My wife and I on a dinner trip.

My wife and I returning from a trip to Parkersburg Wv. We traveled 238 miles, just to have dinner. Two other couples went along. Tyson, took the pictures. Actually his wife took it while he was driving his Yamaha V-star, with his camera. He did reach into the saddle bag and get it for her. I don't know if that was exactly safe while traveling down a turning lane, but he did it. You can see his shadow if you look.
We are planning a Poker Run this coming weekend to benefit a small boy that was hit by an SUV over the winter. Should be a good time.

Wordless Wednesday

The view from my front porch

I have a swing on my front porch and sometimes it is nice to just sit and swing. This is what I see when I am just swingin.

Annual Bicycle ride

Last year, I got a chance to go to Cumberland Maryland with a buddy from the dept. and ride a bicycle down the C & O towpath to Washington D. C. with another buddy who lives in Cumberland. That was 184 grueling miles. We started training in mid April and rode the path in early June. We are going to do it again this year. This year we have been training since early March and hope to do it easier, without so much exhaustion at the end. More on the preparation and the trip later.

Ride the scooter

With the early spring weather, and warm temps. I have had the opportunity to ride the bike to the station on a relatively daily basis. Usually in the spring, it rains daily. This spring has seen less rain than usual. I have gotten the chance to ride often. I love my scooter.
On Saturday April, 18, myself, my wife and a couple from the dept. got a chance for a road trip. We decided to go to dinner on the scooter. The main question, was where to go. I suggested maybe a trip into Amish country. Off we went. Dinner in Strasburg Ohio and back home. I neglected to get any pictures on this trip. My mistake.
On Saturday April, 25, Another scooter trip for dinner. This time three couples with scooters got to go. Again, where to go. This time maybe south. Off to Parkersburg WVa. 3 hours each way. Dinner at Ryan's buffet and return home. Nice day for a ride. One of the guys also takes pictures and wanted to stop somewhere to get a picture of something that says WVa. on it. This is a picutre of Parkersburg South High School. His picture is a close up of the High school sign. Check out his blog Planet M3 He shares the blog with another buddy. The other buddy lives in Cumberland Maryland.

Early Spring Scooter trip.

I had a wild hair grow this spring. In March, I was thinking about getting the scooter out for a trip. I was trying to think about where to go? I saw an ad for the Bristol Nascar race. After some thought (about 30 sec), I mentioned my thought to a couple fellow scooter riders at the dept. The race was a couple weeks away and it was currently 20 degrees outside. They both looked at me with skeptical looks. I told them, here is the plan. On Thursday before the race, we would look at the weather and decide. If it was a go then we would leave on Saturday Morning, arrive in Bristol later that day, after riding the required 6 hours to get there. Find a spot to pitch our tents, scalp some tickets, go see the race and then return on Monday. Should be minimal cost and a good time. After 30 seconds thought on their part. One of the guys suggested that he knew some fellow co-workers that go every year and take campers down. He said that he would ask if they had room to put us up. They stay across the street from the track and it would be great. We decided, "Let's do it". Our plan was set. The guys with the camper said, " the more the merrier". All we had to do was wait until the Thursday before the race. And check the weather, Sunny, we go. Rain or Snow, we scrap the idea.
Thursday came and the weather was a go with clear skies and sunshine.
Saturday morning and we met at the fire house at 10am. All were ready with the scooter packed for a three day trip. It was 38 degrees, but promised to be in the 60's later. Now 6 hours on a scooter is not too bad but it was a cold start. We were dressed for the weather and good to go. We arrived in Bristol and found our camping buddies. We sit around the campfire that evening and enjoyed the company. On Sunday morning we went down to the track and found our tickets. And paid $5 less than the track price for each. The race was marginal, but something different to do. The weather was sunny and in the low 70's. The ride was what the trip was about and the opportunity to get away from the ever present dept. pager. Again another evening around the campfire with our buddies and then Monday morning, we packed up and again 44 degrees, we headed home.
We took the scenic route home and with a short detour (one of the bikes picked up a 5/8 bolt in the rear tire. We had to stop by a Harley dealership to get that replaced) we were on the scooters just short of 10 hours. The middle of the day was in the 70's and we shed some of our heavy outerwear. Nearing home, a stop for fuel, we replaced the gear as the temp was dropping with the sun. Back home and back into the 40's.
All in all, a great time and inexpensive weekend getaway.

Wordless Wednesday