Almost September

"Once in a Blue Moon"..  31 August 2012. Moon rise over the Peacock Mountains East of Kingman, AZ.  From our back yard.

Juan Carlos wild ride! Aug. 29th, 2012

Juan Carlos, from New Jersey, is one Tough Dude!  This is the day after he took a tumble, but that's only the surface of the story.....

A member of the "Iron Butt" riders, he's cut above some of the toughest riders in the world.  Last year, at 66 years old, he rode an old 91 750 Honda nighthawk to the Arctic Circle, and back to New Jersey.  Spend only a couple of nights in motels,chose to sleep out along the road when he got tired.  A Mechanical Engineer, he's set up his little bike for long distance touring, and does his own maintenance and repairs. He travels very light.

Starting the 3rd day in on a Cross Country Trip, around midnight, he was Westbound on Interstate 8 near Dateland, AZ.  Speed limit is 75 mph, he estimates he was going between 70 and 75, when he went to sleep.  He was exhaused after two very long days, but needed to get to San Diego by morning.  He woke up tumbling across the median, across the East bound lanes, and both him and the bike ended up several hundred yards from impact with the pavement, out in the desert on the South side of the highway.

The frame tells the story!  A truck driver stopped and helped him get up, and get the bike up.  He shook it off, got on the bike and rode off.  He was sort of in shock. Someone had called the police, so he was soon pulled over. Treated very nice by the officers, and by Border Personal (he was just a stone's throw from Mexico).  They gave him some food, tried to get him to a hospital, but he signed a release refusing medical help. He HAS to get to San Diego!  Unknown to him, he had a broken wrist.  He was in pain, but HAD to get to San Diego!

He rode over a hundred more miles to El Centro, CA, where he stopped to try and find gas at 3 AM.  He asked a police officer there, but was treated badly, and was starting to really hurt.  He didn't feel comfortable staying in El Cento, So....turned around and rode 65 miles BACK to Yuma.  By mid morning, he was in a motel, close to the interstate.  He took a nap, and in mid afternoon was going to ride to see a doctor. But, it was hovering at 109 degrees, and he couldn't bring himself to get back on the bike. The motel took him to the emergency room at the Yuma Medical Center.  He was x-rayed had a thorough examination.  Showed a severely broken left wrist, but other than some road rash on his right arm, he appeared all right. His protective clothing and helmet probably saved his life.  He asked the doc to put on a hard cast with a hook so he could operate the clutch an ride back to New Jersey.  The doc didn't think that was a real good idea.  Pat and I arrived at his motel in an unusual rain storm around 10:30 AM on the 30th.  After going over the options available to him, he decided to leave the bike in our storage room at the RV park.  He plans to rent a car in the morning, and drive himself with most of his gear back to New Jersey. When he's healed up and rested,  the bike may be shipped, or, he may come get it and ride it home.

Headlight frame bent, windshield is trash, turnsigal broken, but over all, not a lot of damage. The bags were ground down, but that saved the metal parts.  Nothing of his gear was totally ruined.  His computer, GPS, etc. all are fine.  Some kind of miracle.

It's in the 90's but I borrowed Juan's beat up jacket, and rode the bike about 4 miles in the rain to our RV park. It started right up and purrs like a little sewing machine. This is the same bike he rode to the Arctic Circle last summer.  21 years old.  Honda makes them strong :-) 

The bike will be safe here until he decides what to do with it.  Was a pure pleasure meeting and getting acquainted with Juan.  A fine man, and a REAL motorcyclist.  Some people talk a good story, but Juan lives it!  Will add to the story as time goes on.  If any of the facts aren't exactly right, it's because this is only the "day after".  Juan told them as he remembered, but said he was still just  a little fuzzy.  He appeared to be very bright to me!  And, he's almost 67 years old, and tough as nails!

Late August 12

Construction on the new Victory Motorcycle Dealership.  This is on Stockton Hill Road in Kingman, AZ.

A local Bar is having a car wash and other special events to raise money for Breast Cancer.  This is one of the "car washers".  No, I didn't get a wash. Was on the little dual sport bike, so just stopped for a picture.

Aug dirt ride & more

In a dry wash, about 15 miles from town.  A big cloud developing in the direction I was headed.

I think dust coming off dry Red Lake bed.  Looks like rain around it too

While thinking about turning around, I looked to my left, and this Girl was staring at me!  I didn't waste much time, left with a rooster tail of gravel behind me.

Was in my "Arizona Leathers" of shorts and sandals.  When I got to the pavement, I stopped to get the gravel out.  The cloud was still following me, but the cow was no where in sight. :-)

Same place, but looking the other direction.  By the time I got home, it was all nice again.  A good ride!

Hired a crew to do some yard work. This is one of the helpers.  Very interesting person.  It's not for our place, but for a friend/reletive's home here that is empty right now.

7 AM on Friday the 24th.  Headed up Stockton Hill Road to Lake Mead Store

Ed & Carl ride up here every Friday, all year long. The only place they buy lottery tickets.  They alternate between the 3 bikes apiece they own.   I usually ride the scooter or the XT

Lots of raft traffic.  They put in with a dozen customers up in the Grand Canyon, and get off near here at Pierce Ferry.  It's where the Colorado River becomes Lake Mead

Not a lot here, but 8 miles down the road is Meadview, a little larger town.

There are some pretty nice sweepers on this road.  Heading West now, it comes out on Highway 93 towards Las Vegas, but we'll head South before that. 

After getting home, I got the Harley out.  Fell in behind this tour group of 15.  Rented Harleys from Chicago.  The riders are all Swiss.  I followed them about 20 miles to the Hackberry Store where they stopped.  

Was able to get my regular parking place.  They probably didn't know the pumps are shut off.  They spoke very little, if any, English, but the tour guide did.

Chase van with trailer.  There are several of these groups every day, going both ways on Route 66.  It was 90 degrees, and they were all dressed in leather.  They were pretty warm when they got off the bikes. "All the gear, all the time" :-)

Hackberry, etc. some misc.

Boss Hoss.  57 Chevy Trike, 385 hp engine.  I'm taking it for a ride this morning.

Brought it home to check it out closer out of the bright sunshine.

The trike checked out real good.  Almost snapped my neck. :-)  The person I was riding it for bought it.  A friend of Didsbury Dave in Canada.

Pat likes to feed the birds in our back yard.  I have to go out every week and pull growing things.  I think this may be a corn stock from on of the little seeds.  We're going to let this ONE grow for awhile and see if we can harvest an ear of corn :-)  She's watering it every day, so it will probably croak soon (I hope)

Few years ago at Harry's, near the Willow Loop.  A good day to Remember.

Aug 15th.  Powerful thunder clouds passed up by.

Aug 16.  Was going to ride to Phoenix today, needed some warranty work on the Harley's CB radio unit.  40% chance of sever weather and temps over a hundred, so I hauled it down. made the round trip and home by 5 PM.

14 August 12.  We're driving down Hwy 95 in Bullhead City, AZ today.  Pat wanted to visit the new Hospice thrift store there.  It's less than 30 miles from Kingman, but all down hill. It's right on the Colorado River, right across from Laughlin, NV.  The Store was GREAT!

Tinker style "Cat Head" biscuits.  Pat made them for Sunday breakfast.

Aug 13th.  Rode to Hackberry for coffee

New T-Shirt just got in today. 

Cool poster

Neon clocks.  I'm thinking I NEED one for my garage!

"Switched Back" the little Harley for an afternoon ride back to the store for a different picture. 

It's over a hundred degrees, so I kicker 'er up a little for some fresh air.  No windshield, bags, or luggage rack today.

Maybe not at Hackberry.............

One for the vroc New Zealand friends.

You could sit here and wait for a bus, but it would be a Loooong wait.

Group of Germans, Florida bikes, on an organized tour.  Included 2 chase vehicles.

Had to wait awhile for this parking spot :-)

Biglefti and Wrong Turn taught me how to wear "Arizona Leathers"

This will last a week or so

Gas 'n Grub in Truxton, AZ.  Ed and Carl are parked by the Rest Room facilities.  We're on an early morning ride to Seligman.

August 6, last day on the road

Afternoon on the 7th.  From Walmart parking lot in Kingman.  This was a test to see if the camera was was repaired under warranty will work without seeing black spots.  Seems fine.  I thought they would send a refurbished, but instead they repaired mine.  Black spots are gone.

Not sure how this boat landed in Mina, NV, but it's now a restaurant

Many miles of this kind of scenery today

This picture is for Kelly Cobb

Early morning in Downtown Tonopah.  A very interesting History here, but sadly, there are more closed businesses than there are open ones

There is a monument there honoring a miner that rescued several people from a mine shaft that was on fire.  He never made it out on the last trip.  17 lost their lives

This was  a quick snap out the window in Goldfield, NV

We passed several Bordello's along Hwy 95.  Some are closed.  We noticed yesterday that the location of the famous Mustang Ranch is now a sand and gravel yard. Times change....

A little shabby, but still in business :-)

Beatty, NV, one of the road into Death Valley splits off from here.  I remember this gas station from a trip with SAG and VSP when were were on the bikes heading for Tucson and and a Foree AZ bike week.  Awwww, the "Good ol' Days"

Death Valley Root Beer

I'm glad none of the vroc'er took one of these to Mexico when we were doing the New Year's Celebrations down there. We'd probably still be in jail. :-)  As it was, we almost made it, thanks to Jack and his helpers trying to blow up a resort hotel :-)

We stopped for a Diet Dew here

This is a Bordello, part of the Bunny Ranch.  They had a gift shop full of souvenirs too.  Maybe this new upgrade will be bigger and better!

What's it comming to???   WiFi in the Cat House.  Guess you can get on line during or waiting :-)