I had a plan.
I thought I had a plan.
I thought a carefully thought out plan.
But thoughts like clouds can blow away.
Pulled up at the new Zac Brown Distillery near Dahlonega.
http://www.zbrowndistillery.com/Hoping to buy a bottle to take to the FCR. The elixir wasn't ready. “Still aging” I'm told and should be available mid Fall.
Strike 1.
The next part of my carefully thought out plan was to stop at Jim's Smokin Que.
http://www.jimssmokinque.com/ It looked like the wait would be far longer than I was prepared for.
Strike 2.
The Rib Country in Hayesville is a reasonable substitute.
On to Wayah Rd and the firing range off Forest Road 711.
Approaching the range the first word I see writ large is “CLOSED”. Holey Moley what the f' is happening to my carefully thought out plan. A little closer and the words “from 30 minutes before sunrise and sunset are readable. Phew.
A box of 50 bullets are precisely boomed downrange. Luckily I'm the only person at the range so I can claim I hit everything I pointed the Bersa .380 at. Just not everything I aimed at.
On to the motel.
A supply run to Ingles.
Others too have arrived early.
They have traveled further than me.
Gig took 3 weeks to get to Robbinsville. That's going the long way round.
Friday morning I track down Detn8er and we ride the Cherohala planning to eventually meet up with Smokin Joe and others at the gas station in Tellico Plains.
A side trip to Bald River Falls and I take Detn8er to see the luxurious Green Cove Motel. Such memories of heavy condensation on the floors, mold on the fridge seals and mouse dropping under a pillow or 2.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/green-cove-motel-and-trailer-camp-tellico-plains
Arriving at the bike barn we met Coot and I decide to have a quick lunch.
Burger and fries in hand I sit at one of the shaded picnic tables.
I don't see Detn8er approaching the table. He sits on the same bench side as me.
Suddenly I'm legs in the air with my shoulder blades smashed onto the edge of the concrete kerb behind me. I had the presence of mind to tip my head forward as I was slammed earthward.
Cautiously I wiggle fingers and lay still whilst I check for any signs of fracture of scapula or spinal cord. I also lay still because my legs are still in the seated position trapped between bench and table top. I also feel something sharp and sticky wet on my left forearm. Cautiously raising my arm I see no bone or blood just a plastic cup with ketchup.
Detn8er is able to get up and he and Coot extricate me from the bench and table. The pain across my shoulder blades is growing and I get Mark to lift my shirt and check for broken skin/bleeding. None.
No photos or video.
The rest of the group arrive and some choose to ride out to Bald River Falls whilst the rest ride on to the motel.
I believe a high old time was had by all around the fire. I took a couple of Aleve and crashed around 8.30 hoping to relieve the pain. I can confirm that having a concrete kerb slammed across the shoulder blades make it nearly impossible to lay flat, to lay on the right side, the left side, front or any permutation and angle of those positions AND to sleep. I dozed off a couple of times but each time I moved I woke myself. Not a restful night.
Saturday morning was painfully worse. Even taking 2 more Aleve didn't really help.
After a little discussion Detn8er, Duffy, Slacker and Cody managed to persuade me to ride lead.
A couple of U turns and we arrive at Cafe Rel for lunch
https://www.yelp.com/biz/caffe-rel-franklinReuben
Post lunch and a meander up hill and down dale we arrived back at the motel. Much frivolity was to be had and a local shaman gave me some homeopathic medicine to help relieve my pain. This combined with a fifth of Early Times knocked me out for the count.
http://www.earlytimes.com
Sunday morning and time for home. A stop at
http://twowheelsofsuches.com/ for one of their amazing burgers and a breezy zoom home.
Great weekend and weather combined with good roads and riding friends.
More photos here.https://postimg.org/gallery/gz63kxuo/
