PEOPLE---THREE I HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF MEETING

THIS PAST WEEK I’VE BEEN LAID PRETTY LOW..NOT REALLY ANYTHING I CAN DO THAT REQUIRES ANY DEGREE OF MOBILITY OR STRENGTH..EVEN STANDING FOR MORE THAN JUST A SHORT WHILE KIND OF PUTS A HURT GRIP ON MY BACK..THANKSGIVING MEAL WAS GREAT BUT THEN I HAD TO LAY ON MY BACK WITH MY FEET UP FOR AWHILE AND BE CONTENT TO WATCH SOME TUBE..SATURDAY ROLLED AROUND AND THINGS SEEMED TO BE GETTING A LITTLE BETTER..CAREFULLY I UNLOCKED THE MONSTER CHAIN THAT SECURES MY MOTORCYCLE TO THE GARAGE WALL, THEN UNLOCKED THE OTHER LOCK (MADE OF KRYPTONITE) THAT SECURES THE WHEELS..LOOKED LIKE I WAS GONNA ENJOY SOME SCOOTER TIME AFTER ALL..



OLD TORY PRISON IN BURLINGTON CT..SUPPOSEDLY HAUNTED



WHILE I WAS SAFETY CHECKING THE BIKE MY MOM CALLED AND WANTED TO COME OVER TO WASH HER CAR..OK..FIRST WASH MOM’S CAR THEN SOME SCOOTER TIME..BAD MOVE—LIKE I SAID, SHOULDN’T HAVE ENGAGED IN ALL THE MOBILITY THAT WASHING A CAR REQUIRES..ENDED UP UNABLE TO EVEN LOCK THE BIKE ALL UP AGAIN..OH WELL..



ANOTHER VIEW--A SHAME THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST FEEL THEY MUST JUSTIFY THEIR EXISTENCE BY
LEAVING THEIR MARKS..MIGHT BE THE EQUIVALENT OF AN ANIMAL LEAVING HIS SCAT TO MARK HIS TURF.



ALL THIS BACK TROUBLE STARTED IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES..BACK THEN I WOULD JUST TAKE OFF ON THE BIKE AND GO TO WHEREVER MY MIND SAID I SHOULD GO..ONE OF THOSE GOALS WAS A TOWN IN TENNESSEE..I HAD INTENDED TO VISIT A FEMALE FRIEND I HAD MET WHILE STATIONED FOR A SHORT WHILE IN GEORGIA..OF COURSE I DECIDED TO VISIT THE BASE IN GEORGIA—BAD MOVE..THAT NIGHT I STOPPED AT A WATERING HOLE AT SOME TOWN OUTSIDE OF ALBANY..WAS DOING PRETTY GOOD AND IT LOOKED LIKE ONE OF THE DANCERS JUST MIGHT ‘GIVE ME SHELTER’ FOR A FEW DAYS..



SEEN THIS OLD PIECE OF WORK MANY TIMES-SOMEDAY I'LL FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS



WELL THESE THREE SOUTHERN BOYS DIDN’T SEEM TO LIKE THE IDEA THAT ONE OF THEIR GIRLS MIGHT PREFER SPENDING TIME WITH A LONG-HAIRED SCOOTER-TRAMP (A YANKEE AT THAT) INSTEAD OF A SOUTHERN MALE..I’M NOT A BIG GUY AND THE SMALLEST OF THE THREE WAS CONSIDERABLY BIGGER THAN ME..I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SURVIVAL INSTINCT AND I TRIED TO LEAVE, BUT WAS FOLLOWED OUT INTO THE PARKING LOT..I WAS SURPRISED THAT I MADE IT TO MY SUPER-GLIDE BUT IT WAS TO BE A WEEK AND THREE DAYS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO ONCE AGAIN SIT ON IT AND RIDE AWAY..



THIS PICTURE DOESN'T DO JUSTICE TO THE BEAUTY OF THIS LITTLE WATERFALL-I'M ABOUT TWENTY FEET
ABOVE IT AND MY BACK JUST WOULDN'T LET ME CLIMB DOWN TO GET A BETTER PICTURE
PLUS I PICKED THREE TICKS FROM ME JUST GETTING TO THIS SPOT



THE FIGHT (BEATING) LASTED FOR A FEW MINUTES BUT SEEMED TO GO ON FOR HOURS..I KNOW THAT ONE OF THOSE BOYS HAS AN AWFUL SCAR ON HIS ARM WHERE I BIT AND TORE OUT A CHUNK OF MEAT..ANOTHER MUST HAVE A CROOKED NOSE FROM WHERE I HIT HIM WITH A ROCK I HAD PICKED UP WHILE STRUGGLING TO GET BACK ON MY FEET..THEY BEAT AND KICKED ME SO MANY TIMES THAT IF SOMEONE HADN’T CALLED THE POLICE I HAVE NO DOUBT THEY WOULD HAVE KILLED ME IN THEIR DRUNKEN ANGER..I EMERGED LOOKING LIKE I HAD FALLEN INTO A WHITE-FACED HORNETS BREEDING GROUND AND THEN BEEN MAULED BY A GRIZZLY BEAR..MY BACK ALWAYS TROUBLED ME AFTER THAT AND IT WAS YEARS LATER THAT I REACHED A POINT WHERE EVERYDAY CHORES WHERE SUDDENLY IMPOSSIBLE..X-RAYS REVEALED FRACTURES THAT HAD GROWN BACK IMPROPERLY AND MY RIGHT HIP HAD SETTLED INTO A PLACE WHERE IT DIDN’T BELONG..



MEET STEVE FROM BRISTOL (RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY PLACE) STEVE WORKS FOR THE
POWER COMPANY SO HE'S BEEN PRETTY BUSY THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS..
TOOK HIMSELF A LITTLE TIME OFF TO ENJOY HIS 2004 LOW-RIDER
STEVE'S BEEN ON MOTORCYCLES FOR SIX YEARS
NICE BIKE



LONG STORY AND I’VE LEFT OUT A LOT OF IT..BUT I FEEL I OWE YOU ALL AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO COVER THE GROUND I USUALLY DO ON THE BIKE AND BRING YOU SOME SHOTS OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS..BUT I DID MANAGE TO GET OUT IN THE JEEP AND HOOK UP A FEW PHOTOS NONE THE LESS..CHECK ‘EM OUT AND HOPEFULLY THINGS WILL GET BACK ON TRACK FOR NEXT WEEK..

 IN ALL THE GROUND I’VE COVERED ON TWO WHEELS THOSE THREE SOUTHERN BOYS ARE AMONG  THE VERY FEW I HAVE HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF MEETING--AND STILL SUFFER TO THIS DAY  BECAUSE OF THAT MEETING..    

****************************TILL NEXT WEEK--STAY WELL**************************

***************************HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU AND YOURS**********************

                                                                               JIM

  

-----------HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS--------------

                                        

I HAD MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT MY GOAL WAS TO MAKE IT TO THE ‘AMERICAN CLOCK AND WATCH MUSEUM’ HERE IN BRISTOL CONNECTICUT WITH MY BROTHER-IN-LAW FROM VIRGINIA..AS THINGS TURNED OUT THAT VISIT NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO HAPPEN..INSTEAD WE PREPARED THE HOMESTEAD FOR VISITING FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS WELL AS AN ON-GOING EFFORT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE YARD FROM THE AFTERMATH OF THE FREAKY STORM THAT HIT US A FEW WEEKS BACK..WITH SOME HELP FROM DAVE (CHECK HIM OUT IN THE AUGUST ARCHIVES) AND HIS FRIEND BOB, THE BACKYARD IS SOMEWHAT BACK TO NORMAL (BIG EMPTY SPACE WHERE FIVE CEDAR TREES USED TO BE)..

CAN’T HELP BUT BE A LITTLE BIT MEDITATIVE AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR..IT’S MY NATURE TO PAUSE AND REVIEW THE PAST MONTHS AS THE END OF THE YEAR DRAWS NEAR..MOST OF THE TIME I FIND THAT MY EFFORTS AT THIS OR THAT HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT LESS THAN SATISFACTORY OR REWARDING..AFTER WHAT IS A USUALLY CRITICAL REVIEW, I FIND MYSELF MAKING A LIST OF CHANGES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INGRAIN INTO MY PERSONALITY, HABITS I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE BEHIND, OTHERS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP..PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN ON HOLD FOR SO LONG THAT I’M ALMOST ASHAMED TO EVEN THINK ABOUT THEM ANYMORE..BUT THIS WINTER I’LL TRY AND KNOCK THAT LIST DOWN A BIT..I THINK I SAID THE SAME THING LAST WINTER TOO, BUT I MEAN IT THIS TIME!!

NO CLOCK MUSEUM, NO PHOTOS OF NEW PEOPLE TO INTRODUCE, NOT MUCH OF ANYTHING THAT I FOUND OR EVEN HAD TIME TO WRITE ABOUT THIS WEEK..JUST A EFFORT TO MAINTAIN A BIT OF WEEKLY CONTINUITY..

HOWEVER, I WILL POST A FEW PHOTOS FROM THE PAST SUMMER’S BETTER SCENES AND TAKE THIS TIME TO WISH YOU AND YOURS A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING…AND TO ALL YOU GUYS AND GIRLS IN THE MILITARY—MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU SAFE—COME HOME SAFE COME HOME SOON—AND THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE..HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY A GOOD DINNER IN A SAFE AND WARM CHOW-HALL--ESPECIALLY ALL YOU USMC GRUNTS--SEMPER FI  

       -------- A SMALL FLOCK OF WILD TURKEYS THAT I SEE FROM TIME TO TIME------
                                                                    ********************
                                                                         TILL NEXT WEEK
                                                                                   JIM

JUST CRUISEN---AGAIN



REGULAR READERS WILL REMEMBER THIS FROM
AN EARLIER POST..CHECK OUT THE HISTORY IN THE
JUNE ARCHIVES-'BARKHAMSTED RESERVOIR'

 

ANOTHER PLACE WE'VE SEEN BEFORE WITH
ONLY A HINT OF THE COLORS THAT WERE

 I AM A VERY FORTUNATE MAN TO HAVE MANY VISIONS OF BEAUTY STORED IN MY MEMORY..SOME HAPPENINGS AND VISIONS JUST WON’T FADE AND IN MY MEDITATIVE MOMENTS, THOSE VISIONS WILL PUT A SMILE IN MY HEART, SOMETIMES EVEN ON MY FACE..

AS YOU CAN SEE-NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF LEAVES



ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW BARE THE TREES WERE

 IN MANY OF MY POSTS I HAVE SHOWN YOU PICTURES OF A FEW OF MY FAVORITE ROADS AND STOPS..I HAVE ALSO PROMISED TO RETURN AND SHOW SOME PICTURES OF THE SAME AREAS DURING THE AUTUMN EXPLOSION OF COLORS THAT TURNS THESE PLACES INTO EVEN GRANDER VISIONS OF BEAUTY.. 
                                                                  *************

RIDING A MOTORCYCLE DOWN SOME OF THOSE ROADS IN THE FALL IS LIKE TAKING AN LSD TRIP THROUGH A TUNNEL MADE OF RAINBOWS..THEN, AT THE END OF THE RIDE, YOU STOP AND GAZE OUT OVER A PLACID LAKE OR FLOWING RIVER, AND CHECK OUT THE BEAUTY REFLECTED IN THE WATERS..WISH I COULD HAVE SHARED THE VISIONS WITH YOU (I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT) BUT THE STORM THAT HAMMERED CONNECTICUT ALSO DID A NUMBER ON THE FALL FOLIAGE…CONSEQUENTLY THE FALL CARNIVAL OF COLORS CRASHED BIG TIME THIS YEAR..SORRY..

UP IN PLEASANT VALLEY, CONNECTICUT, THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE WAS SO SEVERE THAT I GOT CAUGHT UP IN LINES OF TRAFFIC AS WE WAITED FOR ROAD CREWS TO LOAD TRUCKS WITH DEBRIS THEY HAD GATHERED UP FROM THE STORM..BACK HOES, BOB CATS AND BOOM TRUCKS WERE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE AREA..BUT I DID GET OUT AND DID MANAGE TO GRAB A FEW PICTURES OF THE COUNTRY SIDE…NOT WHAT I WAS WISHING TO PRESENT TO YOU, BUT BEAUTIFUL SCENERY ANYWAY..   



REALLY WAS KINDA SURPRISED THAT I DIDN’T SEE MORE BIKES OUT, BUT COULD BE THAT A LOT OF YARD CLEAN-UP WAS GOING ON..BURNED OUT MY CHAIN-SAW AND DIDN’T EVEN GET STARTED IN MY YARD YET..BUT, AS ALWAYS, THERE WERE BIKERS TO BE MET AT BARKHAMSTED RESERVOIR..ONE WAS DEFINITELY NOT IN THE MOOD FOR ANY KIND OF TALK AND THAT’S OKAY..WE WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS..DID MEET TWO BIKERS WHO ARE NEW TO THE MOTORCYCLE FRATERNITY..PHOTOS BELOW..ON A PERSONAL NOTE—JOHN, E-MAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS SO I CAN E-MAIL YOU ONE OF THE PICTURES WE TOOK-IT’S KIND OF COOL…  


MEET MATT WALTZ (ON THE LEFT) FROM DANBURY BUT ORIGINALLY FROM BARKHAMSTED
AND ON THE RIGHT IS JOHN BOTTICELLO ORIGINALLY FROM NORTH GRANBY
BUT NOW LIVES IN TARRIFVILLE..

THIS IS THEIR FIRST YEAR ON MOTORCYCLES AND THERE IS NO WAY
A LITTLE BIT OF COOL WEATHER CAN KEEP A NEW BIKER FROM RIDING..

                                                                *********************

WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD FOLKS FROM VIRGINIA STAYING WITH US THIS WEEK..ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD WANTED TO DO WAS CHECK OUT THE CLOCK AND WATCH MUSEUM HERE IN TOWN BECAUSE MY BROTHER-IN-LAW LOVES OLD CLOCKS..HOPEFULLY WE'LL MAKE IT THERE AND I'LL SHARE SOME PICS OF SOME REALLY OLD AND UNIQUE PIECES WITH YOU..KIND OF A DIFFERENT SCENE-NOT AS COOL AS MOTORCYCLES BUT INTERESTING NONE THE LESS..

                                                                *********************

           UNTIL NEXT WEEK--STAY WELL--STAY SAFE--BEST  TO YOU AND YOURS

                                                                                *******

                                                                                JIM

THINGS---STORM ALFRED====PEOPLE---STEVE LARSON

 TWO WEEKS AGO I HAD MENTIONED THAT I WOULD BE HEADED OUT TO SOME OF MY FAVORITE SPOTS AND SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES OF MOTHER NATURE’S ARTISTRY WITH HER FALL COLORS SPLASHED ALL OVER THE HILLS AND REFLECTED IN THE LAKES AND RIVERS..WELL I HAD NO IDEA AT THE TIME THAT HER COLOR OF CHOICE WAS GOING TO BE WHITE…SNOW WHITE…HEAVY SNOW WHITE…KNOCKING DOWN TREES AND BREAKING DOWN POWER LINES TYPE OF SNOW WHITE…

SINCE ABOUT SIX-O-CLOCK SATURDAY EVENING ON OCT 28^TH WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT POWER…IT WAS ONLY RESTORED TODAY (SUNDAY NOV 6^TH ) AT ABOUT FOUR-THIRTY IN THE EVENING…JUST AN HOUR AND A HALF SHORT OF A WEEK AND A DAY WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AND THE CONVENIENCES AND COMFORTS IT BRINGS INTO OUR LIVES…

IT WASN’T TOO LONG BEFORE THINGS STARTED TO GET KIND OF CRAZY…LINES FORMED AT THE ONLY TWO GAS STATIONS IN TOWN THAT HAD POWER…SOME PEOPLE WAITED FOR OVER THREE HOURS TO GET GAS, FIGHTS BROKE OUT AND THE POLICE HAD TO BE CALLED IN TO BRING THINGS UNDER CONTROL…KIND OF ON THE NUTTY SIDE…RELAX…THINGS WILL GET BETTER…MAYBE NOT AS FAST AS WE WOULD LIKE, BUT THINGS WILL COME BACK AROUND…JUST A DAY OR TWO LATER YOU COULD STOP AT SEVERAL PLACES AND GET ALL THE GAS YOU WANTED…LINES FORMED FOR COFFEE, BATTERIES, FLASHLIGHTS, CANDLES…PEOPLE WAITED HOURS FOR GENERATORS ONLY TO BE DISAPPOINTED…IT SEEMED LIKE AN END OF THE WORLD MENTALITY GRIPPED A LARGE NUMBER OF USUALLY SANE AND RATIONAL FOLKS…

IN SPITE OF LOSING ELECTRICITY FOR OVER A WEEK I WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES…WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD ANGEL…ONE OF THOSE TYPE OF GUYS THAT SEEMS TO BE HAPPIEST WHEN HE’S HELPING OTHERS, WHETHER IT’S CLEARING A DRIVEWAY IN THE FROZEN DEAD OF WINTER, CUTTING UP A FALLEN TREE, PUMPING OUT A FLOODED BASEMENT, OR (AS A MORE RECENT EXAMPLE) HOOKING UP AS MANY HOUSES AS HE CAN TO HIS GENERATOR..IN GLARING CONTRAST TO THE MANY EXAMPLES OF NEAR HYSTERIA, MY FRIEND, STEVE LARSON, EMERGES AS A CALM, COLLECTED AND ‘READY TO DEAL WITH THINGS AS THEY HAPPEN’ TIRELESS TYPE OF GUY…THANKS TO HIM SEVERAL HOUSEHOLDS MAINTAINED A DEGREE OF COMFORT THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE…WHICH IN TURN ALLOWED THOSE HOUSEHOLDS TO OFFER WARMTH AND A DEGREE OF COMFORT TO STILL OTHERS…

WELL THE WORST IS OVER FOR NOW (FOR US ANYWAY)…IT WAS FAR FROM BEING A DISASTER…IT WAS A STORM, A BAD ONE…IT DIDN’T MERIT THE PANIC AND BEHAVIOR THAT SOME DISPLAYED…NOT THE END OF THE WORLD—BUT—IF IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD I WOULD WANT TO BE ON STEVE’S SIDE FOR SURE…THANKS, STEVE FOR ALL YOUR HELP..   

SUNDAY I GOT ON THE BIKE AND FIGURED ON TAKING SOME PHOTOS OF THE AFTERMATH...BELIEVE ME, THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF PHOTO OPPS...THESE ARE JUST A VERY FEW OF THE SIGHTS THAT WERE OUT THERE...

THERE WERE MANY ROADS THAT WERE BLOCKED OFF AND SOME WERE JUST COVERED WITH FALLEN POLES AND TREES...COULDN'T POSSIBLY POST ALL THE PICTURES I TOOK BUT THESE WERE OF THE MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE SPOTS...AS FAR AS OUR PLACE GOES WE ONLY LOST FIVE SMALLER TREES AN EASY CLEAN UP WILL BEGIN SOMETIME IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO AFTER I GET MY MIND RIGHT...HERE'S OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HERO--STEVE LARSON WITH HIS MONSTER GENERATOR...FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE REGULAR READERS YOU'VE HEARD ME MENTION HIM BEFORE...WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE HIGH-SCHOOL AND STEVE'S FAMILY IS HELD IN HIGH REGARD IN BRISTOL CONNECTICUT (LARSON'S FARM WAS A BRISTOL LANDMARK SINCE 1939)...IF IT'S MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, OR SOMETHING TO DO WITH PLANTS, STEVES GOT THE ANSWERS...IF YOU'RE INTO GARDENING AT ALL CHECK OUT HIS BOOKLET  "GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN"  EMAIL HIM FOR ONE AT       vermontfarmer@yahoo.com 

  LET'S SEE--SO FAR THIS YEAR ONE HURRICANE, ONE TROPICAL STORM, ONE EARTHQUAKE AND A FREAK STORM THAT SLAPPED DOWN A WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS AND ALL THEIR PLANS FOR THE BETTER PART OF A WEEK AND A COUPLE OF DAYS...
                                                           ***********************
                                           HOPEFULLY--MAYBE NEXT WEEK I'LL GET TO
                                            SHARE SOME OF THOSE FALL FOLIAGE SPOTS
                                                               THAT I LOVE SO MUCH
                                          ( IF THERE'S STILL SOME TREES LEFT STANDING)
                                                           STAY WARM---STAY SAFE
                                                                                *******
      FRIDAY THE 11th IS VETERANS DAY---TELL THEM THANKS---BUY THEM A COFFEE
                                         SHAKE THEIR HAND---IT MEANS A LOT TO US
                                                                                   ****
                                                                  SEE YOU NEXT WEEK
                                                                                   JIM