My ride report doing a 1000 in 24 /And life on the farm.

I wear a modular helmet..
But very seldom have it down..
I know,I drop it in rain, And when it's super cold ...
But I like the wind and all the cool smells..

Now that I'm finished with NewYears ..
I'll try to work on the rest of Lafayette ride....

I had made Baklava today

Well after the pool party we all headed back to our rooms to get ready for the Costume party … Yeah Halloween in Louisiana!!

Well I had worked on my costume for a week.. And on HB as well .
Most of our costumes are our normal clothing with a few added accessories..
Now you know what was in the big black plastic bag I was carrying .. It was HB sombrero..



Warren was a frog /blowfish ..LOL… His sign said :
OK I got LadyDraco Mad at me….
Is it too late to say I’m Sorry…
And Yes that’s my eyes in his sign…


Too bad ya can't really see my throwing knife on my leg.. If you look real hard you can jut see the tip of the sheath...



My Parrot was drunk most of the night..



There was a lot of great costumes…




Watching all the shenanigans going on


The Winners HotGlue and FlamingoBabe and the runners up…Lilo and Stitch …



Charlyne was so tickled that they won !!!



Well after a night of partying it was time to hit the hay….
As the next day was a big day of riding….

And here’s Lilo and Stitch out of costume..



And there little riding buddies…



Striders giving his ride YOUR own ride speech



Awww that’s JP’s little doggie…No it’s not real his granddaughter gave that to him IICR...



Riders are ready to roll….


First ride to the Vermilion Plantation Village.. We sure did fill the parking lot..



Oh yeah a Tabasco wooden barrel!!!



This photo almost seems real.. You can really feel. What the life was like..



This was a cool fireplace …




There was a nice Bayou behind the Village..



This hut was so cool.. I would love to build one …I’ll just post a run of the Hut photo’s







I would really like to have one of these in my yard..
I bet it bakes some great breads!!!





Just check out this hut !!





Swamp boats …



Oh wow this one is Hand Honed!!



I really love Spanish moss….What a cool setting..



All the buildings in the Village had so much cool stuff…





Then we saw these handmade decoys.. Hahahaha I’m choking a Goose..



More cool tool for wood working..




This tree had a very strange feel to it..



These next groups of photos are the beauty that’s the Louisiana Bayou




I was told that the Moss and the tree agree to live together..







What a grand stand of trees and moss..




The leaves are webbed together..Nature is so cool…



What a cool loom…



A spinners wheel…



What a nice group of dyed yarns



Hey that’s a quilting frame up there…



Old Timey irons…



I was having a blast with the Moss…



With it being Halloween, they added a few ghouls in the trees..
And the day of the dead faces….



I must say La has some cool foliage..



All the buildings were rebuilt in the village..



It looks so real….



Well ok maybe not.. But it’s still cool…



The Bayou at Vermilion Village..



That’s a nice setting…



Pecan and Bamboo ….



Hard to believe and big boat like this can run the bayous..


I have always called this Ironwood…



They call it Crape Myrtle..



Bamboo is cool… And tasty too .. But I don’t think this is the same..
And I do know it has to be very young shoots .. Like eating fiddle heads when they are very young..



More Bamboo….



Lets look closer …



This place that Strider took us all to was just so cool..



The Forge building..



More of the Forge shed..



Oh it must be a wheel wrights shop.. Some nice outer rims..



We end the tour with a Mummy….



Back on the bikes and head to the Big Swamp ….



Lets see what’s behind me…



Well that’s all for now …Stay tuned for the next part of The Romp in De swamp

Lets see where did I end off?? Oh yeah the back to the ride…
At a stop light I spied this Choo Choo ..




Well we made a few turns after the light going the back way to get to the levees and the swamp… And yuppers you guessed it we lost some of the group… JP said we waited long enough… But we all waited a tad longer and they all caught up to us..




We stopped to eat at a cool place .. Where you could see gators .. But *sigh* all we saw was suckers…




They had some cool stuffed critters…




Hey check out this Gar …




Now that’s a big ole Catfish… I wonder if it was caught via noodling ?




Ooo a scary cat face …. NOT …



Once we all ate .. It was off to the Swamp boat ride .. Oh yeah !!




Once we got backed out ,our boat Capt asked who was in the Navy ..
Well our buddy Ray aka EarlyBird said me I was in the Navy. SO the Capt
Gave him the wheel … LOL But what little did he know Ray has NEVER piloted a boat …LOL




On our 2 hour tour .. Thank goodness it wasn't a 3 hour tour.. After all ya
Remember what happened to them folks from Gilligan’s Island …Hahaha
We saw Geese..




We even saw a house on De Swamp !!! Swamp people !!!




And Cypress knees !!!




Our group filled 2 boats… Here are the folks on out boat ..
HotGlue and FlamingoBabe~ Lilo and Stitch …




Sidewinder and Jody ~Wizard…



The next groups of photos all show the beauty of the swamp …
A cool Inlet..




Cypress trees…




Timbered Cypress trees ..




Here’s a real nice cluster ..




It was just so peaceful… Our Capt. Was telling all kinds of great swamp story’s … And Swamp lure….




I was in my glory with all the trees…




This was the first time I was ever on the Bayou.. Very cool for sure..




I mean just look at how grand this 100+ yr. old tree is ….
They are just as deep as they are as tall..




All 3 of these trees had writes up on them . But only 1 stayed clean from the hurricanes.. Spooky




The rings of water History …You can see just how high the swamp can get..




WOW I-10… And just think a few days before I was up there !!




Here’s a cool shot …..




This is what was left from the old train tracks ..




Just a tranquil setting..




The other boat going to see a resident gator..





Our Capt. Had a little buddy.. No that is not a stick pin, it a real lizard …
He sure is cute…




The other boat sees the gator…




There he is !! We can see the Gator as well.. Just his eyes.. He’s a 12 footer they say…




Ah yea that should hold for a while ….




There was a lot more people on the other boat ..




Some swamp people heading out in to the Swamp..




Just a cool shot of our boat cutting through the swamp..



Swamp ducks.. Ok they are Mallards..




As we depart our ship…I thought it had a sweet name …




Strider did a great job ,setting us up with this swamp tour.. And our captain was wonderful.. The group on the other boat said there Capt. didn't say a word.. We learned a lot from ours… He told jokes ~And sang some Cajun songs for us .. Told us all about Cajun life on De swamp..

Now we went down the road and past a few Levees to a small local bar ..
For water and a little Hollywood history ..
Of course I would take a photo of a cool Cajun cat…




The Catahoula Bar.. Yea they are great dogs too .




This bar was in the movie “The Apostle ” With Robert Duvall …Cool




This IS not a Catahoula dog…It’s Ringo the bars guard dog…




Bandit went in to the cane field to bring us who wanted to <s>suck</s> chew on some.. Man it was good . It had been a long time since I chewed on cane fibers&#8230; Ah brought some fond memories&#8230;




Heading out of the Bayou ..




We did go past a few more cane fields..




Look at this big ole cool tree&#8230;




Strider looking to see if we have everyone&#8230;. Nope we sure don&#8217;t&#8230;




There&#8217;s my Honey&#8230;




This is Wizard , he&#8217;s real old school&#8230;




Bandit and his lovely wife..He can really ride that Valk of his..





Why did the Roster cross the road ?? It&#8217;s funny there are chickens loose all over the place .. This is a rose comb.. Kind of like a fighting cock..




That night we had more food at pool side &#8230; This time they had Pulled pork
And some other stuff&#8230;.. Wow it was one heck of a party &#8230;




The next day strider had a real treat for the ones who could stay &#8230;
That&#8217;s Bird & Moonshine , Strider sitting on the curb and Highbinder
We are all waiting for a Shuttle &#8230;. Why you ask ??? Well you remember me talking about the Thunderbirds ???




Strider entertained us .. This guy was walking like this &#8230;




Then the guy said hey I know you &#8230;




Then he tripped and fell &#8230;. Ya had to be there.. Strider can really tell a yarn..




The Shuttle arrived and dropped us off at the airport..
We are going to an air show !!
Where I got this cool shot of smoke rings..




This Hanger is filled to the gills &#8230;.




I had never been to this kind of air show&#8230; Hell we still haven&#8217;t gotten to the field yet.. And just look at all the cool stuff going on&#8230;







Oh wow the F-16 Falcon &#8230;.




The story about it &#8230;




I thought this was such a cool shot on the big rig..




The inside .. Yikes is that a tight area&#8230;




A few Thunderbird pilots.. I got an autograph..\




F-16 in flight .. They use to fly where we use to live in BlueGrass,VA. .. We would watch dog fights and barrel rolls from the yard&#8230;And sometimes they flew so low we could see the Pilot !!




We were aloud to check out a few planes and Helicopters&#8230;
Mark is wondering if the security guys are around ??




HotGlue said to me lets take it for a spin &#8230;.




Hey I wonder what this button does !!




Yee Haw we got the whirligig prop thingy is starting to turn &#8230;




Ok I better get this door shut &#8230;




Mark said he&#8217;ll close his door..



Busted!!!No sir we are not taking it for a ride.Hey be better get out of here&#8230;




Go Army !!! I liked this plane..





It was so cool to touch the planes..




Sweet engine &#8230;




Now that&#8217;s a hat .. It must come from Brumby. Where they know hats..




Hey it&#8217;s upside down&#8230;




The Yack .. I always like the looks.




Ooo like this one too&#8230;



Check out the flames..




The F18 is very nimble.. And can also fly with the landing gears down .. That&#8217;s what they said over the PA&#8230;




The F-18 and a Mustang .. Would ya look at the side difference!!




P-51 Mustang ?? I think&#8230;




I give you the Thunderbirds plane&#8230; Very colourful ..




This Yack 52 was piloted by a female..She put on a heck of a show




It was really cool that they let ya check out the planes on the ground..




Look at the size of this thing.. Reminds me of Operation Dumbo drop..



Warren (Strider) Bandit & HB huddle up&#8230;




A local .. He was very nice in letting me take his photo&#8230;




Poor JP aka HardSix .. Remember we had a heck of a party the night before.. He is a casualty &#8230;




The ThunderBirds taxiing out&#8230;




The ground crew&#8230;Very important people&#8230;They talk to the pilots the whole time&#8230;




The tightness they fly in was amazing&#8230;




This plane did a 3 mile climb straight up !!! Amazing&#8230;




A cool shot&#8230;




When they would flyby the ground shook and your chest shook as well&#8230;




Another tight group..




Ah the soft underbelly LOL&#8230;




All I can say is they put on one heck of a show with tumbles..
Tumble with the holds..



The Canopy to Canopy was very cool&#8230;I&#8217;m on a bad line but they were right on ..At the right view&#8230;




The MidAir cross over was WOW !!!




This was cool&#8230;.



Putting on the brakes fast !!!




Oh wow what a cool cork screw&#8230;




The sound when they would throttle up was wild !!!




Honoring a fallen pilot &#8230;




The blue bird bellies..




This one is Belly to Belly..




I know I said it already.. But man o man did they put on one very cool show.. Very thrilling.. And our announcer did a hell ova of a job..
Telling you what was going on..




I give you our ThunderBirds &#8230; Many many years and hours of practice..
And it sure showed.. Very cool indeed..




This was the finally of the Air show&#8230; If you ever get a chance to see the Thunderbirds .. Do it just once .. WOW !!!




All I can say is my Dear friend Strider really hooked us all up with a great weekend in De Swamp&#8230;. We did and saw a lot of things..
And the Air show was just the topping of a wonderful time ..
Made New friends&#8230; Saw some old ones.. And enjoyed the time as large as it could get&#8230; We went to bed some what early and had loaded the bikes up that night..

We got up @ 3:30 and was on the road by 5 am&#8230; Being we took an extra day we had to IB it back home&#8230;




It was chilly out ..As now it was Nov&#8230;




Early sunrise over De Swamp




Maybe it&#8217;s pre Dawn &#8230; But it sure was pretty&#8230; And we had I-10 all to out selves&#8230;




We had been on the road a little over an hour now..




Now this was the dang est. thing.. This is Sugarbee (Donna) we are just outside of Hammond by now &#8230; And stopped for coffee&#8230; Donna saw us from across the street .. And she just had to say hello&#8230; And yes we know her&#8230; He husband Rusty aka Beekeeper also rides a Valk&#8230;




We did see some cool clouds on the way home&#8230;




I had to grab this sign Alabama Adventure&#8230;




This has got to be one of the most boring roads..At least it has trees&#8230;




You can see the trees were just starting to show some colour in the beginning of Nov..




Side by Side .. It was that time of the long shadows&#8230;



Sure do like this kind of shot.. it&#8217;s a fitting photo for a wonderful weekend for our first moto trip to Louisiana Cajon country ..
Oh yes we did the whole thing in one run 900 and something miles..
In 18 hours .. And many great memories&#8230;.
One little side note when you are on I-10 .. Do not I repet do not speed while you are on that long bridge over de swamp.. They watch it like a hawk&#8230;

Till next time&#8230;Ride Safe &#8230;
And keep an eye out for more RR&#8217;s&#8230;.

I can't believe I haven't been on the bike since 12/31... ..
I hope to get out today for a quick spin...

You need to learn some patience - up here in the Great White North the bikes will be hibernating until sometime in March.

LOL... Well that's true.. But see we were to have 50's today ..
And we didn't get above 32* :huh
I still had ice on my driveway till 3 pm.. Then it was gone..
But then to late for me to get out and be back before it all freezes back up...

Maybe tomorrow or Tuesday...Or maybe Wed.. Then it turns to a rain/snow mix.. Plus have to cut firewood too.... Busy week...

I got out today.. The first ride of 2013 !! ..
Just a 60 miler to pick up bird seed and a few things.
Also did a little Birthday shopping for HB.. Couldn't find what I wanted ..
It was 28* when I left the farm.. But warmed nicely to 43*
Funny it took me 4+hours :huh But I had 4 stores to run in to...
I had grebings gloves~ jkt liner and pants on...
No gerbing socks needed today..

I still have to figure out my mileage for 2012 :huh
I'm thinking it's around 15 K

Each fall Burke's Garden has a festival..
Well with it being 6 miles from us .. We wanted to support our community..

The morning was a little sketchy..With showers.. WE hoped that the sun would push its' way through .. And it finally did ...

Our mountain is just starting to show colour..



My front tree is too.. Just a blush...



A few trees along the way is also showing a light Blush of colour..



Burke's Garden reminds me so much of my Beloved Blue Grass Va ..



These Hex signs have really gotten poplar, these days .. A lot of them are quilting patterns .. Un like the Zook hex ones from the Penn Dutch...



There were still a lot of BIG clouds out...



We knew there would be more colour in the bowl...



Our mountain is about a week behind the B'Garden..



But they still had a lot of Lush green ...



This tree caught my eye ..Taking it on the fly the setting was a little over exposed.. But I still liked the pic..



Some of the roads in the Garden are long and straight...



When we first moved to this area, from BlueGrass ..We use to get hay hereat this farm.. You know I would get an old Barn shot ...



I liked this big ole tree...I know I must take it's pic every time we ride through here..



A nice view...



And ya got to take a shot of The Happy Face !!




More splash of colour..



I thought this was very balanced...



Yuppers my riding mate taking point as always..



When I took this pic .. I knew I had the get a closer shot of that tree...



I give you the tree from the earlier shot...



Another nice shot..



I guess by now, you know I like my landscapes..



Just something about this shot I really liked...



Yes there are Camels in Burkes Garden .. A DR. owns them ...I hear he has paid 100 K for some of them..



Llamas in the garden too..



The lake on the left..I think I see........




Yup it looks like Geese all in the lake..



On the bridge looking down...



We always stop here and walk around some...



Its always a nice shot up through here..



The other side of the bridge..Looking down stream..



Yes the bridge is on 666 ....



Back over the mountain .. They had a fund drive for out local fire dept.. We both gave ... That's JR's gas station .. FYI,they sell 100% gas...
Hey is that ScottyP's twin !!!



I hope you enjoyed the tour through Burke's Garden..
Yuppers we do like in a very cool area....

very nice! if'n you ever get to Arkansas, let me be your guide!

hey LD..if you get bored, like you ever have time for that, check this out

It was a beautiful early Oct day.. We were suppose to go TX ..
There is huge flea Market there and we were going to look for metal cabinets&#8230;
But with a lot going on for Oct.2012. Here on the farm and in our life ..
We had to cancel that trip&#8230; Plus I found some only 200 miles from the farm!!
And I also found some 88 miles from the farm..
So I think I have enough now to redo the kitchen..
I might need 1 or 2 pieces.. But might not be necessary.. We shall see..

Oops sorry got carried away.. Now how about our day ride to Damascus and dirt..
We have a Wedding to go to in the middle of Oct. and we didn&#8217;t really know where it was being held in Damascus Va.. So with the day being so grand we just felt like a little ride &#8230;
You can see in a weeks time we have picked up some great colour&#8230;



It was cool out but just right&#8230;



My favorite group of trees .. I take a shot of these trees every year,,And each year they are different ..Cool..



We cut through the mountain passes..



Nice shaped tree with golden n blush!!



Even the horses are enjoying this tree..&#8230;



I liked this shot&#8230;As you know I just don&#8217;t get a chance to stop and take photos&#8230;



As I said mountain passes&#8230;.LOL and not to me confused with Co. mountain passes..
I&#8217;ll have to work on one of my west reports. One of these days&#8230;.



I just love our area. It really is some great paved roads..



I have always like the looks of this corner 601 and 91&#8230;.



Yeah baby let the fun began &#8230; See that sign to the left !!! Can you say dirt!!! We like nice dirt roads ,just NOT trail blazing&#8230;



And mountain dirt in the fall, is the best..



The other thing that we need to ride dirt is dry&#8230; The big valks don&#8217;t do well in mud&#8230;



Hey look to the left of this photo and you can see that farm on the corner of 601 & 91&#8230;



The down leaves were very mesmerizing behind HB &#8230;



So glad the leaves were nice and dry&#8230;Still climbing &#8230; We both really enjoy this road&#8230;And ride it often..



Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year &#8230;



We stopped for a little break &#8230;I liked this down old sliver tree. And felt it should be immortalized.



Ok pit stop is just about over&#8230;



Oh yeah dirt and twisties .. If you look up the road you can see the sweetness. No not my honey the road..



We can&#8217;t run dirt as fast as dual sports .. Our bikes just aren&#8217;t built for it ..But we do move at a nice clip..



Finally going down&#8230;.



And now we are on pavement&#8230;.



We found the Old Mill on one of the side streets along the river in Damascus.. They have good food .. And we also found the house that we will spend the night of the wedding&#8230;
Maybe I&#8217;ll put up an RR about that.. As after all we did ride to the wedding.. LOL we were the only bikes there&#8230;

We had a nice day &#8230; I liked this shot of Highbinder&#8230;



I hope you enjoyed the ride to Damascus, Va &#8230; I know we did and always do&#8230;
Till next time&#8230;

I love Autumn too.

Did you check out the Louisiana RR ??It's a long one..

No,but I will.

Well we felt like doing bike work today...
Some much needed wrenching on a few bikes..
We just pulled tires off 2 bikes...

Oh and why am I here you ask.. Tea break

Then I'll go back and rebuild a set of rear brake calipers for HB ...
Then I get to take off old and put new rotors on TheBlack

Maybe I'll take pic .. I'll see how I feel...:huh

It bloody hot out 53* but very damp

This was the week that we got our first set of metal kitchen cabinets.. So we had to go in the big rig&#8230;
We had spent our first night at OnandOff&#8217;s and Rosie&#8217;s house&#8230;Thank you again for your hospitality..
We really had a wonderful time&#8230;And after having fresh Brussels sprouts at your place.. They are on my menu..Yes that was one veggy that I didn't like.. But fresh ones are good&#8230;.



The next morning we headed to the BWDR compound.. We had arrived before anyone else ,that we could see..
Gave Blooch a call to find that he and Wayne was shopping. And would be back soon..

Then 6USMC6 and Muffymonster showed up .. And we couldn't help but not laugh at this blue Wally world sack swinging back and forth on the back of Mikes&#8217; bike !! Hey Mike WTH are ya doing &#8230;
Carrying a sack like that &#8230;. He said people kept giving him funny looks .. That sack started on the top of the pile on the bike&#8230; Well the good thing is it didn't break .. And it cause any woes..



The lower area of the BWDR river home.. That pile of wood is the bonfire site ..



Once Blooch and Wayne showed .. Wayne go to work on brush hogging..



We helped get the Kegerator up and running&#8230;I think that&#8217;s what he called it. What ever I&#8217;m not a real beer drinker.. I&#8217;m a light weight when it comes to beer.. Give me Whiskey or Scotch. I can do that all night&#8230;



LOL ya got love this sign and Steins,,,,



WJ was having a blast with the Kubota..



Wow that is one serious brush pile for a fire&#8230;



We walked down to the river to see where we might put our tent for a night..
And chatted with Mike & Mary&#8230;



The next few photos are of the Shenandoah River&#8230;



I liked this one&#8230;



The water was nice and clear&#8230;



Everyone was going to float on Sat.. Too bad we couldn't stay longer&#8230;



Loftus and Holley sure have a nice place&#8230;.



Wayne&#8217;s tent and Kado is buddy &#8230;He on the far right &#8230;.
But he is always keeping a weary eye on the stuff.



Now you knew I would get a tree shot in here some were..



Blooch was really digging his new work toy&#8230; It could get in to place that the tractor could not..
What a cool thing and it was also self propelled..



A BWDR rider .. Contemplating his path down the grassy slope..
There were 2 ways to get down the bottom..



Banshee arrives!!!



Some beautiful critters&#8230; The Springbok is a favorite of mine ?



And I want to say this is a Hartebeest?? It&#8217;s one of the fastest antelopes and most enduring ...




You&#8217;ll just never know what I might take a pic of&#8230;



This Gemsbok was so pretty&#8230;It is one of the most striking of the gazelles..



Katydid what did Katie do ..



One more shot of the river and a tree&#8230;Sure does make ya want to drop a line in &#8230;



Kado greeting another rider..



VACommuter arrived too with his hack&#8230;



It was time for us all to go out to eat.. It was El Paso night&#8230;



HB checking out the menu&#8230;But Blooch suggested what he should get..



A fast group shot.. Ok didn&#8217;t get the whole group..



I have a thing for wall art/murals&#8230;



Well this calendar has ended.. And with out a hitch&#8230; We are still here !!!



MarkO not wanting to be seen .. Too bad gotcha ya&#8230;



MarkO was enjoying his beer&#8230;.This is good I&#8217;m glad I&#8217;m NOT driving&#8230;



A photo of the other end of the table&#8230;



Designator drivers&#8230;



My salad&#8230; It was very good..



This is what just about 90% of everyone at the table had .As Did HB..I don&#8217;t remember what it was..



We all had good meals&#8230; That had to have been the best ElPaso we have ever eaten in..

Now we are back at the BWDR &#8230;.



A Zebra tail !!!



Oh boy what cool skulls !!!!



When Holley heard that we were only spending 1 night she and Loftus invited us to stay in the big house Heck we had our sleeping bags &#8230; So that worked out great&#8230;We didn&#8217;t have a pack a wet tent up
in the morning&#8230;

We hit the road not to early I think we pulled out about 10 am&#8230; With the trailer loaded of cabinets&#8230;
All was going well till one of our stops&#8230; The truck didn&#8217;t sound right when we restarted it..
You guessed it the battery went.. We have had this truck since 06.. So I guess it was time for another battery. Thank goodness it has 2 .. Only one was going bad.. So we just never shut the truck off till we made it home&#8230; The next day we got a new battery&#8230;

We really had a nice time with our BWDR friends&#8230;
Till the next time&#8230;Keep an eye out for the Fall colour ride and the wedding &#8230;

Great pics! Sorry I missed you at BWDR. Dang, that truck has two gas tanks, two batteries and best of all, two wonderful companions who know how to spin a wrench. Glad your stockpile of cabinets is growing, you'll have all of em in VA in no time!

Hey Mike thank You for peeking in..
How are you doing ?
It's been to long since we have seen you...
And thanks for the kind words

Well some you might have heard about the storm Idgo...
Well it hit the farm hard and fast.. Dumping 12" of heavy wet snow on us..
We had been with out power from 5:05 pm til 11: am ...
But our phone line is still down...

Mother nature sure is a lousy tree trimmer...
My poor Long needle pine is a mess .. Lost 4 huge boughs..
I'll post a few pic soon..
Hell I still need to post up on the Sandy storm....:huh
That also was a dump of 10".....

Pics or it didn't happen

Didn't you get hit with a big heavy wet snow about this time last year too?

Looking forward to a trip down to the farm this spring