| Author | Message | ||
     Prior |
 | ||
| M2nc |
Great pics. I hated I could not make the ride this year but had a conflict I just could not work around. We had a family event that consisted of flying to Iowa, which was a blast since our two youngest had never flown. In Iowa, it was the first time since 2002 (Ironic huh) that my mother, four siblings and all our families were at the same time and space. With that said, I was thinking about you guys and at 30,000+ feet where the Carolina Blue sky turns Duke Blue, you can almost see Matt and Big Jim smiling down. Car-Lost on Mexican Time L:P | ||
| Fb1 |
Carlos, we missed you and Kristi at the gathering, hope to see you both soon. Beautiful words, amigo. Reep and Alex, great photos, thanks for sharing. JB2, I don't really have any pix from the weekend. I'm not sure I can explain why, but sometimes I just want to put the camera down and enjoy the show, instead of working the show, if that makes any sense. As you know, I've posted-up some pix of mine and D's ride down on ADVrider, but this pic - graciously taken by Gentleman Jim with my camera out at Lost Bridge Saturday afternoon - is about all I've got to offer from a photographic standpoint. The rest of the weekend's images will be forever etched vividly in my mind. Thank you all for being you. Ferris  L to r: FB2, FB1, JB2 and Pdxs3t ~ Photo by Gentleman Jim ~ | ||
| Reepicheep |
Great shots! Fantastic group to ride with, and even better to hang out with. What a great journey. | ||
| Fb1 |
JB2, please tell Randy again for me that he was a great dancing partner on our ride out to Deals Gap on Saturday. Wade and Corso wanted to see and photograph the place (me 'n D were happy just to sit in the shade, suck on some barley suds, and watch the show), and Randy asked if he could tag along. I did my best to make him earn his keep, but, well, my mirrors were pretty much full of VFR at every turn. Whacking good fun, though, and Randy did great, never once causing me the slightest concern, even at the pace and close proximity we were occasionally (OK, OK, mostly) riding. I approached a fella at Deals Gap on a Suzy 650 single motard-lookin' thingie of some description. It was all white (of which I'm an obvious sucker for), with upright ergos, alloy wheels and sticky rubber, and looked like the PERFECT motor for the smokin' a Dragon. The dude was in full leathers, and looked serious. I complimented him on his motorcycle, and said - quite sincerely - that it was the coolest bike in the parking lot (of which there were easily hundreds). He was pretty much sans speech. I said, "Betcha never had a Harley rider throw ya a bone 'bout yer Suzuki before, eh??" He hesitated, then smiled, and said, "Nope, that's a first!" We both chuckled and enjoyed our random encounter. Two riders, two machines, two schools, but a common bond. To borrow one of Court's lines: I live for this stuff. FB | ||
| Reepicheep |
Don't mess with the Ent's!  | ||
| Jb2 |
Ferris, I have to say I did the same as you. I snapped pictures along the way, interesting stuff but pretty much left my camera in the case once I got to Franklin. Randy said the same goes back your way. Said he was pretty much blown away that you could keep him honest riding an RK with a passenger. Life is better in the wind. | ||
| Jb2 |
Okay here goes with a few pics... This one was taken at Broke Leg Falls just north of where Ed and Cindy Manning live. We visit Broke Leg almost every trip there, especially with new riders in tow. This was taken at the approach to the property. There used to be a gas station here, shut down decades ago, but the sign post and gas islands were still there. The spring tornado came right over the gorge. This post was bent from the force of the wind and more striking was the way it fractured the concrete around the post.  | ||
| Jb2 |
Gentleman Jim, Reep and myself spent an entire day traveling less than 200 miles through goat trails and backroads of Kentucky. We had to kill a little time because Ed(one of 6 Republicans in Morgan County)was working the polls that day and wouldn't be home until after 6:00pm. Thanks Reep for a most awesome string of roads this fine day!  When Ed got home we jumped in his Kawi side-by-side and rode up the ridge behind their home.  | ||
| Jb2 |
Fast forward to our third day on the road with Reep in the lead again. He took a slight detour to Wheels Through Time. I was pleased to see the recently acquired belly tanker setting outside. If you've followed American Pickers you seen them find this piece of history and then sold it to the museum. It's powered by a 4-cyl. motorcycle engine and has some really unique engineering goodies. Dale Walksler believes it was a Howard Hughes piece. Not sure if they ever confirmed that but it's still a cool old ride.  | ||
| Reepicheep |
We spent all weekend trying to getting Jim A's lighter working... I spent a lot of time in that pose. I coulda brought my own, but Jim had better cigars.  Its really hard to keep a cigar lit while standing over the top of a Kawsaki Mule and getting slapped in the face with wet leaves on low hanging branches! | ||
| Fb1 |
Hillbilly Ed cleans up pretty good!!   Rough Ridge Overlook just after a stiff rain, Blue Ridge Parkway north of Grandfather Mountain, NC, Thursday May 24, 2012 | ||
| Fb1 |
 The Parkway's Linn Cove Viaduct and a small portion of Grandfather Mountain, as viewed from Mile Marker 300 | ||
| Fb1 |
 | ||
| Fb1 |
 This. Don't. Suck. | ||
| Prior |
Nice shots Ferris!!! | ||
| Fb1 |
Thanks Alex, but wait'll you see Corso's pix... | ||
| Whatever |
I am glad everyone had a safe trip. Sounds like we all missed a great time. Took me the longest time to figure out who that guy in the white button down shirt was!  | ||
| Jb2 |
Reep, yeah forgot about the lighter. I knew Ferris had his camera out for part of the trip cause I seen 'em on ADV Rider. Cool stuff. Can't wait to see Corso's. Char, Ed was in extremely good spirits that day. On a sad note Buella was sick, they think maybe a snake bite. They had to put her down Saturday so they couldn't make it to Franklin. I remember when Buella was a pup, she was 12. | ||
| Fb1 |
Can't wait to see Corso's. Wade took some keepers, too. They drove up the Parkway from Asheville on Sunday; gave us a chance to get the house and BBQ ready for them Sunday night (we came up 40 and 77), and gave them almost 200 miles of BRP to soak up and savor on the way here. It was postcard conditions, they said. Monday at oh-dark-thirty they were on the road for DC for the Memorial Day observances, and then spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday seeing the sights, including the air and space museum. Corso says he took over 2000 photos during his time out here, and is just now posting-up his Franklin pix to his SmugMug account. I've seen his DC pix already; stellar stuff. Wade *should* be back in Montgomery by now. He shot pool 'til 3 in the morning Thursday, I'm told, then somehow got Corso to the airport on time and has been on the road for Alabama since. He's a good kid (so's Corso), and I'm glad y'all got to finally put faces to the names. | ||
| Reepicheep |
It was nice to meet them both... hard to tell who was keeping whom out of trouble... | ||
| Fb1 |
Corso has three teenagers, one of whom (hi Chelsea!) is an alien. He's pretty good at riding herd...  Jim Corso (Pdxs3t), Sunday evening here at the RidgeDome, sittin' 'round the campfire, sippin' suds and pullin' on fine ceegars | ||
| Jb2 |
It was truly an honor to meet Corso, Wade, Fran and Bob Williamson. I'm pretty sure I could get in some serious trouble with any of them. Corso, it was a long time coming. I think you and I were some of the first members of PACBOG... I have to dig out my old newsletters. Meeting you was on my bucket list anyway you slice it. (Thanks Wade for making it happen) I kept my camera parked for most of the weekend. Too many good photogs there this weekend, I can think of four who probably shot thousands of images. Ferris, to my surprise, was not one of them. I tend to take the same shots every year and it's always a treat to look at our gatherings through someone else's eye. I remember being blown away with Carol Usher's photo journals when her and Lou joined the family. Can't wait to Corso's and Wade's. New blood. | ||
| Brumbear |
Looks like it was a great time Thanks for sharing the trip!!!!!!! | ||
| Prior |
Some of the Franklin Crew         | ||
| Jb2 |
Great pics Alex! I'll get to the lady at the bridge this evening. Glad some of you got pics. I wanted too but I was too captured in the moment. | ||
| Glitch |
Half empty (last year) Half full (this year) Y'all haven't any idea how hard it was to go to work knowing I'd miss everything once again. The bad news last year: The lack of a paycheck kept me from doing a lot, not to mention all my legal ills. The good news this year: I'm getting paid, although I only get to work weekends, which is why I had to miss this year. Meh, my legal ills still continue... I'm glad y'all took pictures of the horrible time y'all had or I'd feel extra bad for missing everyone =P Soon I'll be back among the living, I'm sure of it. Missed y'all tremendously, even everyone I haven't met yet. | ||
| Reepicheep |
We missed you Glitch! I'm sure there will be another chance soon... | ||
| Glitch |
Not soon enough! | ||
| Jb2 |
Glitch, Yeah we were all hoping you and Ann could make it. Seeds for the future. |
