August 8, 2012

HAT TIPS

Hello,
We live just off the highway and this was a big weekend. The Sturgis Bike Rally kicked off on Sunday. For the past three days, motorcycles have been roaring by. The horses and I go stand by the fence and wish we were free so we could go, too.
Several years ago, actually decades ago, I wrote about heading down to the rally on my Honda Super 90 with Shirley. I still recall the joy of the ride with a tear in my eye. Perhaps it is from Shirley whacking me alongside the head after that fateful day. I’m not sure. Anyway it ended my motorcycle days, except for the day Jeff brought his new Harley over for me to admire. I did more than admire it. I tipped it over in my driveway and broke a few parts off. A big Harley is harder to turn around than my 90.
So my gang days have faded into my cloudy memory.
Fortunately, I have a neighbor that still attends the rally. He parks the combine, makes a last check of the cattle, checks all the water tanks, feeds the dog, and counts on good neighbors to keep an eye on things. Then he crawls on his hog and heads for the hills.
He has a nice little place rented in the hills where he spends a few quiet weekends a year. Rally weekend is not one of those quiet weekends. If you have ever been there, you know what I mean.
Anyway, my friend was at one of those huge biker bars, and I guess he got to thinking he was a young man again. He imbibed a little too much. Too much Keystone Light or something along those lines, and he told me this story.
Being older and wiser, he knew better than to crawl on his Harley and head for camp. He took a taxi back to his cabin. The cab left him off half a block from his bed. It was late at night, or early in the morning for some of us.
He said he was sound asleep, and wouldn’t you know it, at 6 a.m., his neighbor started mowing his lawn. You talk about inconsiderate. Six  a.m. on the first weekend of the rally, and his neighbor starts up that mower and begins mowing his lawn.
I asked Jeff if he did, or said anything to his neighbor. “No,” Jeff replied, “I just let him mow around me!”
Drive careful out there people. Look twice for bikers. I might be one of them.
Later,
Dean

WATFORD CITY WEATHER