New Mexico Travelogue for September 2010

Hot air balloons over Elephant Butte, NM

Wow, have I been busy. I left town when I saw the calendar pages empty of appointments and meetings only to return home to face numerous appointments and meetings. I did have a good trip though, and I’d like to tell you a little about it. I left on a drizzly Wednesday morning two weeks ago.

Harlan County Kansas. Many communities had Veterans Memorial gardens. I didn't photograph every one of them, but I did stop at quite a few and offered my tobacco.

This trip was a motorcycle trip. I loaded everything I thought I would need for ten days, as that’s how long I thought I’d probably be gone. Turned out to be nine, but very well could have been more. The weather was great, the bike ran great and I wasn’t tiring at all of riding to get to where I was going or of riding the area that I deemed to be my destination.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. The royal road. This trail is said to start in Vera Cruz, Mexico and continue through New Mexico and North into Kansas. It was used in the late 1500's, long before the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.

Here are some logistics for those of you that wonder about such things. My bike is equipped with a computer and keeps track of all these numbers. At the end of the day or the trip, I can press a few buttons and see my progress. I traveled a shade under 3200 miles at an average speed of 58 miles per hour. I got 49.5 miles per gallon average and had the bike in operation for 53 hours and 52 minutes. I did 355 miles per day, on average, but I know some days I was creeping up on 600 and others only putting in 200. I topped off at 115 miles per hour at one point, I think that was in Eastern Colorado on a long stretch of straight highway with no cops in sight.

My 2008 Triumph Tiger sits loaded and ready to travel somewhere in New Mexico. I received a few compliments on my bike. The blaze orange might have something to do with that.

Where did I go, you ask? Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico. I know, that’s a curious name. The reason for the name can be found by clicking on this article. The town used to be called Hot Springs, New Mexico, and that’s the big draw for me. A chance to sit in the hot pools and relax. They are all over town as T or C, as it’s called, resides right on top of numerous springs. The weekend I was there, they had their annual art crawl. Galleries and shops were open in the evening with specials and displays of artwork and other wares. I bought necklaces for the little Grands and a few beads that struck my fancy.

A small church in a small town near Taos, NM

I’ve mentioned these hot springs before. This isn’t my first trip there. In fact, I’ve been going there for years, as well as other destinations in New Mexico. Why New Mexico? I discovered a few places, like these hot springs, years ago when I lived in Grand Junction, Colorado and wandered down there with a friend. I went back and explored often and still return there at least once every year. That started in the early 1990’s. This year, I’ve already been down there twice and have plans to spend part of November and December there. I did extensively ride the mountainous area around Taos and rode the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway.

Road flowers along New Mexico Highway 1 South of the Bosque Del Apache Wildlife Refuge

On the last trip I took in June, I broke my camera. I purchased a new Nikon and took that with me. I had these grand ideas that I was going to stop and take pictures all along the journey. I did take a few photos, but I found it hard to stop as often as I wanted to. You see, when riding a motorcycle and wearing riding gear, it’s hard to practically totally undress and pull out a camera, focus and shoot a picture, and get dressed again to continue riding. Not to mention the idea that there isn’t always a safe place to pull off the road.

By riding gear, I mean the leather gloves, the helmet and goggles, unzip the riding jacket, unzip the pocket where I put the camera, turn on the camera, focus and take pictures, return the camera back into its pocket, zip that pocket up, zip and button the jacket, replace the goggles and helmet and put the gloves back on. And if I do stop and take pictures, then I see another great photo opportunity ten minutes ahead, I have to do it all over again. I had grand ideas, I just didn’t want to be getting off and on the bike so often. I was enjopying the riding way too much.

Near the Colorado/New Mexico border on a bright sunny morning in September.

So, I only have a few photos to share, but I did see a lot of beautiful scenery. I love the high desert with the mountain vistas in the distance. Down in the Southern reaches of New Mexico, the hills are barren of trees and greenery. They all look sort of gray. Their shapes and images change as I ride closer to them as they can be seen from a long range. Many of the photos I took had the memes I subscribe to in mind. Shadow Shot Sunday was prominent as I seem to have been out and about in the early morning sun quite a bit.

Can someone identify this beautiful cactus? Looks like some kind of Yucca. I loved the black tips of the fronds.

Besides looking at the landscape and marveling at The Creator’s wonders, I had to eat. New Mexican green chile peppers are in harvest right now and I had no problem finding plenty of places that were selling meals made with them. My favorite is Chile Verde, or green chile. It’s used like a sauce and covers everything. The main question in New Mexico when you order food is, “Red or green?”

The peppers are picked green, but if left to ripen, they turn a beautiful crimson red. They are preserved in many ways. Fresh green chiles are roasted, the delicate skin removed and used to make the chile verde. These are also used for chile rellenos. In more modern times, the fresh peppers are grilled and put on hamburgers. I’ve even had a blue plate special, you know, sliced roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans on the side, served with green chiles over the beef. It was unusual, but very good.

A great tasting Breakfast Burrito at the Rockin' Y in Tucumcari, NM
Before

Chile verde recipes vary from cook to cook, similar to Italian spaghetti gravy. Every kitchen cook had a Grandmother that did it a certain way and passed her “way” down to the next generation. I love to order the green over my huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, chile rellenos, enchiladas and even have asked for a small bowl on the side! The red is good too, and made from the same peppers, just ones that were allowed to ripen on the vine longer. They also come in different varieties and each might have a different heat scale. The hotter the better for my tastes.

After

It’s a funny phenomena that some places, the red is very hot and the green is mild, and the opposite is true at others. I have found that more often, the green is hotter. Sometimes I ask.

Besides seek out and destroy green chile, I generally rode the motorcycle, returning to roads that I knew and finding new ones. Once I got to Truth Or Consequences, I’d end each day with a soak at Riverbend Hot Springs Resort. Some mornings I took a dip before staring my day. Much time was spent at the local Black Cat Coffee Shop and Bookstore. I also found a few places to have an afternoon coffee break o my way down and back in Socorro at the Manzaneres Street Coffee Shop, a place I’ve been to numerous times, and in Oakley, Kansas.

Neat, clean, park-at-the-door convenience, all for $30-$40 per night.

I did take camping gear, but never opened the bag I kept it in. I stayed at a motel every night. I had thought of wandering West into Arizona to visit my brother and meet another blogger who lives near where he lives, but I didn't opt to go that way and instead, made this a high plains drifter tour and traveled the grassy expanses of Eastern Colorado and New Mexico. Many people pass through this part of our country and complain that there is nothing there. I found plenty of things to look at and spurred many a thought, like, "Where do these people go to get groceries?"

Yours truly in Hatch, NM

You might remember a few months ago, I posted a story about Sparky's restaurant in Hatch. He was having trouble with his signs. The city council wanted him to remove a larger than life pink pig. He was allowed to keep his signs and added this new one. I engaged another traveler to snap my picture at one of my favorite places. By the way, I had the green chile cheeseburger and it was great!

Wish I had more interesting stories to tell. I did have a few good conversations with waiters and locals in the dives where I stopped to eat, and I also stayed at some interesting small town mom and pop motels, but other than ride, eat and look at scenery, I didn’t do much. This trip was a head clearing experience for me. The wind will do that, especially if that’s what you’re seeking. The only thing wrong is that once I got back, kissed the bride and hugged the Grandkids, I was ready to take off again. I’m planning my next escape right now.

Peace

Shadow Shot Sunday, September 19, 2010

Shadow Shot Sunday was started by Tracy in Australia. To see more Shadow Shots and to find out how to participate, go see Hey Harriet.

On a recent motorcycle trip to New Mexico in America's Southwest, I stumbled across many sights like the one I posted here today. I stayed on the small two-lane roads and passed through the heart of many small hamlets. If the Interstate highway was nearby, all the commerce moved from the main drag through town out to the freeway. If the town was just on a once major US highway and not near the Eisenhower Interstate System, there isn't much left of these villages as time has passed them by.

This Shadow Shot was taken in Walsenburg, Colorado while on a morning walk before leaving my austere overnight accommodations at The Anchor Motel. Walsenburg is right on Intersate 25. There is commerce out on the highway, but not much in town. This photo takes us way back in time and shows a popular old style of architecture for what once was called a gas station.

Sandy's Service Station, a relic of a life gone by, Walsenburg, CO.

Used to be, this is the where you bought gasoline, or as it's called around the world, everywhere but the US, petrol. The pump, yes, one pump, vended the toxicant and was operated by a human being that actually managed the whole establishment. He would come out, (it was usually a "he"), and ask what you'd want. You would tell him to either, "Fill 'er up", or say a dollar amount, like, "Two dollars of Ethyl, please."

That whole Ethyl thing was a National disaster, but that is another topic for another time. It just meant they had a higher octane gasoline with an additive that was poison. Conventional wisdom thought that the higher powered gas was better for your car, so you'd splurge and get "High test" every now and again to give your automobile a treat.

These next two shots also have some shadows created by ole sol on Sandy's Service. You can see the large garage door opening where the mechanic might work on your car, perform maintenance like oil changes, replace belts and hoses and hoist the auto up to fix flats or change tires. Ah yes, those were the days.

I certainly could go on and on about the old days and gas stations as I worked at a few of them over theyears. Of course the most common mention about gasoline these days is the price. On my trip, I saw prices range from $2.34/9 to $3.14/9 per gallon. I used today's high test in my 2008 Triumph Tiger and pay more per gallon for that! (A full report about the trip coming soon on one of my Monday Mystery Tour articles for those that might be interested)



In the meantime, hope you have a great day. And avast ye, don't ferget about the day fer us old pirate souls, Aurggggggggggh Matey

Peace

Haiku My Heart Fridays, September 17, 2010

Writing Haiku on Fridays seems to have caught on. For me, it is the "From the heart" part that really pulls me in. When I travel around to the others that participate and read their poetry, I am put into another world, a world they are sharing with us all. To view other Friday Haiku blogs, see the beautiful photos and participate, go see Rebecca at recuerdo mi corazon

The night September sky as seen from my perch in New Mexico


Daylight's end is near

Evening spirits wander here

Night shadows appear

I've just returned from a nine day motorcycle trip that took me from my home in Wisconsin down to Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico. Seems that all I did was ride my motorcycle and eat green chile. I did take some photos with a new camera and traveled a few roads I had never been on before. More about this trip as time moves forward.

This shot of the crescent moon and evening star reminded me that there is a Star Nation above us, day and night, but we only get to imagine the spirits that surround us when daylight wanes and the night sky lights their way. ( I know, it's a planet, but I call 'em stars).

Who knows what spirits might be watching, visiting or traveling with us as we crawl on the Sacred Earth Mother. I like to think there are many that see us and accompany us along our chosen paths, or maybe even some that guide us in a certain direction. And if you subscribe to the theory of the existence of Angels, well, maybe they are there, and maybe they are the spirits of which I speak. Spirits, Angels, all one in the same to me.

This latest trip gave me a lot of traveling meditation and the thoughts that I pondered may have triggered some changes in my life. Hopefully these are good changes and were managed by these same Spirit Guides and Helpers that looked down on me from the celestial orbs above.

Peace

To New Mexico

In a few hours, I'll be on my trusty Triumph motorcycle and on my way to New Mexico. This trip will be full of purpose. First of all, I'll get some moving meditation. Time behind the windshield on the two lane roads are very soothing for me, and the NOAA weather outlook for the direction I'll be traveling looks like I'll be out of the rain and any storms, at least for the first few days.

The view to the South from the City of Rocks State Park

Secondly, I'm planning on scouting out a possible place to return to this Winter. Mrs. Spadoman and I are intent on escaping to a warmer climate for at least a small part before and after the holidays. We've been down there many times before in the last 20 plus years. This year, we might make more specific plans for snow birding.

In the town of Truth Or Consequences, the hot springs are calling me. More meditation and lounging in the hot pools along the Rio Grande are in order, and Silver City always gets a visit for a day or so. Jemez Springs, another place to unwind, is on the sketchy agenda. I'll swing through Albuquerque and Santa Fe, even if just to ride through. But I'll probably have at least one meal and one coffee shop stop at one of my favorite places. Who knows, maybe I'll actually take some pictures and do some restaurant reviews.

I plan on visiting a few friends along the way and going to some areas with my motorcycle that I've only been to by automobile, especially in the mountain region in Northern New Mexico. When I have been there in the Winter, riding a motorcycle in the mountains is not a good idea. This time of year, I believe I'll have a great time twisting over mountain passes on the Tiger. I also want to see a few places I've failed to stop and see in visits past.

I don't have a specific return date, but I'm thinking I'll be home after the September 18-19th weekend. No computer on this trip, but two cameras. The old movie camera, mounted on the handlebars, and the new still/motion picture camera I just bought to replace the one I dropped on my last trip. I have a blogger friend that knows quite a bit more about cameras and photography than I do. She's been giving me tips. You can check out her blog and see some of her work. Go to Molokai Girl and check it out.

Take care and be well, all of you. Feel free to wander around Round Circle. I'll miss you.

Peace

Monday Mystery Tour, September 6, 2010

Another installment of the Monday Mystery Tour. This story is from the Autumn of 2005 and a motorcycle trip down to Chattanooga, TN for the annual Trail of Tears Memorial motorcycle ride.

Wisconsin Highway 169 in Iron County

Trail of Tears 

It’s Monday and since earlier in the year I have been posting a story about a trip I’ve taken in hopes of leading the reader to this place through my words. Today I want to fill in the blanks around my latest motorcycle trip. After all, I was gone fifteen days and the Trail of Tears ride was only three days of it.

I left on the Thursday over a week before the scheduled ride in Chattanooga, TN. I loaded my motorcycle’s saddlebags for two weeks plus on the road. Mrs. Spadoman left as well in the trusty Ford Focus,(40 mpg), and we rendezvoused in Saint Paul, MN, 200 miles from home at the youngest daughter’s place.

Daughter Jayne gets a visit every so often from Mom and Dad and this was a good time to get together with her since the friend I was going to ride with down to Chattanooga lives in Saint Paul and I had to go there to start my journey. Besides, I needed to do a little shopping anyway for some items I wanted for my trip. Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the Twin Cities offered more choices than the small townish Ashland, Wisconsin where I live.

Thursday night had Barb, Jayne and I out to dinner and a good visit. Friday had me shopping around the Cities and hanging out at the old J&S Coffee Shop and visiting with old friends. Friday evening, we gathered with my traveling companion and made final preparation for the actual motorcycle trip.

We were to leave on Monday, a full 6 days before we needed to be there. We would take scenic routes for the most part and stay off the super slab Interstate highways. Since Steve runs a business, we would delay leaving until he got some work done he had to do before he left his business in the capable hands of employees for the next two weeks.

But that Saturday and Sunday before we left, I went to Hastings, MN and attended the 8th Annual Veterans Honoring Pow Wow which is held at the Minnesota Veterans Home. I have attended almost all eight years. The weather this year was a little damp and cool. People come to this event in small numbers. It has not turned in to a gala affair. But it has all the parts and pieces that make it a real Pow Wow. Drum groups with singers, dancers in regalia, raffles, laughter, tears and fry bread.

At this particular Pow Wow, the flags of deceased Veterans are brought in and run up the eight flagpoles that are placed around the arena. The name of the Veteran is read aloud as their coffin flag is raised and flown for the day. Fellow Veterans in attendance are in charge of raising the flags for the families that brought them. I had the honor of attending one of the flagpoles and helped a brother raise a flag of a Marine who died in Vietnam. There were flags this year from Gulf War Veterans, WW2, Korea and Vietnam.

The Pow Wow starts with a Grand Entry. Eagle Staffs are carried into the arena and followed by the American and other flags, then the outfitted dancers, all the while the great drum beating and men singing words and vocables in Dakota language. I am moved every time I take a place in this celebration. This year, I was asked to carry in an Eagle staff representing a children's group from the Prairie island Dakota people. It was my first such honor. I felt very proud to be considered trustworthy to do such a chore by the family that cares for the staff when it is not in use. I held my head up proudly and with great honor.

Raising the flag of a deceased Veteran at the Hastings, Minnesota Pow Wow, Sept. 2005

The weekend went by, mostly spending time at the Pow Wow. Then Monday morning, I packed the finishing touches on my already loaded motorcycle and waited for my friend to be ready to leave. We headed down the road at around 11:00AM. It was 52 degrees and a light mist followed us for most of the day as we rode South from Saint Paul into Iowa. Actual hard rain here and there and some blue sky between the heavy clouds also appearing in places.

We stopped for gas around every 150 miles or so. Steve would pay to fill up both bikes one time, then I’d take a turn. We rode down to the bottom of Iowa and into the town of Keokuk and got a motel for the night. We dried out anything we had that was wet and lounged around after we ate dinner.

Tuesday morning sent us South for more scenic beauty along the Mississippi River and into Hannibal, MO. We found a coffee shop and stopped in. My Grandfather on my Mother’s side settled in Hannibal when he came here from Italy at the turn of the twentieth century. I engaged a local in conversation. I was advised to come back to Hannibal at some point and search the county records for information about my ancestors there.

We kept up our pace in hopes of driving out of the blustery misting and rain and cooler than normal temps by heading straight South. We skirted St. Louis and continued down on US Highway 61. As we stopped for gas and breaks, my partners motorcycle seemed to be laboring to get started again. We stopped in Cape Girardeau, MO at a Harley Davidson dealer. It was late in the afternoon.

The dealer checked things out and the prognosis was a bad starter. They did not have one in stock but they worked diligently and found us a shop that had one and would install it the next morning if we were there when they opened. It was around 250 miles away in Jackson Tennessee. It was already getting on towards evening and we didn’t plan on traveling that way, but our choices were made for us in the face of the bad starter situation.

We had planned on going to the River and crossing at a ferry crossing at Dorena, MO. I had heard about the Dorena/Hickman ferry from other rider friends of mine who had taken it earlier this Summer. It was out of the question now. We didn’t want the bike to be trying to start and failing as we got off the ferry boat in Hickman, Kentucky. We went straight to Jackson and arrived a little after dark on Tuesday night.

The next morning was great. I called an old friend I knew in Memphis. I have been e-mailing and talking on the phone to this person over the past few years. I served with him in Vietnam in 1969. His name is Larry and I haven’t seen him in 37 years. I called him and he decided to drive the 90 miles from Memphis to Jackson and get together for breakfast as we waited to get my friend’s motorcycle repaired.

It worked out fine. I got to see an old friend. My partner got his bike repaired and we were back on the road by noon on Wednesday. I told Steve in the motel that a friend was going to meet us for breakfast. Steve asked me how I knew this guy. I told him it was a guy I served in Vietnam with. Steve then asked when was the last time I saw him. When I told him I hadn’t seen him in 37 years his jaw dropped out of site. He seemed more nervous than I was.

The visit was short and sweet. We talked about the people we both knew and any contact that we have had with them. We skirted talk about the war tragedies themselves. We did put our two-cents worth about the current political situation. And although he tends to lean right I and tend to lean left, we came away agreeing that we gotta get rid of the incumbents. It was good visit. It gave me peace in my mind all through the day riding through the hills of Tennessee towards Chattanooga on two-lane highways.

We stopped at a small grocerette along the highway for a cold drink. The sun had been shining and the weather was warming up nicely. The old store was still there with the signage, but when we went inside there was an elderly couple standing behind a counter and a sign that told us about Margo's Fried Pies

We both had one. They were great. Margo made the pie crust dough from scratch. She’d spread the filling, peach apple or chocolate, onto the dough, then put another piece over the top and seal the edges. She fired them in an old electric Sunbeam frying pan from the 1950’s. It came out like a quesadilla, flat kind of, and fried until cooked and tender but not crispy.

Margo and husband were old timers and enjoyed visiting with the people on the road that stopped in. They told us of their 100 acre farm where they live. Margo also put by jars of lime pickles. We bought one of these and stopped down the road at a small creek and made a pot of coffee and ate the whole jar. These were good too.

We pulled into Chattanooga around 5:00PM. We had a reservation at a campground at the base of Lookout Mountain. We rented one of those camper cabins. A small cabin with mattresses on bunk beds. We rolled out our sleeping bags and had a place for the three nights we would be in Chattanooga before we left on the big ride on Saturday.

By this time, a bad tooth had me in a lot of pain. I had been dealing with it the whole way so far and thought I could endure with Tylenol and Advil. After a sleepless night, I awoke and found directions to a VA clinic. I went in first thing in the morning and asked for dental care for my painful tooth. The VA is my HMO insurance as I am a disabled Veteran. They put me in a chair and said that since I had no appointment I’d have to wait until someone could see me.

I was there a total of four hours. I left with a numb mouth from novacaine, a hole in my tooth where the abscess had been drained, a bottle of antibiotics and a bottle of pain pills. I waited until I got back to the campsite and started taking the pills. I crashed and slept on and off for the next day and a half waiting for the pain to go away. It finally did by Friday afternoon and I got ready for the motorcycle ride for the Trail of Tears.

All our plans to ride the area and the Smoky Mountains were crushed as I had to recoup from the toothache. But I was out of pain and ready to ride Saturday morning. It was a great ride as I previously described in another post. Suffice it to say that I think I’ll try and do it again next September.

After the ride over Saturday, Sunday and Monday, I found myself in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Tuesday morning and sitting with my motorcycle at the service entrance to the Route 66 Harley Davidson dealer there. I had sheared off a bolt on my exhaust manifold and needed repairs to continue my ride towards home. They got my bike into the shop as they do often for travelers that are in need of repairs.

Steve had come with me the 40 miles from Okmulgee, the end of the Trail of Tears ride, to Tulsa. He waited around for me for a while. Another friend from the Twin Cities came up and they both left for Minnesota. I was at the Tulsa dealer until around 4:00PM when I finally got my fully repaired bike out of the shop.

My old 2004 Dyna Super Glide Sport in 2006

I headed down the road along I-44 towards Joplin, MO. I spent the night there and rode through some beautiful Missouri countryside along US 54 to Jefferson City, then North on US 63 towards Iowa, Minnesota and into Wisconsin going home. US 63 ends at Lake Superior at US Hwy 2, just a few miles from my house in Ashland.

I did spend the night in Ottumwa, Iowa. That’s the town Radar of MASH fame was from if you remember your trivia lessons well. The weather was cool again as I headed North. But the rain had held off for the time being. Thursday morning, I left early and pulled into Ashland around 4:00PM. I was chilled pretty good as I had been sitting in a 75 mile per hour wind since 7:15AM. That 75 MPH wind created by the speed of my trusty Dyna Glide. I did have another small problem on Wednesday. It was in the afternoon. I had to use a restroom drastically. I pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot and parked the bike. That’s one thing the Mac and Don’s is good for, a bathroom. When I got out and back to my bike, I had a very low, almost completely flat tire on the rear.

I didn’t get excited and through a short series of a visit to a NAPA auto parts store and some information from a clerk there, and a couple of phone calls, a local cycle repair guy named Bunch had me back on the road in an hour and a half and only charged me $25.00. I gave Mr. Bunch $40.00 and thanked him. I headed out back towards the North and home.

Life on the road with your motorcycle. What a concept. You experience the land you travel through. The total environment. There is no such thing as ‘bad’ weather unless it’s extreme like a tornado or something of that magnitude. Cold and rain put you in one frame of mind and warm and sunny in another, but I can’t find anything “bad” about either. Of course I was prepared with proper gear for the conditions and that helps with the phycological aspect of the affair.

All in all it was a wonderful journey. I had been looking forward to it for months. Now that it’s over and the weather is cooling off, riding season might be coming to a quick end up here in the Northland. It was a great way to end the motorcycle season, a ride like that was.

I have other plans now. Got to spend some time with the family. This winter I’ll head down to New Mexico with the Harley on the trailer and do some riding down there. For now, the machine sits covered in front of the West side Workshop here in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Epilogue:

This was written in Fall of 2005. Since then, much has changed. The Trail of Tears organizers have gone into a feud and now there are two rides with competing organizations. I don’t have any desire to return to do this ride. HERE and HERE are the links for the two rides. Both mention their differences. What do you think?

I sold my Harley Davidson Dyna Super Glide and bought a 2008 Triumph Tiger. A much superior motorcycle on all levels except the mystique.

Grandson DJ and I on the Triumph Tiger, 2009 photo

I’ll be leaving soon on a Fall journey. I’ll be headed to New Mexico. More on this in a couple of days.

In the meantime, may peace find your heart today and for the rest of your life.

Shadow Shot Sunday, September 5, 2010

Shadow Shot Sunday is the creation of Tracy at the Hey Harriet blog. To see morwe Shadow Shots, or to find out how to participate in this fun meme, visit Hey Harriet. Many post on Saturdays here in the USA as it is already Sunday in Australia, where Hey Harriet and many of its contributers are centered.

I like shadow shots with people in action. On the road later in the day in mid summer always casts a moving shadow, but seldom am I ever in a position to capture it as I’m usually busy doing the driving. Answer to that? Give the camera to the rider and let her have a go at it.

When I’m riding the motorcycle and the sun starts to crash down in the West, I often see the long stark shadow that gets created. As I ride, and the road twists and turns, the shadow moves back and forth, side to side, and if the terrain rises and falls, it stretches up and down. I do have a movie camera mount on my motorcycle, but to aim it at a moving shadow while riding is not in the best interest of the rider.

I like this one. A crisp clear image of the riders, and the blur of motion in the background all in one. This was taken while on the Crow Creek ride in the Summer of 2009. I knew I had it, so I searched all morning and finally found it. That in itself was a journey as I came across so many photos that were archived and not labeled that brought back memories and gave me topics for future stories.

Anyway, I broke my old camera, but I purchased a new one and I’ll be happy when I get a chance to read the seven thousand page instruction manual and get out and take some new pictures. ( I was exagerating about how many pages thew manual is, it's only a half inch, or 12.7 millimeters, thick) Thank goodness for archives. Now, if I can remember to label and date each shot.

Peace

Friday Haiku, September 3, 2010

Haiku My Heart Friday is a blessing from my friend Rebecca at recuerdo mi corazon. You can find more photos and Haiku there and find out how to participate.

First day of school year

No assignments behind yet

My God seventh grade! 

The Summer break is over. Grandkids are back in school. Anna is the oldest. School started this week, on the first. The time, as usual, has flown by and Anna is in seventh grade already. I thought writing Haiku about a life event is a good way to acknowledge it. Not just for Anna, but for the rest of the family, myself included. After all, "Time and motion wait for no man." (A quote by Reggie Perrin).

The clock never stops ticking, ever, no matter what I do or anyone else does. But I do savor the memories and they can last a lifetime. They can be remembered and smiled about. I hope I'm around when Anna and I look at this post and photos and laugh about her memories of seventh grade. In the event I'm not, I have made note of it here, on these pages, and on a hard drive. Someone will have it forever.

Anna is older than her brother and sisters and starts an hour earlier.

Anna and I both wish you Peace.