Service Schedule
Sunday Morning
9:30am Sunday School
10:45am Worship
11:15am Childrens Church
Sunday Evening
6pm Worship
6pm Royal Rangers
6pm Missionettes
Wednesday Evening
7pm Adult Bible study
7pm Youth Group
7pm GROW Team (children)
 |
| Messengers Of The Cross | |
Messengers Of The Cross.... [aka, MOTC
For those of you that like to ride your motorcycle, but are uncomfortable with and woulld like to avoid the trappings of the "bad biker scene"... we provide an alternative of Christian fellowship while doing what we do best: Riding around the countryside enjoying the scenery and savoring the sights and sounds of our beautiful Northwest.... and feasting on local cuisine.
Our rides always arrive at a "food destination" somewhere... but most importantly, we desire to promote the Gospel message of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ..... via the medium of motorcycling; sharing His message wherever and whenever we have the opportunity. We would encourage everyone to join us on our almost weekly excursions around Oregon and Washington.
We would be delighted have all your friends, neighbors and shirt-tail relatives join in the fun of riding together.... this is the opportunity for you to invite the un-churched acquaintances and have them experience the Christian lifestyle from the unique Christian biker viewpoint.
Hopefully, the ride reports and pictures of the good looking bikers will be posted here following each ride. Return to this location often and check out the ride results.
The contact person is Gaylord Janzen messengers.janzen@gmail.com ... if you would like to be added to our ride announcement email list, merely send a note to Gaylord and you will receive ride information in a timely manner. |
Well, the Messengers went on a Wild Goose chase last Monday August 01, 2011..... yep, we were trying to find "Lost Lake". The question is, " how can you find a lake that is lost? Good question. What's the answer? Think about it.
Anyway, the MOTC gaggle made a valiant attempt to locate it. Arriving at Cascade Locks, the Right Reveeen Rance was bouncing up and down on his bike and started wimpering, "I only have 22 pounds of air in my front tire!!!!" Huh???? Bro Denny, be the astute observer in all things "air"... like in "breaking air".... sauntered over and gave the tire a swift kick with his cross-buckle Harley boot..... ka-thunk!! He then remarked, "I don't think so, buddy!!!".
Well now, that was a challenge that bro Gene just couldn't let go.... ripping the air gage out of hand, he kneeled down and yelled, "42 pounds!!!".... it so embarrassing that Pastor Rance never mentioned it again. No one did. What happens in Cascade Locks, stays in Cascade Locks.
Off we went to find the li'l lost lake above Dee... yes, there is a town called "Dee"... check your map. It's there. The sign pointed up the hill and stated, "Lost Lake 20 miles". Nothing to this, right Kristie?.... 30 minutes later and we were there... almost there... not quite there. Close. No blue water.
You can see that the sign indicated that the hooligan bikers had arrived at the entrance to LL... still no lake in sight.. 'cause bro John got stopped at the US Forest Service "forest use tax collector" hut. The troll in the toll booth said, "pay up Three and one half bucks each and you can go see the lake, buddy!!!!". "No exceptions!!". "I don't care if you are straddling a Harleeee, you can't just go have a peek!!". "pay up now!!".
I know. I know. I should have run up there and asked the dude in the Smokey Bear outfit if we could "all hold hands" and be counted as "one toll, you nasty troll". Whoa!!! No humor. None. Zip. With that rejection still smarting, bro John, made a U-turn and we turned tail and left before they called the cops. We sure taught them a lesson. Yes, we did. Not a red cent was paid. Hope he goes on welfare next week if congress stops his pay check.
Lost Lake was still lost. I can't say that there really is a lake up there... maybe it's all smoke and mirrors. A mirage in the woods. Another gov't boondoggle... and we all know they have a ton of those, for sure.
Sooo sad that we rode all the way up there just to be thrown out before the fight really got going. Oh well.... and these boys were up for the rumble toooo... fortunately, Chief B was able to defuse the hot-under-the-collar passions with his persuasive personality. "Run or get jailed"... was what he said. Thanks, Chief. We did. Run.
Just when I thought we would never see Lost lake, I turned onto Hwy 224 at Eagle Creek, heading home. It was there that I got the feeling that maybe Lost lake wasn't really lost.... and that we had found a little of the lake water right here in river city.
As the beautiful blue watery mist was covering everything within a hundred feet of the road and I was getting washed down by the same blue stuff from the back of truck in front of me.... I suddenly woke up and came to my senses ..... finally, I was able to wipe the "blue water with brown speckles" off my helmet visor so I could read the sign on the back of the bouncing truck that read, " Clinkscales Honey Bucket Service". Wrong again. Lost lake is still lost... it sure ain't in the back of that truck. Better luck next time, folks.
Looking for a bar of Ol' Fels Naptha soap my mother use to use.... only stuff that will get blue water stuff off my stuff.... I hope.
Bishop G
MOTC ride to Trout Lake
MOTC took another exciting ride up in the mountains of Washington State... yup, all the way to Trout Lake and points East.
Gathering the troops at Washougal Bugger King, we indulged in a red meat lunch. I didn't see one bad biker having "rabbit food"...well, bro Brad is eating his veggies at Sturgis. Good luck in finding any green food at the Buffalo Chip, bro Brad. Come home safe.
We had a couple of returning bikers this trip: Gary [aka, Cranky] from Molalla on his new copper-tone Fury. Also, bro Ron riding a Victory motorcycle [ whatever that is??] and bro Paul [must be a saint?] on his beautiful Indian/Harley bagger.
The bunch all fueled at BZ Corner... except bro Ron. he said, "Mary at the Shell station wouldn't take my debit card ..... for the gas". Soooo, off we rode, many gassed, but not all.
I told our pack leader, bro Bob, "take the left fork in the road at Trout Lake"... and he did. Wrong. I meant to say, "RIGHT fork".... sometimes us elderly bikers have a hard time recognizing left from right.. Sorry again bro Bob. Eventually, we found the highway to Glenwood....
As we were passing thru the city, bro Ron suddenly, without warning or a turn signal, turned a hard left, and pulled into the Glenwood motel parking lot and ran into the office.. yep, he found a woman that was glad to take his debit card..... for gas.
Down the road went again..... and as we were screaming toward Klickitat, bro Ron's debit card went flying out of his vest pocket and into the brush somewhere. Good riddance, I say. No sense looking for it, bro... just cancel it and tell your wife later.
Speaking of Juanita [ Ron's better half], I hear that she did a "Bill Lambeer Flop".... if any of you remember that NBA great of yesteryear, who was always screaming that he was "fouled" and would flop to floor faking an injury... "do anything to win a game", he said. Now, how did get off on that rabbit trail???.. oh yeah, Ms Juanita was cruising along 3 weeks ago in Utah, when suddenly ol' bro Ron jumped on the binders to make a right turn into a rest stop..... I always say put the blame where it belongs... right Juanita???... needless to say, trying her best to avoid hitting Ron, she lost control and she and her Harley parted company in a blink of an eye.... and screaming was heard around the world. No, not about getting hurt [ which she did] but worried if her mascara was messed up and makeup splattered all over the road???? yes and yes. Sorry about that, Hope you are feeling better... Ron promises to replace your Oil of Olay real soon. As soon as he gets another debit card.
Well, payback is already starting.... bro Ron got nailed by an angry bee above his right eye, had a local allergic reaction and you can see that he can't see much out of his right swollen eye. Never happen to people wearing full-face helmets, bro R. Are you listening?
All toooo sooon, the ride came to an end.... Bro John was 2 hours late for the community bar-b-q where Ms Shirley was pacing the floor, worried sick, I imagine. Hope you get over the injuries you got for being a bad boy.... forget Oil of Olay, a thick covering of axel grease will do a goood job of hiding the bruises real quick.
See ya next ride.
Bishop G ... now would I lie to you? Never.
Oppps, I almost forgot... we had a very slow-motion tip over today. We got stopped at a road construction area.... on a hill which sloped to the shoulder...well, as fate would have it, bro Paul fired up the bike, which stumbled a tad and so did bro Paul.... slowly tipping over on the high side without being able to stop the fall.... and he followed shortly thereafter in the dust. No damage. No injuries except pride. He said that he was "inseam challenged" and wasn't able to firmly reach the ground.... the answer, bro Paul, is 6" heels on them thar Harley boots. Just do it.
4 little "H" words came to mind as we were trying to right the bagger ship: Harley, Hog, Hernia and Heart attack. WHOA!!! that bike must weigh 1000 pounds!!! Just don't do it!!!
MOTC rode to Kelso and Carson 8-22-2011
Whoa ... another beautiful day in the Northwest for a ride thru the countryside. "The best layed plans of mice and bikers..." ... sometimes don't go as planned. Eat, we did.... bro Mel ran into McDonald's when we raced past Kelso's finest eating establishment... and Mel saw the "free coffee" sign blinking. Come on, bro Mel, it's just a trick to get you to stop and spend more money. Spend he did.
Oh no, not Kristie.... she wasn't gonna have anything to do with "fast-food!!!"... so off to Izzy's we went. Welll, not bros Mel, Bob, Gene and Debbie.... they stayed with the "dollar menu. After getting stuffed and billed, I think we should have had a "dollar burger" tooo. Oh well, live and learn.
Tooooo cloudy to see Mt St Helens... clouds and low scud hanging everywhere... so we backtracked to Woodland and ran the "Cougar to Carson trail" as the clouds were parting. That has to be the prettiest part of the country... tax or no tax. Somewhere down the road, Gene led some of the bikers astray... and went to Trout Lake the back way... Hey, if it ain't paved all the way, I ain't goin'....the remainder of the "stay-on-the-blacktop-roads, continued on into Carson for 70 cent plus tax cup of coffee. Yummmmy, good at any price.
Home early.... feeling good and caffeinated to boot. Thanks for a great ride gang.
Gaylord ...Bishop now, but working on sainthood and free coffee.
Anyone that's dumb enough to ride their motorcycle in the heat (wearing a long-sleved sweatshirt) and in the cold (wearing only a sweatshirt) needs to have his head examined.. pronto. A smart smack with a mallet on the old noggin will usually straighten your thinking out, buddy... pronto. I'll never tell who the guilty party is.... but.... nope, can't snitch on a bro.
The awesome four-some had a fantastic romp thru the woods today.... riding from cold and dry to colder and foggy at the Coast. I promised myself on the last cold ride that I wouldn't wear that skimpy mesh jacket anymore this year. Time for leathers... warm leathers. How soon I forget.
OK.OK.... so I can't remember. Come on, give me a break... I ain't the only one that wore a mesh jacket today.... Kristie was freezing tooo.... but being smarter than yours truly, she packed a windbreaker.. I was wishing for more warm clothing once we hit the foggy 54 degree coastal weather. Not a chance. I was getting soooo desperate and cold, that any baggy and warm clothing seemed inviting.
Newport to Lincoln City...it was chilly.... actually stinkin' cold, it was..... having lunch at the Chowder Bowl Restuarant (outside on the patio) at NYE BEACH didn't help warm things up. I did notice bros Brad and Denny hugging their hot cups of tea.... and not whimpering a bit 'cause they ride Harleys...and all I got to warm me up was ice water. Hey, the ice cubes were free... a penny saved is a penny earned, don'tcha know. More gas for the Roadstar.
I almost forgot again.... while we were parking at the Chower Palace, a couple of Harley baggers from Salem pulled up and parked along side the bedraggled bikers from the Valley.... probably, they thought we were ripe to hear the Gospel.... yep, they wore "leathers" (all 4 riders wore 'em.... didn't I tell you that there are some intelligent bikers out there..) and the jackets and vests were covered with Christian patches of the CMA [ Christian Motorcyclists Association ]... so I assume they are Christians??? right, bro Tom G (as in Giebeler???)... But, can you ride a Harley and be a Christian??? I don't know. Any ideas?
Racing for the warm interior, we busted out of Nye Beach and "headed North to warm up"...now there's an "oxymoron" if I ever hear one.... only as far as, McDonald's in Lincoln City... hot coffee. Hot Senior Coffee did the trick. Thanks, Kristie for the treat.
Heading Eastbound on Hwy 18, the road was packed with hundreds of cars and trucks. Stop and go. More stop and crawl. I'll bet we were stuck on the road, going nowhere in a hurry, for at least.... 45 minutes. I was talking about all of the "dumb Portland drivers" going home on Labor Day and asking if they "got their driver's license out a Cracker Jacks box"???... and decided to get away from them as soon as we reached Hwy 22, where I'd take the turn-off to Salem.
Well, I have to apologize to all the Portland drivers that I called something short of ignorant.... when we reached the Hwy 22 turn off.... 99% of the vehicles headed to Salem. The real truth about who was causing all the problems wasn't folks from Portland.. sorrrry. It was a joy to ride by ourselves again.... riding real fast to make up for lost time.... sans the Salem slow pokes.
In-spite of traffic problems and mesh jackets, we all made it home safe again.... guardian angels, no doubt.
See you next ride.
Gaylord.. the original road rascal.. who now knows better than to wear a mesh coat in cold weather.
MOTC rode to Sweet Home 9-14-2011
Thanks you, bro Gene..... yep, ol' bro Gene took us on a tour of all the road construction sites in Oregon on Tuesday... soooo many I can't remember them all.
Well, bro Gene had help from bro John [ that 4th John] in selecting the choice roads... bro John said, "the gravel is only 100 feet long". Ha. More like a quarter mile.... finally ending up in the city of Gates.
The "dizzy Old Coot", bro Mike showed up at Detroit with bro andrew following on his his beautiful new 2011 Harley bagger... and bro Bob a close third.
Detroit was a turning point when Bro Roger Neal's Honda 1300 died and wouldn't start again. Yep, it was bro Brad, "the HarleyMan", that gave him a jump start.... when bro Chuck's beemer tried and failed to get a crank going. Thanks Brad. I'll never say a disparaging word against your Harley again. You be the man.... it's always nice to have your own personal Harley/Honda mechanic-on-retainer riding along as support. thanks again, bro B. You have a standing invite to ride everytime... especially, if bro Roger is riding his "no crank" Honda.
I was gonna mention about my frightening experience about almost wiping out on a back of a stalled truck and trailer ...blocking Hwy 20... on a blind curve... but guardian angels kept me from having the opportunity to get a new bike and a million bucks... if and when I got out of the hospital. Hmmmmm, it could have been a one-way trip to the morgue instead. Glad to have missed the opportunity, for sure. Too scared to talk about it now.
Bad bikers never ask directions....never. My wife tells me that I have that major genetic defect frequently. listen, it's just something that is missing in our DNA... we can't help. Well, some bikers have gone into a recovery program and can now ask for directions.... bro Gene did and took the correct turn-off to Quartzwise Road and Greenpeter Reservor. We didn't ask, didn't recognize the turn-off, and rode the long way around to Sweet Home. It's not my fault. It's Prez Bush's fault. Yep,, sure is.
Irregardless, the group regrouped at McD's in Sweet Home... OK, some did go to Subway for health food.... but they rode home with their "LOW GREASE LEVEL" warning light going "blink, blink, blink". Not bro Bob.... he was filled to the gullet with deep fry grease. Feels great, doesn't bro Bob? Yes!!!
Well, sooo much for this ride. We'll go temp fate again next week.... if it's not raining.
Gaylord
Hey, anyone know anything about PTSD? I think I might have the symptoms after riding the twisties on Hwy 20.
MOTC rode to Dufur today.... 9-20-2011
AUTUMN. Can you say the word slowly, "A-u-t-u-m-n"??? OH YES!!!..."FALL" starts this Friday. Winter is just around the corner. Deal with it, brothers and sisters of the slushy roads.
The leaves are changing color, the squirrels are stashing away food for winter and the "snow markers" are in place along the mountain highways. Winter can't be far away..... soooo, we made another run over the mountains before that white fluffy stuff blocks the highways. It was wonderful.
Yep, it was a great ride. The Vine Maples are sporting their new Fall dresses in reds, yellows and oranges..... that just sparkled in the sunshine. It's always exciting to see the big Maple leaves dancing across the road... and if you are really quick, you can swerve and run right over the little buggers.
I have to confess, that I did indeed put a nasty scratch on bro Barry's rear fender today. Ooooohhh, the pain of it all. I tried to stop. I really did. I yanked the left brake lever with all I had!!!! What? That's the "clutch lever" not the brake???? Well, I'll be switched. Actually, I should be "caned" by all rights, for sure. Sorry, bro B. Send me the repair bill.
Before the big split.... we had a couple of new riders: bro Bill Bates on his red Harley and bro Leonard riding something and wearing the yellow stripe jacket. Welcome. We should have had another rider on his new KLR650.... and we waited, but no show.... I guess Bro Rick Ellis had a good excuse 'cause he called Pastor Rance from Chile to tell us he could not make it. Hmmmmm, now, did he get all the way down there? Beats me.
Having 12 riders is like having a fighting Congress that can't agree on anything.... sooooo, bro Gene took his fellow bikers and went to Fossil.... that's really appropriate since they all look like fossils anyway. Only 300 mike RT? I'll bet it was more like "400 miles", bro???
Anyway, "the metric youngsters" took the right turn onto Hwy 35 and we plugged along until we located the FS road ["44" ???] that goes to Dufur. Listen, busting wind, cruising along the back road in the Cascades this time of the year is just refreshing. No bugs. No heat. No traffic.
Ahhhh, being outside the air conditioned Cadillac and getting a wiff of a camp fire, just kinda tops it off.... maybe that fragrance we smell is the forest fire??? Naaaahh. It's deer season so it must be their camp fires? Has to be. We met a camo clad bow hunter at DQ... but he was a Harley owner and we all know that "loud pipes saves deer lives". Run Bambi, run.
Bro Gene was predicting that they would be "home by 4 o'clock". Fat chance. The metric maniacs were home before 4 and we only went a lazy 200 miles. Hey, what time did you get back to the poor farm, bro McAdoo? It's 7 PM PDT now and I'll bet you guys are still on the road. Don't blame me, I rode with the intelligent bunch. Sure hope your headlights work.
It's always good to be home again... with my black baby gassed and tucked in garage-bed for another week or two. It looks like rain is gonna happen next week. Stay warm. Stay dry. Ride safe.
Bishop G...
PS: bro Barry will never have to buy lunch for the next 100 years or the "scratch bill" is paid.... which ever come first.
The Old Coots and the all-saints, MOTC, joined forces, temporarily, today and rode to Hood River and eventually to the The Dalles. It was Thursday the 13th... if that tells you anything.
When Boss Jack parks his big Harley at the curb in front of Taco Time.... and forgets to turn off the lights [ did he really say that he was trying to drain the battery "just in case it had tooo much charge"?? huh??? what did he say??? ... and then gets his tricked-out SoftTail Heritage stuck in the middle of a flood.... it's not gonna be a perfect day. It wasn't.
Oh yeah, say, "hello" to Pete ..... ahhhh... ahhhh... LaRue.. believe it or not, he did have black hair a few years ago... not gray, as it is now. Once again, proving that Grecian Formula worked wonders. Must have run out of money, huh, bro Pete? Listen, black shoe polish would darken those locks and knock off 10 years... and it's cheap toooo.
Of course, having 22 riders that came out of the woodwork someplace, is like trying to round up a herd of cats. It was exciting... even if I ended up being a solo rider... again.
It happened more than once and being a tad paranoid... OK, so I'm totally a nutcase... I believe it was no accident... my buds were indeed trying to separate themselves from the embarrassment of riding with an old duffer. I understand. Bro Chilly Chuck even mentioned a book that he said he would buy for me: "Left Behind". Now, that was cold, bro. Really cold.
Arriving at Hood River in various separate groups and wanting to meet at McDonald's.... didn't quite work out as planned. Yes children, there are 2 McD's in Hood River and the old coots went to the wrong McD's... par for the course, when bro Gene is leading the pack of uncouth bikers. [ OK, OK, OK, I'll admit it, bro Gene was right on ....I went to the wrong one]. He just didn't tell me which one he was going to.
Bro Brad made the correct choice and finally got the brotherhood reconnected at the Rassmussen Apple Farm. He was soooo happy to see the brother bikers again that he chugged down a gallon of hard apple cider... and then he loaded his saddle bags with another couple of gallons for bro Lyle.
Yep, bro Brad remarked that "cider" was "sugar free".... well, hello... of course it is, since all the sugar turned into ETOH. I just hope bro Lyle can walk a straight line after having a snort or two of bro Brad's "sugar-free" apple juice. Walk slowly, bro Lyle, walk slowly.
Did the weatherperson forecast rain for today?? Of course, they didn't. "Dry as a bone", said Max Zaffino, as he pointed to the weather map this morning. So much for the "dry" day.... as Pastor Reeeven Rance, with his buddy-in-crime, Chilly Chuck, went screaming down the hill from Gov't Camp, the monsoon rains started. Once again, riding last, I was deserted in the rain storm. Hopefully, they got soaked as I did.
Hey, it's not my fault that we got rained on.... Blame Boss Jack... he was playing in the water puddles before we left Taco Time. Bad karma, Boss Jack, bad karma.
Next ride I'm packing rain gear... count on it.
Gaylord.. wet and wild and... last.
Well now... where did the fast movers go anyway? Yes, we started out with a couple of knuckle-dragg on their fast bikes: bro Steve on his KLR650 and bro Joe riding his Ninja. "want to cut some fast corners", is what bro Steve shouted as he and Joe roared out of the parking lot at Detroit Lake. Good luck, bros.
I can't believe that a good Christian brother would act like that!! We were just stunned by the remark.. the maximum speed is "45" from Detroit to Ripplebrook, don'tcha know?
I guess a KLR is all about having a bad attitude... get on smiling and ride off snarling. Repent bro, repent.
The remainder of the "safe, sane and sober" bikers that were left in the dust.... motored on ... slowly. I do have to say that bro Barry was picking 'em up and putting 'em down at a pace that would put a smile on a patrolman hiding in the bushes when he clocked bro B on his radar gun... fortunately, them thar revenue collecting BMW riding coppers were filling the county coffers elsewhere that day.
There were a couple of pix taken... but none of the folks that just be seen with the old cruisers. Sorry about that Joe and Steve.... next time hang back with the camera owner and be famous.
You will notice that we were playing "kick the can" at one rest-stop.. should have brought it home for a nickle can return .... but alas it wasn't a Coke can.
Pastor Rance mumbled something about "a nickle is a nickle in the offering plate" as we threw it in the ditch.... I hope he's not planning to go get it some dark night... ahhhh, don't do it, Reeeeven R. What would the parishioners think?
Hey, check out the 1986 Honda "Pacific Coast" motorcycle we chanced upon when we stopped at Ripplebrook. Honda made this fully enclosed 800 cc bike for only 5 years and what a beauty it was. Cool, indeed.... and you could stuff your kids in the huge trunk and I'll bet they would have a ball riding back there tooo.
Alas, another wonderful romp came to an end. Looking for another dry day.
Bishop G.... I just report, you decide.
MOTC rode the high Cascades 10-27-2011
Now, that was a cooool ride yesterday. Wait a minute!!!! Who said we should make a run to Detroit and onto Sisters???... instead of staying in the warm valley? Was that you bro Barry? It was cold enough for snow... but, thankfully no moisture to make that white fluffy stuff. Just dry roads and leaves flying thru the Autumn air.
Don'tcha know that it is COLD up in the mountains this time of the year?? Running 2 hours in 34 degree temps is a tad chilly...[ the wind chill factor must be about +15 degrees at 65 mph!!!!... not that we rode THAT fast]. Even wearing a 'lectric vest, it was cold. ha ha ha..there is justice... in that your hands were as frozen as mine.... looking for a pair of heated gloves, I am. Ahhhhhh, yes... warm hands.
Nope. We be tough bikers, for sure. Tough for at least 20 minutes a session... then stop and wrap your hands around the nice warm and cozy exhaust pipes. Loud pipes may not save lives but they sure do un-thaw the frozen paws.... after the pain goes away.
I should have known better. When bro B invites 30 bikers and only bro 3rd Jon shows up for the ride. OK... if you be tough, I be tough too. Boy, that was a painfully bad decision... but it was fun... with ol' Jack frost nipping at our heels... and fingers and toes.
That was the LAST mountain excursion of the year.... tell me it is, bro Molalla-Jon. Hopefully, my fingers will warm up again by Christmas.... or maybe Santa will bring me hand warmers for that joyous occasion. Oh joy. Warm fingers.
Bishop-G
MOTC rode the icy back roads to Newberg yesterday... 11-02-2011.
Man, was it coooold!!! It was sooooo cold that bro Jerry coughed up the big bucks for a 'lectric vest at Beaverton Honda.... and our very own "mechanic-on-retainer" bro Brad broke out his tool kit and installed it on Jerry's Harlee right on the spot in the parking lot.
I know. I know. It was embarrassing to have bro Brad ripping a bike apart in the parking lot.... that's something that you would expect from a bunch of rednecks, changing oil in front of a Shuck's store... not high class Hardley Davidsin drivers. Oh well, live and learn. As they say in the South of Mississippi, "necessity is the mother of necessity", or something like that.
The day started out sunny and cool... 46 degrees... out here in God's Country of Estacada. It went downhilll from there. The ol' therm-o-meter dropped to "30"!!! as we crossed the Carver Bridge and plunged into the fog shrouded slick highways of weird and wacky Portland.
Heading out of Newberg, bro Gene took us on a tour of Bald Peak Mountain... "bald", now there is an affectionate term that I can appreciate... it was beautiful riding up in the mountain tops... I think... it was sooooo foooogy that I could hardly see bro Bill on his Intruder riding in front of me. Boy, was it thick fog!!! ... and getting denser and denser by the moment.... with every breath.
Finally we pulled into the backside of Newberg.... I flipped up my visor... and .... poof... the fog disappeared instantly. Yep, you guessed it. Fog inside the visor... not outside. Rats.... and to think that the fog lifted miles ago, but I was still in the fog for miles. The answer is not to breathe hot air into your full-face helmet if you want to enjoy the scenery... from the back of the pack, someone yelled that I was "always full of hot air"...... now, that hurt, bro. Deeply.
Finally, after getting stuffed at Izzy's, bro Gene ran the ol' COOTS on a wild goose chase thru East County.... somewhere... fortunately, Kristie made a break for it and we ran for home... arriving at 1400 hours... enough time to get a few chores done before supper. Good and cold foggy ride it was.
Oh, I almost forgot... check the picture of bro Brad and his "holey" shirt. That, ladies and gentlemen is what happens when you ride with your heated vest on high for tooooo long... but it keeps your belly toasty and warm. Pay attention, bro Jerry....we be checking your t-shirt next trip.
Until the next fogggggy day, stay warm... oh yeah, that chick we met at the bike shoppe was a real dummy..... that's what Kristie said and I believe it.
gaylord
MOTC rode the Dallas Trail 11-08-2011
It's sure is getting dark quicker these days.... seems like it use to be 10 o'clock before the sun crashed behind the horizon. Now, it's like 4:30. We had to really hustle to beat the nightfall after we departed Dallas... never did find J.R. Ewing. Must have moved, huh?
Nine nefarious biker rode like a pack of wild and woolly banshees today thru Colton Canyon yesterday. I'll tell you that bro Tim from HR is one cool-handed dude. He never flinched. He never wobbled. His hand never moved a tad off the throttle when that lady [ putting on her mascara] in the white Chrysler made a mad dash across the lane in front of him. Soooo close it took my breath away for a second.
It's a good thing she didn't tarry when she crossed, otherwise she would have been kissing bro Tim's front fender.... as he ran thru her passenger door. Nice move, bro. Scary, but nice.
The rowdy bunch was getting tanked on FREE high octane caffeinated adult beverages at Molalla's McD's, when bro Bill Bates remarked that he was going to the Vet Shoppe in the morning to have his pup "chipped". Brother Pete LaRue asked Billy if his dog was "still chewing the tires off of pickup trucks?" "yeah, he is and I hate that dog for doing it", said Bill.
Bro Bob hopped into the conversation and had a great idea. "Why not give Pete's address to the doc when she chips the ornery dog.... then drop the dog off downtown. We all know who they will call when someone finds that tire-chewer running loose". Good plan bro Bob. I love it when a plan comes together. Park you truck in the garage, bro Pete.
As we were heading West out of Woodburn toward Dallas.... I rounded a corner just in time to see Bad Biker Billy-Bob Bates slam of his brakes and come to a screeching halt in a cloud of flying dust and rocks. Before I could pull over and get stopped... fearing the worst... bro Bill has high-tailing it for the orchard.
I think he bellowed something like, "I gotta take a pear". Ha ha. Come on bro B, any 3rd grader knows that those are "Filbert Trees", not pear trees. Besides you shouldn't go take a peach, a pear or a pomegranate either... in some por fok farmers place. That would be wrong. Totally wrong.
I almost forgot to mention Harley Dave's new hair-brain idea for a "patch ride". You see, the younger healthy folks walk the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, right? well, bro Dave has been read the dictionary again and checking maps. Not good. Anyway, he has come up with a similar idea for the mentally challenged and physically impaired older bikers: "ride the Highway 97 trail"... Weed, California to the Canadian border? What a great idea.
The only problem I can see is that it won't work. Period.
How do you think bro Dave is gonna cross the border checkpoint and complete the challenge? Not with that fluffy grey ponytail, he won't!!! Oooh, no. The monkey-suited border checkers turn back all riff-raff riding Harleys.... and we never leave a biker bro behind. We all go thru or none pass. Soooo, I guess that is the impossible dream, bro Dave. Sorrrrry.
Finally, better mind your "P's and Q's".... whatever that means?... bro GoldWing Jon is recording the rides for all posterity... and the cops tooo.
He has his video recorder stuck on the front of his windscreen. Fortunately, for bro Gene, the battery died before he videoed the "red light running episode". Naaaah, bro G wouldn't do that would he, guys? I didn't think so.... then there is the "unexplained" 17 minute blank spot on the video tape. We take care of our own, bro Gene. Yes we can.
Honest and true, we be.
Bishop-G
MOTC rode the Sublimity route.. 11-26-2011
Ten. Yes, a perfect 10, it was. 10 bikers on 10 bikes... including Dave Heikki on his cool Beemer R1100RT [ atta way to go bro Dave ] and Bill's son.... "Dave2" on his black V-Star dripping with bling bling chrome. Welcome.
Almost forgot, bro Lowell on his sport bike..... beats me what kind it was. Old age is slowly creeping up on me and my mind is shot. That's why I like riding with the youngsters, like Molalla Jon.... 'cause they say it keep you young.... for at least, ahhhh, 30 minutes. Better than zero minutes, for sure.
Anyway, the weather was great for riding on a late November day. 56 degrees and a little sunny... and it was improving the longer we rode... Nice. Quiet tooo. Not rowdy and rambunctious like those "Civil War" football fans at ..... wherever they played the game of fooootbull. Sure hope Kristie had a bunch of fun?
Following lunch at the Red Apple in Stayton... lots of food for very few bucks.... Boss Jack, on his shiny Heritage, took us on a tour of his favorite spot: the "Hop fields of Mt Abby".
Ahhhhh yes, the fragrance of the Hop plantations... almost as wonderful as getting a wiff of the harvested, wrapped and stacked Christmas Trees. I just love to smell the trees being cut...nope, not the scent of fir trees, but the smell of greenbacks. Lots of Benjamins. Lots.
1515 hours and we were home again... in plenty of time to change the oil in the roaring RoadStar.. which is always a pain in the wallet... a small price to pay for getting out of the cage.... not as painful as the bouncing Beavs losing to the quacking Ducks. A sad moment in time, for sure.
Watch the weather for another dry and balmy day to ride... maybe Monday or Tuesday?
Bishop G.
MOTC rode to Sublimity 12-05-2011
Frosty The Snowman was a very cold biker today... brrrrr... 29 degrees and frosty roads was the freezer run of the trip. Did I say, "brrrrrrr"??
Bro Walper mentioned that anyone riding today was, "nuts"... after having been there, I have to say he was right on. But then again, we be tough bad bikers and we don't need to snuggle under the 'lectric blanky like some Harley drivers are prone to do. Oh yeah, bro Gene was a no-show.. so was bro Bill and bro Bob...and bro 3rd Jon...it was waaaay tooo cold for them older folks today. Cheer up, guys.... March will be here in 3 months. Maybe then y'all can come out and ride? Maybe.
Sister Mary told bro HoodRiver Tim that he was NOT going to ride in 24 degree temps... "so quit whining". Well, Bro Timmy, being the man of the house, had the last word. Yes!! he did!!!.. and he drove the Miata [ with the top down] instead of the M109R ["R" for Raider wannabe] Suzuki. That is how it is done, Boss Jack. Take a lesson from Bro Tim. He's got his stuff all together. We be proud of you Bro T.
Hmmmm, now maybe he doesn't have the finally word after all??... 'cause as we were passing thru the metropolis of Markum [ pop 5 ], bro Tim got the shock of his life!!! Sister Mary left him a message on the reader board of the Markum Methodist Church. Pretty sneaky, it was. It read, "Mary is expecting"... WHAT???? I know. I know... Abraham and Sari were pushing 100 when she popped out a kid.... but at Tim's age, it would a real miracle!! Relax bro Timmy, I'm sure it's all a just a joke. You are playing a trick on hubby Tim, right Mary??? Say it isn't so. Please....ahhhhhh, or could it be a sermon title?
As they say in show biz... time will tell.... and we be watching. Yes we will.
Reality check: Cooool turned to cold as we approached Sublimity.... 31 degrees and dense fog. Freezing fog. VERY cold fog. Fingers turning blue COLD fog!!! Owwwiiieee cold. Boy, it was nice to get back to warmer 125 degree senior coffee at Molalla McD's. Very warm. ahhhhhhhh, warm... wrap by frozen body around that cup of HOT java and hold on tight, I did.
Home by 1500 hours... still trying to thaw out.. may take a couple of days.. but we be tough. We ride.
Boring Bishop g
|
|
|
