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. 

New Battery - 1.5 years

To be completely honest I don't remember the last time I put a new battery in the bike.  A quick search of my blog stated it was over a year ago.  One would think that I would get more than a year out of a motorcycle battery, and as I placed my $80 dollars for a new battery on the table of my local dealer he told me that this one should last about a year and half. 

I bought me a Bike Master AGM Battery.  I probably could have payed less for it on the internet, but I have an event that I wanted to attended on Sunday and frankly I think Sue didn't want to hear me bitch about being off the bike anymore.  

There's your problem!  Somebody stole your battery

It's an easy enough job to replace the battery and after I did so Kimmie fired right up.  I took her around the block of my neighborhood,  being thankful that it was not something more serious like the stator.  I also decided to buy a trickle charger just in case my bike would end up sitting for longer than I would like (it more or less sat for two weeks as I fought off a mild case of the flu). 

I still have the old battery and want my mechanic to run a load test on it.  More for my piece of mind than anything else. 


On this coming Sunday, I hope to take part in the Orlando Scooters "Ride through the city" event.  It is literally a ride from the northern tip of the city of Orlando southward to the southern tip of the city on a lazy Sunday afternoon.   I'm wanting to attend simply because I've been wanting to take Kimmie out further than I have in the past.  Orlando is about 77 miles away, then I ride through the city...then back home.  So I'm looking at at least a 150 miles day (to and from) plus the ride through the city.  

That's not a bad ride and I've been wanting to build up my tolerance for riding anyhow.  So it's all good.  I just hope that life doesn't rear it's ugly head and something comes up, like work.

Plus, getting out of my comfort zone is not a bad thing.  Come December and January I will be putting more effort into working independently, which frankly is not an easy thing for a introvert like me to do.    That's my goal for the year of 2017.  Taking the bike out to Orlando, Jacksonville, Sarasota and other places.  I really have no excuse not to anymore.

Scoot Tiki

Even though I don't really know them well, or get the opportunity to ride with them often...I consider myself part of the Scooter Crew.  It's an odd little collection of people that seem a little more geared (pun not intended) towards classic Vespa's and lower cc bikes.  Kimmie is one of the bigger bikes in the group but I've always felt welcome and comfortable in the group.

Handmade Tiki

Winter Haven is about 1 hour east of me, near Orlando, Florida and the rally itself was held at a private residence.  The name "Casa Del Tortuga" is Spanish and translated means the "house of the tortoise."  This is because the home has at least two wild Tortoise's living on the property although they seem pretty used to having noisy humans about.

guard tortuga

I've been to this location before and again was impressed with the designs of Gene Leedy (while the home was not specifically designed by Leedy, it was surely influenced by him). 

Sadly do to family commitments I was not able to attend Friday night or spend time there Sunday.  I was able to spend time going on two wonderful rides around the city of Chain Lakes.  It was a perfect day to do that ride, with clear skies and warm but not humid temperatures, and again Winter Haven impresses me with rolling curves, wonderful water views and gently sloping hills.  It is a lovely city that is trying to revitalize itself and is filling up with small restaurants and specialty shops.

Again I wish I trusted myself enough to take pics while moving down the road or had a Go-Pro video set up.  A few of us even talked about the Go-Pro's and their advantages and disadvantages.

That's the thing that I enjoy, getting into quiet conversations about life, food, bikes, beer, and what ever else we care to talk about.   I even got to slide my business card to two different people although that was not why I was there.

I went to spend time with people I enjoy being around.  I went to ride.  I went to have fun.

Andrew owns an open air Tuk-Tuk, a small auto rickshaw that are often found in Asian countries.  He pulled that out for a slow ride through the city as we went as a group for lunch.   It was interesting to ride behind him and see the look on people's faces as this small thing went by.

I have to admit that I wanted to ride in the back of it and wave.  I have to admit that I was surprised by it's speed.  It took a bit of time to pick up speed but once it started moving it maintained a good pace.  It was not "fast" by any stretch of the imagination but it held it's own. 

Sitting at the outdoor bar.

Vespa shoes...that's hardcore.  

Just a few of the bikes

Mid 80's I believe.

As a side note, this was the first time I've used the GPS function on the Sena to any great extent.  It worked wonderfully but at higher speeds I'm still having issues hearing it.  I'm thinking it may be more to my helmet (which I'm going to have to replace sooner or later) than anything else. 

I'm going to try a suggestion and let you know how that goes in a few days.

First Impressions of the Sena 20S bluetooth system

Susan told me she wanted to get me an early Christmas gift.  For the last couple of months I've been looking at buying a new helmet, and I was thinking that if I was going to get a new helmet...then I might as well get one that was Bluetooth ready.  That would be my early Christmas gift!

I've been riding for a bit over five years now, and I keep thinking that their is no reason for me not to ride to the other coast or other places.   I've been lost on the bike before and to quote my ex-wife.  "Every road goes somewhere, and once your somewhere you can always find your way home."   Still though, I've grown to depend on the technology and understand it better than most.  I don't care for the idea of being totally without it now.

Susan and I stopped over at Cycle Gear with the intent of buying a Bilt modular helmet with the Bluetooth built in.  As it so happened the sizes ran small.  Even the XXL large helmet was to small for my fat head.  They did have a few other helmets, most without Bluetooth, but nothing in the price range we were trying to stay within. 

That's when the debate started.  "Do we just buy the unit by itself?" 

One of the reasons that I've been wanting a Bluetooth is because of the GPS function.  That has been my primary concern, I just feel I would be more willing to travel to other places if I felt secure in getting there.  I don't really like the idea of using the phone or listening to music on the phone.  However having that voice in my ear telling me I was going the right way appeals to me. 

The option to buy a Bluetooth and install it in my current helmet was suggested.  I'm not very happy with the old helmet but the idea of being able to move it to another helmet later was just to good to pass up.  So just like that I became the proud owner of a Sena 20S motorcycle Bluetooth communication system.

So they installed it.  It cost a bit more than I would have liked, although I did get the two year extended warranty on the unit.  I now have access to the phone, music, FM radio, Pandora and can use either a one-to-one or group intercom (with up to eight people).  It will link up with other Bluetooth systems and there are even voice prompts.   Yes, even a smartphone application. 

Susan called me on the Bluetooth on the way home twice.  I was able to hear her clearly with the visor down and traveling about 50 MPH.  It was when I was on the highway and at a much higher speed that I had trouble making out what she was saying. In fact, that was one of the reasons I didn't do this before.  I've read reviews of the Sena headsets that have told me the same thing.

I kept losing GPS on the way home, mostly because my smartphone was in my pants pocket.  I think if I tucked into my jacket or a shirt pocket I would not have an issue with it.  Although now I wonder if a cell phone mount might be in my future (as shown in a picture taken from somewhere).  At least that way I would have GPS and be able to view the route as I approach it.  Although I would have to have a small hole drilled into the dash to have a charging cable added . 

About half way home I switched to the music function on my phone and tuned in the Billy Bragg station on Pandora.   Bragg is a singer/songwriter with a strong voice and generally just guitar to accompany him.  I figured he be a good test of the speakers.  Again, I was able to hear clearly as long as I stayed below certain speeds. 

Generally speaking I'm happy with the whole setup and will have to play around with the unit some to figure out how to get the most of it.  This may be the only Christmas gift I get this year but I'm happy with it.  I'm looking forward to those days when Sue will behind me and were chatting as we ride. 

I'm looking forward to getting out more.

Distingished Gentlemans Ride - Tampa 2016

152 bikes.

Over $20 thousand dollars raised for a good and worthy charity.

Over 170 miles (including the ride itself, getting to the ride and making my way home) ridden through some of the prettiest country in all of America.  It's easy to forget that I live in paradise at times, and I took a moment or two to glance over my shoulder at some of the calmest and bluest water in the world just to remind myself of that fact.

It was worth riding in 90+ degree (32.2 C) heat just to see the smiling faces and bemused looks of wonders of pedestrians and cagers alike.  More than a few filmed us going by, in our dresses and suits.  Sometimes I just needed to look ahead and see nothing by bikes.  Sometimes I needed to glance in the mirror and smile at all the bikes that were behind me.  Bikes of all shapes, sizes and color.  BUT only one scooter and it's happy though very hot rider.

Kimmie held her own against various Trimuph's, Harleys, Ural's Honda's, Moto Guzi's and at least three or four Royal Endfields, Vincent's and even a Norton.  Let's not forget the BMW's, Suzuki's and an odd Kawasaki's or two.  Both new and classic bikes were represented.

The ride itself wove its way through downtown St Petersburg, where more than one person pulled out a camera and filmed us going by.  We zipped through this town and again I feel the need to spend the day just looking for, and taking photo's of the various murals.  I actually was able to take more than a few photo's of nearby murals as we stopped en mass at Green Bench Brewing for a hour long beer and food stop.  I have to be honest, I'm not sure what beer I had but it was quenching!

We worked our way down the city and across the Gandy Bridge, where people enjoying a day out on the sand waved and pointed.  Then up and on to the bridge itself, the dark blue water looking so refreshing well a light ocean breeze cooled us down.

Into Tampa proper now, around the bend and onto Bayshore Blvd.  This is one of my favorite rides in the city as we cruise along the Bay moving effortlessly towards the city, then into the downtown itself were a cute little girl of no more than two or three bounced up and down and waved by closing her fingers as only little kids do.  More than one biker waved back to her, which only made her more excited to see us go by.

Onto the highway now, opening Kimmie up a bit to stretch her legs as we head towards Ybor City and the last stop, Coppertail Brewing.  Although I did make a brief stop after the ride at my favorite watering hole, Cigar City Cider and Mead since I told them I would.

This ride was a first in a lot of ways for me.  It's also the biggest group of riders I've ever had the pleasure to ride with.  It was my first charity run, and I raised just about 625 dollars for fighting prostate cancer.  Thank you all who donated.  I am rather proud that I finished in the top 10 fundraisers  If you have yet, and would still like to give something you can donate here.  Just be sure to do so before October 3rd.  That's the last day donations can be accepted and it is tax free.

Sadly a friend of mine that was going to ride with us had last minute bike problems and was unable to make it, meaning that I don't have any Go-Pro footage to share.   However at times we had a jeep with what I assume was a professional photographer following us, and even a drone above us at time.  Once I have access to that footage, I'll be sure to share.  I'll also share more on my Facebook page. 

In the meantime:

How's that for vintage, an exposed belt drive with chain linkage shifting.

Hitting our goals and more - Some thoughts on the DGR

A couple of days ago I not only hit my modest goal for $500.  I exceed it!

I have to be honest, I would not of done it without the help and support of one person in particular who wants to stay anonymous for what ever reason.

I'm not sure if he reads this blog or not, I'm not sure if anyone reads this blog to be honest.  However I feel that he deserves some recognition.

I didn't know who he was when I first got the message via Facebook.  So I asked.  He and I belonged to the same forum.  He had, sadly, came down with an illness - and although he never told me what it was, and I will not pry - it would not surprise me if it was indeed Prostate Cancer.  He donated to me, he helped support me because I sent him some kind words and encouraged him throughout his fight.

Truthfully, I don't remember doing this.

What I do know is this.  Even though it's going to make me sound like a hippie.  We touch each others lives in ways we can't fathom.  That smile you give may be enough to give someone enough energy to make it through the day.  That helping hand you extend means something to someone, somewhere.

David Massey of Life on Two Wheels fame donated to me, I have not yet returned the favor.  He's a bit older than me and a bit more experience in life and in riding.  We have yet to meet or talk but I call him a friend.  Other than blogging, scooters, a love of jazz music and the fact that we both have "Susan's" in our lives we have nothing in common.   That is enough for me.

I took Scooter Bob out and about, not because I met or were friends with Bob Leong.  However he always encouraged me to write and ride.  So I wanted to be part of something that honored his life.  The little guy is still traveling, even today.

There was a time I had to pull over to answer my phone that was incessantly buzzing in my shirt pocket, and I was not paying attention to where I pulled over, getting slightly stuck.  Two riders I didn't know pulled over and offered a kind hand.

Or the time there were four of us; a trike'd out Harley Davidson playing country music, two BMW's with their riders all in leather and myself on Kimmie...going down the road in a impromptu group.  We chatted at red lights, joking and smiling....listening to the music.  We drove like that for 20 miles.

Recently I helped a rider that went down.

Brotherhood.  The brotherhood of two wheels.

I am glad I met my goals to help out someone I may never met.  Maybe my dollar will be the one that leads to a breakthrough.   Maybe I can give someone one more beautiful day.  Maybe I can finally make it to the annual Scooters for Hooters ride this year.

That's another charity event that I've been wanting to do by the distance always scared me off.  Orlando always seemed so far away.  Not so much anymore.  Although for that one I don't think I'll fund raise as much as just pay my $30 and ride in the event.  I don't want to hit my friends and family up to often for money.

Finally though...seriously, thank you.   Thank you for your support, your love, advice, slaps upside the head and general caring.  It does mean something to me.

And Anonymous...thank you most of all.   Without you, I don't think I would have been able to hit my goals. If anyone else wishes to donate please go here:  My DGR page.

#dgr2016  #ridedapper

The 2016 Distinguished Gentleman's ride

This post all started because David, of Life on two wheels fame, posted about joining the 2016 Distinguished Gentleman's ride.  You can read his post here.

I've never met David but I do like the man and respect him.  I first learned about the Distinguished Gentleman's ride sometime last year but it was after the event itself.  At the time, I thought it might be fun to ride somewhere dressed in my best 1920's clothes.  Besides, I do have a passion for flat caps and it's one of the few times I can have my dickey out in public (Ah, that's clever).

 There are also personal reasons for this.  I have reached a certain age where Prostate Cancer enters the realm of possibility. I've set myself a rather modest goal of $500.

I'm not competing with David, because he's a lawyer and therefore most likely knows more people then little old introverted me.  Plus I don't think it's fair to ask the blogging community to choose between one or the other, as we do have a small group that regularly reads and comments on both blogs.

If your so interested in helping find a cure my personal donation page is here.  If you can't help both of us then please help one or the other.  Please spread the word.  Please feel free to share the links.  Getting the word out is just as important, if not more important then any thing you might be able to give.

If you have a motorcycle or scooter and want to join in, please do so.  The more the merrier (and the more we can all raise). 

Thanks to you gentle readers we will find a cure.  

**UPDATE**

As of 8/16/2016 I am at $146 dollars out of a $500 goal or nearly a 1/3 of the way there!  Thanks very much to the people that donated and continue to support me!!!.  I also found an interesting blog piece about last year's ride complete with pictures you can read here.   I'm really looking forward to this now. 


**UPDATE #2**

I found a vintage tux...and since I'll be riding without safety gear (except helmet and gloves) this seems the way to go.  So is orange my color?

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. 

Reviewing the "Ride with Norman Reedus"

Thanks to AMC.com

In the interest of full disclosure.  I have never seen one episode of the "Walking Dead."  I would not have known Norman Reedus if he stepped on my toe.

That being said, I have reached one hell of a conclusion.  Norman Reedus must be a very, very good actor.  He's managed to survive on a show that's been known to kill off the main characters on a regular basis for seven seasons.  When you read his biography on his official website you begin to realize just how talented this guy is.

Then why don't I like Ride with Norman Reedus?  So far I've watched the first three of the planned six episodes and I feel that is enough to get a basic of idea of what works, and doesn't work, with the show. 

I think Reedus lacks a certain gravitas.  The show is definitely modeled after Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations.  The two shows are very similar.  Reedus and a special guest riding partner travel certain roads, talking motorcycles, meeting interesting people and partaking in something odd and unusual.  To me, where the two shows differ is in gravity.

Bourdain's show always had a certain weight to it.  Even during the jokey silly parts Bourdain maintained a certain aloofness.  He realized when he was witnessing history or greatness and treated it accordingly.  Bourdain's show was never about food,  it was about culture and humanity.  Ride with Norman Reedus just doesn't seem to have that focus or power to me.

Don't misunderstand me, Reedus does a good job.  I like the guy, he seems like the guy you want to chat with at a dinner party.  He's educated, engaged and interested in talking about life.  His interactions with the fans and his friends are natural and unforced.  I just wish the show would spend a little more time on that.

I've no issue with the shots of Reedus and company riding the Pacific Coast Highway or the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It is, after all, a show about motorcycle travel.  He meets with a biker's church.  He meets the producers of a motorcycle podcast (see episode #149)  He spends some time at the Howling Moon Distillery.  He partakes in a outhouse race.

Thanks to AMC.com

Where as Bourdain could have spun five minutes of good television out of an outhouse race...Reedus partakes and it's over.   "That was fun." is basically the only comment we get.  The race itself lasts about 100 feet and is over in about a minute.

As any biker will tell you though, it's about the view and the journey, and the show does a wonderful job of capturing the beauty of the Pacific Coast Highway, Death valley and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The PCH in general was just amazing and the crew makes use of a lot of drone footage to give us an idea of the panoramic views.

What do we hear out of Reedus?  "Wow."  "That's beautiful."  "Amazing."

We also get to meet some of his friends, other bikers and builders.  He spends some time riding their creations.  This is where the show sort of bothers me.  I understand that Roland Sands is a amazing builder, and motorcyclist.   Do we really need to see him stunting on the highway?   Considering how the show has all the riders decked out in safety gear at all times and there is a cute scene in the second episode where Reedus drops his pants in the desert to adjust a out of place knee pad.  Really, what biker hasn't had to do that at least once?

Other than Sands stunting, the riders all seem to be obeying motorcycling rules - in group rides for example they ride staggered.  It's a small thing but something that I don't often see in other motorcycle related programs. 

Reedus does ride a lot of different styles of bikes in the show and that is one of the things I like.  Each rider is different and each bike he rides has it's own style and quirks.  In the Blue Ridge episode they visit the Broken Spoke motorcycle shop, his riding partner goes into full geek mode looking over the old parts and historic bikes.  It's one of the better moments on the show.  Hie enthusiasm is contagious. 

Sometimes all we can say is "wow".

At the end of each show Reedus reflects on the events he's just taken part in.   Much like Bourdain did in No Reservations, but again where Bourdain would hit you with a universal truth or shocking realization...Reedus seems to almost resort to cliches.

In the end it's not a bad show.  Norman Reedus is a fun guy who know motorcycles and biker culture.  He's able to slip in and chat with anyone anywhere...and that is what makes the show fun at times.  He is a biker and his knowledge shines through at times.  I just wish the show would have a little more weight.

Yea, I know that riding a motorcycle is not going to change the world.  It's a highly personal thing and we all do for our own reasons.  Maybe that's why it seems to be full of cliche' at times.  Because ever rider knows that moment when you crest a hill and the beauty overwhelms you....and you have to resort to a simple, gentle "Oh Wow."

Overall is the show worth an hour of your time.  Yes, in the end it is.  However it's a light weight affair and sometimes we need a distraction.    Save it for a rainy or snow filled day.

The rain in zephyrhills falls mostly on the biker

It was a simple plan.

I have ridden with the Scooter Crew before, and this time they wanted to come out and explore Zephyrhills and nearby Dade City.   Generally they try to ride in the Lakeland and Orlando area where most of them live.

My part of the world is about an hour away...so I felt honored.  The only problem is that I was not really as prepared as I would have liked to have been to lead a ride (by default, I know the area).  Originally it was going to be a group of nine people (ten with me) but a few got ill, and the weather was refusing to cooperate with us.

The weather was hot, humid and threatening rain all day...but four people showed up at a local hole in the wall called Barb's for breakfast.  Barb's is actually one of my favorite places to eat because you get good food at a good price.  Plus it's locally owned.

Because of the weather I really didn't take them anywhere or show them much.  We cut through town and then I headed up to Dade City.  We were only out for about 35 minutes when the group decided to split off and head home.  I skipped things like the airport, the train depot and where they bottle Zephyrhills water. 

Frankly I don't blame them as the sky's were darkening in parts and we had been running in and out of sprinkles all day.  I would not want to ride an hour or two in the rain if I could help it.

The only problem is that I wasn't ready to quit riding.

I started to meander towards home, only to fill up my tank and decide to head out for a bit.  I was still a little snake bit so decided to stay as near to home as possible.

The funny thing is that the promised rain never hit.  Well me at least, I don't know what it did as they headed home.

It occurs to me I have not ridden my little special road in a bit, and that I would have shared it with them in a heartbeat.  Again I'm the only bike on this loop and I enjoy it's twisted gnarled route with a smile on my face.

It also occurs to me that I need to explore Dade City more, it's only 12 miles from me, but I rarely spend any time there or know much about it.   I know there is a muffler man there and one place that makes all their food fresh and daily.  It's another one of those wonderful locally owned hole in the wall places that I love so much.  That however is for another time.

Turning down a side road I don't think I've been down before I come across a male peacock standing in the middle of it, his feathers fully open.  He ignores me as I pull off to the side and struggle to get my phone out of my pocket.

By the time I get my gloves off and my phone out, he has wandered off into a nearby yard.  I do snap a few of them and wonder why my pics are blurry.  Hopefully you'll be able to make him out in the picture below and despite my best attempts to get him to open his plumage again he refused.   I guess I just wasn't his type.

This road surprised me in another way.   Not only did it offer some twists but it was also the site of the oldest cemetery in Pasco County.   I have a love of history and would have explored this place a bit more in depth however I was not sure if this was private or public land.   As such, I would leave that another day but an interesting video is here showing some of the sites if you will.  According to the historical marker the graves date back to at least 1855.  I found it interesting that it may contain the remains of both free and slave.

Later still a family of cranes come out of the brush to greet me.

All in all I think I was only out for about 2 hours and put in roughly 66 miles.

But I had fun, and that is all that matters.

An interesting read

I am linking a interesting article from the Motorcyclist magazine to this page.

More than a few woman have been nice enough to encourage my blogging efforts and either maintain a blog or simply ride.  So I thought I would share this wonderful little gem.

The rise of woman's motorcycle riding groups.

As for me?  Well I have a few rides planned for the weekend.  :)

Scooting about Winter Haven and Lakeland

 I've been riding a lot lately.  Running back and forth not only to my job but whereever else I can go as well.  I am not traveling far, at least I'm out and about on Kimmie.  

It's hard for me to believe that the last group ride I was on was back in August 2015...yet, there it is.  I would once again be riding with the same group.  This time we were planning on meeting up in Lakeland and then take what I supposed would be a long circular route to Winter Haven for brunch.   

Kimmie and Rob's Vintage 125 Vespa

Again it occurs to me how very little I actually know about this state.   I remember visiting the Winter Haven area as a kid, where we went to a amusement park and I remember being impressed by a Water Skiing show there...this park later morphed into Legoland.  Other than that I knew next to nothing about the area.  

So the day started off well, with a ride promising to teach me a little more about my adopted state.  It also promised to be another in a series of hot, dry days which had me reconsidering my commitment to ATGATT.  However safety always comes first.

The group ride actually ended up just being a gang of two.  All the gang members where named Robert.  Although we did meet up with Rob's friend Andrew for brunch in Winter Haven for a bit..  He's an interesting guy with interests very similar to mine when it comes to home gardening.  His home is also directly influenced by the work of Gene Leedy, which to a geek like me was pretty cool.  I didn't take pictures however, I'm a big fan of privacy.  I may be all over the net, but that is my choice.  I wasn't sure how Andrew would feel about me wandering about taking pictures of his home.

A mural in downtown Winter Haven

Again I was impressed by the beauty of Lakeland, with its public spaces and wide open views of its various lakes.   Winter Haven also impressed me, with its attempts to revitalize its downtown area (signs of building construction where everywhere) and its various lakeside views.

As a fan a unusual buildings, I would have been happy to go in search of Leedy's work but we were here to ride.  The roads around Winter Haven were just twisty enough to make the ride fun, and the town has various lakes (50 in total) within it's borders meaning that where ever we road had a water view.   Many of these lakes were connected by canals.   

Over all it was a good ride out and I put about 117 miles on Kimmie.  

A mural painted onto a tree in Lakeland

 

Another mural

Public art in a public park