TALLADEGA SCENIC HIGHWAY ON MT. CHEAHA ~ ALABAMA ~ photo taken by Dianna Stover
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Thursday, January 29, 2009

WHAT'S FOR LUNCH? HOW ABOUT A QUICKIE?!

Here's a new feature I'm considering adding to my blog on a somewhat regular basis. I can't promise how often you'll see it, but this will be the experimental post. Sometimes, there is something that I'd like to share, but it may not be a nice long ride complete with pics, or must see location. There are times I just want to share a nice experience concerning motorcycles. Look for future editions of...

DEAR DIARY... A glimpse into the pages of a journal written by a woman rider.

January 27, 2009
Dear Diary,
Today ended up being a pretty good day. I was having a hard time concentrating at work this morning because I kept hearing the inviting rumble of motorcycles passing by my office. The sun was finally making an appearance again, after remaining absent for a few days, and the temp was warming up nicely. I must have looked out the window a thousand times before lunch, wishing that it was I, running up and down the road.

On my way home for lunch, I took note at how warm it had gotten by this time. It was 77 degrees! I nice break from the overcast, rainy, 30 to 40 degrees we've been having. I crossed paths with two separate riders and they both had big smiles on their faces. That did it! I called H on my cell phone and said, "Can you think of a good reason why I shouldn't take my bike back to work this afternoon?" His response was, "Ahh, no?" I confirmed with him, that after I have my lunch, I'm taking the Glide back to work.

I ate my sandwich with a renewed attitude, checked in on some blogs, and got ready to go back. When I went into the garage, my ol' girl saw me coming with my jacket and chaps on, and I swear, she blinked her headlights at me, just like her four wheeled cousin, Herbie the Love Bug.

On my way back to work, I could feel myself re-energizing in the warm breeze with the sun on my face, and wished I could bypass the office and hit the closest highway and just keep going. I didn't, but it was the best 12 minutes I've had all day!

I took on my afternoon work duties in a better frame of mind, cause I knew what awaited me at the end of the day. Somehow, I managed to find two errands to run after work, just so I could stretch out my short commute for a little while longer. The last few times we've ridden, it's been cold or rainy, and to feel the warm air again made me long for Spring to hurry up and get here.

Tomorrow we're suppose to get another cold front from the north, so it will be back to chilling temps for us thin blooded southerners. Oh well, at least I got to enjoy a little taste of sunshine today. There's nothing better than an afternoon quickie!
Me


Monday, January 26, 2009

PIC OF THE WEEK

WINTER IN ALABAMA
Soul rejuvenation... straight ahead! This is Hwy. 21 in Wilcox County and was part of the ride I posted about yesterday. The bleak winter trees and overcast sky, makes it look cold, but it was only about 71 degrees on this day, January 3, 2009. However, we've been blessed with 30 to 40 degree temps for the last couple of weeks, so don't feel too bad. Have a nice Monday everybody!

Lady R

Sunday, January 25, 2009

MILLERS FERRY AND SOGGY TOES

Well, now that you've all had a nice little peek into my head... let's get on with what this blog is all about. Riding motorcycles!

Harley and I took off for a little "road therapy" a few weeks ago, on the Saturday right after New Years. We anticipated a nice leisurely ride to Camden, down in Wilcox County, and then over to Miller's Ferry on the Alabama River. We figured we'd put about 250 miles on the Glides and just spend the day taking in the scenery and enjoying the warm temperature. Our weather forecast called for low 70's and mostly cloudy all day.

There was a small percent of scattered rain possible, but not until that evening. I was pretty smug about getting in some road time. I've been dealing with holiday "stuff" for the past several weeks, and our New Year's Day ride was just a tease. I couldn't wait to spend the whole day doing nothing but riding my motorcycle with Harley.

We scoped out a nice route and got off to a pretty early start that Saturday morning. We left the house about 9:30 and proceeded Southwest toward Camden. We took a short little sprint down I-65 so we could go west on Hwy. 26 over to Hayneville, and then get on Hwy. 21 and ride south to Camden. The roads that lead you to Camden remind me a little of Louisiana with it's swampy terrain and small palms growing everywhere at the base of dormant winterized trees.
Unlike the roads we ride in the northern part of Alabama near the Talladega National Forest, our path today was less curvy and more open to the scenery around you.

Camden is an old southern town in Wilcox County with beautiful plantation style homes, set high on lush green pastures dappled with bearded trees and swampy creek beds.

This land is rich with history and scenery so beautiful, it feels like I've transcended to an era long forgotten. This part of Alabama reminds me of how I imagined the South to be like when I was a child growing up in Iowa. As I ride through here, I think that at any moment Scarlet will come running across the grounds with her antebellum skirts flowing around her as she calls out for her beloved Rhett.

We continued west, on Hwy. 10 through Camden and turned north on Hwy. 5 toward Miller's Ferry Lock and Dam. Along our way, we found a nice little restaurant in Pine Hill called Carolyn's, and decided to stop here for a quick lunch. This was the kind of place that serves hamburgers that taste like you made them at home. The sweet tea was good and the food was even better. As Harley and I sat and ate our lunch, we noticed how the conversations flowed easily among the other patrons, as if we had plopped right down in the middle of a nice family gathering. The numbers of folks coming and going with take out orders reestablished the fact, that this was a very popular little eatery.

With our bellies full and more road to cover, we rode north Hwy. 5 and turned east on Hwy. 28 to get over to Millers Ferry Lock and Dam on the Alabama River. We tried to get closer to the Dam so we could get better pics, but there wasn't an easy way to get there on the bikes. Luckily, our camera has zoom x10, so we can get pretty good shots from far away.
Millers Ferry is a 17,200-acre reservoir on the Alabama River impounded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1969. It has a nice little park area and boat ramp, so we stopped for a few minutes to stretch and take in the river view. There's good fishing for large mouth bass and spotted bass in this area. When we left there, we stayed on Hwy. 28, which took us through Camden again to Hwy. 21 East. Our plan was to head home, back through Hayneville, the same way we came, but as plans go... they change.

Remember when I mentioned that we weren't supposed to get rain until later that evening? Well, as you know, plans change and so does the weather. I started feeling sprinkles that were nothing more than a teasing spit from Mother Nature. I had on my chaps and leather jacket, so this was no big deal. This went on for a few miles when all of a sudden it came into view. About two miles up the road, a huge wall of rain, reminiscent of a big dark curtain draping across the landscape assuring us that getting wet was inevitable. I saw Harley's blinker come on as a signal to me we would be pulling over. We were only about 25 miles away from home at this point, but we felt like gambling. We discussed which direction to take and agreed that the rains were supposed to be scattered and moving north. So, with the Topo map as our reference, we decided we could skirt around the storm if we go back toward Camden, and turn south on CR 59 to Pine Apple. Then we could take Hwy. 10 east to Greenville where we'll pick up I-65 north and probably follow the storm home into Montgomery. Great plan. Oops! Did I say plan?

As soon as we get back on our Glides and put our "plan" into action, I noticed the playful spitting we were getting, had turned into a slow drizzle. Harley was pretty good at reading the sky and has kept us dry and out of storms many times before. I figured this was just another opportunity to outsmart Mother Nature and play a little game of Rain Roulette. Ha! By the time we got to Pine Apple, about 15 miles later, we were getting rained on pretty hard. We pulled into a church parking lot that had a pavilion like carport over on the church's side entrance to take shelter from the rain. We stood there a minute chuckling and chastising ourselves for trying to fool with Mother Nature. We were pretty wet by this time, but I chose to put on my rain gear anyway. I figured if nothing else, it'll keep be warmer while I'm riding wet in the rain. Harley, on the other hand, decided WTF? He was already wet, so he did not. That's my hard core biker. Yeah!

We left the church and rode slow and cautious for another 15 miles or so, until we got to Greenville. We picked up I-65 and headed north toward Montgomery. Up ahead I saw a sign. Ugh! "Montgomery 42 mi." (Do I need to remind you that we were only 25 miles from home when we decided to turn around and "miss" the rain?) By this time, our hard rain turned into thunder and lightning. Yikes! I saw lightning streak across the sky above us a few times. The next thing I know, Harley's blinker is on again. We had to pull off the road twice and park under an overpass to take cover. We also kept getting foggy glasses and foggy face shield, making it even harder to see.

During one of these stops, I noticed the grimace on Harley's face. I asked him what was wrong. He explained that the long johns he had on under his jeans, have gotten so wet, they were dripping like a river down into his boots. He said it feels like his feet are sloshing. I started laughing about his soggy toes when I reminded him how comfy my rain suit was keeping me. He carries one with him all the time (with booties!) but sometimes, he'd rather put up with the rain than bother with the rain suit. Hmmm. Must be a guy thing. :)

The weather hounded us the rest of the way home and this reminded of Dave's post over at Road Grits Cafe, last Spring called "Ride The Lightning". I was hoping I wasn't going to test the theory of whether a motorcycle rider is grounded or not during a storm. Oh well, so much for scattered anything. We played Rain Roulette and lost. The best consolation prize I could claim was Harley's soggy toes. We still had a nice ride to Camden and Millers Ferry, and ate a good hamburger at "Carolyn's". Albeit, a little more wet than I care to get, I'll chalk it up to just another good day of riding.

Lady R

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

101 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ME 76 - 101

Okay! This is the last post of my mindless ramblings of who knows what! It's time for you people to get out of my head!

76. I used to water ski on the Mississippi River.

77. When I smell cows and pigs, it makes me think of home. (Iowa)

78. I love corn on the cob.

79. The last book I read was "The Shack" by William P. Young.

80. I still get butterflies in my stomach before a long ride.

81. I played first base in the Woman's Softball League while stationed at the Naval Air Station in Meridian, MS.

82. I tried to grow Sea Monkeys. More than once!

83. I don't care to listen to music when I ride. It interrupts my thinking.

84. I hate boiled okra. Yuck!

85. I got to ride along once in a MediVac Helicopter while they performed practice maneuvers. Touch and Go's were my favorite!

86. I had a teenage love crush on Keith Partridge. (swoon!)

87. My favorite dessert is Tiramisu. Yummy!

88. Beer bravery has caused me some embarrassing moments.

89. I saw Leonard Nimoy (Spock) once while driving through Hollywood.

90. I was a bartender for 6 months. Best money I ever made!

91. My feet are ticklish.

92. During High School, I used to hitch hike everywhere I went.

93. I drink a big glass of chocolate milk almost every night before I go to bed.

94. I have a low tolerance for sassy kids and ignorant people!

95. I still read the Comics on Sunday mornings.

96. I'm very sensitive to other peoples feelings.

97. I get distracted from whatever I'm doing if I hear a motorcycle go down the street.

98. It is my dream to take a year off and ride my motorcycle across the United States and visit them all.

99. I want to go to Sturgis when there is NOT a Rally. (Explaination: I'm all up for a great party. But if I make it that far, 1518.87 miles to be exact, I want to ride those roads open and free, not bogged down with the traffic of thousands of other bikers. Sorry.)

100. The older I get, the less I worry about what people think of me. (F%#k 'em if they can't take a joke!)

And last, but certainly not least...

101. At my funeral, I want everyone to drink beer, eat chocolate covered strawberries, and watch a rockin' slide show of all the fun I had while they celebrate my life!

Well, this has been fun! I hope one day we can get together for a huge Blogger's Rally and we can all laugh about our crazy lives! Later friends!

Lady R

Saturday, January 17, 2009

101 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ME 51 - 75

I can't believe all the things I'm remembering about my life, while posting this. It's kind of like "This Is Your Life", only I get to control what's revealed. LOL! I guess if your still here, that must mean you want more, so here goes...

51. My first concert ever (I was 16) was Alice Cooper's "Schools Out For Summer" Tour. It was totally awesome!

52. I was never a Bridesmaid. The only wedding I was ever in was my own.

53. When I was in Kindergarten, I told the teacher my name was really Rebecca. (Don't worry B B, I'm not a stalker, but this is true) I think the book "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" had some influence over me!

54. If I were to pick a celebrity to best describe me, it would be Carol Burnett. (or Lucille Ball!)

55. I love to sing along with Nickleback's "Rock Star". I always wanted to be a rock star too!

56. I still remember what I was doing the exact moment I heard that Elvis died.

57. I'm capable of rendering "The Look" that will make your blood run cold and paralyze you with fear. (or so I'm told anyway! Ask my pal the Beav! LOL!)

58. I 'm VERY interested in Forensic Science.

59. I'm addicted to Crime Shows. (My favorites are all the CSI's, NCIS, and Cold Case.)

60. The first dead body I ever saw that wasn't nicely dressed in a casket, was in the hospital morgue at Rosey Roads. I assisted my Doctor with identification procedures on a pilot involved in an aviation accident. Very horrific.

61. I want to be cremated when I die.

62. My favorite seafood is Lobster with lots and lots of butter!

63. I don't like to shop. I get what I need and go.

64. The biggest dog I ever had was a German Shepherd named Whiskey. 125 lbs. I miss him.

65. The littlest dog I ever had, we still have. Bandit and Joker are Papillions that each weigh 7 lbs. Big difference!

66. I would like to meet Cesar Millan one day. (The Dog Whisperer)

67. I am content to sit and watch water. The ocean, a lake, or river... it does not matter.

68. I like to paint. (Pictures... not rooms! LOL!)

69. My favorite movie of all time is still.. The Wizard of Oz!

70. I like watching storms. I could be a Storm Chaser!

71. I cry every time I hear "Amazing Grace".

72. I like the Chicago Bears.

73. I was a Girl Scout.

74. I hate guys who wear they're pants so low I see their boxers. (Geeze, my eyes!)

75. I hate girls who show off their flat stomachs. (bitches!)

To be continued...

Lady R

101 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ME 26 - 50

If I didn't bore you with the first 25, here are 25 more.

26. I got the Chicken Pox 2 days before my Junior year Homecoming Dance. (and I actually had a date!)

27. I never went to a prom.

28. I would love to sky dive, ride a hot air balloon, and hand glide. But I am afraid to Bungee Jump!

29. I had the privilege of eating dinner and drinking some English beer on one of Her Majesty's British Ships while I was in the Navy stationed at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.

30. I got to live on a nice tropical island for three years. (see #29)

31. One of the ugliest, yet more significant experiences I've had was at Roosevelt Roads, when the hospital I was stationed at received many of the critically wounded during Operation Urgent Fury. I was on a triage team.

32. My favorite color is green.

33. I love raw carrots, but I hate them cooked.

34. I love movies that scare the crap out of me. ("Stir of Echos" with Kevin Bacon was the last one that got me good!)

35. I have some background in theater... I had a musical part in the Play "Oliver" when I was in the 4th grade.

36. I'm a die hard Rock and Roller, but I LOVE Patsy Cline!

37. I think golf is the most boring thing in the world.

38. My favorite sport is football. (and Nascar!)

39. I'm fascinated with big cats! Lions, tigers and jaguars, oh my! (I wish I could have one)

40. I'm a defender of all things furry! (ie... kittens, puppies, ferrets, ect...)

41. I passed out when I gave blood. (duh!)

42. I think #41 is funny because, I used to work in Oral Surgery. Lots and lots of blood. Muwahahahaha!

43. I witnessed a shooting and the cops chasing the guy while walking to a movie in San Diego. Yikes!

44. I lived in New Orleans for 18 months. (All I did was party!)

45. My mouth works faster than my brain.

46. I will humbly accept when I am wrong, but if I'm right... there are no shovels big enough to dig me out of my stance.

47. I love the smell of honeysuckle.

48. I think vampire movies are stupid.

49. I believe in ghosts and places CAN be haunted!

50. I can laugh like Woody the Wood Pecker.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

101 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ME 1 - 25

Okay, okay, I'm in. It has been fun reading the "things" I didn't know about Ann, Connie, BB and Marcie. So I've decided, since I seem to be having trouble getting my post finished on a nice ride we had, I will attempt to share some of my inner most kept secrets. Here goes.

1. I lived in four states before I was 2 years old.

2. I've never had a broken bone.

3. I've had surgery seven times and I'm not 50 yet.

4. I always wished I had a little sister.

5. When I was little, I would eat grapes in the grocery store while my mom shopped. (She didn't know and no they were not paid for!)

6. I've been in two actual fights (with fists) in my life. (One, as a junior in High School, and once with a roommate in the Navy. Yes... I won.)

7. I wanted to be a Veterinarian.

8. I choose the Dental field because I wanted a job that wouldn't be really dirty. Now I work in peoples mouths. (Very clean job! LOL!)

9. I shoplifted 4 times.

10 I count my blessings that I changed friends when I did. (She liked to shoplift!)

11. The only time I ran away from home, I was 4. They found me down on the railroad tracks eating a piece of dirty watermelon. (Such an adventurer!)

12. I resented being 7, 8 and 10 years older than my three young brothers. I always had to take them places. Ugh!

13. I resent the distance between me and those brothers of mine now. I love and miss them all dearly!

14. I used to make my little brothers duck down in the back seat when I drove past some cute guys.

15. My best friend and I would purposely fall in front of cute guys when we would snow ski. (Most were ready to help, some were jerks!)

16. I love roller coasters!

17. I wanted to be a race car driver.

18. When I was a young girl, I thought I would get married and have 5 or more children.

19. I have no children, but I'm still happily married. (28 years!)

20. I care for animals more than I do most people.

21. I cried every time I saw the AT&T commercials. ( the cool ones about 15 years ago.)

22. My favorite commercial was for Pepsi... a little blond boy playing with a bunch of puppies. His laugh was most precious.

23. I can't stand the "Head On!" commercials! (Just shoot me!)

24. I play the Florida Lottery every week.

25. It was my goal at one time to own a Pink Cadillac. (I also was a Mary Kay Consultant once. Maybe this is why I don't like pink now. LOL!)

To be continued...

Lady R

Monday, January 12, 2009

PIC OF THE WEEK

BEARDED TREES
I've ridden through the streets of Panama City many times, while playing with my pals during Thunder Beach and other summer weekends. I actually took the opportunity this past weekend to get a shot of one of the many beautiful "old south" streets in this historic area of town. This is in the Cove near St. Andrews Bay. I love how the moss hangs from these old trees like long flowing beards.

AND THE WINNER IS... !


We have a tie! Painted Desert and Southern Comfort came in tied for the win on the best PIC OF THE WEEK for 2008.










I want to thank every one who participated in my little voting poll. I did learn something valuable from this. No matter how funny a picture is, for those of us who like to ride... it's all about the scenery! Thanks again everyone, and have a nice Monday!
Lady R

Monday, January 5, 2009

PIC OF THE WEEK

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!
We took a ride down to Camden Saturday and Harley was getting some great pics for us to share. I was just about to go around him when he took this shot (not bad for 60 mph. heh?). I hope to have my post about our little adventure up soon. Have a nice Monday everybody!

BTW... there's still 7 days left to vote for the best PIC OF THE WEEK for 2008. Which one was YOUR favorite?

Lady R

Friday, January 2, 2009

RIDING IN THE NEW YEAR

In spite of the slushy insinuation from my earlier post, Have Fun... But Be Responsible!, I had a very mild and quiet New Year's Eve. Our friends, Big Ed and Red Light Roxanne came up from Panama City to spend the New Year with us and enjoy a nice couple of days. We planned to eat dinner at one of our favorite local Mexican Restaurants and then had every intention of hitting our little neighborhood bar, the It'll Do, for a couple more before heading home. But after the "medium" Margarita's came, and they were the size of fish bowls, we were well on our way to la la land when we left the restaurant. We decided to take it to the house and let the "Amateurs" have the road for the evening.

On New Year's Day, Big Ed and Roxanne had a prior family commitment to be fulfilled. While they did that, Harley and I decided a nice way to bring in the New Year was to take the Glides for a ride. So we did. A couple of weeks ago, on a previous ride, we tried to find Hwy. 68, a road that crosses over I-65 somewhere near Verbena, AL. Don't ask me the purpose of our need to find this highway, other than the fact that we knew it was there, and we've never been on it. We headed north via Hwy 143 to Hwy 31 until we spotted a road we suspected to be the illusive Hwy. 68. Harley committed us to a left turn, but proceeded slowly down this new road until we saw the marker. Bingo! Hwy 68! The road was our reward.

The 57 degrees kept the air chilly, but the sun did it's best to shed a little warmth on you between the shady spots. The coolness was invigorating and head clearing, as we sliced through the cold air, taking to the road with the anticipation of a newly found treasure. I love exploring new roads, because that means there's something new to see. Hwy 68 was dappled with rural homes and pastures. Old barns and farms loomed in the distance, and the cows were curled up on the ground as though they were trying to stay warm. I could understand their plight, as by this time, my fingers were pretty cold from riding. I've mentioned before, my Christmas $ will come in handy to help me remedy my "cold fingers" dilemma. We continued on this road for several miles until it came to an end at Hwy 57, where we turned north and headed toward the little community of Verbena, AL.

As we approached Verbena, we had the misfortune of having to avoid a chasing dog... not! Let me explain. Having ridden in these rural areas, I have become quite familiar with the hazard of loose running dogs, who like to take on our motorcycles in a game of "Road Kill Chicken". Problem with this game is... I don't want to become the Road Kill! I've gotten pretty good at surveying the scene and adjusting my velocity so both, me and my adversary, can come away unharmed with the promise to challenge each other again, another day. Not everything goes as planned for some Canine Gladiators and this was the case for one such Bull Dog in Verbena. Harley was in the lead and noticed the Bull Dog first and pointed him out to me. I could tell Harley was already making changes to his momentum as I looked over, and saw the Bull Dog about 50 feet from the road, running full sprint along side of us. Just as I was about to alter my throttle, I noticed something on the back of the Bull Dogs neck. What was it? Oh no... he's on a leash! Now you see him... SNAG! Now you don't! That poor dog went Alley Oop, from 20 mph. to 0 mph. in 1.2 seconds. There's no doubt, I very much appreciate the fact, that this poor dog's owners had him on a leash, or things could have turned out ugly for us. But dang, that had to have hurt! Harley remarked later, when we were rehashing the Bull Dog episode, that the owners should at least consider putting a Bungie cord on the end of his leash, to allow for a smoother transition from go... to stop. They could call it Bull Dog Bungie.
Verbena is a very small little community just south of Clanton. As we rode through, I found myself riding down a storybook country road with this quaint little country Church sitting at the end of it, in a sharp curve. It was such a picturesque moment, one of those peaceful times that hits you suddenly, and you realize... "Life is good. I'm so glad I'm doing what I'm doing right now!" We passed on by the pretty Church and went on into Clanton to enjoy a New Year's Day Wattaburger! I told Harley while we were eating, I wished we'd have stopped and got a picture of the Church. He didn't say much at the moment, but on our way back, he took a turn that allowed us to go back by the Church so I could get this shot. He's such a good guy. We then got on Hwy 31 South and started coming back to Montgomery. We figured Big Ed and Roxanne would be through with their family activity soon, and we should get back to the house.

I'm very happy our friends came to visit and allowed us to be able to spend some time together. We always enjoy their company and I look forward to seeing them again. I was really glad I had the opportunity to ride on New Year's Day. I hope it sets a precedence for 2009, with good rides to come in the days ahead. There were several moments during my ride that allowed me the chance to ponder my resolutions, organize my goals for this year, and just have my own little pep rally to help me get ready for the year. I hope 2009 is better, but only time will tell. I can't think of a better way to start... than riding in the New Year!

Author's note: I apologize for the lack of pictures of this ride, but it was cold! Too much trouble taking gloves and liners on and off. We plan to ride again on Saturday to real pretty area, with the intent of trying to get some nice pics. We're supposed to have temps reaching 72, so it should be a nice day to ride.

Lady R