I didn’t get far at all… I decided to look back through my photo stash and do a bit of reminiscing, and right away a curious memory was evoked… Since those recent routine doctor visits turned out to be anything but, I haven’t had a spiritually trouble-free ride or even any worry-free moments… This new reality has me sailing uncharted waters, so to pass the time between worrisome events, I’m resorting to nostalgia and recollections to occupy my thoughts… and there we were…
A short time ago Allan, Punisher, and I had been hanging out at his place over-eating daily, laughing constantly, and him working on his ride yet still finding time to ‘detail’ our girl. Yep, she looked almost like new once he’d stepped back to examine his handicraft! Some folks just like doing that sort of thing, I reckon… Takes all kinds for sure…
As for myself, I much prefer to get them dirty and funky looking then admire the mess while fondly recalling all it took to get them looking that way… my version of a customized look! To yours truly, dust, mud, and bug-spatter residue on a bike are like campaign ribbons on a soldier’s chest… To be worn with pride and dignity and never with embarrassment, disdain or disgust.
Allan seemingly enjoying himself…
Departure day finally arrived, so Allan and his latest partner with a now amazing looking ride headed towards Robbinsville, NC, and the annual Fall Color Ride. We’d deliberately decided to make this an easy two ride instead of the much longer one day ride necessary to economize on time and expense. Fort Payne, AL, positioned us for the easy jaunt to ground zero and all the merriment sure to be awaiting us… but first…
WOW! Didn’t see that coming…
While standing around admiring our girls and small-talking, a gal I’d noticed struggling with her bags at the motel next door finally backed out of her parking space and pulled away… and right up to us… “May I pray for you?” she earnestly inquired… Of course, we replied in unison, so she stopped her car right where it was and got out… After prayer, we chatted for a while and posed for a couple of snaps.
It turns out she is originally from the Fort Payne area and is visiting the folks for a few days. She is actually the pastor of a church in California nowadays, and she felt being drawn to pray for us, so there she was and we were… A delightful albeit brief conversation ended rather soon, and she was off again on her ‘mission’… leaving Allan and this smiling rider to ponder the meaning of all of that…
Back roads all the way, and what via super slab would have been merely a couple of hours turned into an all-day ride… and very much worth the extra time invested to do so! We arrived, as planned, two days before the actual event was to begin. A few folks like to do that so they can get in some local riding in a more spirited fashion than what usually goes with larger group rides… It also gave us time to try out previously unknown eateries… like this one in Andrews, NC.
Happiness is…
A message on the wall whose deeper meaning was yet to be revealed…
Following a rather leisurely and pleasant ride and beer-run, my latest good riding pal and I returned to the motel to see what might follow… We met a couple of Harley riders from Pennsylvania who were planning to depart the following morning on their own vacation coddiewomple… They ended up staying another night then being forced to move to a nearby motel for yet another evening spent mingling and socializing with their new cluster of riding friends! Really nice folks, and I strongly suspect we have not seen the last of them…
A couple of momentary strangers…
An amazing trip with tons of surprises and hidden blessings liberally stumbled across. It happened a couple of months ago, of course, but it’s almost as much fun now reliving the recollections as it was making those memories at the time. That trip down memory lane and this resultant post are offered to all, but more than anything, they are another installment of ‘spiritual maintenance’… as many of you have probably already guessed…
DDT
