Mo called about nine in the morning. Asking if I wanted to go for a ride. He said we'd leave from either the house he was buying in Morton, or the Bucksnort around 'noonish'. I said I would give Patrick a call around ten, and see if he wanted to go. This was the start of a few miscommunications that put a slight taint on the day. I got the feeling it was just going to be a couple of bikes, and just the guys. When I spoke to Patrick, I didn't have enough info about what was going on except a very vague idea of the route, and Patrick didn't have time to ride that far. So I told him to call Mo, and see if they could work something out.
When I arrived, I found several bikes, and several wives or Ol' Ladies along. So I realized this wasn't quite the quickly thrown together ride I had thought. Robin wasn't happy being told she was staying home anyway, and when I saw the other women there, I knew she was really going to be upset she didn't get ot go. After a few minutes, I realized we weren't heading off at noon, so I tried calling Robin to tell her I'd come pick her up. No answer on her cell or the house phone. So I fired up the bike, and rode to the house to pick her up. When I rode up in front of the house, the car was gone. So I ran into the house and grabbed my camera. I told Ed what the deal was, and headed out.
Mo said when he and Patrick had talked, Patrick had said he we would meet us at the Bucksnort, or on the road. Which I found out later, was NOT what he had said. Patrick had his bike out, warmed up and wiating when he heard us all ride past on the highway. Needless to say, that made for two pissed off people that could have gone on the ride.
As we rode down Highway 508 past Dodge Rd, my heart sank a bit when I saw Patrick wasn't waiting there for us as Mo has said. Mo wasn't leading, Rick & Melissa were, I considered just pulling off and heading up to Patricks house, but I was on the right side of the group, and would have had to cut a couple of other bikes off to make the turn.
We rode down Highway 508 and up through Bear Canyon to the Centralia-Alpha Rd. Then at the end of Centralia-Alpha Rd, we headed back to the right, and up into the framland and past the coal fired steam plant on the back way into Bucoda.
From there, we rode along more backroads to Mckenna where we stopped at Walt's Place to get some refreshment. At Walt's I learned the state had opened Highway 7 through the canyon at La Grande again, and that was the way we were going home. It is a cliff edge twisting road, high above the Nisqually River that borders Pierce and Lewis Counties.
We stopped at the Elbe Bar & Grill. From there the ride more or less broke up. From Elbe, everyone was going to take different roads home. So after a few already left, I fired up Gypsy just in time to watch the local steam excursion train block the road I needed to take. Oh well, it made for a nice quick pic. Then it was across the bridge, and down the road back to Morton.
It was when I got home that I got home that I found out about the mix-up wiht Patrick. So I called him. Even five hours or so after the ride started, he was still pissed about it. And I have to admit, rightfully so. Shit doesn't happen, it 's caused. I just hope this gets worked out before it festers and turns into something nasty. It has to be something the two of them work out. I am sure Patrick feels disrespected, and to him especially, that means something more than to most.
It was all in all, a good ride, and I have to say, I wish I had the camera on when we crossed the section of road that was flooded by a creek over its banks. That was REAL fun on all the bikes that run no front fender (mine) let me tell ya. lol Well it is time to post this, and get on to some of the other shit I have to do today. I have been sick since last Wednesday, and Saturday was the first day I felt decent again, so when Mo asked if I wanted to go for a ride on sunday I just flat needed it.
Catch ya on the road sometime...
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