Great Weekend for a November Ride!

Yea I got to ride this Sunday to
Sunday was our monthly Chapter meeting for VRA. The morning started kind of rough. We met at Perkins which is a restaurant thats like a combination of say Applebee's and IHOP. Everyone ordered breakfast and while we waited talked over the business that needed to be taken care of. Some debates, or rather the same ol beaten dog of a subject came up about leather or Synthetics got pretty close to getting out of hand. Luckily the cooks finally found the chicken and hog they needed to make breakfast and got it out to us. Sheesh nothing like saving from a heated argument by way of food.
After eating we all went out and mounted up and got going.... not even a 1/4 mile from the place did we have to turn back due to a member not being with us. We turn back to find he hadn't even left the parking lot. After seeing what was wrong, which was a flat tire, we gave him and his wife good wishes and continued on.
Lots of bikes out Sunday, everyone looked like some disorganized rally was going on somewhere. The morning started out chilly at about 40 degrees but by the time breakfast was done we had already hit 60's.
Finally on the road and in the wind the morning turned to a great afternoon. Cops waved, bikes waved, Sunday morning service escapees veered away ... .all was good.
Took the main highway to some nice scenic back roads. I had my camera with me but the guys in the chapter aren't much for stopping unless it's for gas or gastric reasons. We got some pretty good twisties running us through the foot hills of NC. Some trees clinging on to their colors like an aging baby would to it's security blanket and some have long let them go. Some areas we got good runs where it was only us zipping along like a snake zipping through turns and cut backs in a unison line and having fun. Other spots where the speed limit was lower in the more populated areas left you feeling like rabbits ducking in and out of tree cover to avoid being seen by a hawk over head. The smells in the air kept a smile on my face. Everything from the damp wet leaves smell, freshly cut grass, fire places that had been burning all night and even got to ride by a couple of cook outs that were in progress. Gorgeous gorgeous day to be out. Got to see a lot of old plantation houses that were still in living shape and had occupants and would ponder what maybe that house had seen in all its decades of existence, saw some houses that were relatively newer but had forest and foliage growing up around it as if the property owner had either forgotten about a tax write off or that the occupant had been the last of their bloodline and it was there waiting for nature to reclaim it. Old tobacco barns reminded me of what this state was built from, and in some cases still rely on. Huge horse farms, swamps, couple of joggers ( which some of ladies made you wonder what their purpose really was, to get fit or to get seen), counted about 5 deer carcasses, 1 fox, and one flightless bird that was either Emu or Ostrich. We left the restaurant at about 11 I didn't get home until about 4. All in all..... very relaxing, yet exhausting day. Something I have needed for a while.

Saturday morning, I did a little charity ride for a young cancer patient. About 60 bikes, I looked a little out of place on the Ninja 250, but kept up just fine w/ the big V-twins!

The good: perfect, amazing weather; beautiful foliage; we had police escorts almost the whole ride, which was cool. Was a great cause, the little girl was a sweet heart.

The bad: the way we pulled out, there was no opportunity to introduce myself to my riding mates, and this one guy kept riding right beside me. I'm sure if he knew how fresh the ink was on my M license, he would have given me some space. Due to our "accordian style" pace, I was constantly having to shift 6-5-6-5-6-5.

The ugly: took the family down to Pine Mtn on Sunday -- it looked like a bike festival down there. I cried a little inside as I told my wife how happy I was that we had all driven down together :-(