We're Back.

I know many of you thought I dropped off the planet, but I'm back.  I decided not to leave a "please do not send me e-mails" message because they never work.  So, last Tuesday, Bebe and I headed for Hot Springs Arkansas and the annual meeting of the Blue Knights law enforcement motorcycle club convention.  Over five hundred Knights, ladies, and children gathered at the Austin Hotel for some good food and fellowship.  I checked the trip meter on the Honda and it registered 1, 265.2 miles.  We trailered the bikes for an additional four hundred miles.

If you were watching the weather channel you know that in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, there was some very extreme weather during the early part of last week.  We put the motorcycles on a trailer last Tuesday morning and started our five hour pull to Schulenburg, Texas.  We were about one hour out of Harlingen when the bottom fell out.  The sky was green with swirling winds, and the rain was sheeting.  We pulled over in a service station in Riviera, Texas and waited until the winds and water abated.  By the time we arrived in Schulenburg, the rain was past.  We unloaded the bikes and headed north.  My friends, R. D. and Patsy were guarding our back door and I led the way.  We made it to Tyler, Texas the first day and put up for the night.  The weather reports did not look favorable as we got up the next morning and headed for southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas.  More bad storms were predicted.

As it turned out we had a great day of riding winding our way through the back roads of east Texas and into the southeastern side of Oklahoma.  We didn't tarry long at any location, but pressed steadily toward our destination of the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge at the top of Rich mountain near Mena, Arkansas.  Rich mountain is the second highest peak in the state at just above 2,600 feet.  The clouds were heavy and the breeze on the trail was brisk and cool.  We had our rain gear on just in case as you see in the photo above. It  felt good in the cool air, but it didn't rain on us.  The storms came in later that night, but we were in a nice cozy room in the lodge.  R.D. and Patsy were as grateful as we were.

That night was a real electrical display and the forecast was for more bad storms the next day.  The prediction was for rain in the morning hours and then a lull followed by more bad weather in the afternoon.  We dried the bikes and made ready to catch the lull.  On Thursday morning we set out in a mist and slight drizzle for Hot Springs.  The good Lord blessed us with a few light showers during the two hour ride through the Quachita mountains to Hot Springs, and then let us enjoy great weather for the rest of the week.

We had great fellowship and great riding.  On Friday we rode to Petite Jean mountain for some sight seeing and a great meal at Mather's Lodge.  R. D. and Patsy were right there for the entire adventure.  We saw many great sights along the way.

Texas Chapter 42 was well represented.

On Sunday we wound our was back through western Arkansas and stopped at a great hamburger joint in the historic town of Jefferson, Texas.  We made it to Crockett, Texas where we spent the night.

This morning we mounted our motorized steeds and headed home.  Near noon we arrived back in Schulenburg, Texas and loaded the bikes for the four hour ride home.  We got here right at 5 :00 P. M., but since Harlingen has no rush hour traffic we were O.K.  Thanks for all your prayers and concerns and the 150 plus e-mails.  I'll be back with some caustic political commentary soon.  We all need to be involved with filling every available media source with our displeasure over the way our country is being run.

The future will be better tomorrow.
  - Dan Quayle