Barry1951

I have been riding since I was 10, , a Cushman Super Eagle, and I KNEW I Was hooked after the 1st ride. Have rode all sorts, styles, and brands, One thing I learned after several years, , It's not what you ride, it's THAT you ride. I love the feel of crawling on the scoot, Feeling the wind, the smells of fresh cut Grass or hay, the difference in temps as you ride From sunshine into shade or into a valley. I love the feel of my wife, Patti, behind me Knowing how much enjoyment it brings both of us. I just love riding, around town, a day ride with friends or alone, or a long trip. "It's a Riding Thang". As some one said If I have to explain, you would not understand.

We left East Texas Thursday afternoon, 5 couples of us from our Peace Fellowship "biker gang" as our son, Josh, calls us. We rode to Hope, Arkansas and spent the night. NOTE, , ,if you are in Hope and eat at the ONLY Mexican food place in town that serves adult beverage, , , check you ticket real close, , , All I will Say, , , , Anyway we had a good time BS'ing and just enjoying the company. We left around 7:30 Friday morning, headed to Memphis, riding and enjoying. We decided to ride the slab instead of backroads so we could get to Memphis early in the afternoon. Checked into the EconoLodge on 3rd st, about 4 blocks from Beale St. Nice older hotel with a parking garage to keep scooters safe. We walked to Beale St and listened to some good music, , ,rather LOUD, , ,but good. We looked and listened for a while and then back to the hotel for a rest and shower before heading out for the evening excursion, , , , There are LOTS of strange folks on Beale St at night, , , LOL, but also good music both in the clubs and on the sidewalk. We watched one 3 pc band set up outside a closed theater, , , ,singer was an older guy, , ,50 at least, , who had not missed many meals, , wearing faded overalls that would not/could not fasten on the side, , ,singing new style rock/blues, , , , it was in the least, , interesting, , ,the guitar player and drummer were real good. Went into another club and listened to some good old style blues until they began playing r/r. We walked a while and looked and just had a good time. Us older "gang" hit the racks about 11 to get some sleep. We got up Saturday and met for breakfast and decided to go to Mud Island. It was one of the most interesting places we saw. There is a scale model of the Mississippi River from Cairo Illinois all the way to the Gulf. The model is in the walkway and shows all of the flood plain and tributaries along with the town along the Mississippi. The model is about 1/4 mile in length and well worth seeing. There was a "Dragon Boat" festival going on with bands, college groups, and lots of families. We listened to one band playing karaoke for everyone that wanted to join in. This was probably the best band we heard in the whole trip. At the semi-pro baseball stadium, there was a festival supporting ROnald McDonald House, , , after the entry fee, , ,it was all you could eat from the vendors, , ,best vendor, , ,BLUE BELL ICE CREAM ! ! ! ! !, , yep, supported them several times, , , LOL. We went to the Gibson Guitar factory and drooled over the different models, , , Saturday night, , ,we all met in Ross and Ann's room for snacks, meat, cheese, crackers, drinks, and lots of good fun with our group. We pulled out Sunday morning about 7:30, having decided to ride back roads and avoid the interstate. We saw lots of beautiful scenery, watched as they harvested different crops along the way, corn, rice, and another grain we could not name. We made our last stop in Jefferson, Tx, at Annie Skinner's for supper and re-hash of the trip. We made it home about 9:00 pm, with 796.3 miles on the odometer, tired but with memories that could not be beat. We are already planning our next trip, , , , , If anyone is in East Texas, Diana, to be specific or the area, , ,come on out to Peace Fellowship Church and join our "biker gang", we do have a ball whatever we are doing. Thanks to Ross and Ann, Gary and Cindy, Bo and Jo, Russ and Nannete, and to my wonderful wife, Patti, for all of the fun we had and plan to have in the future. Next ride, , , , , , Holy Smokes BBQ Run to Huntsville, Tx, , a BBQ place runn by the New Ebenezar Baptist Church to support their church. All you can eat, brisket, links, chicken, all the fixin's served family style, , , , ,

Ok, , anyone gonna be in Memphis the weekend of Sept 26-7? Patti and I and 4 other couples from East Texas will be there. If anyone is there, let's meet up, especially if you know more about Memphis than we do

He, and most of the time THEY,, , , travel with me ALWAYS, , ,even places where they are not welcome. Im too old to take and ass whipping, , , , , I cheat. With the bunch I run with, , , it would probably look like that old picture of the dummies trying to hold up a cop bar, , , , , We tend to travel well heeled, , , , ,several 9's, , ,couple 45's, , ,lots of 380's

OK, , , , , , Several couples of us from our church are planning a trip to Memphis in late Sept or early Oct. There will be 6-8 couples on scooters and at least a chase car. We will be leaving on a Thursday afternoon and overnighting in Little Rock and then on to Memphis on Friday. We want to do Beale St and listen to some good music, some of them want to go to Elvis's ( Was there couple of years ago, too much commercialization), maybe Mud Island, , , ,where are some other things do do, , see, listen to, , , We also are looking for a cheap/reasonable/SAFE place to stay, not necessarily in Memphis, but real close, , ,and GOOD places to EAT !!! We will be there Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday before heading back to East Texas. OK, , ,good Folks, , , ,when we get a firm date, I will post it and maybe someone is close and we can meet and eat.

It's either a cobra, a rattlesnake, a water moccasin, or a coral snake, , , ,that all the snakes there are and they are interchangeable, , , the cobra does not make noise and kills you, , ,the rattlesnake makes noise and kills you, the water moccasin swims and kills you, , the coral snake just kills you, , , They can change places and types but they will ALL kill you, , , , , or make you kill yourself getting away, , , , ,

Patti and I and 3 other couples just got back, Saturday evening, from a week in South Fork Colorado. It is too much to call it beautiful, , , ,not enough, , ,it is MAJESTIC !!! We rode the Million Dollar Highway, the Silver Thread Highway, went to the Royal Gorge, and just enjoyed the majesties God has made. The only problem I had was the altitude and the lack of oxygen, , , , I have been having some breathing problems and NEVER thought about the altitude. It nearly got me, ,, felt like I was trying to breathe thru a 1/4 inch tube. Luckily, there was a B&B in South Fork that had an "oxygen bar". I made good use of it, , , The owners said that so many people were having breathing problems that they had to put it in for their guests. Oh well, , ,I made it, , , The mountain rides were so beautiful, , the valleys so peaceful. The weather never hit 80 and the nights were in the 40s. One of the coolest towns we found was Salida, Colorado, , on the Arkansas River. The town was small and had taken care of the buildings. Several comfortable pubs and a nice amphitheater right on the river banks. The evening we were there, there was a semi-bluegrass band playing really good music. I could have stayed in Salida, , , , , until winter snows, , , , lol. All in All, in cars and on scooters, we travelled over 3k miles I think. The friends we went with are the best to travel with. Ross and Ann, Bo and Jo, Gary and Cindy, , , ,Thanks, It was wonderful. Nexy year, , ,we are talking about a week or so running the beaches from Texas to Florida and then some, , , Planning a long weekend to Memphis also, , , ,

OK, , , ,In mid July, Patti, I and couple of more couples will be heading to South Fork, Co for a week. Anyone know that area and can provide information on good rides? ? ? ? ?

Has anyone ever tried to relocate the passenger floor boards on a RSV? This past weekend, Patti and I went to Vicksburg with about 60 of our closest friends from all over the US and Canada for our 14th Crawfish Run. On our Saturday ride, as we were all stopping for a 90 degree turn at a stop sign, I had my feet just sliding on the ground at less than walking speed, my right foot caught a rock or something and it slid underneath the right passenger board, hitting the calf of my leg. Ask me if it HURT, , , , The bpard is just the right or wrong heighth to do that. Any suggestions other than dont put your foot down? ? ?

I have been asked that question more times than I can count. I ride because if I was not riding, I would be incomplete, I would not be ME, I would not have the calm, comfortable feeling that "If I can ride just one more mile, , , everything will be OK with the world, , ,it's just around the next curve or over the next hill" Many years ago, I used to ride solo motorcycle in Houston. That was, without a doubt, the BEST job I have ever had, , ,I used to think, , ,"These fools are paying me to do what I do all the time for free, , , ," I don't care how bad a day I have had, no matter how bad my class of little urchins are, , I can get on my scoot and ride all of the tension away. I am lucky now that I have a wife that loves to ride behind me, , ,often time telling me, ,"Let's leave everything alone and go riding" I ask where she would like to go and she says "Does it matter". As she and I were dating, I asked her about riding motorcycles, , ,she replied that she had not been on one since she was 16, , ,and trust be, , that was a while ago for both of us, , , She said she would enjoy trying it again, , , , It was love at first ride, , , , As has been said before, , ,"If you have to ask, , ,you probably will not understand, , , you have to get on one and experience it, , ,it cannot be explained. You either do or you don't:322:.

Go to your local "stuff rental" store and see about renting one of the small backyard size backhoes or excavators. They are, around here, less than $200./day, and you can finish it in one day and move the excess where you want it. They are not hard to operate and will not tear your yard up.

Our school IT dept did not think it funny when I uses "Bull****" as my password, , ,

About dogs, , , , , , The man that originally bought my TD, not long after he bought it, had left his house on the way to work, , , as he passed a neighbors house, , ,the neighbors BIG Great Dane decided he wanted to ride also except he wanted ride in front , , , , As the dog was climbing on, , ,he rode thru the other neighbors little white picket fence before he could get the dog off, , , , , scratched the lower fairing a little, , , dog had a real sore butt and nose from what the guy's wife said, , , , He passed away of a heart attack about 2 months later, , , , , I think the dog added to it, , , , ,

Real nice looking scooter, , , , love the color and striping. I had those same pipes on my 06 TD when I bought it and I HATE THEM !!!! Way too loud and "yappy". I took the off as soon as I could find some HD RK mufflers to replace them with.

Unfortunately, I too, know the feeling of losing parents too early. There are no real words that can be said but you and your family will be in our prayers that you can make it thru this time. Barry & Patti Higginbotham