LIKE SPILLED PAINT

I'm really enjoying our Spring riding these days. Every corner you turn, or hill you top, delivers another delightful view of our Southern landscape.  Not to mention the great weather!

Fields of color open up before you like spilled paint on a canvas.  My eyes are constantly shifting from the road to the fields, trying to take it all in. 

 
Borders of yellow and red line the roadways with clover and other wild flowers. 

All in all... I'd say we had a very colorful ride!  Hope you did too!

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

SPRING RIDING

Hey folks! I think I'm going to fire up the ol' blog again. It's been a nice riding season already (and it's only April!) and I'd feel selfish if I didn't share it with all of you.

I'll be honest, life's been good, and I wish I could spin out some really fascinating tale of kidnappings and top secret espionage but... that's not gonna happen. Sorry. The truth is, I didn't realize just how bad this blog was going to suffer when I set some New Year's resolutions way back in January. Geesh!

None the less, I'm back and I hope to rekindle your interest in my drivel.  There have been several birdies in my ear letting me know that I've been missed, so with that being said, let's go!

Scenic ride through Horseshoe Bend

 I've been enjoying the Boy while logging the miles... one breathless landscape at a time.  That's one thing that has not stopped!  In fact, this past Saturday, somewhere along the Talledega Scenic Highway, Harley and I noticed this busy little bee during one of our rest stops.

Buzzzzzz...

 He was big!

We saw several other riders out and about, so it was a very wavy day.

Fellow riders on Mt. Cheaha

We logged about 280 miles on the bikes while riding on Mt. Cheaha Saturday.  With the temps lingering in the low 70's by lunch time, it was a wonderful way to spend my day... taking notice of the beautiful playground my Creator made for me. 

Beautiful Cherry Tree near Logan Martin Lake

The Boy

 Life is Good!

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - MARVELOUS MIMOSA

I can't remember if I posted pictures of this feathery light tree before... or not.  Let's just say I didn't... and here goes!

During this time of year, the Mimosa Trees are blooming and make the roadside scenery absolutely beautiful.  I love how they contrast against the dark green leaves and the blue sky.

MARVELOUS MIMOSA

 

Ain't it purty??  Sweet home Alabama!

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - ALABAMA RIVER

Looking back on my Spring riding pictures from last year, I couldn't help but notice how Harley and I would always gravitate toward water.  In doing so, I've collected quite a few "dam" pictures!  Alabama is blessed is rivers and lakes and we always found ourselves including them in our ride. 

ALABAMA RIVER


ROBERT F. HENRY LOCK AND DAM

We took the Jeep up around Lake Martin this past weekend and scoped out some campgrounds and talked about future purchases.  We are torn between a camper or a boat.  Hmmm... I'm really wondering how we can do both! 

Now you know why we keep an active lottery ticket every week.  We need to get lucky!

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R (Di)

PIC OF THE WEEK - SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood! Enjoy!

 

 

Spring is everywhere! Have great week everybody!

Lady R (Di)

PIC OF THE WEEK - CRIMSON AND CLOVER

Harley and I took off Saturday morning and headed north up to Mt. Cheaha. I love going there and riding the curvy ribbon of highway up to the top of this small mountain. Our roads were full of other riders blowing off the cobwebs of winter and airing out their machines. I hate to brag to all your northerners, but... we saw 87 degrees this weekend!

CRIMSON AND CLOVER
I'm glad we finally found a safe spot to pull off and let me get a great picture of all the amazing clover that's everywhere along our highways. Mother Nature's palate of vibrant red and bright white are lined all along our roads and brings a lot of bright color to your peripheral vision, making it very hard to stay focused on what's in front of you.

There's something very rewarding about topping a large curvy hill just to see a blanket of crimson clover covering a large pasture. Ahhhhhh...

Ah, my mind's such a sweet thing.
I want to do everything.
What a beautiful feeling.
Crimson and clover. Over and over.
Crimson and clover, over and over, Crimson and clover, over and over...

Have a nice week everybody!

Lady R

BEAUTY AND THE BEASTS

Saturday found us riding up around Sylacauga so we could visit with Harley's mom and take her out to lunch. She enjoys the outing and we never get bored riding up on one of our favorite highways, CR 29 in Coosa County (we figured in this case the CR really stands for... curvy road!).

Right outside her apartment sits this very pretty tree (I think it's a Yoshino Flowering Cherry Tree) and it served as a pretty spring backdrop to our beastly rides.

BEAUTY AND THE BEASTS
Spring is popping out everywhere you look, so every time we stopped to stretch, I had my camera in my hands. I tried to think outside the box and capture the beauty of Mother Nature by playing with different camera settings, so bear with me as I share my experiments with you.

We had a wonderful ride in spite of having to zigzag our way home to split a couple terrible storms. Harley is great at watching the sky, so we made it successfully without getting a single drop on us! I put several miles on the 'ol girl this weekend... and it sure does feel good!

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - WILD ABOUT WISTERIA

When I was a little girl, we used to have a lilac bush in our backyard. The delicate purple flowers reminded me of grapes hanging in a bunch and I can remember my mom cutting some from time to time, so she could display them on the kitchen table in a big vase. The aroma of lilacs would fill our whole house!

Wisteria reminds me of Lilacs.

WILD ABOUT WISTERIA
I was driving home from PC yesterday when I saw this pretty Wisteria growing up the water tower in front of the historic Mark's House on CR 85. Right now, Wisteria is wildly climbing on everything and as I drove through the countryside, I could see the light purple blossoms vividly against the backdrop of brownish green foliage.

This old house is about 10 miles SE of Montgomery and is home for one of the biggest Arts and Crafts Fairs in our area which is always held on the first Saturday of November.
We find ourselves traveling out of Montgomery on this road often as it's a nice scenic drive to Hwy. 231. The house is not occupied now and is rented out for receptions, parties and other such events, but could imagine living here with this view?

Ahhhh... me too.

Have a great week everybody. It's Spring!!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - ALABAMA SPRINGTIME

Here in Alabama, Saturday was a great day for riding! Harley and I wanted to make the best of it, so we decided to go to Whataburger for lunch... in Clanton! It was the kind'a ride that took you 80 miles to get there, even though it was only 50 miles away. We took a leisurely cruise up our favorite little highways and byways and observed all the Spring blossoms starting to dapple our beautiful country landscape.

ALABAMA SPRINGTIME
These Tulip trees are one of my favorite Spring flowers. I'm not sure if they're officially called Tulip trees, but that's what I call them. When they start to bloom, I know the dreary brownness of winter will soon be gone.

In this northern area of Autauga County, you'll see acres and acres of these lovely peach trees lining the roads, sometimes on both sides. These gorgeous blossoms create an image of a brilliant pink blanket laying across the landscape and it looks absolutely beautiful.

Even these Bradford Pears dressed up the dormant tree line with their contrasting blooms of white.

During one of our little stretch breaks, I couldn't help but notice these delicate tiny little purple blooms that made the dirty ground even look pretty.

We enjoyed a nice ride, ate a good 'ol burger, and saw some pretty spring scenery all while under a lovely blue sky and cruising through the welcome warm spring air. It can't get much better than this! Hope your weekend ride was as good as mine was.

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

JOHN DEERE AND THE "SCRAP MAN"

Ever have one of those rides when, even though you've been down the same ol' roads, with the same ol' houses and saw the same ol' scenery, all of a sudden... something grabs your attention like it's brand new? It may have been there the last five hundred times you rode by this house or that barn, but for some reason, today it jumps out at you and says... "look at me!" While Harley and I were riding around our sweet Alabama country roads a couple weekends ago, I saw lots of familiar stuff, it seemed... for the first time.

As most of my regular readers know, my dad (Papa J) passed away on February 20th. I'm very thankful to have had a wonderful relationship with him, but coping with my loss has left me feeling like I'm on an emotional roller coaster, and it's all I can do to hang on for the ride. After being in Dubuque with my family for a couple weeks, I figured I'd be spending my first Saturday back home catching up on laundry and other house keeping chores, but Harley had other plans. He knows me better than anyone and knew I needed a break from my turmoil, so he suggested we take advantage of a pretty day and get a little road therapy. He asked if I wanted to hop on the Glides and ride along while he did some research for work, saying something about, "checking out some pans". The sun promised to play peek-a-boo with us while the temperature was lingering in the mid 60's so I thought... why the hell not!

Now, there was a time in my life that I only thought of pans as being those various sized containers with handles, that are heat resistant so you can cook food in them. Well, that was before I married the "scrap man". Pans are not just for cooking... but collecting. A "pan" in the scrap business is a large metal box, (looking very much like a gigantic dumpster) used to collect the scrap material of certain businesses, and can be carried around by large trucks. Harley was courting a new customer, so he needed to go around to this company's various locations and "check out their pans", so he could give them a quote on buying their material.

We maneuvered through town and started heading north on Hwy. 9, a road we travel often, when I noticed the first one. There it was, like a brand new addition to the landscape, even though I remember seeing it there before... a nice big John Deere mailbox, shaped like a tractor. For some reason, as I rode by it today, it stood out and made me take notice of it. It's brilliant green and gold paint, glimmering in the sunlight, caught my attention and made my heart skip a beat followed by that all too familiar "punch in the gut" pain that has been plaguing me of late.

(I'll explain a little history here, so the rest of my story will make sense to you. After many hard working years, my dad retired from John Deere Dubuque Tractor Works. He loved to collect John Deere memorabilia as well as stock his garage with various outdoor John Deere products. In my father's house... green and gold represented pride and quality. As children, we grew up believing in the Gospel according to John: Nothing runs like a Deere!)

Seeing the mailbox started a flood of memories and thoughts that seemed to swish around in my head like a wash tub full of water. As I pondered these thoughts and tried to put things in order, we traveled just a couple more miles down the road before I saw another one. It was on the other side of the road this time and not quite as big as the first one. Much more worn out, but another one just the same... a John Deere mailbox.

I kid you not. For the next several miles, or maybe I should say all afternoon, I would see many familiar items of green and gold. I noticed the John Deere tractor beside an old barn that was partially covered with a dusty tarp, and a tall iron and metal windmill boasting the running deer logo on one of its blades. While cruising around the country side (stopping now and then to allow Harley, the "scrap man" to dumpster dive on an industrial level), I noticed the rusty old novelty street sign that marked someone's driveway as "John Deere Rd."

As my mind kept focusing on these objects of familiarity, I became instantly gratified. I realized, as I rode that day... my dad was with me, and noticing all these reminders of him was comforting. In my heart and mind, he will always be with me, and this day was no exception.

It felt good to be on my Glide again and I decided to let all the stresses of life blow off with the wind. I continued to follow my fearless leader as we made our way on some beautiful highways during our Saturday afternoon adventure. The brown of winter is starting to fade and soon the brilliant color of Spring will wash over the landscape.

After a couple hundred miles of enjoyable riding with John Deere and the "scrap man", I felt content with the world. All I can say right now is... Life is good!

Lady R
Ride on!

(Disclaimer: the photos used in this post were copied from web.)

PIC OF THE WEEK & HARLEY'S BUG!!!

HARLEY'S BUG!!
This wasp took on a suicide mission to ride a Harley for Easter. He just chose the wrong Harley!

I decided to post the story behind this weeks Pic Of The Week as an added bonus for Monday. Come back later if you need to, but you gotta read this one! LR

HARLEY'S BUG!!

Easter weekend proved to be a great two days of beautiful Spring weather here in our little area of Alabama. Harley and I took advantage of the warm 70 degree afternoons and went riding. Both days!!

We rode to Tuscaloosa on Sunday (to visit Harley's mom and his aunt's for Easter) to help make up for feeling shortchanged for cutting our ride short the day before. Our Saturday jaunt ended up at the local ER in Tallassee for a not so nice end to a wonderful day!

Harley and I just rode through Union Springs, and we were heading North up Hwy. 29. I was following along, taking in all the lavenders and yellows and other Spring colors popping throughout the landscape, when I noticed Harley braking and shaking his side to side somewhat erratically. There was no good place to pull off, but that apparently was not going to deter Harley from pulling over. I'm thinking... WTF??

I no sooner got my kick stand down, when Harley was already off his bike and making purposeful strides back towards me while yelling, "You've gotta get this bug out of my ear!!"
I'm thinking, holy sh*t, did he say a bug is in his ear?? I get him to calm down for a few seconds so I can take a look. I don't see anything!
I ask, "Are you sure it's still in there?"
He looks me straight in the eyes and I see his panic setting in as he says, "I was looking around, when all of a sudden it hit, and I felt a sharp pain immediately. Now I hear this thing in there and it's eating it's way through trying to get out!"

Okay... I start to understand the urgency now. We have a real emergency here! I'm standing there watching my husband of 28 years, suddenly act like he's been infected by some horrible brain eating body snatcher. This bug, whatever it is, is also causing extreme pain in his ear canal, and he is getting more frustrated that we can't find something, anything (like a fricking tweezers!) that we can use to try and pull it out. To top that off, once I convince him to let me call for help, I realize we have no service!

Another 10 minutes of dogging cars and cursing cell phone technology brought us to game time decision. We pulled ourselves together and rode! Harley said, "Get me to the nearest Dr.!"

I led the way. We had our flashers on and throttles open as we sped up the highway, flying toward anyone who would be able to help. I noticed a Police car at a Gas Station convenience store as we came into Tuskegee. We whipped in and explained to him what was happening. He didn't have anything to help us, but the store clerk tossed me a bottle of Isopropyl alcohol. We poured a little of that down Harley's ear and suddenly he went berserk! Seems we just pissed off the bug!

Well, our cop pal couldn't help with the bug, but we did get the blue light treatment through town to the nearest Fire Station. I was hoping they would be able to retrieve Harley's bug before it took up permanent residency, but again, we hit a dead end. They didn't have the proper kits or tools to extract a bug deeply lodged in someones ear. It's finally concluded, that a Hospital is going to be Harley's only hope. We have to go to Tallassee, about 20 miles away. All the while, Harley is riding himself around, enduring intense pain and pressure, trying to find someone to get this bug out of his ear. The only good thing at this point is... the alcohol seemed to halt the intense activity of the bug. We figured it's either dead, or just passed out and is going to be really pissed off when he wakes up!

By the time we got to the Tallassee Community Hospital ER, Harley's bug has been in it's new home for about 45 minutes. It has stopped "chewing his way out", but was still emitting an enormous amount of pressure and was starting to cause a headache. While we were waiting our turn to see the ER Dr., I took the opportunity to look into Harley's ear with that ear magnifier thingy that hangs on the wall. I carefully inspected the area, letting my gaze follow the canal down close to the ear drum and way back as far as I could see... there it is! I saw just a tiny little bit of the ends of two hairy legs. Boy... that sucker is in there!

We sat around and fulfilled the obligatory two and a half hour wait for treatment. Finally, Dr. Young (he barley looked old enough to vote!) was able to flush and irrigate the bug out of the canal far enough, so he could reach it with an alligator forceps... a long narrow pliers like thing. After about three very painful attempts, the nice young Dr. finally retrieved this very large wasp that just simply wanted to ride on a Harley for Easter. My hubby was extremely relieved to be rid of his unwelcome passenger, I can tell ya!

When we got home Saturday evening, we reflected on the million in one odds, that a wasp could land a hole in one like that. Still, we packed the First Aid Kit back on the bike and made sure we had Q-tips and tweezers in it. I don't think I would've been able to get this particular bug today, even if I had the tools I needed. This bugger was deep, deep, deep!

As riders, we can learn how to prevent problems like this by sharing our experiences with each other. Reading this post may cause some of you to reconsider what kind of lid you wear, if one at all. Maybe... maybe not. Or, you could be like us and just add one more piece of gear to the list of things you don't leave home without... and that's cotton! Even after this terrible fiasco, I'm not going to stop wearing my half helmet and neither is Harley. But we can promise you this... there will be cotton in our ears from now on!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK

SUNDAY RIDE
Sunday was a beautiful day to ride! I figured it was no coincidence that I caught this rider coming up the street while I was snapping a pic of the pretty Spring Azaleas. The weather was perfect and there were plenty of riders to wave to. This is a street I travel on every day, and it has been a real treat watching the transformation come to life. Ride on!

Hope you all had a nice weekend and have an even nicer Monday.

Lady R

THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Dear Diary... a glimpse into the pages of a journal written my a woman rider.

March 20, 2009
Dear Diary,
Today is officially the first day of Spring and Mother Nature did not disappoint us! The sky was a beautiful shade of azure blue and the sun was shining bright and warm. I was feeling especially excited today, as I went to the closet to grab my riding gear. My leathers have served me well during our chilly winter rides, but I pushed them aside, so I could grab my spring riding jacket instead. I just smiled to myself and thought... not today!

Hitting the streets on the Glide was more rewarding than usual. My senses were assaulted with the sweet smell and vibrant color as I took in all the new Spring growth covering the various landscapes. The ivory flaked Bradford Pears and popping pinks of Crepe Myrtles and Red Buds provided an abundant backdrop to the pinks, reds, and whites of the blooming Azaleas, a southern favorite.

H also celebrated this beautiful first day of Spring in proper fashion by riding his bike to work. After several nights of painstakingly washing and waxing every inch of his Street Glide, he was ready to take her out. I should take the cue from him and do the same thing to my Glide, but I'd rather ride it, than wash it. He got off work early to go to his back cracker, so I decided to meet him out at his Dr.'s office so we could ride together for a bit before the day got too far gone.

Feeling the absence of the leather jacket for a change was invigorating as the warm Spring air drifted through the mesh fabric of my spring riding jacket. I must have had a big smile on my face, because I notice several folks smiling back. I was definitely feeling revived and energized and was looking forward to a nice long ride to flush away all the wintry cobwebs.

Tomorrow, we plan to get up and start our day early so we can go up and visit A and take in some Spring scenery. Riding around close to the Talladega National Forest always proves to be a very rewarding ride and I am so looking forward to it. I'll be back to let you know how it was. Until then...

Me

SPRING IS IN THE AIR... AND ALL OVER MY BIKE!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! My calender says today is the first day of Spring, and even though it's still a little chilly for some of you northerner's, it's what you've all been waiting for. I'm glad to know that you will finally be able to join me in getting in some of that long awaited road therapy.

I have been fortunate enough to live where I can ride all year long, and with the exception of a few very cold days, my Glide is always willing and ready for me to take her out for some two wheeled exercise. For the last couple weeks, riding to work has been a real pleasure. I can feel the change in the air and it's nice to ride again without having to get so bundled up.
With the arrival of Spring, however, also means the arrival of pollen (achoo!). We have a big Bradford Pear across the street from Tooth Factory, and even though it's very beautiful right now with all it's blooms, it likes to shower everything within a 50 yard radius with a fine green dust. I came out of my office the other day to go home, and I thought, "Yuk! Look at my bike!"
I tried to get a nice close up of the green dusty pollen all over every exposed surface of my Glide so you could see what I mean. Oh well, I guess that just mean I have to ride faster so I can blow it all off!

So, mount your Iron Steeds my friends! Spring has arrived! The soul needs rejuvenation and I can't think of a nicer way to charge your spiritual batteries, than riding around on two!

Ride on!
Lady R