Like I posted yesterday, I cleaned the Iowa and Oklahoma rain off of Traveler and changed the fluids. Let's ride!
I called Hard6 last night and left him a message to make sure he would be home today. Gotta post another shot - I love a clean Valk - she isn't like this often!
So, Hard6 calls me back this morning (late) and by the time I get stuff on the bike and play with Nutdog and all, get the summer sausage that TP sent from Minnesota in the bag and take off, it is like 11:30. I ride around for a few minutes deciding on if I wanted to go today or tomorrow. I finally decided to wait until tomorrow so I would have more time to visit with my
friend and Ms Mary.
This will probably be the only time I will visit with my buddy this time in.
So, I ride back to the house and throw the summer sausage back in the freezer. Wrong decision (well, not really - but I don't want to get ahead of myself).
It is lunch time and I am starving so I did one of those (come on, I know we all do it) ride in circles for 30 minutes trying to decide which direction do I want to go? North, South, East or West or points in between. SO many decisions, so little time. I stop at a stop sign and look around and the Southwest looks like the least chance of thunderboomers coming down on me, so that is the direction I point the bike. Red called me when I was gassing up in Delcambre (about noon) and I told her it was just "one of those days - weather was nice and I felt like a ride." As Al Stewert sang, "I was going nowhere with nowhere to go." I told her that I might drop down 82 and see how Pecan Island had cleaned up after Rita took out the marshlands a couple of years ago. It had been a long time since I had been down 82. I told her that it should be about an hour - but that I was just riding. She told me, "Yeah, right. Pick up some chicken for dinner, so if you are getting home after 6 or 7 this evening, pick it up on the way home."
I headed to 82 figuring I could pick up a shrimp poboy or something for lunch. It was a tad warm also, so I figured a malt would be good as well. What I didn't think of was that Rita had wiped Pecan Island off the map. There were a few camps that had been built but that was all and no infastructure (like stores or a place to eat) were left or rebuilt. But like I said, it was one of those days - you know. I know you know. One of those days that you get a light drizzle but it feels good, you ride for an hour and see 2 cars, the bike is running smooth and feels right,the sights are nice, there are alligators swimming in the bayou that you are running alongside, birds are everywhere, you are running in just jeans and a tee shirt....just one of those days.
Life is good and you are glad to be alive and enjoying the day. It sure beats pruning the holley bushes at home.
(This is the sign for 82 through Louisiana).
Next thing I know, I am all the way over in west Louisiana. I mean, I am like 20 miles from Texas. Then you realize that you are still hungry but again, Rita took out the entire Louisiana marshland, so there is no infrastructure for eating yet. Pull over for a smoke after crossing over the Intercoastal cannal for the 2nd or 3rd time and the only road that heads back (without backtracking 100 miles) is 27 up to Holmwood and then go east on 14.
(Bridge over the Intercoastal Cannal near Creole)
So that is the way I shot Traveler to. Now, when I get to Holmwood, I am like 10 miles from Hard6's house. I know he is going to get a chuckle when I tell him about this one. I mean, JP lives 100 miles west of me. I run 14 east over to Gueydan, Louisiana and find Johnny's drive in. The walls have cherry old lunch boxes (wish I could have bought the Evil Kenivle one from them).
Cool little place and my first time there. If you go, watch out for the entry from the road. There is a huge dip in the concrete curb as you enter the parking lot. So, after only 175 miles or so, I got my shrimp poboy and choco malt!
So, by the time I am nearing home, I have almopst 250 miles in and it is getting near 6, so I run over and pick the chicken up for dinner at Popeyes and bring it back with me.
Now, the funny part is I was within 10 miles of Hard6 but had left the summer sausage in the freezer, so I have to go back tomorrow (about 200 miles or more) but I will get to visit with my friend. I told Red about it and she said, "Heck, you know you enjoyed yourself - enjoy the ride tomorrow as well. You know you are about to go back to Africa."
Love that child bride of mine.
Like I said, it was just one of those days going nowhere with nowhere to go.......
I love days like this!
