Quiet!

The weather is starting to turn a bit colder. You can see and feel the fall in the air. While this Gray Lady is off of her wheels for a while, I am still looking for that child or community that can use our school supplies.

Our website is now up. www.grayladyriders.com. Come and see what you think. Then come back to our blog and let us know. Any comments, good or bad will be accepted. (Please, remember to be civil.)

I heard about the dramatic flooding that occurred in Georgia. If anyone knows of a child in need, go to the contact page and send us an email!

Keep collecting those supplies. If you need to know where to send them, please, let us know.

Until later,
RoadRunner

Our next big adventure!

Jose and I know that many have been following us on our great adventure. While this trip did not end exactly the way we would have liked, we did get to see some amazing things, meet incredible people and most importantly, raise the awareness of our goal to provide school supplies to those that will benefit the most.

Now it is your turn to participate! In the coming months, children will be leaving school with slightly used backpacks, old school supplies will be put up and forgotten and stores will be putting amazing sales on new supplies. Here is how YOU can help.

Send us those slightly used backpacks, send us the school supplies that will not be used. Help us by buying supplies when on those great sales. And.. help us to identify children in your area that will "break the pencil in half."

For those that ride, there is still an opportunity to ride with us. Jose is spearheading the effort to get rides together. Unfortunately, this is a geographically limited prospect. Most of you that have been following us who do ride, are in areas considerably further away than north Alabama. But, for those that are interested and are near us, respond. Perhaps we can get rides together in the area to meet and to enjoy the ride.

For those that do not ride, come anyway. Contact us. Motorcycles are not the only way to move you through life or on the road. We welcome anyone, regardless of vehicle to join our cause!

Send us an email, or post a comment on the board. All comments are moderated, so if you don't want your email identified, simply state it, and I will remove that information from the post.

Jose and I again, want to thank those who followed us on one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. Particularly to those that rode with us and were with us each day. We felt your presence and hope that we can continue this great ride of life with all you ladies (and some men) that understand that what moves you in life is not about the vehicle, it is about the journey and the path that you may take!




Shiny Side Up!
RoadRunner

Home!

Turns out, that we were not very far from home. We took it easy getting back and made it home before 5! I even had time to run in and get a shower before Mr. Norm got in!

I was told that my posts sounded as if I were disappointed in the trip. I was, both Jose and I were. However, while I cannot speak for Jose; I will tell you that for the first week or so, it was a trip that was beyond my wildest dreams! Would I ride in the Mojave again? No, would I figure out how to get through California without taking any major (or minor) highways - yes! Would I have done the entire trip differently? Absolutely! Would I trade riding across country with my best friend - NEVER!

We have seen parts of the country that neither of us have while on a bike. Some may say that we failed, but I disagree. Two women, one 64 and the other 50, traveled across the country on our own. One could say that the wheels feel off on the return leg. Even then, we were still able to see things that had we been on the bikes, we would not.

We rode in rain, through snow (though not on the road), through dust storms and through sickness. Through all of this, one thing stood strong; the friendship between two women. That was never in doubt.
I will write more, like when we were on this small, dusty road in Wyoming and I was humming the theme to Deliverance, because we had NO idea where we were and if we would get off the mountain!

Today is clean up day and a time to reflect on what we have done. I want to go through the pictures and add some to the blog as well as some other thoughts.

Our primary goal was to bring attention to Gray Lady Riders and the purpose of find the child and children that will break the pencil in half and for those that are willing to help find or support them. In that, I feel that this has been a start. It will be up to those that have been following to continue the dream!

We were glad to get home. Shaun was not as happy as the rest of us.... He did not want to leave the trunk of the silver horse, but of course, but I made him!

Jose, loved the silver horse - he got her home!

If not Colorado, does Iowa and Kentucky count?

We are trying to get home. Jose had wanted to go through Colorado, but we could not do it. We spend the night in Kansas City, where we had some pretty decent barbeque. Planned on being almost home, but the highway we needed to take was closed in St Louis. Jose is still shaky in the head department, so I could not figure out how to get to an alternative. We are now on our way to Memphis and will be trying to find a quicker way home that way. The traffic, plus having to keep up with everything was a bit too overwhelming.

One good thing, we gave away lots of pencils last night. Hopefully, one will find the right child.

Where the deer and the antelope (plus wild horses) play

Today was great. I stayed off of the bike all day long, but we used Jose's new ride (the silver horse) and went roaming. Our morning began right behind the hotel. There is a canyon that is full of wild horses! We stayed at a hotel behind Wild Horse Mountain. We saw lots of them! I was amazed as we had seen a few from a distance in New Mexico, but nothing like this! They were everywhere! If you look closely, you may be able to see the snow covered mountains in the background. Then we went to Flaming Gorge Recreational Area. We saw some incredible rock structures, including a petrified tree. Our hope was to see big horn sheep, elk or moose. We did not see that, but we were able to see tons of deer and antelope. One particular time we had stopped to see the antelope. One crawled over through the fence (yes, through) and then headed straight for me. Rather than stop, I continued to click the camera. It was amazing. While this trip has been full of surprises (both good and bad), had Jose not gotten ill, we would have never seen the things we did today. God works in amazing ways!

Wyoming!

When we got up yesterday morning, a family of woodchucks (or ground hogs..) I got some good pictures, but the silly camera kept on focusing on the rocks!

We traded out cars in Salt Lake City. It is ironic that we got another silver car... Kind of keeps with the Gray Lady Rider theme! We made it to Wyoming. I am now glad to know we are not going to Yellowstone. I had my heated gear on all day. When we were first coming into Wyoming, I was thinking that most of the white stuff we were seeing was still salt.. Nooooo, it was snow! We are now at a place called Green River. The rock formations are unbelievable. We got to see more antelope today and are staying at a hotel where wild horses play in the back. We looked for some today, but it was too late. We did see the evidence of horses all along the trail (lots of poop..) Yesterday was a tough day for Jose, she did not do well. We are still at 6000 feet or so. If she is better today, we may stay one more day to explore the area. If not, we head for lower ground. If that happens, we hope to be home no later than Sunday. Lets hope that she gets better!

Utah!

Yesterday we made it to Utah. Jose is still suffering from altitude sickness, but yesterday was a pretty good day. We went to the Bonneville salt flats and saw more beautiful scenery. She also got to meet old friends and we all had a great time! (she is sleeping now, so I will update with all the names later...)

It was an easy day for her, but the wind was wickedly bad again. My arms were sore by the time I got off!

Altitude and attitude

Well, the good news is that Jose’s heart is great. However, her ability to handle this altitude is not. Evidently, she is suffering from altitude sickness. So her friends Kristy and Chuck Jensen from Salt Lake City came down last night to be here when she got her stress test. If good, they would bring the bike back with them. If bad, they would be bringing all of my stuff save a few changes of clothes, her bike and Jose. They just took the bike. So today, we continue the journey, just a bit modified. We are renting a car and bringing it back to Huntsville. I will continue to ride, but primarily because it is cost prohibitive to ship/transport my bike in addition to renting a car. I am amazed at the cost (and difficulty) in finding a company that will let us rent a car one way. If you ever have to do it, get your wallet ready!
Jose has finally realized that she can no longer ride the bike. Not because of any other reason, than she is simply not safe. She is suffering from a lack of oxygen which is somewhat like riding with the flu. More about that later. But suffice it to say, that despite the fact that it killed her to watch her bike be ridden away, she is happier about finishing the journey in what method is required.
Today we went to Humboldt National Forest where we once again saw amazing landscapes. We saw incredible amounts of snow and even a snowmobiler. Tomorrow, we head for Salt Lake City then off to continue the journey to find children that will break the pencil.

It could have been better........ or worse..... (again)

Well... How do I start. Yesterday was not good day. Jose woke up in the morning and could not breathe. She said that she could not take her bags downstairs. I was afraid that she was having a heart attack. My first call was to Norm, where he said, go ahead and talk with the hotel. That is when the fun started... Within 5 minutes we had 4 EMT's, the entire sheriffs department and if there had been enough parking, a state trooper in the hotel room. So off she went to the clinic. In Eureka, where we were staying, there is not hospital. If there is a medical emergency, they call the PA and he meets the ambulance at the clinic. I with a nice sheriff (the first time I have ever ridden in the back of a police vehicle (I swear!). After about an hour or so of evaluation, they decided to ship Jose off to the nearest hospital - Elko 120 miles away. Eureka was an amazing helpful town. The hotel we were staying at, let us dump all of our stuff in a closet so that we would not have to pay the extra night. I rode up to Elko to stay with Jose. She was still in the ER when I got there. At that time, she was still in denial thinking that I had overreacted. Mad is probably an understatement for her thoughts. (Glad that she was not in a cage behind me while I was on a bike ;-) )
We met with the cardiologist where he said that he wanted to keep her overnight – and they did. Now, she is getting to take a stress test tomorrow. If good, she cages home with me and the adventure continues. If not, she flies home and I iron butt the trip back home on Baby. We will keep posted. Say lots of prayers.
I did want to expound on Eureka. We had several people offer to ride/trailer/bring Jose’s bike and our stuff up to Elko. The hotel clerk Ula Garrison, offered to have her husband ride the bike up if we needed. In addition, the ambulance driver also offered to ride Jose’s bike up. We opted for the ambulance driver Joyce Jeppson. Primarily, because she was a woman and well, it just seemed fitting. Jerry and Joyce (along with their applehead chiwawa Maggie) brought everything - her bike and all of my stuff as well (about 300lb of pack in total) We cannot express our gratitude to the city of Eureka. I believe that had we been anywhere else, Jose would not be taken care of as well as she was. God once again was looking out for us!

Top Gun and Antelopes...

Today was my best day…. We got to see things that I would have never even imagined. We rode a US blue road called 50. It is known as the loneliest highway. It is also known as Lincoln highway and crosses the pony express route several times. We are still in Nevada, but, are far from lamenting over it. Today we go to really ride. No destination, no place to be, just enjoy the road. Nevada has got to be one of the most beautiful states in the nation. There are stretches of road, where we never met an another car. Some would call it desolate, I call it beautiful. We saw mountains covered with snow, salt flats and tumbleweeds, and the most varied of topography that one could imagine. My camera could not encompass the views that we were seeing. The fact that there were few places to stop easily on a bike, contributed to this. We saw the infamous shoe tree, and then, while taking a picture of the scenery, a F-18 flew into my viewfinder. We were at the training grounds for Top Gun. We got to see some of the bravest men fly exercises using live bombs. We stopped a young marine (and fortunately for me – I can’t tell you his rank – never really taught that..) But he told us what to look for and what they were doing. The enemy was on the other side of the mountain and their task was to drive them back. The enemy was firing howitzers (size unkown) and the pilots response was to drop chaff and then bomb the enemy. We stayed there so long that we ended up running out of daylight and had to stop in the town of Eureka. In addition to these amazing pilots, we also got to see some wildlife, in the form of pronghorn antelope. I told Jose, that this, is my route 66. If you ever get a chance to ride this part of the country, the only way to go is via US 50. Tried to post pictures, but the battery is dead. Will do so tomorrow. Gave some pencils away. Hopefully, those that are following, will start sending or showing a desire to give backpacks and school supplies!

Interesting day...

Today was a fix the bike day... We decided to stay here in Carson City because there was both a Harley dealer as well as a Yamaha dealer. I got a filter cleaning kit from them, and Jose got a light bulb from Harley. We went to see Lake Tahoe. It was pretty, but again, too many cars!!!! The view was spectacular. I took a picture of a couple that wanted to have their picture taken. I am hoping that they will be able to help us get backpacks. At the hotel,I met an incredible woman. She helped us to stay a day longer. I have her name, but not with me at this minute. I am hoping that both the couple and this wonderful woman, will read our blog and know what they need to do.

One of the funnier moments was when we went to the Yamaha place a second time to get a screw to fix my headlight. Jose, got tired of waiting and went to her bike. She fell dead asleep sitting on the bike. It was pretty cool when I hit her and she jumped. Fortunately, she stayed on the bike. Kind of sad in a weird sort of way. I never knew that you could actually sleep on a bike!

The only fly in the ointment was a bike prejudiced general manager that would not let us park our bikes under the alcove. She was pretty rude about it. I got into a rather heated argument, but gave up. Such is life...

Nevada!!!

We are finally out of California. It is a beautiful state, but very agressive drivers. Jose thinks that the bottom part of California is not very nice. But she is thinking of the Mojave desert and the winds.... We finally got fed up with the traffic and decided to take another route. We rode a state highway 88 East to Nevada. It took us through more of the fruit, wine and orange country. Since Jose does not drink wine and I was on a bike, it was not worth the time to take to see a vineyard. We like the views instead. We started going into mountainous areas. We started through a series of national forests, the first one being Eldorado. To me, it was God’s way of somehow making up for the fact that we did not go to Yosemite. The roads were easy but curvy. Not the trying drop off the face of the earth type of roads, but scenic and wide. Most of the properties were closed until the summer season. I now understand the words “boarded up for the winter.” We actually saw buildings that had the windows boarded up. We saw far more snow than we anticipated. It started getting colder and the altitude higher. We finally reached the apex at slightly higher than 8500 feet. Yes, the air is thin there. Baby does not like it at all. She coughs terribly. This would not have been as much an issue except we kept seeing signs warning of avalanches. Having a loud motorcycle backfiring constantly is a bit disconcerting at that point. Fortunately, we were going downhill and I was able to hold in the clutch and simply coast. But yes, there was sufficient snow above us to still be concerned. They issue permits in that area for snowmobiles until the 30th of May. We took several pictures, including one of a frozen lake. There were several more pictures that we could have taken, but the sun was setting and we did not want to be on the mountain at dark. Plus, it was freezing. We almost went Lake Tahoe, but did not want to continue north. We stopped tonight in Carson City. Tomorrow will be an easy day. I want to get a clean out kit for my air filter (and if James is following this – kind of scary, but I have actually figured out how to clean the K&N filter…. Shampoo works for a while, but we really need a degreaser.) Jose needs a bulb and we need to get a few supplies from Wally world. So, we are going to ride just to Elko, which will put us back on the original map. Still looking to find the time to upload the pictures, but have not been able to do so.

General Sherman and others

Today we went to Sequoia National Park. It was incredible! The views were amazing and as varied as one can imagine. We saw rivers, waterfalls, desert flowers and giant redwoods. The most notable was called General Sherman. He is the largest (in cubic feet) of any tree in the world. I have seen them before, but not on a motorcycle. The ride up was unbelievable. We rode once again through the orange blossoms and fruit stands of California. We even got to see olive trees. On our way up, we saw lake and took pictures. There was a hawk that was flying around, as if it beckon us to follow him. I tried to take his picture, but he went away. When we left, he flew past us again. The irony is that when we were returning from the park, he once again, flew by as if to welcome back to the area.
The ride to the park was remarkable. If those that know me could see the road that we rode on, they would think I was lying. (I took pictures to prove it otherwise...) You see, I don't like curvy roads. But the road we took was beyond curvy. The Tail of the Dragon is more like a mouse when compared to this road. Suffice it to say, we did not count the number of switchbacks and the there were miles of curvy roads. But one lesson was learned. Jose can't do roads where there are several hundred (possibly thousand) feet drop offs with no guardrail. We were to go to Yosemite tomorrow and she just can't do it. And this is where it is. Both of us have agreed that we will not do something that will jeopardize our lives. The only way she was able to manage today was to follow behind me and watch. The height was so great, that we were able to travel almost 40 miles in neutral (we have great gas mileage figures this time!) We stayed overnight in a hotel and left all of our gear at the hotel, which was fortunate, because that ride would have been impossible with the gear. While in the park we got to see a young deer that appeared to be unfazed by our presence. The best part, was that each time I clicked the camera, it would look up at us. So the pictures should be great.
On the way down, I had one interesting experience. I parked the bike on a significant slope. Significant enough that I was unable to lift the bike off of the kickstand. So, I walked the bike down the hill to a level area. Jose was yelling “You can’t do that”, and there were at least 4 people there to help. But, I was able to do it. Thanks to a demonstration by someone called Skirt on how to pick a bike up (from a fall) and then from lessons I learned from my BRC class on how to walk a bike. It was pretty impressive to see someone my size, walk a 800 pound bike down a steep incline, then get on and ride away. Of course we had to stop later on level ground so that I could stop shaking! But it was still one of the best days I have had so far.
I will be posting pictures once I figure out how to do multi-uploads. Right now, we are limited to just one picture.

The Wind is Gone

We ended up leaving late again. This is primarily because I can’t seem to get my act together. It takes an impossibly long time to get my bag up and set on the sissy bar. Quite simply, it is too short. We think that we have finally gotten a system together that will ensure that it no takes an hour to secure. I also think that it is because we (namely me) are just plain burnt out.
Today we got to see more of the Mojave desert. We tried to go to a wildlife viewing area, but unfortunately it was covered with sand and not a good place to go with fully loaded bikes. So we turned around only to realize that we did not have a full tank of gas. So back we went to Barstow. When we finally got going, it was nice, because it was overcast and not boiling hot, but the winds were once again unmerciful and even worse than before. Both Jose and I were literally sitting on the sides of our bikes willing them straight. We did this for about three hours more. Then, we went over the mountain and froze. But, they were incredible. Not the rocky waking giants that we saw in New Mexico or the striped, multicolored banded mountains of Arizona, not even the scruffy, scratchy mountains of the desert. These were smooth and almost looked to be covered in a fine suede felt. The wind was still hard and as an testament to their strength, the windmills were there. Not the graceful dancing women we first saw in Texas, but funny, boxy, windmills that looked almost childlike compared to their elegant cousins in the East.
Finally, there was a gradual change in both temperature and scenery. Desert no more!!!! Even better, the wind was gone. The skies opened up and it warmed. We were in Bakersfield and we were in the valley. Off in the distance you could see the patchwork of farms most likely used to support vegetables and fruits. This is just a guess, but one based on the type of trucks passing us on the roads. Once, we got lost, we were headed toward the wrong town. Thank you Norm! TomTom actually came to the rescue…. We turned down a road and were instantly hit with the magical smell of orange blossoms. Ironic that we could even smell at that point given how dry our noses were. Then, we alternated between orange trees and vineyards all the way down until we reached a little crossroads of sorts. We stopped for gas and it was amazing. This was a town of migrant workers. It reminded me of times long past within our own world. People were waving and greeting each other like long, lost friends. We even managed to give away a few pencils. One little boy was showing off the fact of how well he could read the pencil. I regret now, not telling him how good his reading was, but we were tired and trying to get to the hotel.
We have settled into the town of Visalia which is about 35 miles from the Sequoia National forest (for those that had bet we would not make it to the ocean – you may think you have won, but we would have not experienced the beauty of this area. It is we that have won.) We are now taking roads that are much less congested and slower, and not as filled with the 18-wheelers we have come to dispise. The only thing is that in California there is not much respect for motorcyclists. They will take part of the road from you and pull out in front of you and just simply be dangerous. Part of this may be due to a practice called “white lining” where a motorcyclist will ride between the cars in traffic. It is legal here, but something that neither Jose nor I can quite understand.
Tomorrow we are off to see the great giants.

California!!!

Today was the hardest day we have had so far. Since we hit New Mexico, we have been fighting incredible winds. They are unmerciful and unrelenting. I have come to the point (as has Jose) that we now hate I 40. We are tired of being run over by 18 wheelers and having to ride at very high rates of speed just to keep up. It is even harder, when the wind is blowing cross ways strong to blow across the lanes. There were have been several occasions where we have been litterally leaning into the wind just to keep the bikes up. Today, a truck blew his tire just as he was passing Jose. I looked behind and saw her suddenly slow down. At the same time, part of the tire were being thrown into my lane, it barely missed my head and remarkably, did not hurt the bikes or us. However, it was a sobering reminder of how dangerous what we are doing is.

The way in which the landscape changes is amazing. New Mexico was yellow, not like a crayon, but more like mustard. Then, when we hit Arizona, it was like she welcomed us with these amazing red mountains that served as gateways into the state. Then, when we left Arizona and entered the Mojove desert, we went from being relatively cool to instantly. Jose is actually drinking water rather than her standard Dr. Pepper. But just as it was hot, it was also very, very windy, we are blowing sand out of our noses and snorting saline like it was a drug. Our arms are tired due wrestling the bikes and our legs are tired just because we had to hold on so hard. Jose even lost her tank bag due to the wind, but fortunately was able to retrieve it without any big issues. We have decided that since we have reached California, we have done something remarkable. We have ridden 2400 miles in about 5 days (when you factor in the flat and the fact that we stayed an extra day in the Grand Canyon).

Now, it is time to play. We are not sure if we are going get to the ocean. There is so much more to see. Already we have seen wild horses running in New Mexico, more rain and storms than we thought, and some of the most unbelievable landscape that we could have ever envisioned. Our only lament is that we were always running too fast to fully enjoy it. This was necessary to stay up with traffic. Now we are looking at what to do next. Do we ride through the middle of the state and see all the parks, the Sequoias, the forests, and perhaps Yellowstone, or do we go all the way to the ocean. Neither of us have a taste for dealing with traffic and speed any more. We want to be able to ride and relax, yet know that we are going to be safe and find decent places to stay at night. Such is the issue of women traveling alone on motorcycles.

Tomorrow we will let you know.

Arizona!!

We got here last night. We celebrated Jose's birthday... (she won't let me put her age down...) Today we saw the Grand Canyon. It is late and we are tired. We will post tomorrow with the specifics of what has been the most incredible part of our trip. We were staying in Williams, the last town to be bypassed by I-40. When we got there, we decided to stay in a period hotel rather than a chain. What a great choice. We stayed at the Lodge, which has been restored to reflect the flavor of route 66. When we rode up, there were tons of older cars there including a Pontiac Bonneville station wag pulling an old airstream. The people were camping in it and there were many others around sitting in the patio area with fireplaces going and grilling food for the group. It was as if we had been transported back in time. It was incredible and very appropriate for Jose’s birthday. We celebrated her birthday by going to a few locations. We settled on a local restaurant where we had appetizers and I went down to the bar and pulled several biker back to sing happy birthday to Jose. I‘ve never seen her turn so red in my life. She could have lit up a room. It was great. Then, we came back to the room and collapsed from the ride. Then next day we woke early to catch the train to the Grand Canyon. This, in itself is an experience. We went ahead and took the first class section, because you could stand outside as well as go up into an observation deck. The trip lasted a couple of hours and we went through three types of tundra. Unfortunately, wildlife was shy, but it was amazing to be out at the end of the train and see the engine from the platform (at the rear of the train.) We had lots of entertainment, including a singer and very informative wait staff, they told where to eat and how to see the most of the canyon while we were there. We ate at a restaurant that overlooked the canyon. Bright Angel... something. We walked out of the restaurant and into the canyon area. There were several places to stop and look into the canyon. Jose, tended to hang back because she love heights so much. I was surprised that it did not bother me. While we were walking up, we saw a condor flying around. Jose said he was showing off. I took the camera and put it in sports mode and just held the shutter down. I managed to get some pretty decent shots. The only thing that was disappointing is that he flew over the same place I had been standing only 5 minutes ago! We also saw a big fat squirrel (much larger than the ones we have home) in a tree. It was nice to get him with the canyon in the background. We also saw another portion of the canyon and many different rock formations. It was as spectacular as both of had envisioned. Then we took the train back and got pictures of snow capped mountains and long dead volcanoes. We finally got back to the hotel room and went to the Cruisers 66 café., where they had a pretty decent live band, and as we were sitting outside listening to the music the mustang road tour came in. Jose got to see the newest 2010 mustang and had her picture taken with the car. It was all in all, a pretty cool stay. It was nice to be off the bikes for the day.

The silence is deafening

Somehow, I managed to delete this post. Probably a good thing, because I was in a bit of a foul mood when posting that day. Amazing how things turn out. I have updated the blog to provide instructions on how to comment on our trip. Keep looking for backpacks and school supplies. If you know of anyone or group that will break the pencil in half, let us know!

New Mexico!!

We are now in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Spent most of the day running away from rain and riding on Route 66. Today was a picture worthy day. It started when we woke up and rode back to the wind farm. It is amazing to see these things. They are like giant dancers in the wind. Somehow, they seem almost majestic. They make no noise, even when up close. The size is indescribable. I am still not sure how the pictures will come out and if they will do justice to the sight. (and yes, I said I….) This blog is a bit schizophrenic as it is a story of both two women and the thoughts of only one… So this will bounce between myself and us. Hope you guys don’t mind.
After we left the dancing giants, we went down the road just a bit. Jose said that she did not think that we were near Route 66. Then we stopped and I pointed to a sign. It said simply Rt 66. Not the fancy sign that you see on TV or pictures (or later for us) a simple, green sign that we are checking off another dream on this incredible trip. Just a bit further, we saw that infamous sign. That is when we took the picture that you see here. The truth is, this was an incredible day. But we are beat. I will hopefully post more about what we saw and did. Please bear with me (or for those semanticists reading this – us)
Oh, and Mr. Mikey… we made it past OK city :-)

Oklahoma!!!!

Here we are..... at route 66. But on the way, we had some incredible experiences. The day started off simple enough (but way too late - 11:00). While we were gearing up, we met a man that had one a mission trip on the reservation we were planning on visiting. When we told him about the school supplies, his response was the same as others we have asked. We are now going to be looking for others to give to. The reservation is definitely needy, but not the type that will pass the giving on. So please, give us some ideas.

On to the day; we dressed for rain which proved a good thing, since all we had were minor sprinkles. For those that ride, you can appreciate the irony. But, it was cooler than either of us anticipated, so the gear served as a barrier to the cool air. On the way, we met a man that worked in a convenience shop that gave a drug addict credit so that she could have cigarettes. That may seem counterproductive, but the idea is that he was a giving man. Roadrunner gave the man three pencils, the man told her that he had three children, and who had told her. "No" was the simple answer, his was that God must have told her.

Dallas was interesting. We did not die and we were able to make it through the city traffic with relative ease. It was very scary. Jose stayed up with Roadrunner and Roadrunner was able to stay up with the traffic. The funny thing is that when nervous, Roadrunner bangs her legs against the tank. No dents, which is a good thing.

Later in the day we found out that Oklahoma is a great place to get quarter horses. Lots of breeders and many horse farms. It was interesting to see all the baby horses in the fields (despite the fact that we were traveling quite quickly through the area.) One interesting spot was the "scenic pull off". At first blush, it looked like a sad joke. Nothing but a hill with lots of garbage. Then we turned around. Much better. But it would have been funny to see our faces when we first got there. The second pull off was much better and much more picture worthy.

Lots of construction. One time there was a man that felt that he needed to be in front of everyone; despite the fact that there was one lane. He got in front of us but not the 18-wheeler. For several miles, he tried (unsuccessfully) to repeatedly pass the truck. We hung back for the wreck, and fortunately, the people behind us saw what was going on as well and gave us the same space; A good riding day.
The most amazing thing for me was the wind farm. I have never seen them up close. At that point I said "all reservations are off! We are now going to start enjoying the ride.” So we are cancelling our reservations for the rest of the trip and only booking one day out. No more destinations - all of this will be journey.

Texas!

Yep, we are now in Texas. We left Meridian, MS this morning and are now 5 miles into the state. The rain held off most of the day. We put on our rain gear and rode for a few hours. After getting incredibly hot, we broke down and took off the gear. Bad idea; we hit rain in Shreveport, LA. Lots of it. Bolt lightning and wall clouds were in the distance, but stayed away from us. We finally broke down and stopped under a crosswalk over the interstate. When cars start to pull over because of the heavy rain - that is a good indicator that you should as well! Our gear is all over the room drying out. But, the bags (and their contents) stayed dry. Jose is already asleep. We ate a nice Italian restaurant. Tummies are full and the room is cold.

Looking at the weather this evening, it looks as if we are going to be riding in the rain tomorrow as well. Thanks for all you following us. We can feel your thoughts and prayers. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a dryer day. But I doubt we will make Amarillo!

It could have been better........ or worse.....

So, today, we get up in Birmingham and start loading the bikes. Rule number one... do a TCLOCS BEFORE loading up the bikes. Jose, had a flat back tire.... So, rather than being in Monroe LA, we were at the Harley shop in Pelham getting a new tire. God works in works in amazing ways... It wasn't the tire, it was the tube. Evidently, the company that put on the new back tire for Jose, left a tube that had two (not one, but two) patches on it.... It could have blown on the trip, which would have been much, much worse. So, we are now in Meridian, MS. Haven't made it to LA, but hope to go through there tomorrow. Not sure if we will make it to Dallas tomorrow, but the iron butt has begun!!!! Wish us luck. For those that are truly following us (and not our spouses....) don't forget - you owe me backpacks... :-) Moose will be posting pictures later.

Here we go!

For all of those that I spoke to yesterday.... Don't forget the backpacks! Send an email to us and we will be sure to tell you where to drop them off. We are to head out at Roadrunners house around 1:00pm today. With luck, we will be in Birmingham around 3:00. Will post more when we are there and settled down!

Well, here we are in Birmingham. Got to see Moose and take her to dinner. Gave away pencils to some fine young men at the hotel what were willing to watch our helmets while we unpacked our bags. It was amazing to see how much we actually were able to carry. Jose and I were able to fill a hotel cart to the top! Kind of scary. No big issues other than the wind! Next stop - Monroe, LA!

The Pencils Arrived!

The pencils came in - and early! The company even upgraded us! A great shout out to Omega HTC. They gave us better pencils! Whoo Hooo! We have contacted a small Indian reservation in NV to find out if they can use our supplies. Still waiting for other ideas from those that are following us! And for those of you who are... the school year is about to end. Rather than throw away or pack up that gently used backpack, consider giving it to Gray Lady Riders. The same goes for extra school supplies. Just post your response, or send an email to us. We can send someone to get it, or have it shipped. Anything that you don't use - another child will treasure. Until Saturday - Shiny Side Up!

Appalachian children and others

I'm beginning to think that Jose and I should make a stop somewhere in the Appalachian mountains and visit a school there. School will still be in session and we will be able to hopefully find not only a child, but a community that will be willing to "break the pencil in half". I'm also thinking that there may be others in our route that we can identify. While we cannot bring the backpacks with us, we certainly can have them shipped or bring them up by cage later.

No one has commented on additional options. I would be very happy to see some suggestions.

The planning begins...

I have started looking at getting a gross of customized pencils. Here is what I am putting on them

4 sides can be personalized.
1. Gray Lady Riders
2. half the pencil/share the dream
3. grayladyriders.blogspot.com

The fourth line is blank. I like that - leaving a space for just the receiver to have.

This is a final route. God willing and the snow don't fall!

This is going to be a bit iron butt and LOTS of fun.

View Larger Map

Why School Supplies? Why "break the pencil in half"

I started looking over my blog and realized, that I never truly explained why I use the phrase "for the child that breaks the pencil in half." When we were planning to go to Jamaica, I researched the country and found out that the children had relatively little in terms of school supplies. Once we picked the hotel, I arranged with one of the members of management to provide enough school supplies for one class. I was told that there would be 20 children in the class. So I proceeded to collect enough backpacks, pencils, school supplies, even supplies for teachers. Enough for 20 children. Once we were there I was told that while there were 20 children in a class, this was a one room school house and that there were a total of 50 children. All between the ages of 3 and 5. I cried when I realized that I did not have nearly enough supplies to go around. One of the local men saw me crying and said,
"Please, don't cry. We are grateful for whatever we receive. When I was growing up, if a child next to me did not have a pencil, I would cut the pencil in half and then we each would have one. That is the way of Jamaicans."
Imagine how happy I was to find out that we had enough pencils to give each child one of their own.

I started thinking about this. How many children would do this? How many communities are genuinely grateful for such supplies. Where do I find the children or child that will "break the pencil in half." ?

Spring is here!

Today was an incredibly beautiful day. I started at the Harley dealership down the road. I took many pictures, as this was their beginning of the season tent sale. I am not advertising for them, it is just that you meet some of the most unusual people there. What amazed me was what happens when you pull out a camera. I had people wanting to have their picture taken. I loved it. I took several pictures, good ones. . Once I learn how to post high pixel pictures, I will be post them.
Then I picked up Jose and we rode to Cathedral Caverns. I have been there twice, but have never actually been do the caverns themselves. The ride is the beauty. When people think of Alabama, they do not think of breathtaking valleys and beautiful rolling foothills. Nevertheless, they are there, and today I was able to experience them all. The redbuds are in full bloom and the dogwoods are just starting. This is one of my favorite times of the years to ride. The skies are so blue that they can overwhelm you. Spring days like this make the winter seem so long ago, despite the fact that I nearly froze about 10 days ago riding the bike back from the shop. Today was the kind of day that you get on the bike and forget about time, about problems, about anything other than the beauty of the day.

I feel that I should be writing about how we all make a difference for someone. The truth is, that today, I did not. I just rode, I rode for the day and I rode for me.

The Adventure is closer...

Well, we have finally picked a date to start the adventure. April 26th around noon. I'm thinking of heading East, but am not positive now. The trip is going to be about 3 days shorter than we originally thought, but it still is close to a month.

I want to be able to bring some school supplies with me, if we can identify those groups or children that will "break the pencil in half." Still looking for that very elusive trait. Also, if anyone has any ideas on possible beneficiaries, let us know! This is a group effort and anyone can be involved!

Also, start thinking about good places to ride. Not traditional motorcycle rides,but the ones that the idea takes your breath away. For me - I'm thinking the Amish country in PA and the Badlands. Other than that, the country is my guide!

I miss by bike or Baby, It's cold out there.

Someone just recently asked me if I had ridden much in 2008. I looked back and was surprised to realise that I had not ridden even half as I had in previous years. At first blush, I blamed it on the gas prices, but in retrospect, I just did not have my head in the game. I have learned that if your head is not in the right place - stay off the bike.

So this week I got Baby serviced. She had been abused by lesser mechanics and the one that knows her (and me), and even call her by name (Baby) is in another state, but reachable. By taking the back roads, it is an incredible ride up there, through creek laden vistas, curvy roads and beautiful peaks and valleys. So it seems like a good deal. The day I dropped Baby off, it was 70, the day before I picked her up, it was 80.

Last night, I rode home at the wonderful temperature of 35. This was fun, because it had rained a slight bit and I try to avoid riding if the temperature is below 36 degrees (that is the point at which bridges freeze). Plus, it was starting to get dark, which meant that Bambi as well as all sorts of other nocturnal animals, will start their way out of their homes and into the path of my bike. Not a good idea of taking unlit, very curvey backroads at dusk. Nope... high speed, four lanes, lots of traffic, but lots of lights, was the only answer.

I had my heated gear on, but for some reason, the wind just blew through me anyway. I thought that the short ride from Tennessee back to the house (about an hour) was one of the longest, grueling rides I have made in a long, long time. Now, it is going to be spring break, and I will once again be off the bike for a while as we vacation with the kids.

I lament over the hours lost off of Baby and the freedom and release that it gives me. I began to wonder, am I the only one that looks at last year and sees that the economy, the gas, just life, put us in a funk that just took our head out of the game? For those that ride, did last year affect your riding? If you had to do it again, would you have ridden more? Ridden less?

One Nickel on Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day. While we share our profession of love with those in our lives, we also continue with our normal lives. As such, I found myself out in the garage looking at the sad state of my pipes.

I ended up burning some of my gear onto my pipes the other day. For those that know me, understand that my gear is designed to keep me safe - very safe. As a result, it is pretty hefty. I am not sure how, but I imagine that I threw the pants over the seat and in my haste, left them on the pipe. It was not until several days later, that I realized my mistake. There on my pretty chrome pipes, were several big blobs of black melted - no not melted, WELDED onto my pipes. Nothing was getting it off. I used all the tricks in my bag, WD-40 on hot pipes, fine (very, very, very fine) steel wool - nothing. Not even the slightest change. Then I found out about the secret of the nickel.

I doubted the validity of this, but figured what the heck - they are ruined anyway right? So on my cold pipes (yes, cold), I started to work, peeling off the globs of black junk. To my amazement, it started peeling off, and left the pipes in tact!
So for those that "ride for the freedom - and dress for the road", here is a secret. Remember the power of a nickel. It can save you a great deal of money, time and effort.

Kind of like life - the simplest things in life, gives us the most joy.
Happy Valentine's Day !

Another buff gone

I have my last buff away this week. It was to a woman who was just going through chemo and could not stand having a hot on her head due to the hot flashes. When I gave it to her, I told her to remember this: "This was given to you by a member of Gray Lady Riders, a crazy woman who rides motorcycles, but remember, that life itself, is like a motorcycle ride - it is all about the journey and nothing about the destination." Then I hugged her and left. I don't know if she will ever wear the buff, but the important part is that I cared.

I just got my next shipment of them in. This time I have 5 more to give away. That means that I will meet five more women that have lost their hair to chemo. I rarely know what type of cancer they have, if it is curable or terminal, just that they are going through a tough time. I don't give one to every woman I see, just those that have a tiny little handkerchief, or nasty, ugly scarf (one that looks like it would hurt to wear on a sensitive head.) Then I give it to them, and tell them the same thing I did to this woman. That life will go on.

Do clothes define your age?

I like my blue jeans. I like to wear them a bit tighter. I like them with designs, snug around my hips (and yes they are bigger than when I was20). The other day, I was told by a good friend - "You are 50! You should dress like it!"

I started googling "50 year old" woman and clothes. With the glaring exception of Madonna, there were very few definitions of what clothes define a woman of "my age."

I don't mind getting older, I just want to do so in my own terms. I don't want to wear what a 20 year old does, but then again, I don't want to wear elastic waist bands (not that this is wrong - just for me). I love the fact that mouths still drop open when I pull my helmet off when I get off the bike! I don't want to act immature, but I also don't want to be old!

For all of you, not just women, but everyone interested in Gray Lady Riders; What defines your age?

My next big adventure

I just got the okay from my better half that I get to do one more thing on my "bucket list" Sometime this spring, I plan on a month long ride with a good friend. Right now, we have four defined stops. East until the ocean, North until Canada, West until the Ocean, South until Mexico and East again home. Other than that - the trip is wide open.

Few if any highways (blue roads preferred). We are now planning at least a reasonable route. Since we are talking a month and thousands of miles, things that have to be taken into account - servicing! We will have to have our bikes serviced a couple of times while we are out. That will be interesting since she rides a Harley (don't go there...) and I ride a roadstar (ditto).

Any feedback or ideas on what to do for this? Any of those of you have lessons learned?