Sunday Aug. 31

So, that went well. The pictures came thru just fine. I added the saddlebags to the V-Rod for the trip. I do all the work myself, and I buy most of my parts on the internet. They are cheaper, no sales tax, and it saves me the gas of shopping around.
Yes, what you see strapped on the back is extra gas - two an a half gallons. The V-Rod has a 3.7 gallon tank, which gives it a range of about 110-120 miles, maybe less when it's loaded down. I'm going thru southern Nevada and Utah where it can be much farther between gas stations. The whole purpose of this trip is to see as much of this great country as I can, so freeways are out as much as is practical.
It was hard to decide what to pack. Kansas can be 100 degrees, and the passes in Colorado are over 10,000 feet. You can't ride safely if there is snow on the road, but it can make for some really pretty pictures.
My grandson tells me I can send pictures from my cell phone to this blog, and they will post as I do the trip. So far, I haven't been able to complete the setup to do this, and I suspect the problem may be with Verizon, my cell phone provider. I won't have any computer time until I get back home, so the rest of this blog may have to wait until then.

The long journey.

I am looking forward to this trip more than anything I've done in a long time. How do you live your dreams? You need a dream, you know, to keep you going. Life, to be lived fully, requires a passion. It is the fuel that keeps the fire burning, especially after you retire. Mine is riding motorcycles. I share it with hoards of other people, so there is nothing too remarkable about that. But, at age 69, I plan to leave on a 4800 mile cross country trip, by myself, on a motorcycle designed for much shorter trips, and much younger people. It is a 2005 Harley V-Rod, and I'm leaving next week. I would have done this sooner, but life got in the way. Last year, it was my 50 High School class reunion. Now, I'm pretty new at this blogging business, and I never did type fast, but I'm gonna quit now, and try to import a picture or two.