Toy run

Dec. 13, 2008 Well, the storm held off just long enough to attract 1281 motorcycles to this years' run, but it was quite cold. I got a kick out of one of the kids - he took a look at my vest and asked, "Are you a general?" I said, "No. Why?" He said, "If those were Army medals, you'd be a general"!

Snow storm

Dec. 15, 2008. We awoke to seven inches of snow this morning. There is more on the way. This much snow is fairly rare at 2430 feet in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Only twice before in ten years of retirement have we had this much at once. I grew up 60 miles west of Chicago, and when I retired, I never wanted to shovel snow again. Or be that cold. This is wet, heavy snow; the kind you get when the temperatures are just at, or slightly below freezing. We need the moisture. It has been warm and too dry so far this "Winter". We have power now, but it went out for a few seconds several times last night, and I had to reset most of the clocks. I have a small portable Honda generator; it will run the tv, a couple lights, and the fan on the propane fireplace. The dish antenna has to be free of snow to function, so I have to spray it with Pam, or hose it off, if the hose doesn't freeze solid. So far, it's not too cold.

The other cat, Shadow

We occasionally house-sit for friends in Kona, Hawaii. Take care of the dog and cat, fix stuff around the house, do a little yard work. Their cat, Bandit, is not a people cat, will swat you, or hiss if you try to pet him, altho he has mellowed some in recent years. When we came home in July 1999, we said we would never have a cat. Besides, I'm somewhat allergic. The next morning, this pathetic, starved, injured kitten crawled out from under our car. My wife said we had to take it to the pound. I said nobody would adopt it in such bad condition. Sooo, she went from a carpeted box on the front porch, to the vet to be neutered, to the garage, to confinement in the laundry room when it turned cooler. Now, Shadow sleeps on the foot of the bed, and I use Nasonex to keep my nose clear. I never knew anyone could get so attached to a cat. If my doctor said get rid of the cat, I'd have to get another doctor. She is ten years old now, and still a joy to have around. We keep her in at night because of all the critters-coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, and the occasional bear or mountain lion. Joey is fated to be an indoor cat; they live longer and stay cleaner. Joey has not figured out how to purr without drooling. He sings, loudly, for his dinner. To hear him, you would think he had not eaten for days.

BIG Joey! Gee, they don't stay kittens long.

He won't be seven months old for another week! We weighed him today at 9 lbs, 9 ozs. Anybody know how long cats keep growing? He's almost quadrupled in weight since we brought him home. His purr-manent appetite is amazing. When he is awake, he makes the Energizer Bunny look like a snail. More to come...

Introducing Joey, the wonder cat.

Joey, the wonder cat, earned that label due to the perpetual look of surprise on his face. He is of undetermined ancestry, rescued from the local pound as a three month old kitten. We figured (or perhaps more accurately, I figured) he would be good company for Shadow, our other cat. Shadow is a ten year old neutered female who arrived at our house in very bad shape, starved, one foot broken, full of ear mites, and a crooked head. More on Shadow later.

I am a firm believer that you do not pick a cat; they pick you. Joey climbed up the side of his cage and reach thru with one outstretched paw to snag my pants leg, his meow plainly saying "Please get me out of here, NOW." So we did.

Joey is almost three months old in this picture, and 2 lbs. 7 oz. The white "bib" made this picture come out pretty well. He has been in foster care since birth, so he is sociable, almost litter box trained, and eats huge amounts of food for such a little cat.

"The lonliest road"

This is Hwy 50, on the way to Ely, Nev. I did not know before I started this road trip, that there would be many such roads in the several states I traveled through. I put new tires on the V-Rod before I started, and although I never had tire trouble, I did wear a substantial flat spot across the center of the tire before I got back home. I live in the old '49er gold rush area of the Sierra Nevada's, where the roads are twisty. I'm more used to getting wear over a broader area of the tire. In Nevada, you can cruise sometimes for many miles without seeing another vehicle. This is a good place to carry extra gas, and a few candy bars, and a couple bottles of water. If you have trouble out here, cell phone service is spotty. Gas is non-existent. So is water. The buzzards are ever vigilant.

Day 17-18 Going home

If you knew how slowly I type, you would know what a labor of love it has been to post all this stuff. I guess some additional comments about the trip itself would be in order. By now, I was a little bit homesick, and didn't take many more pictures. A couple of truckers I met in Elko, Nv. recommended a brothel called the "Disco & Diddle". I'm kind of sorry I didn't drive by and get a picture of that. I met a lot of interesting people on this trip. I got to fulfill a dream at an age where a lot of guys would be retired to a couch in front of the TV. "If you survive it, it becomes an adventure." I did, and it was.
There were some additional things I could have done in the planning stage to make this trip more comfortable. I found out, too late, that windshield height is a critical factor for riding in the rain and the wind as well, at freeway speeds. My windshield needed to be two to three inches higher to prevent the buffeting, and the rain blowing in around and under my helmet. A snug fitting, waterproof cover for my seat would have been a great help. So would a water seal on my boots and gloves. The 15 pounds of stuff I sent home from Kansas was not missed, so I over packed.
All things considered, I had a wonderful time. Someone ask me if I would do it again. My answer was an emphatic YES. But not on the V-Rod.
One last thing - If you have to yawn while riding along, it's a good idea to close the faceshield ALL the way.