The PRE-rally, rally.
Six of us met in Arkansas this weekend to get the route for the Bob Jones Rally solidified. It threatened rain, but nobody wussed out. Maybe it was because Bob Falter was bringing free beer !? lol. Here's the rowdy bunch from left to right. Ivan, Russ, Bob, Harry, and Vince... and of course me behind the camera.
There were a lot of teens staying there for some karate tournament. Vince overheard one of the kids tell another one.. "They don't LOOK like a gang?!" lmao.
Saturday morning, we went to breakfast and then headed out. Nobody had the cameras out since it was threatening rain the whole time, so nobody got any good shots as far as I know. When we got to the Cliffhouse Restaurant for lunch.. it looked like this.
A buzzard flew by.... I think it was an omen for later in the ride.
Our good ol' den mother Wildkat called, and said there was a storm system about to come through the area we were in. It soon went to this...
To this about 15 minutes after she called..
Wildkat saved our azzes!
We stayed at the restaurant for a while until it started to let up. It was still raining a bit when we left, but it looked as if it was clearing. We only had to ride in rain @ 20-30 minutes I think.. but wet roads a bit longer. Several miles down the road, I was in the lead when we came upon three buzzards standing over some road kill. Anyone ever seen that rodeo poker where they sit a table and chairs in the middle of a rodeo arena.. sit some guys at the table and turn a bull loose.. and last one sitting wins? Well.. this third buzzard waited longer than the rest.. so he won... then lost! lol. Between the front forks, the fairing, and my left leg that I stuck out and hit it like a stiffarm tackle... he rolled across the road looking like a feather duster on steroids... making another meal for his buddies. Just doing my part to keep protected species fed.. with ummm.. other protected species??! (Yeah, there's something really wrong with me..)
After we rode down the Pig Trail on HWY 23 and were heading back to Eureka Springs, Russ decided he wanted to lead for a while. I rode behind him. We were doing probably 85-90 when we passed a cop... so I'm told. I guess he turned on his lights just as he went by me. He was apparently in some sort of minivan!? What kind of sneaky crap is that?? So Russ and I don't slow down.. because we don't know there was a cop. The other guys speed up thinking... "If Russ and Tod aren't stopping.. neither am I!" Apparently the narrow roads for a turn around by the cop and our speed prevented him from coming after us.
After we got back to the hotel, more beverages were drank and stories were told. After we went to bed, a storm came though. We woke up in the morning with no power in the hotel. Just as I got to the balcony outside the room, the sun came out and I got these...
I had a great time. Even the rain can't keep friends apart! (As long as one of them is bringing free beer..) We clocked in @ 277 miles for the day. Bob rode clear down from Iowa to make the ride with us.
Hope to see you all again in three weeks for the real rally!!!
Tod
Six of us met in Arkansas this weekend to get the route for the Bob Jones Rally solidified. It threatened rain, but nobody wussed out. Maybe it was because Bob Falter was bringing free beer !? lol. Here's the rowdy bunch from left to right. Ivan, Russ, Bob, Harry, and Vince... and of course me behind the camera.
There were a lot of teens staying there for some karate tournament. Vince overheard one of the kids tell another one.. "They don't LOOK like a gang?!" lmao.
Saturday morning, we went to breakfast and then headed out. Nobody had the cameras out since it was threatening rain the whole time, so nobody got any good shots as far as I know. When we got to the Cliffhouse Restaurant for lunch.. it looked like this.
A buzzard flew by.... I think it was an omen for later in the ride.
Our good ol' den mother Wildkat called, and said there was a storm system about to come through the area we were in. It soon went to this...
To this about 15 minutes after she called..
Wildkat saved our azzes!
We stayed at the restaurant for a while until it started to let up. It was still raining a bit when we left, but it looked as if it was clearing. We only had to ride in rain @ 20-30 minutes I think.. but wet roads a bit longer. Several miles down the road, I was in the lead when we came upon three buzzards standing over some road kill. Anyone ever seen that rodeo poker where they sit a table and chairs in the middle of a rodeo arena.. sit some guys at the table and turn a bull loose.. and last one sitting wins? Well.. this third buzzard waited longer than the rest.. so he won... then lost! lol. Between the front forks, the fairing, and my left leg that I stuck out and hit it like a stiffarm tackle... he rolled across the road looking like a feather duster on steroids... making another meal for his buddies. Just doing my part to keep protected species fed.. with ummm.. other protected species??! (Yeah, there's something really wrong with me..)
After we rode down the Pig Trail on HWY 23 and were heading back to Eureka Springs, Russ decided he wanted to lead for a while. I rode behind him. We were doing probably 85-90 when we passed a cop... so I'm told. I guess he turned on his lights just as he went by me. He was apparently in some sort of minivan!? What kind of sneaky crap is that?? So Russ and I don't slow down.. because we don't know there was a cop. The other guys speed up thinking... "If Russ and Tod aren't stopping.. neither am I!" Apparently the narrow roads for a turn around by the cop and our speed prevented him from coming after us.
After we got back to the hotel, more beverages were drank and stories were told. After we went to bed, a storm came though. We woke up in the morning with no power in the hotel. Just as I got to the balcony outside the room, the sun came out and I got these...
I had a great time. Even the rain can't keep friends apart! (As long as one of them is bringing free beer..) We clocked in @ 277 miles for the day. Bob rode clear down from Iowa to make the ride with us.
Hope to see you all again in three weeks for the real rally!!!
Tod
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