THUNDER AND RAIN AND... THE HALLMARK CHANNEL

I went to Panama City Beach  for Thunder Rain... I mean the Thunder Beach Spring Bike Rally last weekend, and in spite of the weather conditions (cold and rainy), I had a really great time.  But, any time spent with good friends is usually a great time to me.  Besides, it's not like it rained the whole weekend... just 50 % of it (rolling her eyes and laughing... laughing like a hyena... laughing at her own sense of demented humor) .

It wasn't all that bad. Harley went down the day before, but I had to work, so I took off about 9:00 Friday morning to join up with him and our friends. I had a really nice ride down, complimented by the continuous aroma of honeysuckle (my favorite Spring fragrance) and didn't get into any rain until I got near the beach.  Apparently, it had been raining there since Thursday and it didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon.  Everything and everyone, from the Sand Piper to Patches was hunkered down and fighting boredom while they waited out the weather.

The house we stayed at had a nice big covered porch, so we could all be outside without getting wet. That kept the cabin fever down to a minimum, but even in spite of our laughter and story telling, it was still a bummer to be sitting... and not riding.

Lady R... holding her front porch position.

Eventually my group, as big and scary as they are, (picture Phil and Si Robertson... with beers) turned to the Hallmark Channel.  Yep.  You read that right folks... Hallmark. I kind of wondered about this because earlier in the day, we had watched "Case #39" with Renee Zelleweger, and if any of you have seen that movie, you know it's a big flip from the kinds of movies you'll find on... the Hallmark Channel.

They tried to blame it on me and said they were just being nice.  Hmmmmm... that was their story and they were sticking to it!  They just figured I'd want to watch a chick flick, so... we just turned it into a contest to see who would let the others see them cry first. We pinky swore that the results would go with us to our graves (wink).

Saturday afternoon, around 1:00 the sun finally broke through and started drying up the beach.  One motor turned into two... then five.  Before you knew it, the streets came to life with the sounds of motorcycles of all kinds.Yeah! Thunder Beach!

It only took a couple hours to figure out everybody else was just as happy to get out and about, because every street that went anywhere near the rally venues, became slow moving parking lots. Good grief!  It was insane! Luckily, my local pals knew how to navigate us around some of the madness, but it was still such a cluster f#*%, if you know what I mean.

In spite of it all, we had a safe and fun weekend and got to see several of our friends.  Our ride home Sunday was a pretty one, so I guess you can say it makes up for some of the sittin'.  And even though Panama City and Panama City Beach is like a second home for us, it's always good to pull into the garage and realize you are blessed...  Home sweet home.

Being extra tired after weekend like this, Harley and I settled in our chairs and figured a nap was just around the corner.  He picked up the remote and asked what I wanted to watch.  I thought for a minute and a slow smile of remembrance appeared on my lips as I asked... What's on the Hallmark Channel?

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

THUNDER THERAPY

Once upon a time... in a land not so far away was a lady rider who was under lots and lots of stress. She was under so much stress, that she was seeing cows when she should have been seeing dolphins! (not really, but I thought it would be funny to tie-in to my Friday post!)  She knew she had to get herself back on track, so she loaded up the Boy, and headed south to Panama City Beach to get some therapy... Thunder Beach Therapy.

 
No appointment necessary... the doctor is always in! The lady rider was so happy to have a really cool place to hang out and listen to the rumbling thunder.  Having been here many times before, it's beginning to be one of her favorite hideaways.

 
As the beautiful weekend unfolded, blue skies and sunshine accompanied the smiles and miles that brought several other stressed out riders together.  Slow cooked meats, ice cold beverages, and toe tapping music was flowing abundantly.  Rejuvenation was imminent!

 
Chillin' and relaxin'... the order of the day.

The lady rider was having such  a good time during her therapy session, she decided to treat herself to a new look.

Yes, the jury is still out on this one, but no fairy tale is complete without the color purple and some butterflies! Tee hee!

After a long day of therapy, the lady rider and all the other riders would seek out their shelters and reminisce over the days events.  What a better way to do that, than with something like this...


Ahhhhhhh... beautiful!

The lady rider and all her riding friends really enjoyed some great thunder therapy, and since Thunder Beach comes around twice a year... they will all live happily ever after. 

THE END!

TOES IN THE WATER

In response to Bobskoot and SonjaM's request for more pictures... I'm happy to oblige!  It was a beautiful morning, and my friend and I had the most wonderful visit. The pics of the beach were taken while I was out on a long fishing pier over the water.  It was hot, but the breeze coming off the water made it very comfortable.
 
 

Now, take a walk on the beach with me... Enjoy!
 
The daily afternoon storms had the seaweed stirred up, but I think it's still pretty.

Toes!
 

So there ya go. I actually enjoyed the beach... without my boots on!

If you're ever in Panama City Beach and need something to do... go check out St. Andrews State Park. It's very nice!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - ST ANDREW'S PARK

I was in PC (Panama City, FL) this past weekend for a little girl time and actually went out put my toes in the water.  That may seem strange to most of you, but I'm usually suited up for riding, and the beach is the last place I find myself when I'm visiting the area.

My friend, Earth Mother, took me to St. Andrews State Park Saturday morning and gave me a chance to see what everybody comes here for. Sun, sand and water. Frankly, I thought the dunes where awesome...

ST. ANDREW'S STATE PARK

 

LOVE...

Awwww... somebody loves somebody, I reckon.

Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up with my postings now. I've got a lot to write about, so I hope I can start bringing you something more interesting than just pictures and jokes. It seems like every time I turn around, I'm packing or unpacking. But hey, life just gets busy, ya know?

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

THUNDER BEACH SPRING RALLY

Time to load up and head south for the Spring Thunder Beach Rally at my home away from home, Panama City Beach, Florida.

Click on the icon above for the official Thunder Beach Productions web page, where you'll find all the information you need to plan your stay and see what's happening.

(pics copied from the web)

I also wanted to remind all of you who find yourself in the area... don't forget to grab some of the best damn pizza in the pan handle. Marco's Pizza at 7010 Thomas Drive... but don't tell them Lady R sent you or they'll charge you double! lol!

Come on down for some great fun and remember the Thunder Beach motto... "The most biker friendly free rally in the US!"

Let's ride and party hard!!

Lady R

THUNDER BEACH AND THE 3 B'S... BEACHES, BIKES AND BEAUTIFUL BABES

Take a look at this Fall's Thunder Beach Rally... served up with big blue skies... lot's of sunshine... and comfortable temperatures that hung around the mid 80's all weekend long. It just doesn't get any better than that.

BEACHES
The beaches in Panama City are still just as lovely as ever. In fact, one of my pals revealed to me that they've gotten a lot of Destin and Gulf Shores business because of the oil spill disaster. The city is always changing and building, so the construction along the coast line was a bit of a drag, but we managed to avoid any mishaps while me maneuvered around.

Even though we didn't take advantage of it and stick our toes in the water, I enjoy riding along the coast and being able to look over at the magnificent view. (In between the condo's that is!)

BIKES

We saw some impressive bikes during the weekend. We walked around several different venues... all of which had their own version of shows and contests. Let me hush a minute and let your eyes feast on some of these beautiful machines.


This one is for Dave over at Road Grits Cafe.
It made me think of you and wondered what you would say about those foot boards. Pretty wicked, heh?

I posted pictures of this trike in my BAGR4LF AND THE BEST IN SHOW post, but it appears he added the flag carrier since then. Very nice!

BEAUTIFUL BABES
We all gathered around to cheer on our friend, Shooter, as she put herself out there for the Ms. Thunder Beach Contest. The guys in our group offered up their assistance on what "sexy biker chick" attire meant, and even made her go change... twice! LOL! We all thought she looked awesome, but unfortunately she did not take the crown.

The tall skinny blond with fake hair and sparkly boobs won. What do those judges know!
My brave friend... Shooter.
Her legs go all the way up her ass too... they're just not as long as everyone else's. Woo Hoo! You go girl!

Here are a few of the other contestants... for your viewing pleasure! LOL!

This contestant danced with her shadow... pretty cool.

Had to include this groovy chick. I thought she was cute as a button.

Well there you have it... another great time logged in the history book of life. We've been enjoying the Thunder Beach Rallies for about 8 years now, and I have to remind you... it's not so much the rally itself, but the friends we see while we're there.

I want to give a big thanks to our pal, The Pizza Man for letting us stay at his place on the beach. It was good seeing you and we appreciate your hospitality immensely.

Listen up everybody! If your ever in Panama City Beach, and your hungry, you need to eat at Marco's Pizza. It's locally owned and operated (by our friend and his family), and not only do they make really good pizzas, they also have the best Italian Subs I've ever eaten. They're at 7010 Thomas Drive and they deliver too. If your looking for something good to eat... you won't be disappointed. Eat at Marco's!!

Until next time... keep the shiny side up and ride on!

Lady R

RIDING SOLO... BUT NOT ALONE

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

July 5, 2009

Dear Diary,
Once again, I found myself following my fearless leader, Harley, down the road while we took ourselves to Panama City for the 4th of July weekend. Only this time, I rode my own Glide and Harley was in his own truck. A simple back tire replacement earlier in the week, lead to the discovery that his Street Glide had a loose bearing. Warranty work... good. Had to order part... bad. He didn't get his bike out in time for the weekend.

We changed out my seat and put the tour pack back on, so we could ride two up, once we got there. He offered to put my Glide on the trailer so I could ride in the truck with him and our puppies, in the comfort of the A/C. Panama City is a nice 185 miles, and even though it's pretty hot, I still wanted to ride.

So... Harley took the lead, and I followed. With his radar detector on and roaming, we were able to clip along at a nice pace, making my ride even more enjoyable. The sun was high in the sky and the wind felt warm on my face as I relaxed and took it all in. It wasn't long before we settled into our normal riding rhythm as if we were both on two. Anyone following us for any length of time would have noticed the graceful synchronization of the blue Ford truck and the black Electra Glide as we maneuvered together, through holiday traffic.

We came up on a dead possum or something and Harley drifted so far over to the right, his right tires were on the shoulder of the road. He could have easily straddled it, but as my own personal "road captain", he has a habit of kicking his right or left foot out, to warn me of upcoming road kill or other hazards that need to be avoided. Since he couldn't do that, he'd position his truck to the far left or far right of his lane, to signal my warnings. I smiled to myself at the reaction he got from other drivers who no doubt thought he was crazy for swerving so.

We got to Panama City without any problems and had a fabulous 4th of July weekend with our friends. Sunday morning, as we headed back home, we stopped to get gas before we got out of Florida. During our pit stop, Harley revealed to me that I may get wet. The radio was telling of an upcoming storm in the Montgomery area and he was hoping it held off until we got there. We decided to forgo any more stops and just get our butts home.

Traffic was pretty heavy and we did our best to find our comfortable rhythm, but it was like maneuvering through a moving parking lot. It was really hot again today and I was getting pretty thirsty. I was beginning to wonder if my decision not to stop needed to be retracted. As we approached one of the stop lights near Ozark, I noticed Harley had his window down and was dangling a travel mug out the window as if to say, "want some?" I split the lane and pulled up along side of him and said, "hey mister, got something to drink?" I took two long draws on the straw and was rewarded instantly with the cool refreshing taste of sweet tea. I should have known... Harley loves his sweet tea!

At three more lights along the way, he put his mug out there and I would pull up along side and take my drinks. By the time we were about to leave the city limits of Troy, I told him I was good and we can book it the rest of the way home. I wonder what the folks around us thought. "Look at that nice truck driver giving that hot thirsty rider a drink... how sweet."

We were about 15 miles from home when the sky opened up. I noticed Harley tap his brakes as he slowed down. He waved me around him, and as I rode passed, he pointed forward, for me to take the lead. I guess he figured if anyone was going to ride behind me in a hard rain storm, it was going to be him. I had been riding under the blazing sun for three hours now, was hot and tired, and I welcomed the cooling rain on my skin. It felt soooo good!

We pulled into the driveway and I got off the bike and thought... that was great! Riding by myself made me feel a little vulnerable at times because I feel there is safety in numbers, even if it's just the two of us. I crossed paths with a couple other solo riders during our trip down and back, and as I waved I wondered, are they really alone? I'm glad I chose to ride, and with Harley leading the way, I knew I would be fine.

I may have been riding solo... but I was certainly not alone.

Me

PIC OF THE WEEK

It's time to say good bye to 2008. Some will say good riddance, but I'm just glad it's over and I'm holding out for a better 2009 to come. I've been saving this picture to present as my last 'PIC OF THE WEEK' for 2008.

PANAMA CITY BEACH SUNSET
I took this pic last September during Thunder Beach Weekend while Harley and I sat and enjoyed a beer with our pals. We were at a place called "No Name's", a local bar with an outside deck, that sits at the base of the Hathaway Bridge. You're looking across Saint Andrews Bay toward Panama City's beach front area.

Have a nice Monday everybody, and let's say goodbye to 2008!

Lady R

BTW... Don't forget to vote for your favorite PIC OF THE WEEK of 2008, from yesterday's post. Thanks!