From 2 smaller wheels to 18 big ones

These past two years have been interesting.  I've made some good decisions, some bad ones.  Some were made for me...But as of October 1st, I'v officially left the financial world and enter a new one.

It's a complete change of lifestyle for me, and as you probably guess from the title, I've decided to drive a truck.  I'll get to my reasons in a bit, and since no one really reads this blog, I'll do so in my own time.

I have been in call centers all my life, I've been a phone jockey. I've been a team leader. a trainer, a supervisor, a manager.   Honestly there is much that I've not done.  When I decided to go the independent insurance route in 2016 it was a bit of a shock.  Luckily I didn't lose money the first year like I feared.  I didn't make money either but I didn't have to hijack anything out of our savings accounts to pay bills, so I'll consider that a success.

Then ten months ago a friend of mine called me and suggested I go to work back in a call center.  I would still be an Independent agent, but one where I would not have to pay for leads and that's a large chunk of change saved up right there.   The job also had a few other perks like working when I wanted to, as long as I put in 40 hours, etc.

The first 3 months were training, paid at $18 an hour on Medicare products.  I'm a big fan of Medicare, but not of selling it over the phone.   However I did what I was asked. In the months that followed, I only hit my sales goals once.  Something needed to change and you can read about that more in the other blog I keep.

So why trucking?   Well, I have my reasons but it mostly had to do with skills and being in a job where I would always be in demand.  It's not recession proof, but is damn close to it.  I'm not worried about doing the actual job, I can learn that part of it. While I may be a proverbial monkey with a gun when it comes to anything mechanical, I can learn.

What scares me honestly is being isolated.  I am an introvert at heart but I also know that in the past I've made bad choices because I was lonely.  I'm also hoping that this isolation and new experiences will get me back into writing and blogging.  It's something I've missed, and besides, my first best selling novel should have been written by now (actually I've the first 3 chapters done and it has the working title of "Emma").

I read about drivers that may not be home for months.  Or how you see nothing but strangers (waitress's, dock workers, other truckers) and how your whole world consists of the cab and sleeping quarters of your truck.   A world reduced to 50 square feet.

I also read about seeing the Rocky Mountains for the first time and the beauty of the high plains or watching the sun raise over the ocean...then watching it set the same day over mountains in the west.  Of the wonder of leaving the desert and driving into snow. 

What this came down to for me was a change of pace, of needing to finally do something different for a bit.

What this came down to for me was family.  While I can do insurance and banking anywhere in the world (and my former company did offer me the chance to work from home), it's also based on relationships.   That life insurance policy leads to a call about Medicare.  You need Dental work?  I got that covered.  Your daughter is getting married and needs home owner's insurance?  Done.

I remember I insuranced an entire street because I treated the people right.  I've several standing invites for dinner and at least one woman offered to set me up with her Daughter!  Relationships matter.

Still, however, I have to face facts.  My father is ill, and my mother will need help in Pennsylvania.   Sue's family is in the same place, her father doesn't even remember her now. 

The income needs to be more stable moving forward.  I need a job where I can slip into easily without much disruption if we do move.   Insurance and banking is about building relationships, and I'm not willing to spend another two years or more of my life to building those relationships again in a new city.

I just hope I'm making the right choices.

So long story short, I'm back in the blogging game.  Concentrating on travel and trucking and what ever else comes my way.

Take care.

Rob

Passing through - 2016 year in review

Scooter Bob hanging with the cats.

Despite the crash and relative bad luck that was November and December of this year...I can honestly state that 2016 was a good year at the Wilson home.

My dearly departed Kimmie and I managed to put some 6000+ miles on her before her death.  It's hard for me to believe that a mere 3 weeks ago I was looking forward to the adventures of 2017.  Now we are in the closing moments of 2016 and I'm seriously debating if I'll ever get on another bike again.

It's been a year of connecting with old friends and making new ones.  It's been a year of kitchen remodeling and getting involved with projects that took up a lot more time than I originally expected they would.  While I loved having Scooter Bob here, I was unable to do everything I wanted with him due to my work schedule and other issues.  He hung out with the cats a bit more than I would have liked. 

I raised over 600 dollars to help fight Prostate Cancer and Men's Health issues.  I received a very nice imprinted poster for my efforts.  As well as a wonderful feeling that I was part of something bigger than me.  As I rode with some 150 other bikers in and around the city of St Petersburg and Tampa proper I was truly the happiest I've ever been on Kimmie.  I'll probably have that poster framed one day, although I'm not sure where I'll hang it.

It was a year where I finally got out of my comfort zone and rode out to the central parts of the state.  Spending time in Winter Haven and around Orlando.  These are roads that I wanted to spend more time on in 2017.  It was nice to finally take the time and ride over to St Pete and that part of the Tampa Bay area in general. 

I guess that won't happen now.  Or at least not for some time.

For now I'm looking at physical therapy although I do feel relativity well.  Despite a overnight stay in the hospital because of the accident I walked away from it more or less intact.  This one though...honestly has put the fear of God into me.

We will see what the future brings...but I could not let the year pass without some sort of review.  Some thing to keep up with tradition. 

So I want to wish each and everyone a Happy New Year.  May you be healthy, safe, wealthy and wise in the coming year. 

Happy Holiday's to the blogging world.

I have a lot to be thankful for this Holiday Season.  I'm not a religious guy, preferring the world of math and science to any spiritual realm.  It's been a week since Kimmie and I went down and even though their is nothing that physical therapy and a little bit of grit can't fix...I've been hurt in other ways.

For the first time in a long time I've been reminded that my actions affect others.    Well a Can-am or a trike may be in my future, Susan feels they are more stable and therefore "safer", I'm not sure if and when I'll climb back on.  My faith in myself and my ability has been shaken to the core.

So I just want to thank my friends, my family for their support and love during the last few years of this blog.  I have met a few of you.  I have smiled and laughed at your adventures.  I've made friends.  I've gone on adventures that I would not have otherwise; and hope that you smiled, laughed and enjoyed the ride as much as I have.

I don't know what lies ahead.  Maybe I will take up cheese making, or finally get around to that home brewing kit that I've threatened Sue with for years.  All I know is this...your always welcome into my life and into my home. 

Happy Holiday's my friends.  May the New Year be full of adventures.  I'll be reading them.

Almost the end of another year

Later on today I'm supposed to pick Kimmie up from the mechanic.  Her new rear wheel cost me $175 bucks (including labor).  It's a price I'm not that worried about.  Even though the tire didn't look that damaged and I feel pretty confident that the sidewall was not damaged, I decided in the end not to take that risk.

I've driven cars where the brakes have failed.  I've driven cars where a tire has blown.  I've no desire to push my luck on a motorcycle tire.

Road hazards happen, belts will break, oil changes need to be made, accidents will happen.  Generally speaking it seems that 2016 was a year of repair.  It was also a year of accomplishment.  It's been the first year in a while where Susan and I were in generally good health.

We have traveled to caves, to the worlds smallest post office, an old friend came for an extended visit, we had to deal with two hurricanes this year and I got to take part in a world wide motorcycling event.   I rode to places that I normally don't ride to; pushing Kimmie a bit further out each time to take in the lakes, hills and curves of the center of the state.  I even managed to go to a rally. 

I even got a new toy or two.

It's not over yet, I still have about 3 more weeks to add to my millage, which is already over last years total making me a very happy camper indeed.  My main goal for 2016 was to ride more.  To do more, I feel that I've succeed there.

My main goal for 2017 has not been determined yet.  Susan and I are looking at some options.  We're considering our options, and yes a new bike may be in the cards.  Although I'm against it for a few reasons, I would like to get at least two more years out of Kimmie.  Maybe a bit more.  She and I are not done exploring yet.

I'm not saying it is....but it may be

Even though I consider myself to be solidly agnostic, I've been blessed.  Looking ahead to 2017 it seems full of promise which, considering the last few years, seems odd.  So I for one am looking forward to new adventures.  Happy Holiday's everyone!

I got your app right here!!! - must have applications for your motorcycle

With the heat and the weather being what it is, I've been sort of self limiting on the time I spend on my bike.  However I've been playing around with a few phone apps lately and thought I should write a bit about technology and how it affects the biker. 

Lets be honest, our phones are part of our lives (like it or not) and although I do not recommend staring at your phone while on the bike - there are various applications that a biker can use.  These are a few that I've used and highly recommend.

I've already wrote about the Crash Detection and Response application (CRADAR) here.  A crash application is something I highly recommend for every biker.  While I have that application installed, I have to admit that I rarely use it.  This application, indeed every phone application I'll be writing about, requires the GPS function of your phone to be turned on.  This in turn, eats into your battery life. 

Since nearly all of my riding is commuting, Susan knows where I'm at since she knows the (general) route I take.  I'll admit to mixing it up sometimes just for something different.  

I also used to use Waze as well, which I found to be much better than my phone's built in Google Maps function.  I loved that the application could be updated in real time for things like construction, letting you know where a speed trap was or a broken down car.  Although I ended up deleting this function since I could not delete the built in Google Maps.  Frankly I saw no use to having two navigational functions in my phone. 

Plus, when your on the bike it's best not to look at the screen.

Gas Buddy is another one of those applications that everyone should have downloaded into their phones.  Once again it uses crowd sourcing to provide you with the location and prices of the gas stations around you.  It even allows you to get directions to that gas station. 

If your budget conscious like I am (OK, I'm a cheap bastard) it even has a trip cost calculator.  It even gives you which gas stations you should stop at. 

Recently I've been playing around with the Pirella Diablo SBK application.  Let me state that this has absolutely nothing to do with Pirella tires (which I highly recommend by the way).  This application is designed more for the serious sport bike rider or sport bikes in general. 

It has both road and track factions (including lap times) and allows for the calculation of lean angles....even G forces.  Each route is saved to the website, in case you find that special road, and it also records mileage, time and speed.  It even has a function to allow you to send your results to friends or share it on social media. 

That being said....it has no way to download a route that you wish to take or send a crash notification to your loved ones.   At least not that I'm aware of. 

I'm still playing around with this application to a great extent and the more I learn about it the more I like it.  Although for what ever reason you have to go to the companies website to log in, which means everything is in Kilometers.  If your using English units, your data is record on the application in miles. It's not a major issue, I know how to convert from KM to miles, but it is annoying.

Really how hard is it to have that option on the website?   I can share the data to my Facebook account, but I can't login via Facebook even though that is an option?  Am I doing something wrong?  Again, more annoying than anything.   

If only there was that magical phone application that would let you do all these things and more, all in one convenient place.   You would need something like five applications in one. 

Along comes the Eat Sleep Ride application which supposedly does everything we've talked about.  In the interest of full disclosure I've not used this application yet but it seems to be getting rave reviews in the various forums I visit and on various motorcycling sites. 

In addition to everything the Pirella application does, it also allows you to track your mileage and discover routes that other bikers share with the application (I'm still not telling you where my secret road is).  For an additional cost you can by their "Crashlight" function which will send a text and voice message after 3 minutes if you go down.  It also allows you to instantly share photos. 

This application supposedly is great for setting up group rides and keeping track of everyone in said group ride.

For what ever reason however, I can not get that application to work in my android phone.  It's probably a memory issue and I'll try downloading it later once I play around with my phone.  

So I'm curious, anyone use any of these applications?   Any reviews you would like to add? 

All these applications are available via Google Play or your Apple Store. 

Roadside attractions and swamp buggies

Susan and I wanted to get away during the July 4th weekend.  We were not sure what we would do or where we would go, but she wanted to do something different and I am always up for an adventure.   After all, experiences are what create memories.

When our local news station did a little show on Swamp Buggies we both said "done."  These are often found in the Everglades and at one time were considered essential in the state of Florida since they were they only means of transportation in areas were there were no roads. 

Ochopee, Florida (pronounced exactly like it sounds) is home to the worlds smallest post office, the skunk ape research center and Wooten's swamp buggies and air boat tours which we decided would be our destination.  As it so happened we were the only two people on our particular buggy.

Our ride was actually pretty sedate, you enter one section and plow through about 3 to 4 feet of water before getting onto to dry land.  Where your exposed to the nature of the area, some local wildlife and a bit of local history.  Ochopee it seems was a moonshiners paradise at one time, as Al Capone had a casino in Miami at the time.

Two female deer showed no fear of the buggy and since Sue and I were the only ones on the Buggy, we were within 10 feet of them at times.  A curious raccoon also seemed interested in visiting us as he walked in front of the slow moving buggy at times.

A friendly grasshopper.

Of course if I'm this close to a national monument I had to go and see it.   Up the road a few miles was the world's smallest post office.

Legend has it that the swampland around Ochopee is home to a giant ape like creature, who differs from Bigfoot, a likely cousin, is several ways.  The biggest way in that this ape supposedly stinks; and stinks badly.  Giving him the name of "Skunk Ape."

Now never mind the fact that the only people that have supposedly seen the Skunk Ape work at the Skunk Ape research Center and Gift Shop.  I'm sure that is just a coincidence and  has nothing to do with gullible tourists.

I'm sure that these guys are legit Skunk Ape hunters.  I mean they have a jeep and everything, and nothing says "I'm serious about a fictional animal." like a jeep.

Besides just look at some of the evidence they found in all their years of research.  You can't argue with the evidence.

Sue and I enjoyed the weekend away, although we really didn't plan it well.  We left on a Saturday afternoon and had our little adventure on Sunday morning.  Next time I think we will leave on a Friday night and spend the full weekend in the Naples, Florida area.  Their seems to be a lot to do and see in that area.  Of course, more pics are on my Facebook page.

Happy July 4th weekend to all my American readers.  
  

Into the depth's of the earth

Sue and I about to enter the depth's of the earth

I have never gone spelunking.  Although frankly the idea of caving has always appealed to me.  The idea of seeing something unique, or something that very few others have seen fascinates me.  However I learned long ago, when I explored an underground pipe system with some friends as a young man; is that I hate being wet, cold and in the dark.

So given the chance to take a rare free weekend and go caving in Florida's only open air cave, I would jump at the chance.  Sue and I drove about five and a half hours north into the panhandle of Florida.  Some 40 million years ago Florida was covered by a shallow sea, and this resulted in limestone being deposited.  The limestone is raised up and then water seeps into the limestone, slowly dissolving the limestone and creating a cave.  This is known as a Karst formation.   

These caves can take million of years to form and each one is unique in it's own way.  They grow and change, admittedly very very slowly, over time.  Each one can, and often does, support a fragile ecosystem.  As such very little of the cave was open to the public, and my few attempts of photographing it, do not do it justice.  You can see the full album of the caves on my Facebook page  (please note there are two different albums).  

nom nom

We also decided to explore the nearby town of Marianne, Florida a bit as well.    The panhandle of the state was the first part of the state that was "truly developed" as plantation owners in Georgia and Alabama expanded southward into what was then Spanish territory in the early 1800's.  

As such the town had a variety of historical buildings and styles throughout it.   From the Spanish influenced post office building to the antebellum southern style of the early to mid 1800's.  The rest of the state would be developed after the Civil War when the railroads started to push south along the coasts. 

Sadly we went exploring on a Sunday morning/early afternoon and the city was pretty much empty and shut down.  Still though we managed to find a few things of interest and plan on making another trip somewhere different soon.  

It feels good to be getting back to exploring my adopted state and all it has to offer.  

"straws" and an example of "cave bacon" in the upper right corner

a pool filled with water, so still it appears as glass would

Example of the Spanish style I love so much

Not technically Antebellum but lovely still

The return of the rainy season and other meanderings

Their is a 70% chance of rain today.  A slightly less chance of rain tomorrow but the chances of me getting wet are almost guaranteed.  I've an unwritten rule when it comes to riding.  Anything above 45% is a crap shoot and I'll take the car everywhere.  It looks like I'll be driving to work most of the week.

I don't mind riding in the rain, in fact I rather enjoy it as long as I feel "relatively safe."  Riding in wet weather requires a special type of skill, and I'm glad that my motorcycle riders training class was held during a rainy miserable cold weekend.  I learned not to be afraid of the rain.  However if I can avoid it I will. 

Florida however has two seasons basically.  The "dry" season which most people refer to as "fall and winter" and the "wet" season, which generally is the spring and summer.   Our hurricane season generally runs from June 1 to November 30th and it's that weather pattern that delivers the rain.

Well my adopted home of Zephyrhills is inland enough to avoid storm surges and other flooding, I'm still not looking forward to living through my first hurricane, the last hurricane to touchdown in Florida was Wilma back in 2005.  Although there have been a variety of tropical storms that have caused damage in Florida.   The difference between the two is basically organization and wind speed.

It's only a matter of time the experts say.

Does no one wave anymore?

Let me paint you a picture.   It's a sunny day, the lone scooterist is heading down the road enjoying how a horse wants to race him to the far fence post.  Their are only a few fluff ball clouds in the air and all is right with the world.   Across the way comes a few bikers, a small group of 5 or so fellow travelers.

I throw out my hand giving them the peace sign above the road, wishing them safe travels down the road.  It's ignored.

Ok...whatever.   I'm okay with that, who knows what is going through the mind of another rider?  Or what they have to deal with.   Ah, a sports bike!  I throw out my hand again and say "Peace to thee my bother of the two wheels."

hmmm.....that is not the peace sign he is giving me back, but at least its a wave.   

 

All jokes aside though I'm not sure when or how the wave fell out of favor.  I generally try to wave at every rider I see, as long as it is safe to do so.  For what ever reason I've only been getting the wave back about 50% of the time.  

I get it to a great extent.  I'm on a scooter and not a "real bike" even though Kimmie is more than capable of either keeping up with, or blowing away most cycles on the road.  I also understand that now that the weather is fair we are getting more garage queens out on the road.  Bikes that never see the light of day unless they travel from pub to pub on the weekend.  Maybe I'm not worthy of the wave in their opinion?

I can also understand a new rider might be a little reluctant to take their hands off the handlebars even for a moment, and the wave is not exactly covered in class work when you get your license.

Still though...how hard is it to throw out your arm in greeting?    We should be more friendly to each other.

To the Northern Hinterlands!

Sue and I are talking about taking the car north this weekend.  Up into the counties on the Nature coast that we are not familiar with.   Taking a picnic basket, our swim trucks and spending a night in a hotel somewhere.  Well I've no issue pointing our wheels in that direction, I would rather go with some sort of destination in mind...but the best finds are always the unexpected pleasures one finds on the side roads.

The problem that I'm having is that there does not seem to be much in the way of anything between Brooksville and Tallahassee.  

I suppose we may find a little out of the way restaurant, or some town holding a local festival.  More on that later, but it's a good change of pace.  Considering all her medical issues and so forth, I'll take what ever good days I can.

I wonder how many wineries there are bestrewn here and there?  My wine fridge is getting a little empty.

Motivation to ride

"What motivates you?

My boss asked me that question yesterday.

I really did not have an answer ready.  "Well, I like to help people."

"Okay Ms. America and we all want world peace too...but answer the question.  Because if you don't know what motivates you how can you motivate someone else?"

It was a good and fair question.  It took me a bit of soul searching but in the end I found the answer.  What motivates me? 

Travel and movement.

I'm motivated by trying something different.  Seeing something different.  Personal growth if you want to call it that.  I'm not really motivated by money (despite owning my own business since 2008 and being in sales most of my life).    One of the best sales months I ever had was due to the promise of a exotic dinner at a restaurant I had never been to but only if I met a certain goal.

Money, like the computer or a car...or even my bike, is just a tool to help me achieve what I really want to do.  Which is to move and travel and see what is over that next hill, what is around that next bend.  The more I think about this...the more logical it becomes to me.

I may have grown up in Pittsburgh, PA but I went to school in Erie, PA and Slippery Rock, PA.  My family likes to joke that when my brother and I turned 18 , my parents said "We love you, now get out."  I guess those travel roots were put down early.

After college, I moved south as soon as I could and have spent time in Charleston, SC.  As well as living briefly outside of Savannah, GA.  It was not till I moved to Charlotte, NC (where I had a job that taught me something new everyday and often required me to travel through the south) that I was fully affected by the travel bug.

Since then I've been able to travel to the various islands in the Caribbean and a nations in Europe, Asia and South America.

I've traveled to New York City twice, Chicago twice, Las Vegas once.  I've touched down in nearly every state that touches the Atlantic Ocean.  Sue and I are planning on going back to Las Vegas sometime next year (a place she's never been) and our first trip to New Orleans.

If things work out in the long run, then Sue and I will be buying an RV and traveling the US and Canada once we retire. Well I may not be a fan of the idea of getting a trike or a Spyder, the reason I'm even considering it is because Sue wants even more stability when she rides with me.  Plus she knows that I would never ever forgive myself if I were in an accident with her on back.

I just have that travel bug, that need to see what is over the next hill, and my bike allows me to explore all those wonderful back roads near me.

Who was it that said "Four wheels move the body, but two wheels move the soul"?  They were certainly right.  As I look back on my "biking life" I've found that I've been happiest when I have a idea of where I want to go, but it's someplace that I've never been.  It's finding that small mom and pop cafe, or the old cemetery in between point A and B that intrigue me.  Sometimes getting there is more interesting than the final destination...and yes, I know what a cliche that is.  That motivates me to ride, it's just a shame that all I seem to do is ride back and forth to work, so is it any wonder why I'll chose a different path in sometimes?

Even the TV shows I enjoy watching (and I hate TV) are geared towards the exotic and unusual.  Travel shows, history and education predominately.  I used to think that one of the reasons that Jack Kerouac was my favorite author was do to his spontaneous prose, which is basically how I try to write...capturing that feeling of the moment without worrying about how it is structured.  Now in the light of this revelation, I can not help but wonder if it was his nearly neurotic need to be constantly in movement?

Yea, the more I think about this the more I think that my job is just a means to an end.  I need that gas money, I need that hotel room...but that getting away from work is why I work.  That desire to travel is strong in me.

After all, the world is always a more interesting place 50 miles from where your at.

We know Wright! "Child of the Sun"

Bob checks out the Water Dome, which literally makes a dome out of water various times of the day.

Earlier this morning I packed Scooter Bob tight in his travel box, jumped on Kimmie and hotfooted it into Lakeland, Florida.   The more I learn about this town the more I think I need to spend a few hours exploring it, but the weather didn't look like it was going to hold and I technically had to show up for work today...sometime at least.

I had hoped to get a few pictures of Bob with the historic Swans, direct descendants of the very swans that once belonged to Richard the Lion Heart, of Lakeland.  Perhaps a few pictures of him enjoying  the Tigers Spring Training.  Even take him over to the wonder that is Florida Polytechnic. 

Bob meets the man himself.  

However with the nasty weather closing in and my requirements to actually make a living we decided to spend most of our time at Florida Southern University wandering about the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wrights work.  He liked to refer to his work here as his "child of the sun".

I have a background in engineering and the sciences in general, so I can appreciate exactly what Wright was trying to do.  All his trademarks are here, the buildings use a lot of natural light and the Cathedral in general I'm certain is absolutely glorious during certain times of the day.  Water, also an element found in a lot of Wright's work makes an appearance here as well.

Inside the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel

 The campus itself is small but that that means that you can walk easily from site to site.  Their are a total of 18 structures on site and each one has its own unique feel and personality and the last one was completed in 2013.  Sadly the only one that was open to the public today was the Pfieffer Chapel.  Many of the buildings are sadly in various states of disrepair and their is an ongoing effort to restore them.

I was also surprised to learn that a few of the buildings were completed well after Wrights death.  During the Second World War, the students often labored under Wrights direction to complete the work on his buildings.  

Bob!  Get down from there!

 The Esplanades are covered walkways covering just over a mile and are timed in copper with a natural Green patina (see photo) and they often connect the buildings.  The supports are said to suggest the various orange trees which covered the campus at one time.  Wright could have made them all the same, but each section is a little different and some allow the flow of natural light in vie various skylights. 

At one time this was rated as the most beautiful college campus in America and I can understand way.  This is simply a lovely peaceful place and I for one have every intention of returning.

Just a interesting water feature on campus

The Esplanades

The steps are rounded giving an appearance of flowing lava

Back of the E. T. Roux library

Inside the Pfeiffer Chapel 

Pfeiffer Chapel from afar

Someone was promised a rose garden

You can see more here on my Facebook page.

Speaking of the Holiday's

Copyright Sonja Mager

It's come to my attention that Scooterbob may be in my hands soon.   Which means that I have to start thinking about where to take him, and what to show him.  Some things are simple and truly make sense to me, Clearwater beach for example I'm sure he would have loved.  His trademark pink crocs would have fit in there.

When I first learned of Bob Leong's death all those years ago, I hate to admit that it did not really affect me that much.   Sure, Bob encouraged me in my riding and in my first attempts to be a moto-blogger, but I did not know that man personally.   My comments concerning his death were, I hate to say it, more out of kindness than any true sense of grief.

After all, I personally did not know the man or his family.   You never know how someone touches your life however, I've been following the adventures of this little wooden scooter around the world.  He's traveled to some 6 countries now and thousands of miles and I'm sure when the UPS box comes with that big wonderful soul in it, I'll tear up a bit.  Not at his loss but at the artifacts that make up his travels.   It's my understanding that somewhere along the way the tradition of placing a little memento began.  How many people had their lives touched by him, or a little wooden scooter, or both.

These memento's are something that defines the area that he's been to.  I wonder what treasures are from France, Germany, New Zealand and other parts of the world.   I wonder if he journey is complete yet?  Or are parts of mysterious Africa and Asia still on his list?

As some readers know my family has been having health issues.  My beloved Susan, my girlfriend for the last 10 to 12 years has been battling a plethora of illnesses.   Our combined family has lost two beloved uncles and an aunt in the last two months to heart ailments and dementia.  It has been a year of sadness.

Still though, we celebrate life.  We fight against the dying of the light to paraphrase Dylan Thomas.  We gather with family and friends this time of year to eat, drink and be merry.  To love and hope and do all that is perfectly wonderfully human.

It's a little late to being everyone a Happy Holiday Season (I have friends and family that are Jewish, Pagan and Christian so "Happy Holiday's" is more appropriate for me) but here it is.   Happy Holidays and hold on to those that mean something to you.

You never know when they are gone.

Exploring Brooksville - a pretty place with a racist history

It's your typical Summer weather pattern here in Florida, the rain was moving in off the Gulf coast and again I had to decide if riding was worth it.  The TV news blabbing about a 60 to 70% chance of rain.  Weather.com broke that chance down even further for me.  I could stay dry if I moved my ass and had a little luck.  If I was going to do this today, it would not be on Kimmie sadly.

My destination was Brooksville, Fl which lies about an hour north of me in Hernando county.  The roads in the area are twisty, the county is mostly rural which makes it one of the more popular destinations for riders in the area.  It has an annual Blueberry Festival in April that celebrates the area's agricultural roots.  I also learned that is also the geographical center of Florida although I could not find the exact spot anywhere on the map.

Confederate statue outside the courthouse.

It's a pretty city with roots dating back nearly 150 years.  It also has a violent racist history which sickened and interested me at the same time.  Brooksville was named in 1856 after Preston Brooks, a South Carolina Congressman whose claim to fame in the history books is that he beat a anti - slavery congressman with a cane on the Senate floor.  An act that may have indirectly lead to the Civil War. 
It also has a history of lynchings, of intolerance and trials.  

So here I am, riding a hour or so north to visit the courthouse.  To learn about how a deadly feud could erupt over interracial marriage (at a time when such things were simply not done), how the courthouse could "mysteriously" catch fire and destroy the evidence of the lynching that followed the death of a black Minister and former county commissioner.   How, for a brief time this county was lawless and filled with vigilantes called "regulators."

One of the old oaks dating back a few hundred years.

How a county of only 4,000 people at that time would have over 40 murders, many of which are still considered unsolved.  Many of the murders were related to race, but also included the death of a sheriff and two judges.  One of the area's sheriff's, W. D. Cobb, was even accused of killing two white men, one of whom was involved in a crime that Cobb supposedly took part in.  How and why this happened interested me although I still don't have an answer.

Two hotels were burned down during this period and house fires were common.  Even after justice was restored, Hernando county had the highest incidence of lynchings between 1900 and 1930, possibly second only to the entire state of Mississippi.  However those numbers are hard to come across, and frankly I'm not sure I want to.  

Brooksville still has racial tensions, brought to the surface recently by the Confederate flag controversy but also by the vandalization of a historic black cemetery, which according to local legend and myth; you can still see the body of a lynched man at night.  Or sometimes hear the screams of a baby.  Entering town there was a business proudly displaying Confederate items.  History they say, repeats itself.

May - Stringer House

How this town could have so many Confederate moments yet not one that even mentioned Brooksville African American community?  If they did, then I was unaware of it.  History moves on and in this pretty town it's hard to believe such things happened in the time of our great grandparents.  We have come so far in such a brief time, but at the same time we have so much further to go.  So here I am, looking for historic sites and information on this dark period of history. Then I'm reminded that I'm living in a dark time, as a Confederate flag burning was recently attempted in Brooksville.  It did not turn ugly but had the potential to, the pro flag side outnumbered the anti flag side and cooler heads prevailed.

Living in Florida it is easy to forgot that despite all the sunlight and natural beauty, that darkness still lurks.  That ugly things still hide in the shadows.  

In a way I wish the weather would have held off for me a little while longer.   The groundskeeper at the May - Stringer house was telling me about his ghost sightings.  I was hoping to visit the rail station and one room school.  The African - American cemetery was on my list.  It was to wet, to nasty...I was lucky to get the time I did to look about.  Frankly though...I'm not sure I go back.  You can't go in reverse, only forward.

Riding changes you.

I'm stealing this idea from Scooter in the Sticks, who stole it from Princess Scooterpie.  Basically, they wrote a piece about how riding changes you.

Lately I've been giving a lot of thought to changes in my personal life, but that is for another blog post at another time.  My personal life of course, leaks into this blog.  How can it not?  Generally speaking however, when I write a blog post, I try to just concentrate on my riding, my hopefully improving skills as a rider and the adventures that I have.

I started riding for a variety of reasons and frankly none of it was to explore.  Explore I have however as my bike has taken me to places that I would not have seen other wise; down roads that have surprised me with amazing beauty and odd little things that only exist if you go looking for them.  I've always enjoyed exploring.

I don't have a lot of friends.  Even fewer that ride.  I've always been the loner type, I'm not a joiner.  I've always felt a lot more comfortable in my head.  Yet I've found myself going to the Bahama's with people I didn't know to ride, simply to state that I've rode in another country to be truthful.  Or heading out to a restaurant to meet other scooterists.  Or as part of a ad hoc group of riders going down the road.  The three or four of us, each of us never speaking to each other, but forming a chain for mutual visibility and protection.  An unspoken bond of the motorcyclist.  The brotherhood of two wheels.

For me, the old mill with it's historical marker or horse in the field is interesting.   I rarely stop and take photos though.  I guess I would rather let that moment seep into my memory.  Not every photo I've taken ended up in this blog.  Nor has every moment or memory.  Like that time I nearly hit a car because I was more worried about checking the lane next to me and I took my eyes off of what was in front of me.   Or that time a distracted driver barely managed to get around me, ran the red light and somehow made it through a busy intersection unscathed.  Most times, the roads I ride are boring....and I've learned to keep my head on a swivel.  I've learned to be that much more aware of my surroundings.

Its okay to stop however, to read that sign or admire the flowers that grow along the roadside.  Or even to view the storm as it moves in across the bay.  Not for to long, but just long enough to remember that nature is more powerful and beautiful than we mere mortals will ever comprehend.  I've yet to find a writer that can describe that feeling of the sun shining down through the trees as we ride through the beams of light.  Perhaps it's not meant to be described.  I'm okay with that.  Riding teaches you to be humble.

Not a bad lesson to learn.