Todays Ride

[Tundra]

We got a real late start, hoping to meet up with the 10 Valks at Coney Island Hotdog in Brooksville. We didn't even get there until 3:00pm
Proof we made it...





We did manage to look at some real estate we've been interested in and attempted to scope out a road I've been on before. I wanted to find this awesome road again to lead a ride to the Cove this spring in Inverness. We got to Floral City and hit gridlock traffic, so that's three attempts now to find this road again with no luck.
 This is the property we both liked. It has a lot of potential, property is backed up to old farm, which backs up to state land. The property sits high and dry on a "Florida hill" Pretty good shape, needs TLC. Soffit and fascia is rotted with holes for bugs, ants and critters. This could be fixed in several weekends. The pool screening is in good shape as well as the roof. Two A/C units that look older than the house. Front windows and door are upgrades, but the rear is old. The two drives are dirt/sand. Not good for the old Valkyrie. The property wood be fantastic for Valkyrie gatherings.













Spooked something and thought it was a deer, turned out to be a jack-ass. We've spotted a few with the local elections.





Beautiful crystal clear day, low humidity and perfect temps. Probably the best riding day of the year







Stunning scenery today. If it was like this all year in Florida, I'd move here.







Cool little place, I always pass it and always wanted to check it out...vacant/abandoned.



Spring Lake Community Center, est. 1938. Nice piece of property behind it, picnic areas, volleyball, outdoor stage.











Stopped here for a break... someone has been jacking deer and dumping the carcasses of this bridge.







 We hope all you that were able to get out today and ride enjoyed this gorgeous day as much as we did. We flew home down the toll road to beat the sunset. (Andrea has never seen 115mph before) not even in a car. 1st time for everything. The bike ran like new, loved the cool air and low humidity. Grumpy, I wore my 1/2 helmet today and back to my earplugs and all those noises I've been hearing just went away.

[FloridaValkRyder]

Great report Doug. It would be nice to live out in the country!! Glad y'all got to get out and ride. Thanks for sharing the great pics.

[reclaimerroger]

Doug must have been close to you.  Went to Inverness to open house at Trikes by Design and came back through Floral City around 2:00.

[IamGCW]

Very nice.   Like the house.

Gil

[Jess from VA]

Thanks for sharing Doug. 

That place out in the sticks looks nice and (relatively) isolated. My kind of place, if the work to repair is not excessive.  Heck, I could live in that abandoned gas station.

Question.  Are all those trees (southern live oak?) with the Spanish moss dead, or just Winter dormant?   

[Flrider]

Great write up and pics, Thanks for sharing.

115 and you did not get a knock on the helmet???
Good for both of you   

The only riding I got to do today was to and from work 

Good luck on your real estate search, that place would be good for a gathering   

[Pappy!]

Those trees were pretty much  dead as Fred so to speak. The Oaks don't really drop leaves to the bare branches here. They just drop and replace right around this time of year.
My back yard and most of my front yard had tons of Oak leaves in one weeks time last week or so.
Next it will be the Oak bloom getting all over everything. Oh Joy

Those roads looked pretty cool for sure and that house would be a great place to live and occasionally party in !
I got to ride today but not on the Valk. She is losing air in the rear tire pretty quickly, like 10PSi overnight so not going far on it. Sprayed some windex around the  valve stem and nothing.
Ordered new valve stems from Jake Wilson today though and new tires will be ordered this week.

[billyboy]

Good for you guys.     I stop at that old gas station sometimes too I like it.
Glad you had a good day. I'm heading up that way this morning.

[Tundra]

 Jeff,
Thanks & hope you are healing fast so you can enjoy some spring riding.

 Roger,
Yes we were close. Our destination was Inverness although we never made it due to traffic jam on US-41 North, just around Floral City. We did pass the Strawbaby Festival and it smelled good and surprisingly did not present a traffic issue.

Enjoy your ride today Gil

Jess,
it appears they were being choked out, some had green on the lower only and were the moss had not taken over. I love the Spanish Moss, don't know if it kills them off or not That could be a big mess or lots of firewood.

Jack,
No knock on the helmet this time However I did feel tiny fingers strangling my rib cage.

Pappy,
Yup the roads were great and surprisingly lite traffic, with exception of the one jam in Floral City. Get that tire fixed before the heat arrives.

Billyboy,
I like that place. Its really in good shape, just some cosmetics, but very solid. That would make a heck of a motorcycle pit stop, cool drinks, picnic tables. Andrea would love to sell antiques and such. We always talk/dream about turning that place into something.
  That would be cool. We wouldn't have to ride 2 hours to get out of the city to ride

[Thunderbolt]

Beautiful location Doug.  Those trees in the pasture look like Pecan trees.  The large one in the yard is an Oak.  They both lose their leaves in the winter.  The Pecans need to be sprayed for moss removal, but will come out again in the spring.

[HayHauler]

Thanks for the pictures Doug.  Glad you got out for a ride.  That little place looks like an awesome get away.

Hay
Jimmyt

[valkchik]

Sorry we missed you guys at Coney Island but that's okay since you were scouting a new place for future meet ups.  Beatiful location.  Hope it works out for you two.