This may be a tad long, but hey, it is a VALKYRIE RIDE REPORT after all of an awesome VALKYRIE event ya know!
CHEAHA - 2010First and foremost, I would like to thank Tim, Sherry, Relay, Motomama, Jack and Phyllis and ANYONE who had anything to do with putting on Cheaha this year - A
MAJOR, MAJOR good time! Right at 1100 mile weekend for me and worth each and every millimeter. Had a ball, ate some awesome food, listened to great tunes and MOST IMPORTANT - met up with old friends and met some new brothers and sisters - and THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT and what makes Cheaha such a great event. I mean (and seriously mean, I had a ball ya'll).
Ok, now the ride report. With my change in work schedule, I just got Cheaha on my time off at the last minute - didn't think I would be able to make it before that. Early Bird allowed me to take an extra bed in his room so I had a place to sleep (Ray, send me an email and let me know what I owe you and where to send it brother).
Thursday night I had told Red that I wasn't sure about heading out due to the weather report and it being my only weekend off in like 3 months and all and her reply was, "You can stay home and you know you will stay dry but I have things for you to do and you won't enjoy yourself or you can get on your bike and may get wet but you will have a good time." Ummmmm, wake me up at 6 if you don't mind then.....
(FRIDAY)
Had my morning coffee (which will be another story in a minute), packed up Traveler, gassed her up and hit the superslab about 7:30. Wind was blowing about 20-30 mph from the southeast when I rolled on the throttle down I-10 and it started drizzle rain about Baton Rouge - just enough to wet the windshield and moisten the knees ya know. When I turned on I-59 up through Mississippi, the drizzle stopped and it was just overcast and a GLORIOUS day for riding. The overcast just kept the temperature down - absolutely beautiful day for riding. Traffic was light after I got on I-59 and then headed off on I-20 through Alabama to Anniston.
(Entering Alabama)
Stopped in Picayunne, Mississippi for breakfast and had this 72 year old gentleman ask if he could join me. Bring your coffee and pull up a seat. What a neat guy. He had ridden Harley's for 50 years and we sat there and told bike stories. He said that his old Harley didn't have spring loaded throttle and that he wrecked once and the bike was stuck in full throttle and ran over him and kept going in circles on it's side. Someone asked him if he could turn it off and he said that if he could get up he would and just to go over and turn the key off. They said they were afraid it would run over them and his reply was, "I am getting kind of tired of it running over me!" Anyway, his name was Don and a nice guy. I paid for our breakfast and got back into the wind for Cheaha.
Stopped in Anniston and got a bite to eat and aired Traveler out going up the mountain - man, I LOVE THAT RIDE UP THE HILL. Got up to the top about 5 pm and shot the breeze with Smokin'Joe at the hotel (and seeing the Big Al fish) before going up to the lodge and getting checked in and sharing hugs with old friends again.
Went back down the hill for a minute to share some lies again and back to the lodge and await the Cheaha Mountain Taxi. Man, let me tell you, Friday was the start of the great Cheaha lie telling for the weekend. Tim had this awesome band play for our listening pleasure that night. I didn't get any pictures of the band - I was outside sharing in the lie telling. Afterwards, the band came outside with us and told some lies of their own during the evening. It was kind of like a Pink Floyd concert - there were flying animals and even pigs going through the air. Yes, a pig can fly....
SATURDAY
Got up Saturday and everyone realized that the coffee was still with Jack and Phyllis so there are these teary eyed bikers until Motomama lined up Ray for a coffee ride. He went down to the restaurant and they couldn't give him any so he waited at the Cheaha store until it opened and bought them out! Whooo-Hooooo, the coffee is on folks! Had a couple of cups of joe and a smoke in my sleeping britches since I had left my key in the room and Ray had the other one. Hey, at least I had not gone outside in my drawers for an emergency smoke or something. Whew. Lori made up this awesome breakfast casserole and life was good!!!
The night before the fog had rolled in and it was awesome to be in a blowing cloud with the lights hitting it and turning it orange and all - awesome. That morning, it all burned off while we were telling some lies and the day was beautiful! The group rides rolled out and Early Bird and I stayed to help some beautiful women in the kitchen.
Kind of neat.....not always at a biker rally can you massage your meat in public, throw it out on a counter, notice that Early Bird's is on the floor (genetics I guess) and have naked butts move back and forth in front of you - well, and not have the L.A.W. called on you that is......
(A boner in a butt)
Lyn-Del and Wizard had to go down the mountain to lay some eggs and DDT, Carolyn, Early Bird and I went on a Sunday run. All of 3 miles or so round trip. Met up with my Queen while there as well.
Oh, and don't ask the little girls about the emergency exit. The exit said, "Only in case of an emergency. Children must be accompanied by an adult." So, if you ask them if that means that in case of a fire and there is no adult around, do the children stay inside and die? Dig this, they have to ask management....hahahahaha!
After the desert, I grabbed some BBQ and took it back to the lodge. Man, the collard greens and cornbread were some good yeah. And I found out that it fits perfect in a Valkyrie side bag.
Lots of lies were told up on top of the hill. That is for sure and for certain. Later in the day, we had a wrenching party with Brother Wizard working on cigarette lighters on DDT and my bike. THANKS BRO! Amazing what Brother Wizard carries in his bike for people in need.
Just sat around and jabber jawed and the groups came back from the group ride that afternoon and the lie telling went into high gear!
DDT rolled 400,000 miles on his stead on the way up to Cheaha. Well, he says he did.... I think it is a shame that his odometer shows like 24,000 and he says he has 400k on it and uses the old, "My odometer broke" routine...All I can say Bruce is.... "POSER".
The rides for these rallies has always been about the PEOPLE. One of the things I dig about Cheaha is it is geared for the PEOPLE. Always a relaxed atmosphere for major lie telling and there was one or two being told.
Saturday was Hawaiian night in case you are wondering about the colorful riding gear people are wearing.
Besides the planned events, there were other events going on as well. MAJOR ONES! There were things like, if Eric sits on Joe, does he squash like a grape event.
The "who has the whitest legs" event.....
And the "Can anyone tell Lucky13 and Eric in Md apart" event.....
You know, come to think of it....it was hard to tell Eric and Smokin'Joe apart as well. Oh yeah, Joe has the denim shirt on and Eric doesn't.
There was also the great planned events that Redvalk had put together. I mean, if you didn't have a good time - you were not at Cheaha. There were raffles and Redneck Hoola Hoop contests. There were tattoo contests. There was motorcycle limbo contests.....
There was singing....
And there was awesome tunes thrown down by Relay the DJ. "PLAY SOME SKYNERD DUDE!" By the way brother - your family is in our prayers man.
Like I said, if you did not pass a VERY LARGE TIME this weekend, you were not at Cheaha!
Man, then it was time to grub and GRUB we did!!!! Thanks Lori for an awesome, awesome spread! Man, we had coconut rice with pulled pork and mango salsa stuff and this awesome pineapple upside cake.....YEAH BUDDY!!!!
It was unreal at how good this stuff was!!!!!!!!
Did I like it? Well, let's just say that both of those pineapple cakes were mine - I had to eat the second one to see if the first one was really as good as I thought it was.
Then it was back outside for more lie telling. Oh, did I mention that there was a lie or two told up on top of the mountain?
Alas, all good things must come to an end and so it was with the 10th ANNUAL (Get that Tim? ANNUAL...) Cheaha. Got up Sunday and had a few last lies over coffee with some dear friends and back down the road for Louisiana in high relative humidity but got home safe, moist and sound. MAN, I HAD A BALL!!!! That is for sure and for certain.
Oh, did I mention that IT IS ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE? Well, it is. Cheaha is definitely ABOUT THE PEOPLE. Man, I got to get to know Brothers and Sisters I didn't even know I had and got to meet, eat and greet some old family members. I seriously had a BALL. Thanks again to each and every one that had anything with putting Cheaha on this year. IT WAS AWESOME! Oh, did anyone else pass a large time? Like I said, if you didn't pass a large time, you were not at Cheaha this weekend. Cheaha is a perfect example of "WHY WE RIDE".
THANKS AGAIN - IT WAS A MAJOR HOOT!!!!!!
