Just ridin around

October 4 & 5 2008
These last few days have been cooler with the temperatures at night dipping down into the 40’s. This mornings 39 degrees really wasn’t a big surprise. That according to the weather channel would give way to upper 70’s later on.
It was about 6:15 when I finally got through with coffee and all that and headed out in a the general direction of work. I noticed that it really wasn’t that bad out once I got to moving and my bike got warmed up. I remember thinking that it was pretty nice. Right before Riding into the fog. Thick and fluffy and most of all wet fog. Seven miles of it according to my trip meter. Now when your riding there are a few things that are most uncomfortable and a wet fog is one of them. Usually it’s cold and wet.
I finally rode out of the fog at the edge of town and decided that I was a wimp as I pulled over for a cup of coffee at the first “quicke mart” that I came to. As I was drinking a most good and above all else warm cup of coffee another rider, a young woman, riding a newer Honda Shadow, pulled in and appeared to be suffering from the same “wimpidice” that gotten me. As she sat there shivering a little she noticed me and I held up my cup and gave the coffee my highest recommendation.
After a few sips of coffee and a little warming up we began to chat about bikes and the weather. She had ridden down from the Branson Mo. Area to meet up with her husband. He had ridden down earlier in the week for his job. They were going to make a long weekend, riding the area and staying in Eureka Springs. Her name was Donna and her husband was Jim. While I went and refilled my cup, Jim came roaring up on a VTX 1800
We all visited for a few more minutes and I gave them my numbers in case they had trouble, wished them a good trip and I went on to work. The rest of my morning ride was like all the others, way too short.
4pm finally arrived, I had brought my camera to try and get a shot of some Eagles that I had heard were down by the 412 bridge, With that in mind I headed out. It was a nice run down 412. Traffic was still light and it was in the upper 70’s. The Eagles weren’t to be found and I packed up my camera and decided to go on to Hindsville and then back to the house.
As I came out of one of the little valley’s a bike pulled up on my right side and just kind of waved a little. This is a problem that I have occasionally. Riders that are use to riding beside another bike will pull along side. Since I normally don’t ride this way it’s kind of spooky when it happens. Just as I was about to drop back another bike pulled up on my left. Then I recognized the bikes and Donna and Jim from this morning at the gas station. At Hindsville we pulled over in the valley café parking lot and visited for a while. The both said they were having a great time on all the back roads in the area. But at the same time they sheepishly admitted that they weren’t paying attention and asked what was the number of the highway they needed to get back to Eureka. I kind of chuckled a little and pointed back the way we came in and the sign that said Eureka Springs. Both got a little red faced at the realization. I told them that it was always happening to me and the could join the club.
Jim told me they had met some other locals and if I didn’t have anything to do on Saturday to come over to Eureka and join them for lunch. Not this sounded good. A good ride and a free meal with some really nice people. I told them I’d try to make it and made a mental note to not have anything else to do on Saturday.
Friday came and went like most Fridays do. An all to short, cool ride to work and a short warm ride home. I woke Saturday to the pups and birds arguing and with nothing else going on I settled down to some quality TV. About 10:30 I had a nagging feeling creep over me like I was forgetting something real important. After looking around and checking with work I decided that It was just a case of being cooped up on a Saturday. Then it hit me…Lunch in Eureka. A quick shower and all that and I hit the road. Gas at the one stop and Eureka here I came. As I came into the actual city of Eureka I had a thought and then a chuckle come over me. I had no Idea where they were staying or where to meet them for lunch. Ahhh well, it’s Saturday and I’m here. There were lots of bikes in town and I wondered if I had missed hearing about a meet or something. I stopped a an intersection and pulled up beside a couple on a Road King and asked them if anything was going on. They hadn’t heard of anything. They were just weekending.
I headed down town and thought I cruse around some and just look around and see what was going on and maybe run into Jim and Donna. After making a couple of passes through town I pulled into a parking lot and made an all day donation to the boy-girl squirts or whatever it was and walked down to the little café my wife likes to eat at, I think it’s called Main Street Café.
As I was eating several riders came in and we visited making the meal that much better. After lunch I hit a few of the shops and started back to my bike. When I got back to the lot I noticed something on my tank, it was a note, from Donna and Jim. (Sure after I had already eaten.) They were doing lunch at the biker stable on the outskirts of town. I fired up and headed that way to see if they were still there. As I slid in to the Iron Horse stables I noticed quite a few Vtwins and nothing that resembled my old double barrel. Oh well they’d get over it. I met up with Jim and Donna and visited with them for a little while. They had had a good time from the way they talked about the roads they had traveled and the previous night in Eureka. After they finished eating we all headed out for a ride over to Holiday Island so the could look at some property and killed a little time just tooling the narrow back roads.
As I had to leave to get back and take care of my pups I said goodbye at the edge of Eureka and reminded both that they still owed me lunch sometime. They got a chuckle out of that and we all roared off in different directions.
It was a good day, riding wise. Good roads. Great people to run with and the though of doing it again sometime.
All in all I got in about 180 miles and never really got out of my backyard. Made a couple of new riding friends and have a free lunch coming someday.
Hpoe to catch ya on the road.