MON-DAY-DREAM

I'm sorry I didn't post my Friday Funny... nor did I get a decent post prepared for this morning either. I've had a very busy weekend.  Rewarding... but busy.

I know some of you are still waiting for the weather to cooperate in your area and well... I just thought I'd share one of my favorite pics to help you with your Monday daydreams.

After all... isn't that what Mondays are for?

The perfect road... long and empty.

 I know... I'd rather be there right now, too.  I hope you didn't slobber on your monitor too badly.  Just get a paper towel and it will be alright.

Have a nice week everybody!

Lady R

HELLO... ???

Hello???  ... silence....

Helloooo???

I think she's breathing... let's check her pulse.


We have a pulse... she's alive!

What now?

Don't know... let's wait and see.

HWY 49 AND THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER

Harley and I blessed the roads again Saturday while we waited for our favorite College game to start.  I'm very happy that our ride was much more satisfying than our score, but when your an Auburn fan... well, enough said.

HWY 49

 
Hwy. 49 has always been one of our favorite roads.  Even though it looks pretty straight in this shot, it's full of great curves and hills and the scenery is awesome.  This area is just south of the entrance into the Horseshoe Bend Military Park, which is another of my favorite places.

TALLAPOOSA RIVER

We watched some folks put their canoe in while we stood around stretching our legs and swigging on some sweet tea.  It was a beautiful day for activities of all kinds!

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY.

You know that feeling you get, when you run into an old friend, and after a few minutes of talking and catching up, it seems like only yesterday? Or going back home... and getting the feeling like you've never really left.  If you don't know what I mean, it's hard to describe, but after just a few miles on the road with the Boy, it felt like I've never left the saddle!

Harley and I headed out on our first road trip to the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway and the Smokey Mountain National Park to commemorate our "Reunion Ride". Quite an endeavor for two out of shape riders to accomplish after a year long sabbatical from riding.

Seven days, six states, and 2211 miles!! Shew! If I didn't have an iron butt before, I sure do now! You would think we were trying to make up for lost time the way we went about it, but even though we were tired... we had a great ride! Getting back on the road with two wheels under me has been quite an experience in itself, but there I was, doing just that... and with all that beautiful scenery to surround me.

I'm so happy to be...

Riding... feeling... smiling... it seemed like only yesterday.

Lady R

TEST RIDE, LAUGHTER AND... RAIN?

 Many of my readers know, that I gave up riding last summer after my husband had an unfortunate incident with a car and the highway.  It's been very difficult adjusting to my decision, but out of my love and support for him, it seemed the best thing to do at the time. Other than a couple of small rides after the accident, I sold my 'ol girl right after my birthday, last July. The memory of that last ride has been very bittersweet and precious and has never left the forefront of my mind.  It's been a really strange year, but I believe that all things happen for a reason, we just may not always understand why.

May 7th, marked the one year anniversary of Harley's wreck, and he has not been on a motorcycle since... until yesterday.

It's amazing what a year can do for someone's psyche and spirit, but it's taken most of that time for his broken ribs to quit being such a bother.  We thought we could get interested in camping or boating, but the fact that we both really miss the joy that riding gave us, had more to do with our choice than anything. For the last several weeks, we've started conversing and pondering over our desire to get back on the road with just two wheels under us. It's been days and days of looking, shopping, dreaming, and planning. 

Well, I'm pleased to announce, that yesterday he rode his (new to us) '08 Ultra Classic Electra Glide straight from the bank and right to the Harley Davidson shop so he could get a back rest mounted and talk about future motor work. Yes, boys and girls... we're baaaaacckk!

What about me, you ask?  Well, I've got my next one all picked out also.  After my little test ride last Tuesday, I'm just waiting for the dude to get his replacement title in the mail so we can conclude our transaction.  What am I getting, you ask?  Well... I've settled my sites on a beautiful blue '04 Fat Boy.  I really couldn't tell ya if the plastered grin on my face was from my excitement, or the test ride.

You see, I've always ridden with a windshield and fairing.  This Fat Boy had neither.  The night I went over to try it on for size, I had grabbed my half helmet instead of my three quarter helmet with the face shield. I should have know better, but I didn't think it would matter much. After all, it was just going to be a quick little ride.

I decided I needed to feel how smooth this bad boy Fat Boy felt at high speeds, so I took it up I-65 and rode the 10 miles it took to get to Prattville, before turning around.  Looking down at the speedometer and realizing how smooth and steady it felt, I cranked it up to 90 m.p.h. (and prayed no po-po was around!).  I was so excited at how solid it felt, I noticed myself laughing and giggling.  When you laugh and giggle at 90 m.p.h. with no filter between your face and the wind, it can get pretty weird!  Even though I was wearing glasses, I could feel watery tears streaming out of my eyes making a mad dash into my ear holes. The high speed wind in my face felt like a G-force of 10, causing me to have a plastered grimace that did everything but let my facial skin fly off my cheek bones. What a rush!! While blinking and laughing, I could feel my nose watering and spit flying out of the corners of my mouth. Holy cow... I'm sure those poor people driving behind me wondered where all the rain was coming from.  If you ever notice a cage running windshield wipers on a clear sunny day... chances are, they are following a motorcyclist without a windshield. Buwahahahahahaha... slurp!

These next couple weeks will seem like an eternity, while I wait for all the i's to be dotted, and the t's to get crossed. But one thing is for certain...

Lady Ridesalot rides again!

Stay tuned... it's gonna get good!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - OBJECTS IN MIRROR...

I've been reminiscing a lot lately over our past riding adventures.  When Harley had his wreck this past Spring, it was clear that his riding days were definitely on hold, if not permanently expired. Since we are the kind of couple that deals with life's ups and downs together, I made my very difficult decision to support him and not ride... for now.  He's been doing very well, but his strength and limberness has been severely compromised.  Daily activities serve as constant reminders that he would have a very difficult time trying to ride right now and not be a danger to himself or others.

That's not to say that I've not been missing our weekly adventures because I have... big time!  I've been looking over old ride pics and found these that were taken during a chilly ride back in January of 2010.

OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR...

Following the leader

Making my move!

... BEFORE THEY PASS YOU!

Lady R... riding on a cold day in Wilcox County, Alabama

Harley was always my go to man, as he was great at catching good pics on the fly.  I miss riding my Glide, at times, so much it hurts. But then, all I have to do is take a nice long look at Harley and realize there is more to life than motorcycles. Thank you God, for helping me keep that in perspective. 

Have a nice week everybody!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - WINTER TREES

I've been pretty busy lately, getting ready for the holidays and making sure we're ready for our trip, so I was a bit hurried when I chose today's selection.  However, today's pic's are scenes from my favorite road. It's rewarding to observe the seasonal changes in your collections of pictures from a favorite location.

WINTER TREES


I think the title of this blog pretty much sums it up. Riding (or driving) along roads like these will most likely shake off even the biggest of burdens life tends to throw you.  Don't sweat the small stuff, but if you do, go take in a little "southern comfort".

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - AUTUMN CONFETTI

Autumn is my favorite time to ride. The air feels cooler and the leaves start falling, coloring the ground with red and yellow confetti. Laying calm and still along the highway, they swirl to life when a gusty breeze from passing travelers pick them up, allowing them to flutter around before floating to a new resting spot.

While following Harley on the Glide, I could watch the leaves twirl into a frenzy around him as he passed by. I used to laugh and tell him it looked like he was dancing with leaves!

Come on... follow me down this little country road and enjoy the Fall!

AUTUMN CONFETTI


There... wasn't that nice?

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

RIDIN' WITH RAINBOWS

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

Saturday,
March 26, 2011

Dear Diary,

One of my favorite reasons for riding a motorcycle is when I have the good fortune to experience... a special moment. You know, those moments that only occur when you happen to be in the right place at the right time. A moment when the only evidence of it's existence lingers in the scrapbook of your mind. A moment that usually never happens to you when your driving in your car.

We were riding back from Sylacauga this afternoon, trying to make it home before some terrible weather caught us. H was watching the sky as we were splitting a pair of ferocious storms moving along on either side of us. One minute we were heading south, the next thing I know, we change direction and go west for a few miles. Just when I think we're going to get wet, I see his blinker come on and we're turning south again. The asphalt was wet everywhere we turned, including some golf ball size hail in some places, but sparingly, we weren't getting drop on us.

As we rounded a long sweeping bend and cleared a large patch of trees, I noticed H raise his left arm and point. I looked up in the direction he was pointing and there it was... big and breathtaking... the widest most brilliant rainbow I've ever seen, laid across the stormy sky. In spite of all the darkness around us, the sun was slicing through the clouds, creating a natural spotlight on the highway as if it were trying to lead us in the direction of safety. Where the two elements merged together, the unmistakable colors of orange, yellow, green and pink formed a flawless arch as it went from one side of my panoramic view to the other.

I tried in vain to keep my eyes on the road, but I couldn't help but gaze over to my left as much as my lingering senses would allow. As I continued to process the beauty I was seeing, another rainbow came into view. It was a softer less vibrant mirror reflection of the first and positioned right above it. Twins! I was definitely looking at twin, full arch rainbows!

I wanted to capture this, but there was no safe place for us to pull off. It was in that instant when I realized I was experiencing one of my cherished moments. I seem to get more and more of them lately, and I'm usually riding my Glide when they happen. I could feel my smile widen as my senses went on overload with the smell of newly fallen rain, freshly mowed hay, and looking a palate of color that only God could make.

For the next several miles I pondered many things but mostly, how blessed I really am... to be ridin' with rainbows.

Me

PIC OF THE WEEK - JUST RIDIN'

It's been getting busier and busier around here, but not too busy to get in a good ride Saturday. We decided it was probably our last good comfortable mid 60 degree day before the colder air finally takes hold of the south. That's okay by me... I'm ready for it! Our neighbor asked us yesterday, while we were hanging Christmas wreaths on our windows, if we winterize our bikes. Harley said sure... we wash 'em... fill 'em up... and ride 'em. Thank goodness that's the extent of our winterizing around here.

I didn't get any new pics of anything worth sharing, so I pulled out a couple favorites from my archives. These were taken by my hubby while we was enjoying the beautiful Arizona area with a couple of his good buddies a few years ago.

JUST RIDIN'
My pal Big Ed doesn't like it when I post pics of him on my blog, but he proved to be a perfect model for today's Pic of the Week series.

When the holiday hustle and bustle gets too overwhelming... leave everything behind and go ridin'. Life always seems better on the back of a bike.

Have a great week everybody!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - GETTING LOST

Once in a while, Harley and I set out with absolutely no idea where we want to ride to. When this happens, we just pick a direction...whether it be North, South, East or West and go from there. This way our options are always wide open and it leaves no room for disappointment. This past Saturday, we were having one of those nice meandering rides when we found ourselves somewhere northwest of Montgomery, in Coosa county.

GETTING LOST

This is the kind of road a rider can get lost on...
Lost is in their own thoughts, their own world, their own joy of the ride. If that's the case... are we really lost?

I'd say... not.

We had a great ride Saturday and logged around 250 miles as we found our way to Mitchell Dam at Lay Lake. I'm trying to pull together some nice post material of our beautiful roads that surround Alabama's rivers and lakes, so I can share them here with you. Exploring new county roads and practicing tight u-turns is a pretty accurate accounting of our weekend rides lately. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying the research!

In the mean time, have a great week everybody and ride on!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK - UNDER THE OL' SHADE TREE

When Harley and I are out ridin' the roads, we carry a collapsible cooler in the saddle bag with drinks. So unless we need fuel, when we take our breaks, we try to find a cozy place to stretch our legs and let me snap a pic or two. We'll usually try to look for places that have shade because if you've ever ridden in the south... our heat can be brutal. We were riding near Lay Lake a couple weeks ago and rode over to the dam where we found the perfect shade tree to take our break.

UNDER THE OL' SHADE TREE
While we were cooling off and letting the Glide catch their breath, I noticed another group of shade takers.

Just across a large grassy area and the parking lot, we noticed these geese enjoying the cooler effects of the shady tree themselves. So there we all were, standing or sitting under a big shade tree... cause it was just to hot to be anywhere else.

I hope you all had a nice weekend and here's to an even nicer Monday.

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK

"MELLOW YELLOW"
"I'm just mad about Saffron.
A-Saffron's mad about me.
I'm-a just mad about Saffron.
She's just mad about me."
"They call me Mellow Yellow,
Quite rightly.
They call me Mellow Yellow,
Quite rightly.
They call me Mellow Yellow."
Harley and I took a short little rest stop at some rail road tracks during our ride Saturday, which gave me the opportunity to capture a shot of these golden beauties that filled my eyes all day and had Donovan singing "Mellow Yellow" in my head!

I know these aren't very spectacular pictures for this weeks "Pic Of The Week" choice, but these brilliant yellow wild flowers where every where and it made me think of that song. The sun was shining bright, while the air was cool and crisp; and after a leisurely 225 mile ride around our Alabama countryside, I was feeling pretty mellowed out myself.

Weekends just don't last long enough... do they?

Have a nice Monday everybody!

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

PEACEFUL TRANQUILITY
This quiet little pond was on the grounds of the Moundville Archaeological State Park we rode through a few weekends ago. The park was not that big, but still had a camping area and nice picnic grounds for families to have large gatherings. We noticed a Dad and a couple kids fishing and I thought how nice it would be to spend a quiet weekend here sometime. It sure would be a change of pace from some of my more rambunctious camping weekends.

I hope you all had a nice weekend and have an even better week. I have lots to bring you, and hopefully with no plans to leave town again for a few weekends, I'll get some of my drafts posted.

Have a nice Monday everybody!

Lady R

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

SO MANY EVENTS... SO LITTLE TIME!

April is just around the corner and with it, comes a plethora of happenings. We are blessed to be in the full swing of Spring and an increase of riders on the road bears proof of that! I've been riding to work just about everyday for the last couple weeks, and I'm likely to get "Biker's Elbow" from waving at all of them. Don't worry about me though, it's a good thing!

The first weekend in April will find Harley and a couple of our buddies enjoying a little "boys trip" out to the Texas Motor Speedway for the Samsung 500. They plan to ride their bikes over to Houston to meet up with the Lone Ranger, and then they will all ride up to Forth Worth to the track. It'll be a nice little ride for them, but they're looking forward to it. This is nothing compared to some of their previous "boys trips", and don't worry about me, I've got the gurlz coming to my house for our own weekend of revelry!

On April 16th - 18th, the 2009 Alabama State HOG Rally, "Riding the River Region" will be right here in Montgomery this year. They have several guided rides planned throughout the weekend to places like the Blue Bell Ice Creamery in Sylacauga, and the Confederate Memorial Park up near Marbury. Friday afternoon, there will be an Alabama State Highway Patrol demonstration (I wonder what they demonstrate?) and some bike games at the Montgomery Motor Sports Park. An escorted parade through the Historic District of downtown Montgomery will bring you to the host Hotel, the Renaissance. There, you can to up to the roof top to "Party at the Cabana" with 2Daze Gone provided as entertainment. Harley and I may try to go to the Motor Sports Park Friday afternoon to check out the games and maybe ride the parade, but that may be all. Why? I'll tell you.

This same weekend is also the date for the Faunsdale Biker Rally over near Demopolis. This always promises to be a great rally with lots of activity. In fact, their slogan is: "Come on over and be a part of the best Bike Rally in Alabama. It's the most fun you can have without going to jail!" I know some folks who will be there, so Harley and I are definitely planning to make a day of it on Saturday and ride over and check things out. They will have a Poker Run Saturday that we may get in on, or we may just ride around on our own with our friends. The Motor Club they are members of will be there to provide security for the wet t-shirt contest. Sounds like a really tough job, heh? I'm sure there are a few "perks" that go along with it. Woo Hoo!

Our first full weekend to rally will be April 24th - 26th at the Emerald Coast BikeFest which takes place in Holt, Florida, near Crestview. We have a good group of friends that make this an annual trip and we all certainly look forward to seeing each other. The really cool thing about this, is that I just found out the other day, that my beloved mechanic "JB", is a champion drag racer! Duh! How come I didn't realize this before! I will find out in the next few days if "JB" is going to be there, so I can be sure to watch him run. I knew there was a good reason my Glide rides so swiftly and sweetly. She's been handled by a Champion!

Just about the time we think we can't do it anymore, on May 1st - 3rd, we turn right around and go to Panama City for Thunder Beach and the Derby Challenge. I probably will have a limited amount of time for motorcycle activity that weekend, because I will be partying with my Derby Girls! (That's okay, my biker girlfriends will prime me proper during the weekend before!) Harley will keep Big Ed company at the beach with some of our other riding pals, while Red Light Roxanne hosts the Derby Challenge at their place this year. For those of you who don't remember my post from last year, you can review it here, and I can assure you, there promises to be another successful Kentucky Derby in Panama City!

That just about takes care of April and the first week in May. Whew! I'm already tired and we haven't even started yet! If I'm a little thin on the postings during the next 6 weeks, you'll know why. I'm out collecting more post material! I hope to bring you some exciting pics and stories to share and have fun while doing it. I just hope I can keep up with the schedule! So many events... so little time!

Ride on!

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

PIC OF THE WEEK

PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORIES

In lieu of one picture today, I decided to bring you some of my great vacation leftovers. I had so many pictures to share and my posts were already so long! Here is some more of the beauty I just couldn't fit in!(Warning: Sorry, it's almost 5 minutes long, but there's music! )

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I hope you enjoyed my little slide show and to all, have a nice Monday!

Lady R

PIC OF THE WEEK

RIDING IN THE SMOKEYS
The Lone Ranger leading Harley and Lady R up the road into Cades' Cove, compliments of the Beav.