I really dont have a title for this blog this evening, maybe one suitable will pop up as we go along,
I got a couple of s urprises and a huge blessing this week , My oldest son called me last week and told me he had taken and passed a motorcycle saftey course, which in it self is a fete of monumental proportions to me, my children continue to amaze me, for it wastn't but a few days later, son # 2 called, and started a converstation like, do you still have your aspencade dad, I said i did, and he begins to tell me he might be interested in buying it, and I figured to my self, ok, Lets see how you get this one past your wife, i can remember the opposition i once had when i purchased my first touring bike, or was it my it my second, any way, i can remember , first my dad, bless his pointed head, telling me, "Boy,you ain't buying no dam bike , those things are dangerous and will kill ya", I was 35 at the time, had a house full of kids, and he is pulling rank on me.
You have to under stand the man flew airplanes, and had motorcycles, and fast cars for those days, we are talking babbit bearing six cylinder engines he had spung silver dollars where the babbit had been, a tech trick for those days, and a hand full of old timers would understand what i mean.That was in the days before the 302 gmc six's showed up, we are talking about the days when mechanics really did mechanic, they had too, no parts distribution or computer prompted inventories, you did with what you had, bailing wire, pair of pliers, chevy six cylinder , with ported and polished head, split manifold, with glass packs, over boreing engines,and if you were really l ucky , you might just find a dual carburated manifold for the stromberg 97's that were used in the day and time . The v-8's the were available then were mostly ford and mercury flatheads the ninety horse versions were commom, and plentiful, remind me some time to tell you what happens when you put a huge olds engine in a 33 ford pickup frame, you cant believe the destruction of pieces and parts , but that is another story in it's own right.
My dad lived for his family, he did give up flying and fast cars, kept a old harley cop trike at the s hop for a service vechicle in the spring summer and fall, and kept his hand in riding too,

The thing i had a hard time understanding was the fact that both my brothers allready had touring bikes, i have no idea if he harrassed them about getting them or not, we never had that conversation, my y oungest brother was allowed to have a bridgestone 90, and my oldest brother has owned enough bikes to fill a quanset shed, a big one, and still has more sitting in his garage in rowlette that most people own in a life time, but he can afford it, he earned and p aid for every thing he ever had, and i am not jealous, just nice to see how the other half lives from time to time, he got a good education worked hard, it paid off.

Seems like to me, both brothers got the smarts and money, and that is fine, i am better looking then both of them, and my mom always loved me the most any way, a fact they both still this to this day dispute .
My dad was also a techno geek for his day and time, he had the first poloroid camera, and one of the first color tv's on our block, and as broke as we were , that was saying a lot, then the accutron watches, he coudn't set, a vcr would have drove him crazy, he loved the gadgets , we all suffer from that malady, and i am sure we all inherited it from him, as we did the love and respect for law enforcement, handguns, airplanes, motorcycles, fast cars, the list goes on and on.



The boys are continueing their education , both are attorney's never did figure out how that happened,first firearms, then computers, now motorcycles, and I cant wait , i have dreamed for years to be able to go with the boys on a ride some place, even with my brother's and friends and family, my son in law rides, and we ride together some.This could get really interesting, and more fun that you can ever imagine. I plan to retire in the distant future, and this just keeps getting better, i may even wind up down in that area, and that would be benificial for a lot of reasons, some which i cannot divulge at this time, but would put a huge smile on my face when and if it happens.
Life sometimes can be very trying, that motorcycle in my shed , may not keep me normal, but it keeps me sane, there is nothing like getting the bike out and just going, i have always loved that.
There is no way to accuately describe how good it makes me feel, You are looking at God's creation at it's finest, you and the wind, and elements, It is all part of the experience, if you dont like helmet hair, you are in the wrong place, or if you need a shower every couple of hours, you wont like riding,but if y ou dont mind being on back and soaking up the sunshine and all the riding you can stand, chances are, i will see a huge smile , a willingness to be on the back of that bike nearly every time it leaves, and a true desire just to be where you are ,then riding should and will be very rewarding for both.Now if i can just get them interested in the pgr, but we have time, i wont rush anything , this is like a very fine wine , it needs to be savored and enjoyed

Several days have passed since i last worked on this, should be in bed getting rest for work tonight, but this seems more important to me , thought i would have it finished by now, but as you see , it isnt, so i am here
As i sit here sneezing my head off in the texas panhandle, lots of real estate changed hands today, and wildfires all around us, wind may be down to 20 now, just a light breeze for here, more fires, more losses and no rain.Here i am again, on midnights, gonna leave for work in a half hour, for more fun and games, last night being sunday , was no exception, i made a huge mess, which took the three of us over two hours a piece to clean up, seems some one from another shift decided to start cleaning the agitator tank, back in march, leaving the agitator doors open, but forgetting to say any thing or posting a note on the board, well me being the brainy guy, especially on midnights that i am, decided, well this is the same grade we last maade, all things being equal, lets put some black in the tank and go for it, , well all i secedded in doing was to turn the night, which was allready black , even blacker, we turned every thing off , and for the next two hours got to reflect on why you are supposed to check every thing , before you do something, else you get bit, just like i did and have before in the past.You would think sometime, that i would finally learn, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, not me, oh well,tonight is a new day, something good from this will come i am positive.
Since i started this, the boys have become riders, acquiring machine, and we have a plan to ride this weekend, in fort worth, I can't wait, and this weekend may also hold some other delights, which may or may not unfold, but i am praying that they will.
Son #1 called early in the weekend, with some troubleshooting questions, and after some very pretty fireworks , from what he described , we have realized that sometimes things are installed with a real reason in mind, so i am taking so pieces that i had removed when i charged the battery, and forgot to put back on, oh i found the pieces, i knew right where they were, and are in my tour pack now, will fix the battery shorting problem, with a screwdriver and parts i have in my possession. and also a cut little rubber thingy, that slides on a stud, on a brake link, wonder what it does.
I am loading the bike for friday morning, makeing some p hone calls, and accepting others, While i know i should be sleeping, i cannot, I look forward to the ride, the adventure, going to ride with my sons and enjoying that time, makeing those memories, hopefullly ones they can reflect back on years later, and bring a smile to their faces, because they enjoyed the adventure again in their memory.With any luck, the whole weekend, will be a very memorable one, from start to finish.
It really doesnt matter what you ride, as long as you love to ride and enjoy the adventure, it does matter who you are with and why

Country Music is alive and Well, or is it

I have been stuck on midnights this week and next, so for the next two weeks , i will just choose what four hour period ,I want to sleep and do that, because that is the normal average sleep for midnights.Since I posted last, I attended another funeral,this time was in Guymon Oklahoma, that place has special significance for me,One , my number two son was brought into this world there,another I became acquainted with Duane Boren ,the then chief of police ,one of the true wonders of the law enforcement world,If you missed knowing and spending any time with Duane,you missed a real adventure.
I talked to one of the police supervisors at the funeral in Guymon, for about an hour, a detective,in uniform,very nice guy,we knew some folks in common, and were half expecting the cretins from kansas to show, Oklahoma knows how to show respect to our fallen,not that others dont, but these folks werent messing around,when it comes to some one trying to disrespect one of our fallen hero's, and being a Guymon native, they pulled out the stops,OHP had responded their East and West emergency response teams,which were in riot gear when we rode in.
It wasnt long after we showed that the riot gear came off,the temperments of the officers softened ,the pace changed,and we went about our mission of respecting this fallen hero and providing support for his family and friends in any way possible.
As the detective and I stood and talked I noticed an OHP Plane in the air , had half expected to see a helicopter but was told the plane would appear less obtrusive,which i agreed with, cause it is not at all uncommom to see ag planes loaded to the gills with spray chemicals, or sport pilots out soaking up some of the beautiful afternoon's rays , we encountered some wind, but felt right at home,When I had lived in Guymon, it could be and was a very similar day to what we would encountered during my stay when I worked at the Chevy dealership.
Some one had been thoughtful enough to provide flags on ten foot poles, that we held on both sides of the entrance street to the church,a truly beautiful sight.
We lined up along the barditch sides close to the asphalt and watched it all unfold infront of us.I was truly overwhelmed at the funeral of Lt Britt in Wheeler, my first mission with the Pgr,think you are tough, come join us , spend a day at a funeral , seeing friends and loved ones comeing and going, You wont leave the same as you came, or at least i havent.While we stood lined up , the guymon radio station was located right behind us to the west, made several trips up and down our ranks where we were holding the flags,and gave us cold bottled water , and even picked up the empties,I know of at least three times they went up and down our line providing cold water for us.
It always amazes me , the extent of kindness that is always given at these funerals.
I am as tough inwardly as any one i know, have always been a loner, and things like funerals never did much to me.
Well Let me tell yall,that has since changed ,when I started going to the hero's funerals, I have found these to be emotinally draining,in a very good sense of the word.I was raised in the "men dont cry age",This man cries, I had tears in my eyes more than once during my time holding that flag,cant tell you why,i didnt know the soldier,had never seen this young man we were honoring and that is ok,but if you can go and stand there and not feel anything,then chances are , you are in the wrong place.
As friends and family left the funeral, they came thru our flag honor guard,i saw smiles with tears,waves,women and men alike, choseing their own way to say, thanks for being here.I saw Troopers, police officers, and civilans ,stand at attention and salute as the hearse came in,andwhen it went out.
I can see how much God hates america, in the faces and eyes and salutes, and kindness of the folks i encounter every time i become involved in a mission.What the cretins never realized , that in spreading their vile contempt and hatred, this group of partiot guard riders have risen,with purpose and clarity,knowing in our hearts,that God is there Smiling on the fallen soldiers and their families,as he holds them to his chest,in his infinite tenderness and mercy.
This morning as we sit here at work,one of my cohorts made mention that the tickets for the Brooks and Dunn concert are 120.00 a pop.We used to go see the likes of Charlie Pride , Merle Haggard, Willie nelson , AreoSmith
Roy Clark, to name a few , in the civic center auditoruim,not sure what the seating was, but i am guesssing around
5500 people,but in the greater wisdom of some one, Brooks and Dunn will have their concert in the newer entertainment portion of a new performing arts center, with much less seating, so up the prices go,dealing out a huge number of folks that would normaly go to see them,and almost like a special showing for the upper crust , if you have the bucks,you get to go,now i have always been a fan of theirs, but 120.00 to see them, i think not.Got a lot better place for that money,let the blue collar crowd go,that will buy a lot of fuel for trips to Dallas,and i can see them cheaper there anyway.