Tag Archives: Harley Davidson

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Back on the Bike: The Snake Part 1

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I’m back!

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Election Day has come and gone, and I did not win the day.  I challenged an incumbent, in an off / off year (one without a Presidential, Gubernatorial, or Senatorial race) when less than 30% of registered voters cast a ballot.  Even still, I garnered 42% of the vote. While I of course wish I had won the day, for healthcare, for women, for equality, and for the working poor, I am very proud of the campaign, and my team.  I consider this good, and a huge accomplishment.

The other good news?  I finally have time to ride and to shoot!!  Happy,  happy me!

On the morning after Election Day, my good friend, Dave, sent a text with the following message “sorry you didn’t win the election, however you need some riding time to put it all behind you”.  Within 24 hours, we were headed to Shady Valley, Tennessee to ride The Snake.

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 Without a GoPro, it is hard to capture images of those 489 curves on US Rt 421 as there is rarely a place to pull over.  The signage in the image below, however, offers an idea of the fun to be had on this ride.

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While I have to confess to feeling a bit stiff at first, I was thrilled to be back on the bike and getting some big time wind therapy!  It turned out to be a 285 mile day and I could not have been happier.  I came home with many images to process and that made the day even better.

Peak leaf time had come and gone but we still saw a bit of color,

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even more so, when we stopped at Holston Lake.

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The reflections on the lake kept me shooting.  Gorgeous, right?

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It was the perfect antidote to an election day loss,

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and ended with a delicious BBQ plate at Farmers Barbecue & Grill in Mountain City, Tn.  Yum!

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I’ll share a few more photos from this Tennessee ride soon!  Thanks for being here today.  I’ve missed you!

 

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Just 30 Miles …

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… but oh the joy!

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Sunday rides used to be 200 miles long.  These days, I’m just grateful to ride down the road and along the river!

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I’m quite sure that my bike misses me as I much as I miss it!

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Think those mirrors need a bit of a clean?

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Yeah, but if I have any time at all, I’m going to spend it riding, not cleaning 🙂

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Chrome for the Holidays

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Clever title, eh?  Since the bike has been absent from the blog for several weeks, I decided it should be front and center for Christmas.

May your holiday be full of laughter and joy, and find you surrounded by the love of family and friends.

As we open our hearts and arms to those in need, may our roads be dry, our travels safe, and our adventures abundant.

Peace to you, my blogging friends, no matter what holiday you celebrate.

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Scenes from The Shop

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It was hard for me to believe, but it had been FOUR weeks since I’d been on the bike!  While travel, weekend conflicts, and sub-freezing temps kept getting in the way, Saturday promised a break in the schedule and from the 20 degree temps. It was time to ride!

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Friends who own an independent bike shop called The Shop, were hosting a party to celebrate the end of another great riding season. Many of us will continue to ride through the winter as weather permits, but that didn’t keep the owners from throwing a “thanks for supporting our business” party anyway.

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Despite temps in the 40s, it felt so great to be riding!  The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and I was smiling the whole time.  When we got to The Shop, we heard the music, and saw adults and children alike enjoying the food, drink, and sunshine.

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The party was a time for enthusiastic conversation,

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festive bike decoration,

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 smiling face masks,

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 colorful clothing,

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and the shedding of leather coats.

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 And me? After shooting a few pics, I put up my feet and set to relaxin’ before heading back down the road for home.

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Happiness!

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Home!

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Hello from the very rainy Commonwealth of Virginia!

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I’m back from vacation, during which I saw very little sun, but had a wonderful time!  Luckily, I only rode in about 6 hours of rain, 2 of which were the final hours before arriving home.  If you were to visit me right now, you would see drying bike gear everywhere!

I’m anxious to catch up with your blogs and plan to visit within the next 24 hours!  And of course, soon I’ll be sharing photos and notes from my travels.  I’ll hope that some of our rain pushes west in order to provide relief to the draught stricken!

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It’s All a Part of the Ride

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I hope you’ll visit Monochromia and see the B&W images for several wonderful photographers … and then there’s  mine, too!  🙂

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Those of us who ride, love doing so on days when the sun is shining and the skies are clear,  no matter the temperature. Sometimes though, the day turns stormy, and we’re forced to pull over and wait out the rain. Once the clouds part, we’re on the road again, knowing that, in time, the wind will have us dry once again.

If you’ve visited Life on the Bike and Other Fab Things, you know that I love to seek new adventures while riding my motorcycle. In fact, the whole reason I started blogging was to be able to share my travels with family and friends who worried about me heading out on my own.  I’ve long been the one who uses photography to document the events in the lives of my friends and family, and it’s a natural fit to take the camera along with me on the…

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It’s a Mystery

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Sometimes all I need is a short ride to clear the brain and lift the spirits.  That’s surely no mystery.  The mystery comes at the end of this post.  Keep on scrolling down, my friends!

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I walk in the door, drop the purse, lunch bag, and lap top.  Grab the helmet, wallet, and camera, and hit the road.

I typically choose back roads for the scenery, the farms and barns, and the old houses.  Yesterday I also added a 20 minute run along a highway.  Ahhhh …. the famed wind in the face therapy.

So where’s the mystery?

I stopped to photograph this decrepit home at the intersection of two country roads.

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As I wandered around the house, I specifically thought of Mike from Mike’s Look at Life.   How would he portray this house?

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Mike has a skill with B&W that I do not have and he might have presented the image differently.  But I share it this way for a reason.  Look what is revealed when I put the image back into color.

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A bright shiny door knob and a new propane tank.  Hmmm … what do you think goes on in this old place?

(Be sure to check out Mike’s blog … for the photography AND for the comment section!)

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Life on the Bike!

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Those of you who are new to my blog may wonder where the bike of Life on the Bike is.  Rest assurred that the original reason for the blog is back and after being sidelined for 8 months, so are my days riding!  I’ve had the bike just 3 weeks and I’ve ridden as many miles as I can squeeze into my schedule.  My first ride was with my friend Juli who took me to the dealership to pick up my beautiful new bike.

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My second ride was with my friends Dave and Michael, the two guys who taught me most of what I know about riding.  I wrote about them here almost 2 years ago.

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The other night, seeing that a storm was brewing, and thinking that the evening light might make for great photos, I headed out on the bike.  It felt great to feel the wind in my face (even with my new full face helmet).

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 I took off down a dirt road, near the train tracks, and proceeded to happily shoot the surrounding farmland.

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I couldn’t decide which of these I preferred.  What do you think?

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It was a lovely evening and the storm held off long enough for me to play a little longer.

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Even the structure of the new bridge appealed to me that evening.

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More riding photos soon!!!

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Done!

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This post was privately published April 17th

The day was predicted to be beautiful and at almost 6 months out, the time seemed to be right.  Physical and emotional recovery are not yet done.  Several procedures are in the future and the tears still flow occaisionally during anxious moments.

But the time seemed right and I NEEDED to see if I could do it.

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My friend Ruth went to the HD store with me.  The folks who work at the store have all become friends and each and every one asked how my recovery was going.  Jay arranged to have the bike brought in from another location and put it behind the store so I could make my first attempt at riding in private.

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I took one look at the bike and felt the tears come, something that happens all too often these days.  I wiped my eyes, sat on the bike, and hit the start button.  After a few deep breaths and I was off.

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It just felt right!  When the time is right, I’ll be riding again!

For the observant out there: I have promised to wear a full face helmet and I will keep that promise.  This helmet is a loaner.  Also, the photo was taken in a parking lot, hence the fist pump.

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Women Riders

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A friend of mine was the focus of a Women Riders segment produced by one of our regional television stations.  Missy and her husband own an indepedent motorcycle shop, and Missy, who has been riding for years, invited several women to come ride with her and help put the spotlight on women who ride.

It’s been 6 months since my wreck and unfortunately, I am still a rider without a bike (although not for much longer!).

Thankfully, I was able to indulge in another passion of mine.

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I’ll be posting more photos soon, but meanwhile remember this:

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