69 2013 Winter trip

Goin' places that I've never been.

Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again.

On the road again -

Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway

We're the best of friends.

Insisting that the world keep turning our way

And our way

is on the road again.

Just can't wait to get on the road again.

The life I love .........

     When we took our young daughters on vacations I would sing (my opinion) the chorus when we started out.  I don't think they really appreciated it.   Well here we go again.    
October 30, 2013



seven days before the trip

strange, the arrow was on the
cardboard I was using to kneel on!

      It seemed that the pressure to finish upgrades to our trike,  tires, normal maintenance that had been neglected because of our busy schedule unnecessary chrome and lights,  ready our home for our absence and prepare for a planned five month ride continued up to the moment we pulled away from our prairie home.   With as little as seven days to departure our five wheel rig only had the front wheel on the ground.  Adjusting the trailer brakes (thanks for your help Tom) turned into a major event when I found that the new axels had a problem with the keepers for the magnetic brake coil.  Our new white wall tires ( yes we are still kids at heart) finally arrived, mounted with a balancing solution they were ready to go.    To keep up with tradition We stopped in front the Pioneer Club Wabasha MN to take a picture, note the Wisconsin mountains in the background. (just teasing)



We still are having trouble with packing.

     Stopping in Kellogg MN we filled with gas and grabbed some protein bars , we were on our way.  What did we forget this time?  Our motorcycle camper was filled, evidently we had not learned from our meeting with the experienced long distance rider in  Eureka Springs  to start the trip at 80% capacity.  It was 46 degrees misty with some fog however it was a full 28 degrees warmer than when we left last year.  Ruthie had dressed with full rain gear partially for the mist but mostly for the protection from the wind. To save some time and because of the extra fairing protection the driver has I didn't put on my rain pants.  We had heated Jackets and the extra layer kept the wind from sucking the heat away.



It will be months before it is this clean again!

     As we traveled along the Mississippi river we pointed to the bluffs to our right and mentioned why would we want to travel anywhere else.  This area is just beautiful.  However the reality that soon it would be covered with snow and there would be layers of ice forming on the side of the bluffs as water seeped from the hills.  Beautiful but not conducive with motorcycle travel we will keep on our current path.  We crossed over the Mississippi river into Wisconsin just North of  Lacrosse.
     The owner of the Humble Bumble had asked us to stop by Tomah and say hi on our way thru.   He was waiting for us as we pulled up to the truck dealership where he worked.  He had a lot of nice things to say about the trike we had built for him, it seems his wife and daughter are learning to drive it.   Todd told us about a popular pizza place South East of Tomah that he would like to take us to.  We made a tentative plan to meet him there in the spring on our way home.   Always new places to see. 
     When we said our good-byes the road turned South and we started to pick up a few degrees, maybe the weather would look up for us.   The way we were dressed made it quite comfortable and we were enjoying the fall ride. 
     Nice thought, however the weather didn't hold.  just beyond the Wisconsin Dells it started to rain.  Light at first and I thought we can live with this.  Soon it picked increased intensity and was soon a heavy rain storm, it was at this time I started hearing voices.  "I have my rain pants on-why don't you have your rain pants on- I'm glad I spent the extra money and purchased a whole rain suit- I'm dry back here, how about you.-etc"  It seemed as if the verbal abuse continued for some time.  Tomorrow I will either wear my rain pants or find the mute button for the intercom!

     We arrived at Verne and Vonnie's around 5;30 I had a double history with these two.  Vonnie's family lived within two miles of my child hood home and Verne with an "E" was the brother of one of my classmates.  We had been reconnected at the funeral of a neighborhood farmer and she had visited my sisters at their Wednesday morning ritual of breakfast at the Chickadee coffee shop in Lake City MN.   When they heard about our upcoming trip invited us to stop for the evening.  We took the opportunity to dry our damp clothes in their dryer, all set for tomorrow.   I had forgot about Halloween until children started showing up at the door.  A pleasant evening followed reminiscing on our shared country background.  Her fond memories and recollection of her child hood was impressive to me.  At our breakfast meeting in Lake City I heard her tell the story of  a lamp we had seen on the tour of their home.  Vonnie's text makes it very interesting:  "My parents purchased my grandparent's farm (Otto & Ella R) when I was approximately 2yrs. old.  My mother rolled the lamp (a wedding gift to my grandparents in 1911) down by the creek because neither her or my grandmother no longer wanted it.   Later her friend, Ardeen M, (Dean M's sister) Dean was a friend and neighbor of my parents and lived on what I liked to call a country block, a mile long on each side.  visited mother.  They went for a walk and Ardeen saw the lamp and mother told her to take it.  Later Ardeen moved to California and left the lamp with Dean & Olive M.  When I played with Pam (their daughter) I saw the lamp at their home.  I  told mother about the most beautiful lamp I'd ever seen.  Mother asked Olive if we could buy it, of course Olive being so kind, said Vonnie can have the lamp.  It is a Gone With The Wind lamp. 

     The top was broken and they had turned it into an electric lamp.  I had it in a box for years as no one was able to paint a new top to match.  I found the perfect rose silk shade at the Lamp Lighters in Madison.  It now sets beside the bed in "The Wedding Room" next to Grandma Richter's wedding dress from 1911.  A full circle for this beautiful lamp.

    Update Dec 6, 2013 6;23 AM  I just read an email from my sister Arvilla. 

Hi,

     I was just reading your blog and did you know that Jessie (our sister) was at Irene’s when she threw the lamp away.  she also threw some fingernail polish and Jessie was more upset to see her throw the fingernail polish away.  (I have a closer connection to this lamp than I knew.  Now every time I'm reminded of the lamp I will think of my family.)

     The next morning our hosts had prepared a wonderful breakfast and Vonnie continued to amaze me with her recollections.  She brought out a book called Grand mother remembers.  It is a commercially available book used for memories, family history for ancestors.  A wonderful idea to pass on unique memories that are often forgotten or considered unimportant enough to pass on.  The book asks question to prompt memories. 
      One of the pages Vonnie shared with us, the book asked the question, Did you have a happy childhood?  Because of my love of horses and the people involved  this response was of particular interest to me.    Vonnie's mothers text front the book about her pony named Dicky Daddels.  "A neighborhood man tried to break him but he'd just buck him off.  Clarence took him, kept him for several months.

Clarence would ride him to Elmira school and finally got him calmed down.  All the kids at school took turns riding him.  I got brave and rode him home.  He went so fast that I could hardly hang on.  Going to school in the morning he'd walk slowly.  A few times he'd stop in front of Frank Hinckley's, lay down in the  middle of the road.  Frank would come and get him up.  Funny he always chose the same place to lay down.  She stated that she was 9 years old when she started riding him.  He turned out to be a gentle, loving pony.  Her dad made a sled and harness so he could pull her around the yard.  He died after I was married." 

  This farm boy Clarence was a neighbor hood farmer who my father worked for and we all attended the same church at Elmira.  It was at his funeral I had been reconnected with Vonnie.  Again a full circle, I wish I had known this story about Clarence when I was a child.  When you are young it is hard to imagine older acquaintances as every being a child.   Not having many pleasant memories of my childhood I was very interested as well of jealous of Vonnie's memories.  Then as we were at the breakfast table I had a pleasant memory, I was very little and a elderly gentlemen had stopped by the house to take me and my dog fishing.  Evidently we were on the farm because we walked (our pasture was 80 acres of woods with a creek running thru it).  Could this be a memory I can pass onto my grandchildren?  The two of us walked along accompanied by my collie dog (seemed to go everywhere with me) When we reached the creek (even though the rest of the memory is foggy I can see this very clearly.  The creek makes a bend at this point, it is deeper with a tree hanging over it.  I used to swim here and in the winter we chopped thru the ice so the horses could drink.  Okay the cows too.)  the elderly gentlemen slipped on the steep bank and hit his head on a rock.  ( this isn't turning out well.)  he was dazed but conscious.  What was It going to do, I was so little.  His voice was weak and hard to make out.  I could barely make out his instructions to me.  "Send Lassie for help, Timmy!". Dam!  another borrowed TV memory.   I apologize, but I did have a collie dog named Susie our neighbor Dick raised them and gave one to my family.  On a serious note just think of your stories that would be of interest to your children or grandchildren.   I have heard somewhere (maybe Oprah) it's never to late to have a happy childhood, and in my case even if you have to borrow someone else's.