I was up around 0315 and in the saddle and rollin at 0410 this A M. Eased on up towards Rolla Mo. fueled the Phatt Ghurl and went to Steak and Shake and waited for them to open at 0600. Got in got fed got coffee-note to self self git coffee BEFORE rollin-and around 0620 some of the other riders I was meeting showed up. We were SUPPOSED to be K S U at 0630 BUT our Senior Ride Captain didn't show til 0640! Finally got rollin East on I-44 and the sun was BRUTAL! The others fueled in St. Louis and we made our way to the Church and got the bikes staged-ended up the 5 of us were in the middle from side to side and end to end. 300ish motors showed up and a dozen or more support cages. Mark the Deceased Ride Captain was in that M/C Towed Hearse they call the last ride. There were honest to GOD Bag Pipers and the old guy Playing Taps-NOT the electronic gizmo-this man Blew Taps. Choked up during Taps like I ALWAYS do and right after Taps The pipes went into Amazing Grace and my personal water works started. Found out later I was NOT the only one with water works goin full bore. I'd never been to Jefferson Barracks before today and I'm here to tell you the roads are a bit on the narrow side. And all the rows of identical stones in orderly row after row after row. One of the St. Louis regulars said there are almost 225000 ex service men laid to rest there. And Jefferson Barracks averages 30 Funerals a day. The Church had a buffett and we had some Fellowship after the Funeral. I got in right around 1800 tonight and other than the wind and the REAL purpose we were in St. Louis NOT a bad day to ride! Little on the cool side-38 Degrees F when I left and 48 Degrees F when I got back. The St. Louis Riders that KNEW Mark said he Was the Personification of WHAT a Good P G R Member is and Should be. It hurts just about as bad as I thought it would burying one of our own.
RIDE SAFE.
