Breakfast in Payson. With 45 mpg out of the bike when Derick suggested breakfast in a town about 66 miles north of Fountain Hills, it was a no brainer. We met up at starbucks and rolled out onto the old bee line highway that is the end of town and the begining of the Ft. Mcdowell Indian Reservation. 66 miles of peaks and valleys and open landscapes of Joshua trees. Weird looking flowers that look oddly taken from some demented cartoon, and mountains made from a delicate balance of huge boulders, placed by nature like some dangerous marble jenga monument. On to the Knotty Pine Cafe in Payson the food was excellent and the ride was an odd concoction of sun burn and goosebumps. We both reaked of sun screen anyway, to no avail our fair skin rolled pink over the course of a few hours under the sun. The weather was very nice in the 70's all day and we abliged our speedometers to the same treatment for a few miles north of Payson. Down one of the coolest little switch back decents into a specific canyon manned by two older park rangers is the natural bridge. My ankle was still a little twisted from finding 1st gear and the starter button tangle with the weight of the big bike on it, so we walked down to make out point, look out #4, and took some pictures. Just as Derick was taking one of the first pictures of me during the trip my batteries failed, so other than his word their is no evidence of the trip every happening. Perfect. The remaining pictures were taken on our phones and I have yet figured a way to take them off of it and onto the computer. We stopped at an old bike salvage yard and found a tresure trove of awsome hogs. Period chops and war bikes, I paid less for my running twin cam ultra than this guy wanted for a long term project so we roared back to starbucks and broke camp. This was one of many day trips to come. Stephanie is looking forward to taking me to some of the more illusive points of intrest in AZ. There are many, although I don't think we will be stopping off at any motorcycle salvage yards, we could turn up and awsome wind chime of blown glass and copper. By the way and unexpected modification made the bike wicked quick, yet the favorite so far is the hardwired garage door opener. Harley Nerd? new term? Love you all.

I was looking for this on my blog. I graduated from an accelerated course in Nurse Assisting before I went to Texas. I had a blast and learned how awsome it is to help someone in need. I'm just about to go turn in my hire packet at the local long term health care facility and wanted to share with everyone how happy this is for me. Yet I forgot to post pics when I graduated and the awsome one off scrubs Susan made for me. Made from cotton/poly twill the material is both softer and less transparent than any available scubs. Thank you Susan and thank you to everyone who helped along the way. I enjoyed my clinicals more than expected and I am on my way to completing my goal in healthcare, the ever expanding self completion that is helping give back to those in need.

At the top of Fairview canyon, plinks in camp and Paula and Robert chilling in front of the camper under the pop up.

family camp redux

I had a blast in Utah. This year the camp was up Fairview canyon. We literally picked up the bike from the shop and drove straight to Sanpete. 11 hours in the saddle with stops for fuel. We averaged about 33 mpg, but we were going a little faster than cruising. DJ was cooking the whole time and Brandy put me up when we got into town and again up on the mountain. Mary and Joe came down for a night and I even got to see Dale and Mary for a little while. It was awsome. I got to actually spend some time with DJ when I went to his house before heading out and Roger came over. Brandi and Dallon, Jayci and DJ's girlfriend Debbie made a nice lunch. Stephanie and I traded the harley for a few hours for the mini van and drove up to Maple canyon. Flip flops made it about 100 yards into Box canyon before heading back. I gave mom a ride down skyline drive on the bike and had a Bishop malt at Rogers in Mt. Pleasant. Seeing the family was great, even if all we did was sit around the fire and bs. Thanks for everything DJ, Paula and Robert, Ron and Brandy, MOM, Eva and Roger and everyone else. It was great to see you all, if I do it next year, I'm taking a week off to drive up in two legs or bringing a car so I can sleep half way. oh and I found my eye glasses, but if you find my blue hat... I and my bald spots miss it.

I got a good sun burn today, Stephanie's is much worse. So worth it. A life changing event. I will post more pics when it stops raining, because this bike is too beautiful to take pictures of in the garage. Thanks so much Jerry for everything and everything else. She ran great and true, I really stretched the legs on her. Tomorrow she's going to Hacienda Harley for a full tune and take care of the little things. I couldn't ask for more. Sorry Mckay, you'll have to wait till for better pics.

I said I would post the video's after decompression. I and the video's are fully decompressed. Thanks for the greatest vacation in a long time I really miss/missed you all. I have more video, but this is the only one worth posting. Goes with out saying the trip home was a success. Stephanie is already planning trips back and trips to other family in other states, more on that later

Spending time with my brother in Texas. Everything is bigger in Texas. We went to NASA and set up for the fourth. I spent 9 hours staying up with him just smoking the meat. We had a blast just sitting in the yard. Dave, Mckays neighbor spent 6 hours and close to $2000 bucks wholesale in fireworks. We were popping morters for hours. I helped Mckays youngest Sara light her first 1 1/2" morter of course she is 6 years old. Photo's don't do any of this justice, we had a blast. Much love to everyone who was there, missed it all together and/or helped me get here. Looking forward to coming back next year if possible.