Trek 2008

Dec 28  Here are some pictures leading up to Christmas and of course the big day.

Nov 9  I picked up Julia and Elisabeth this morning and with the flags up on the truck we joined about 70 bikers for a Veterans Day Parade from Arcata to Eureka and a brief ceremony at the cemetery.  It was followed by lunch at the VFW in Eureka - Black Beans - Rice - and Chicken.  At the end of the parade a couple of people came up to me and commented on the truck and how they liked having the lights going.  They have a meeting at a pizza place each month and I have been invited to  go and "promote" the PGR and "Run For The Wall".

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Nov 2  Halloween is now over but we had a good time in Blue Lake.  The girls were dressed as a Vampire and a Prom Queen with Tisha as the witch.  On Sunday at the Grange Julia and the Girl Scouts showed us how to make paper while outside the apple press was kept busy.

Tisha's Store  Preparation and opening.

Boston Visit 

Sept 7  Blue Lake  Ca

Tisha had her "Burning Man" encore this evening.  She and the girls missed the "burning" so she had her own.  There were about 50 friends and well wishers on hand to make it the event in Blue Lake.  There are also some pictures of the preparation of the "Art Car".

July 19  Brookings Oregon

I got together with Tisha Jeremy and Elisabeth for breakfast then Elisabeth and I took off for Brookings and the Kite Festival.  After a brief stop to visit with Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox we found our way to Brookings and enjoyed hot dogs cotton candy and kites.  It was an amazing show with the kites performing to music and doing acrobatic maneuvers.  The kids liked the three bears and even though the wind was very light there is a picture of a man really leaning to hold back the big bear.  The smaller kites put on a show that had them turning and spinning just a few feet off of the ground to great soaring loops up higher.  I particularly liked the four kites that played follow the leader then did some formations that would make the Blue Angels proud.  We stopped briefly at a beach on the way back so there are a couple of "seascape" pictures to round out the day.

July 17  Eureka CA

While reading the paper at breakfast I noticed a piece about a replica of the Nina had arrived in Eureka.  This 93.6 foot long replica of the ship that brought Columbus across the Atlantic was built in South America without any power tools!  The main deck is 66 feet long which is a little more than twice as long as my trailer.  I try to imagine putting up half the crew in the trailer.  It would be a little cramped.

May 1  Viet Nam Wall arrives in Fontana.

This morning Stew Hunter and I met up with a few Patriot Guard Riders to escort "The Wall" into Fontana.  We gathered at the American Legion hall in Fontana then went to a motel in Ontario where the display had spent the night after traveling from New Mexico.  Fontana Police Department sent an impressive number of Motorcycle Police and two police cars to provide an escort.  We formed up and drove to Milner Park in Fontana.  As we rounded the last corner their were lots of people waiting.  The Fire Department had two ladder trucks with the ladders up and the firemen standing at attention on both sides of the street.  One of our members later told me that he "almost lost it".  He was so moved.  I had to leave but did get to see the beginning of the wall assembly.

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Mar 2  US Marine Band and Silent Drill Platoon:  Marilyn and I met with a Patriot Guard group in Rialto on our way to the high school to see the Marine performance.  It was a very windy day as you can see by the number of covers (hats) on the ground grows during the performance!  The band was excellent and although you can't tell by the pictures they were in motion during the whole performance.  The drill team was awesome as always.  There are several pictures where you can see the rifles in the air as they are passed from one Marine to another.  My new camera lens made it possible to get these pictures from the football field bleachers.  On the way out of the high school we drove past the busses with the Marines getting ready to board.  One of the band members said that he liked the plates on my truck.  He must have been from Texas!

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Feb 24 NASCAR  I was invited to the races at Fontana by my friend Stew Hunter.  Stew got the tickets from Pat his (and my former) son-in-law.  It isn't as complicated as it sounds - really.  Anyway I got up Sunday morning and it was raining!  I picked up Stew and we had breakfast and it was still raining.  We decided that the race was not to happen but he gave me the tickets to use if the race was postponed to Monday.  Back to the trailer and flip on the TV.  At 12:30 when the race coverage started and the rain had stopped but the track was wet and it was still cloudy.  About 2:30 Stew called and said it looks like they will get the race going.  I said "How do you feel about sitting on a wet bench seat in the cold and wind?"  He felt the same way I did so we each stayed home!

The race started about 3:00 and a serious wreck happened about 4:00 when water had seeped through the seams in the track and a car spun out.  Out came the dryers and they even used a saw to cut a drain across the track to get rid of the water.  They were really trying to run the race and restarted about 5:30.  The rains came!  By now even the announcers had run out of things to say so the network showed The Simpson's and we were told to check back at 8:00 then 9:00.  At 10:00 they said the race would restart at 11:00!  I put a tape in the VCR and went to bed.

This morning I re-wound the tape and found 11:00.  They announced that they had finally given up.  The race would be re-started at 10:00 AM on Monday so I got dressed - had breakfast and went to the race.  It seemed that every driver had a semi trailer set up outside the stadium selling souvenirs.  I took along my new 70-300mm lens and got some good (my opinion) pictures.  There is one series of a pit stop for the 48 car.  While looking at the pictures remember that the whole stop is about 14  1/2 seconds!

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