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Category Archives: Rides Roads and Ronman

Tents and Two Wheels

How many times have you seen a photograph of a campsite and thought I’d like to do that?  Why don’t you? It’s a great way to travel. You can learn so much about what you can do without too. Don’t let the thought of sleeping on the ground deter you. It’s all in the gear you use.

In fact you don’t even have to own any camping gear. Stores like REI rent camping gear.  What better way to see if you like something.  Basically you need a tent, air mattress and sleeping bag.  But  you can improvise. Depending on the time of year and temperatures, you can make do with a blanket.  If you’re really rustic you can sleep on the ground.

Keep things simple and compact. A small one or two person tent is all you need.   Some folks use a tarp and just use that to sleep under. Hell, for that matter you can sleep under the stars.  Now that’s a great way to sleep. Nothing like looking up into the heavens and seeing the twinkling up above.

Think you won’t be able to make it through the night? Here’s a simple solution. Camp in your yard. That’s right. Just set up everything outside where you live.   That way if you just don’t like it all you have to do is go inside.

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Okay, let’s recap what we need. First a tent.  Keep it simple and small. You don’t need to be able to stand up.  If you’re looking for the first time, think backpacking.  Basically camping off a bike is the same as backpacking.  My tent is a two person tent. Plenty of room for my 6’2″ frame and another person.  It rolls up compactly and is easily carried in a saddle bag or my SAC Bag.

Next I absolutely love my Therm-O-Rest self inflating air mattresses. I have three of them.  Once again I use the backpacking air mattress when camping off the scooter. In years past I’ve even carried both the other air mattresses and tent camped while riding two up.

The bulkiest piece of equipment by far is your bedding. Using compression sacks helps with this tremendously.  I’ve carried my zero degree bag in one of my saddlebags. Most of the time now I get everything packed into my SAC Bag.  These will compress nicely. Just keep stuffing them until they fit where you want them.

For cooking I carry along a compact backpacking cook set. Everything fits inside the largest pot/skillet combo. I even have a small kettle that I use to boil water for hot tea or chocolate.  My backpacking stove is huge compared to most. It’s a Coleman dual fuel.  Usually I’ll fill it full of fuel before I leave and that will last a weekend.

Find an outdoor store such as REI or Gander Mountain and check out their backpacking supplies. Better yet find a small mom and pop store. They will love to help you decide what you need.  Give scooter camping a try.

 

Ride Safe

 

Ronman

Paying My Debt To The Devil

Lately it seems every time I visit with my Mother that she has something rather deep and meaningful to say to me. Perhaps I’m noticing it more these days. When you’ve lived for eighty-nine years you can’t help but gather tremendous knowledge.  Being able to share that knowledge is a gift. Those of us on the receiving end need to realize that gift and cherish it.

It’s no secret that I’m the lone caregiver to both my Mother and my Aunt. I’m happy to be able to do for them. Granted at times it can get overwhelming. I press on. I do what I can. Sometimes there will be someone come into my life that I trust enough to try to let them help. Unfortunately that’s about the same time that they turn away. Just the nature of people I suppose.

Happenings such as this, among other things, are why I don’t depend on anyone else. I’ve learned through the years to try not to expect anything from anyone. Granted there are a rare few people who have always been there no matter what. For the most part though when someone says they will always be there for you, that’s not what they mean. Always has very different definitions for most folks.

This past weekend while doing some things for my Mother, she said something that hit close to home. She told me that I was paying my debt to the devil. That taking care of two old women and the troubled relationships from my past are what’s paying that debt. I’ve never thought of it as paying a debt. In fact I’ve never thought of not taking care of them.

I made a promise to my Daddy many years ago that I would always take care of them. I’m a man of my word.  People may hate me for many reasons. One thing is certain. I do what I say. In those rare instances that I can’t do what I say, I will give a reason why.  One of my many faults is being brutally honest. People don’t like honesty. They want you to tell them what they want to hear.

For now I’ll keep right on paying my debt to the devil. Someday it may even be paid in full.

 

Ride Safe

Ronman

 

 

Taking Turns

Sometimes I have to just ride. No place in particular. Just ride. Go down roads. Turn down other roads. Ride until I’m lost. Ride until I’m found. Ride until I forget. Ride to remember. Ride ride ride. Just ride.

Those are the best rides. No time frame. No place to be. Finding new things to see. New places to eat. Running across places from your past. Finally stopping at that spot you’ve been meaning to check out.
This happens to be one of those places I’ve been meaning to stop at. I finally did. Unfortunately for me the live band was packing up. I was a tad bit late. In fact it was damn near closing time.  I may have missed the music but the food sure struck a chord.  Yum yum!

Oh the goodness that lies within this building. Definitely will be on a return when possible basis for me. Loved the food, the atmosphere and certainly I’ll love the live music too.  I mean come on, when the food is so good that an alligator has to lay down on the bench out front. You know it has to be good.There is even a nice courtyard beside the building. How could you not enjoy a dining experience here? We’ve all heard of the Big Easy. Well this little piece of culinary heaven has a distinction as well.  It’s posted right here on this sign for all to see.  They even have a bank right next door. Something tells me that the money from this particular bank may be a tad bit dusty. Doesn’t look like they’ve had many transactions lately. Word has it that the bank can be used for private functions. What sort of interesting places have you eaten lately? What is your favorite jewel that you’ve discovered on a ride?  If you’re in the Nashville area you owe it to yourself to check out Richard’s Cafe at the corner of Old Hickory Blvd and Whites Creek Pike.

Ride Safe,

Ronman

A Year Old

Soon the “Little Woman” will be a year old. My how that time period has changed things. I sit and think about what destinations I have in mind for the coming year and I can’t help but reflect over the rides of the past year. I enjoyed a short ride with my good friend the “Love Buzzard”. This was an impromptu little journey but it represented some very major strides.

This shot was taken  over in the Ozarks. Some of the best roads to ride anywhere. If you haven’t been you really need to go.

The trip to Cumberland Falls was certainly humid and hot. It was still good to spend a couple of days exploring the back roads of Tennessee and Kentucky.

Then I think of a ride to a site so that I could reflect on a wonderful friend that has left this world. To see the paint left on the guard rail to remind you how everything can change in an instant. Rickey always helped others. It was after the accident that happened here while he was helping the other people that he had a heart attack and left us.

Although it doesn’t look it in this photo, it was a cool fall day. Granted it wasn’t as cold as the night before. Especially after the sun went down. I won’t ever forget the damn White Squirrel Festival. Maybe I’ll ride over into North Carolina just to visit that damn festival. It caused a trip down to South Carolina to find a place to hole up for the night.

I suppose all in all it wasn’t a bad year of riding. Granted I didn’t ride the miles of years past. But a decent amount nonetheless. In another year’s time it will be interesting to look back through the photographs and remember the places I traveled to.  I think the thing I enjoy the most is finding America. Taking the time to see the oft forgotten back roads. Seeing the remnants of times past. The history of what made this country great.

The coming months will be more of the Ronman rides of old. More unplanned adventures. More just heading out with no particular point in mind. Just seeing where the journey takes me. I hope you’ll stop by to see where I’ve been.

Ride Safe

Ronman

Murals Murals Everywhere

I rode off on a covert mission recently. Sure I traveled on some roads I have been down many a time before. Even still I noticed new things on this journey. To me that’s the beauty of back roads. It doesn’t matter how many times you travel down them you can see something new each and ever time. Linden Tennessee is located high about the Buffalo River in Perry County. Recently they made the news for having thirty percent unemployment. That’s 30%! These fine folks have been hurting for work. They most certainly are struggling. But the town doesn’t look grim.  I stopped to take this photograph of the courthouse and decided to actually look around a bit.  Man was I ever glad that I didI started seeing these wonderful murals on the walls. They are beautiful. They tell the story of this small town. They tell the story of many a small towns across America. I was in aw of the beauty on this walls. It was pure joy to be walking around and exploring this wonderful little town. I’ve often wondered why engines aren’t rated in Mule power. Let’s be honest here, Mules always have the hard jobs. I love Mules. I have some fond memories of going to Mule pulls with my Daddy. One of my favorite memories was seeing him use a mule to dig taters. On another occasion we had our old truck stuck down the hill with a load of wood. He used the same mule to pull that truck up the hill. He grew up farming with mules.Now that’s the way to advertise.This little gem was inside the entryway of a business. Something about the era depicted here always captures my heart. I think it is from all the stories I quietly sat and listened to as a boy growing up. My parents and Aunts and Uncles loved telling me about how they grew up and the years during the War.This was gorgeous. It was though you were looking at the growth through a series of windows. Unique way to spotlight their championship sports teams don’t you think? I urge everyone to take the time to dig a little deeper into this period in our history.  You’ve done yourself a disservice if you only learned the brief things taught in school about this part of our American history.  Read about the people. Read about the reasons. Get out and go see the places. Take the time to learn.I took the time to stop and see the beauty. I need to get back to Linden and visit the shops that were closed on this wonderful afternoon. I need to slow down and live for a time. Not just ride on through. We all need to do that. Get off the interstate. Take the back roads. Stop and look around.  You may be surprised at what you’ll find. I found America.

Ride Safe

Ronman

Because I Enjoy It So

I checked on the girls today. That means I hauled the trash off for my Aunt and myself. She always has to come outside and make sure I get all of it. You know because I take the partial bags and combine them. That always makes her think I left some of it.

Then I drove to Nashville to take my Mother some tomato plants. Found the brand she loves. Been about three years since I’ve found any of them. To say she was happy is an understatement. She’s 89 in case you didn’t know.

She looked exhausted so I asked her what she’d been up to. She showed me a spot in the corner of one of her flower beds that she’d been weeding. There was a tiny spot that she’d cleaned off. I asked her how long she worked on it and she said three hours. I told her that I would do it for her and then she said something that stopped me dead in my tracks.

“I don’t know when it will be the last time I get to do this. I do it because I enjoy it so.”

She is going down hill. It’s tough to have to watch and not be able to do anything about it. Just like those three long years I had to watch my Daddy die. But one thing is certain. She’s enjoying messing with her flower beds and pulling weeds. I know she’s happy.

It all started with a text

There I was sitting at home thinking about life. Thinking about what I had in mind for the day. Thinking about how a wonderful evening the night before had gone to shit. It was one of those mornings that had completely put me out of the mood from doing the things I had in mind to do.  Then it happened.

I could hear the vibrations of my cell phone on the chest of drawers. Who on earth could this be? I was surprised at who it was. It was a text that simply stated we are wanting to ride who else wants to go? I briefly thought about declining. I thought I don’t really want to be around anyone right now. I was still licking my wounds from the night before.  Then I thought about it. I thought how nice that someone asked me to join them on a ride. That is something that’s extremely rare for me.

I sent the reply saying I’m in. When I made it to the meeting spot there were only the couple who had sent the invite and myself. The other folks weren’t able to ride. It was decided we were hungry. So we needed an out-of-the-way place to eat. I made a phone call and got some well guarded info. Soon it was kickstands up and the low rumble of the engines. Or was that the low rumble of our growling stomachs?

Back roads were the path of choice. For me they always are. I love them. I love seeing the out-of-the-way places. I love the little pieces of history along the way. I love seeing the lives of the people who make up the true America.  I love the folks on the fringes. The ones that the mainstream media doesn’t see. The generations that have speckled the landscape of this great nation to season it with the flavor of their blood sweat and tears. That’s the America that I’m in love with.After enjoying some good grub we were off to explore some more of Tennessee. I can’t help but think of the similarities of the water passing over this dam and the people passing through my life. They’ve served their purpose and moved on along. I seem to find answers to most things when I’m enjoying nature. My mind’s eye sees more clearly when it’s outside the confines of walls. With every journey comes challenges. New bridges to cross. New hills to climb. The choice is ours to make. Do we cross them? Do we climb them? Only you can answer that. It’s the wanting to know what lies beyond that fuels this great wanderlust within us. Sometimes from a distance we can’t see who’s coming down our path. Sometimes it’s a blessing. Sometimes it’s good people who bring happiness and laughter and brighten our day. Those are the times and people to cherish in the vaults of our memories. Those are the times to relive when we’ve grown old. When we’ve grown apart. When the road has led us farther along the journey. When someone crosses our path we should greet them with a wave and a smile. Doesn’t matter what brand they ride. Doesn’t matter what group they are with. Doesn’t matter if they simply ride alone. Because when you give a smile and a wave to someone both you and they realize that you truly aren’t alone.

Ride Safe

Ronman

Cedar

I couldn’t help but get some stuff done today when I got up. Having done that I rewarded myself with a ride. The temps were in the 80′s here today in Tennessee. Gorgeous would be an understatement. I left out with a general idea in mind of where I wanted to ride. Nothing in stone though. I love riding like that. Just take whatever road the spirit points ya down.  Today was such a day.

I started on some familiar paths. With the temps this high I wanted to see if some of the local scenery was out and about. I soon came to a road I normally take. Today I decided to keep going. Sort of shake things up a bit.  I needed to do things differently. I needed to refresh myself. To clear my mind. To see some new sights.  I needed to get lost in the wonderful rolling hills of Middle Tennessee. It’s when I’m lost that I find myself. Soon I found the sort of thing that stops me in my tracks. Here it was. Someone’s collection of old signs and memories.  A cold drink bottle rack hanging on the wall full of old glass bottles. Man oh man did those drinks ever taste good from those glass bottles. Remember when you found a place that kept their machine so cold they would have slush in them. Now that was good stuff!

Traveling these new paths I’d found my mind was in overdrive. My sensory intake was at high alert. The sights. The sounds. The scents. Everything was flooding in and being processed.  Somewhere between the smell of chicken shit and fresh-cut grass a light bulb went off. There it was plain as day.

We’ve all seen the beautiful white blooms on a Bradford Pear tree. We’ve also all seen a Cedar tree.  These two trees are like people. First you have the outward beauty of the Bradford Pear. Although decorative and pleasant to the eye, that’s about all it’s good for. The wood is soft and doesn’t withstand any pressure.  A moderate wind can topple or break it. Not to mention they stink.

Some people are like the Bradford Pear.  Outwardly they are beautiful. You enjoy looking at them. They seem to be wonderful. However when you get a little closer to them you come to realize they stink.  Let the storms of life blow in and see how soon they break. They can’t take it.  They leave you with nothing but broken pieces. In fact the fire from a Bradford Pear is fast and doesn’t put off much heat. Just like these people.

Now take the Cedar tree. It’s just an evergreen. It grows mainly in the worst ground. It will grow where no other tree will grow. It’s not a flashy tree. It doesn’t grown into the huge stature of say an Oak. But the Cedar thrives where no other tree will.  If you need shelter you can use the Cedar. It’s green branches when placed together will block the wind. It will conceal you from the view of others.

Let’s look at the wood of the Cedar. Outwardly it’s sort of fuzzy. Not very smooth. Peel some of it off and it makes an excellent fire starter. Fire that can save your life.  Cut into the cedar and you’ll find beauty. The red wood is some of the most beautiful on earth. The fragrance of the Cedar is wonderful too.  Go to any town square and I  bet you’ll find old men sitting around whittling on Cedar.  How many times have you seen a hope chest made of Cedar? How many times have you seen fence posts made of Cedar?

If you want something that can protect you from the storms of life. If you want something to build a lasting place to store your valuables. If you want something to be pleasant on the eyes and your sense of smell. If you want something to relax you and give you pleasure choose Cedar.

Now I ask you, Which person are you? Are you the Bradford Pear with its outer beauty and pungent odor that can’t stand up to life’s pressures? Or, are you the meager Cedar that can thrive in less than ideal ground. That although outwardly less appealing, inwardly you bring strength, beauty, hope, longevity and pleasantries to the senses?

Ride Safe

Ronman

Life Flight

I can’t remember anytime in my recent past when I’ve gone so far into a year without riding.  When I’ve had a scooter that is.  It was about time to rectify that.  The morning started crisp and cold but I didn’t care. Today I ride.

I rolled out-of-town soaking in the sunlight. I was breathing the cold air. I was filling myself with life. This was a solo journey. Most are these days. It’s best that way it seems.  You rebuild the walls and hope somehow the shattered pieces can be mended. All the while knowing they never will.

I noticed a Life Flight helicopter as I was leaving town.  They always tend to catch my eye. Then a short while later I saw another Life Flight landing as I passed through a small town. That’s when it hit me. I was on a Life Flight. Only I was flying at asphalt altitude, to borrow a phrase from Viking Dave.

My flight took me North this morning. I was on familiar roads. I tooted the horn as I passed by the home of a friend. I knew come tomorrow when we talked on the phone he would say “you should have stopped in”. I wasn’t ready to stop yet. I needed to feel the cold wind on my face. I needed the chill of winter to soak through to the bone.  I needed that ache to feel alive.

My mind was traveling a life flight of its own.  As I climbed the ridge into another small town I couldn’t help but remember the time Daddy drove mistakenly here instead of the town we were supposed to be going to. That’s when we knew something was wrong. That was the start of the end for him. His life flight would be over shortly. He fought bravely for three years. Hell we all fought.

Soon I was crossing the state line. I had entered the land of the Love Buzzard. He’s been on a Life Flight.  He too is a fighter. I thought of the journey he’s been on for the past year and a half. He didn’t give up.  He’s the poster boy for overcoming obstacles.

Soon I was at  another town. I pulled into a parking lot thinking about what today would bring. Thinking about what life would bring. Thinking about if life would even continue. I kicked back on the Little Woman and looked at the sky. Pondering so many things as I watched high-flying airplanes and circling birds overhead. The sunshine had warmed the temperature into the lower 40s.  I think I even dozed off for a bit.

So many thoughts running through the valleys of my mind. So many memories. I wondered what memories were to come. I wondered how long my Life Flight would last. I wondered are my best days behind me or are they yet to come.

 

Ride Safe

Ronman

Historic Botel

Do you like to camp? Do you like to fish? Do you like to find places  off the beaten path? Do you like good food?  Are you looking for a place to stay that has lots of roads to ride, historic places to visit or just a place to relax?  I have just the place for you.

Located on the banks of the Tennessee river just below Pickwick dam is the Historic Botel. The Botel is a motel that is built on a barge. It’s been around for many years. The place has changed hands several times over the last few years. Some of them really haven’t taken very good care of this hidden gem. Luckily the new owners are correcting that. They are taking the time to renovate the restaurant. The plan is for it to reopen on Friday March 16, 2012.

Speaking of the restaurant. Let me just say I enjoyed some of the best catfish I’ve ever had on my last visit there. I drove my truck camper down a few weeks ago just to relax and visit with some friends a few weeks ago. The buffet had several choices of veggies along with a salad bar. If you leave hungry it’s your own fault. If a buffet isn’t your thing they also have a menu to order from.

I didn’t need hookups so I just camped on the bank of the river. Should you need them, they have hookups. They also have tent camping sites as well. Just beyond my camper in this picture is the boat ramp. You can put in and be fishing in no time. Perhaps you simply want to pleasure boat. Well put in and enjoy a day on the river and come wind down at the Historic Botel.

Close by you have Shiloh National Battlefield to explore. I highly recommend a visit there. Shiloh is one of my favorite places on earth. Perhaps a visit to the Buford Pusser Museum is for you. How about a short drive down to Corinth Mississippi?  Whatever you enjoy I’m certain you will find something to fit your tastes nearby.

Should you want more information on the Historic Botel check out their website at www.thehistoricbotel.com. On Facebook you can find them by searching Historic Botel.

Ride Safe

Ronman

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