHAT you ride. But nearly every brand has it's diehard faithful followers and this was an owner's group, after all.

I think they could see the excitement in my eyes when I told them about the ride on the Million Dollar Highway between Durango and Ouray, Colorado and the exhilaration of overcoming the challenges of the road along the way; the wind, finding gas in time, the cold, missing highway exits, unpacking the bike every night.

The men wanted to know what gun I carried, the women wanted to know if I was afraid. A capable weapon....never afraid. Fear will get you killed. Confidence and preparation got me there and back home. I never doubted I could do it.

Song for today.....Motorcycle Dream by Amelia White

MotorcycleBelle

Leslie Porterfield continues to set records on the salt!!

Leslie Porterfield, one of the opening speakers at the Women's Motorcycling Conference, has set another new AMA record at Bonneville see below...

American Motorcyclist Association

Bonneville update: Leslie Porterfield's second run was 228 mph for an average of approximately 234, setting a new AMA national record in her class on her turbo charged Suzuki Huyabusa.

Owner of High Five Cycles in Dallas,

she's a Texan too!!! YEA!!!

YOU GO GIRL!!!

Helmets ROCK!!

Take a look at this slideshow of women's motorcycle helmets and see if you don't recognize your very own MotorcycleBelle's pink Dragon helmet pictured in Slide #3 sitting pertly on the mirror of the fabulous silver Suzuki!! How very chic!!

The woman's touch in motorcycle helmets

Some distinctly female takes on helmet decoration.

View Slideshow »

More About: motorcycle gear · women and motorcycling

More post-conference coverage

Women who bike bond in the mountains

More than 850 females gather at Keystone for a ladies-only motorcycle conference

By Caitlin Row
summit daily news

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ENLARGE

Diva Amy Skaling of Park City, Utah and her customized 2007 Road Glide Harley Davidson were part of the International Women & Motorcycling Conference taking place at the Keystone Conference Center Thursday. More than 850 women have registered this week with close to 950 expected by Saturday. The conference also features exhibits, vendors, demonstrations and lots of riding.

Summit Daily/Mark Fox

What's going on at the conference?

Speakers include Karen Davidson (the creative director of Harley-Davidson's general merchandise department) and Ashley Fiolek (a profoundly deaf professional women's motocross racer). Seminars cover lessons such as street strategies, adventure riding, gaining confidence, accident-scene
management and inspirational teachings.
For more information, visit
www.womenandmotorcycling.com.

ENLARGE

Motorcycles line the front of the Keystone Conference Center Thursday during the International Women and Motorcycling Conference, which continues through Saturday. Summit Daily/Mark Fox

KEYSTONE — Motorcycle engines purr, then roar, as lady bikers zoom toward Dillon, handlebar fringe blowing in the wind. Meanwhile, women wearing black leather chaps chat on foot and check out each other's bikes. And motorcycles are everywhere — they're glistening red, ensconced in black leather or even decorated with stuffed animals. One bike was adorned with a Canadian flag, and everywhere you look, there's a sea of sparkly silver helmets.

More than 850 women from 43 states, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Australia arrived at the Keystone Conference Center for the fifth biannual International Women and Motorcycling Conference: Riding to New Heights scheduled through Saturday. Many of them rode their motorcycles long distances to reach the High Country, and they'll stay to bond, have fun, learn and, most importantly, ride.

Jan Fields from Georgia and Carol Freshour of Ohio met for the first time only a few days ago when they arrived in Saint Louis, Mo., to caravan to the conference. According to Fields, they connected through a website geared toward introducing women who were going to the event.

Besides being a social outlet, the ladies-only conference asks its participants to follow their passions, always reaching for the horizon. And this mantra is clearly painted by the variety of riders in attendance. Women who are profoundly deaf, paralyzed, missing limbs or just plain scared to ride long distances hopped on their bikes and made it to Keystone, overcoming fears and making friends on the way. Even mothers and daughters arrived together to share their love for the sport.

“It's very empowering to be around so many women,” said conference spokeswoman Alexandra Terhorst, noting a bond between motorcyclists that crosses all lines. “We give each other support and confidence.”

While some people wouldn't dare to ride a motorcycle, let alone own one, ladies across the board said they loved riding bikes and the camaraderie between friends on the road.

“I love the simplicity of motorcycles,” Fields said. “It's just you and the bike. It brings you out there with all the sites and smells. It's freedom, being out on the road, going somewhere.”

Women who bike — a growing demographic

In 2008, that percentage of women owning bikes was estimated to be 12.4 percent, up from 10 percent only a few years before. Despite women making up a fast-growing demographic of motorcycle owners, being a lady on a bike still garners lots of attention, Fields said. And Freshour agreed, but acknowledged the recent spurt of female riders: “Eight years ago it caused more of an uproar at a gas station.”

When AMA special events manager Tigra Tsujikawa started riding 24 years ago, she rarely saw another female rider and dealt with ill-fitting gear.

“You were forced to wear men's gear and do the best you could with the big neck and long arms,” Tsujikawa said. “It was more of an oddity. You'd get a shocked look. Now it's wonderful. It's not surprising to see another woman out there.”

Karen Davidson — the great-grand daughter of Harley-Davidson cofounder William A. Davidson — helped attract ladies to the industry by playing a role in introducing gear designed for women's bodies, Terhorst said as she pointed out all the colorful, bedazzled clothing options available for purchase in Keystone's conference hall.

Tsujikawa credits this change to women encouraging other women to go with their passions and beliefs — “It's important to have conferences like this to really grow the community.”

And, according to Tsujikawa, she expects to see the number of conference attendees expand even more as the week progresses. An influx of local riders will arrive Saturday due to day-pass sales at local dealerships.

“To see 900 women on motorcycles — it's just so cool,” Tsujikawa said.

Drop-ins are still welcome at the International Women and Motorcycling Conference in Keystone, which runs through Saturday. Interested women should visit www.womenandmotorcycling.com.

Be sure to click on the VIEW ALL linky!!

All the pics do not show up in the slide show on the blog for some reason.  I don't know why.  

Some cosmic blunder I'm sure.  

As most of you know, I've been asked to speak to the Harley Owners Group Meeting next Tuesday.  I'm astonished that they might be interested in my adventure but am very honored to be asked.   I hope I can come up with something interesting to say.  

I have stripped the bags off the bike and washed the road grime off my motorcycle.  Wow, what a difference it makes.  It's actually shiny again!  Ready for another trip!  

I hope you like the pictures, I never claimed to be a photographer.  

Song for the day...A Little Gasoline, by Terri Clark

MotorcycleBelle

Finally, the pictures are up!!

Street Party Keynote Speaker Deb Gray

I liked this gal, she gave a great speech at the Street Party!!

Deb Grey's memoir of a motorcycle life

DEB GREY

Deb Grey with her Honda Valkyrie.

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Former MP speaks to Women in Motorcycling conference

Aug 22, 2009

DEBORAH GREY

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

This is an edited excerpt from a speech given Aug. 21, 2009, by Deborah Grey, former MP and Order of Canada recipient, to the American Motorcyclist Association's International Women and Motorcycling Conference in Keystone, Col.

Her keynote was a highlight of the International Street Party, organized by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada.

The MCC is a national advocacy organization committed to uniting motorcyclists and to promoting, protecting and preserving motorcycling.

We are extraordinary women. In riding motorcycles, we have learned to do something that only a very small percentage of the female population has done.

So, whatever we fear, we can face it, then forget it – put it behind us, and move on.

Here's my RIDE: Relatives. Instructor. Dared to run. Exit stage right.

Relatives – My father was an alcoholic; my mother raised five kids single-handedly in Vancouver in the '60s. I spent time on my little bicycle, thinking, talking, screaming, praying, and forgiving.

I could ride it off and ride it out. My sister had a friend who took me for a ride on his motorcycle when I was 13, and I was hooked for life. This is my 42nd season of safe, trouble-free miles.

Instructor – I moved from Vancouver to north-eastern Alberta to teach at Frog Lake Reserve. Instead of being just a teacher, I became a learner, and had my Grade 4 students teach me how to fish with my bare hands. I had lots of challenges, and faced them by going for long motorcycle rides: thinking, talking, screaming, singing, praying. Whatever the fear or challenge, I could ride it off and ride it out.

Dared to run – After teaching for 10 years, a neighbour dared me to run for the new Reform Party. I was terrified; I knew nothing of politics and wondered how I had ever won. Six months later, I looked across the aisle in Parliament and wondered how they had ever won!

I learned to face my fears and deal with issues and the media directly, relying on my gut for wisdom. The most valuable lesson I learned in my political career is that "not all of your colleagues will be your friends." Learn it now and learn it well.

My bike became my safe place: thinking, talking, screaming, singing, praying. No matter what, I could ride it off and ride it out.

Exit Stage Right – After 15 years, I felt it was time for a new chapter. I faced the fear of not knowing what I could do now.

I feared it, faced it and then forgot it.

I went out at the top of my game and did not look back. I have no regrets. I have more time for riding, doing charity rides, being home with my husband. When I get scared, or frustrated, or discouraged, I ride my motorcycle: to think, to talk, to scream, to sing, to pray. I can ride it off and ride it out.

How about you? Any regrets? Quit your job if you hate it – you're not fooling anyone. Quit the toxic relationship if you have tried to make it work, but it is sucking the very life out of you. Re-connect with someone, make a call, send a card.

Somebody mentored you – now you go and mentor somebody else, whether it is riding, responsibilities, retirement or relationships. Be a bridge builder. Live your life forward so you never regret it backward.

The Long and Winding Road....NAW, it was STRAIGHT!

Ain't no curvy roads between Littlefield and College Station.  I swear you can stand in Sweetwater and see straight into Temple.  If it weren't for the road construction vehicles, that is.  

I left the home of Waylon Jennings early with the sun coming up, with never a chance to investigate if all they have of Waylon is a billboard.  They did have a great hot tub though at the motel, a good view of the fingernail moon, replete with sounds of  goats bleating next door.  Not your average spa night, but different!!

As promised, I did retake the pictures of the awesome wind farms north of Sweetwater.  Hmm, some of these pictures might have been taken at speed, that explains why they are so crooked!  

Guys, I know where your doves are!!  In those sunflowers fields, flying erratically, trying to bash into defenseless motorcycle riders!

I was back in the familiar Texas heat around Gatesville and the push was on to see whether fatigue or the heat would tire me quickest.  I learned several things on this trip, one being, that a hot V-twin engine can raise a welt on your leg through your mesh riding pants as you get off the bike at a gas stop causing you to yell out a most unladylike term.  This is unfortunate say, if, there are road crews standing around, laughing about it, offering to help with their first aid kit.  I, on the other hand, am secretly wondering, if this might be a good opportunity to practice my newly acquired "kill you with a water bottle" technique".    But instead I just gave them a sweet smile.  

I also learned that loads shift during riding.  I had my Monkey Butt powder in the outside pocket in case of any Monkey Butt emergency.  Well, during all the wind and bumpy roads in our beloved summer session of road construction, my load had shifted to make my Monkey Butt canister ride sideways instead of sitting straight up and it had come open as well.  So, I'm riding along and checking my mirrors every so often to make sure nothing sneaks up behind me....like a DPS officer.  And I see little puffs of white smoke coming out every time I hit a bump.  Oh great....what would cause white smoke????  I can't imagine.  It can't be coming out of my pipes, they're too low....so I stick my hand back there and take a look at my glove, which is covered with powder and sweet smelling MONKEY BUTT POWDER!  Everytime I hit a bump, I'm poofing Monkey Butt powder out the back.  It can only happen to me........the little engine that could!!!  By the way, I'm out of Monkey Butt.  

So, I made it home but not without more drama.  As I came into the area north of Gause I could see a massive thunderstorm with lightening draping the area I would soon be riding into.  I made it to Hearne (the armpit of the world).  It was pouring so I sought shelter at the high school, called home and got a weather report.  It was moving fast so only had to wait about 10 minutes.  

Finally got to town and discovered the AGGIES are back.  The town is infested.  

Glad to be home.....more tales to tell....stay tuned

MotorcycleBelle

Song for today.....Magic Carpet Ride, Steppenwolf

A Test of Mental & Physical Strength

It was hard to leave Margaret's after being welcomed back so warmly by her family and treated to a fabulous dinner at her parent's gracious home in Santa Fe.  They were having a dinner party with family friends and let me attend even though I looked like the dickens after being on the road for 8 hours.  Margaret, being sly, knew not to tell me anything about this, knowing I would keep on going rather than stop and have to present myself looking like something the cat dragged in.  But I went and had a great time and tried not to gobble the delicious food.  

I tried to dispel all "biker myths" and prove that motorcycling women can clean up well and carry on in polite society.  I think I did well since they did invite me back.  

They all tried their best to get me to stay another day but the clock is ticking and I need to get home.  The weather forecast did not look good for Santa Fe either so I needed to get going.

I got a good start, but the winds kicked up early.  It was cold until I got to Santa Rosa where it was in the 80s and I realized I had 3 shirts on, my leather jacket and the liner in my riding pants.  I was roasting.  I pulled over at the Santa Rosa Car Museum I had spied on my way up and start shucking clothes in the parking lot.  Then I realized 2 shirts down, I had my pink lacy tee on underneath and had to leave it.  Dang. Plus, no place to put the riding pants liner.  Changed my leather to mesh riding jacket and the pile on the back of the bike got taller.  Now I really look like the Beverly Hillbillies going down the road leaning into the wind.  

Still hadn't remembered to open the vents in my helmet so my head is still cooking, visor fogging.  Finally got a clue on that.  The wind was brutal all day.  I didn't make it to Lubbock.  Part of motorcycling is knowing when to stop.  So I'm posting tonight from Littlefield, Tx, the home of Waylon Jennings.  A pretty welcome sight for my eyes.  I couldn't go another mile.  A plus was the pool, with no kids in sight....YEA!

The Santa Rosa Route 66 Car Museum is pretty cool.  I have many too many pics to post of the great cars they have on display.  So many fabulous Mustangs (my favorite).  I'm only posting a very few of my pictures.  When I get home I will post them to photobucket or somewhere and post a link where you can see them all. 

I knew I was back in Texas when the first two things I saw were.......a dead possum in the road and a Blue Bell Ice Cream Truck!!!   YEA!!!!!  And, of course, a guy hauling hogs.  

I got a toot toot from a choo choo today and a big wave at the Texas border too.  It's interesting that the very border between Texas and New Mexico at Parmer is 4 railroad tracks all put together.  

Let me hear you all cheering for me to make it all the way home tomorrow.  480 miles.  Lord willing, and the wind don't blow.  

Song for today, Texas, Our Texas, William J. Marsh