October 30, 2007

Ride for an Orange Tree - Boles, MO


Yesterday I saw this cool orange tree out in Boles. So I decided to go back and photograph it today. I also wanted to check out the road that I accidentally turned down yesterday. I followed it over to Manchester Road and went over another road I had never been on named Bassett back to St. Albans. Both are very very cool roads!

I left earlier today than yesterday and it was damn cold! Went over to Heads store in St. Albans for coffee. They are putting a f-ing Starbucks in Mae Heads store!!! Yeah a f-ing Starbucks!!!!!!! Will still be the general store but with an f-ing Starbucks in it as well.. *SIGH* Cracks me up! I guess all this is inevitable with the McMansions dotting the landscape in St. Albans now.. but a F-ING Starbucks, LMAO!! So great I got to buy an overpriced lousy cup of coffee but hey it was warm... The store was founded in 1893 had the same old characteristics for years. Blah...


Bend Road Bridge - Washington

Bikes @ Missouri River


The weather keeps treating us to nice mild afternoons. Pete and I headed out to Washington via various back roads. Overall the fall colors are not what they usually are but there are flashes of fall beauty here and there.

I have heard they will tear down the Bend Road Bridge but to date it is still being used. We walked out on the bridge to get some pretty Meramec river pictures. The bridge sure does shake when a car goes across :) I ran across some statistics for the bridge that I found interesting.

Facts

Overview
Two-span through truss bridge on Bend Road over Meramec River
Status (as of 2001)
Open to one-lane traffic
History
Built 1916 by Miller & Borcherding Bridge Builders; rehabilitated 1991
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.46129, -90.77253 (decimal degrees)
38°27'41" N, 90°46'21" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Land survey
T. 43 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 14
Design
Pair of pin-connected, 10-panel Pennsylvania through trusses
Dimensions
Main span length: 200.1 ft.
Total length: 421.8 ft.
Deck width: 14.1 ft.
Vertical clearance: 14.0 ft.
Inspection (as of 2001)
Appraisal: Functionally obsolete
Sufficiency rating: 46.80
Meramec River @ Bend Road Bridge

Bikes@ Missouri River at Washington


Bend Road Bridge





October 22, 2007

Indian Summer!

Mississippi River Pano near Hannibal




What an awesome weekend to go riding!!

Ed, Sandy, Carolyn, Jerry and I headed out to Washington State Park and then out to Villa Ridge on Saturday. Just perfect ridiing weather. We hit some great roads down south (not named HH or Tom Frost). Lions Den between Old 21 and Old LeMay Ferry is a very nice diversion.

Ed, Pete and I went to *almost* Hannibal via Calhoun County, IL on Sunday. We had plans to just go to Kampsville, IL but our scoots just kept heading north. Think if we had more daylight we would have gotten to Iowa before turning around.

I am trying out a new slide show program for pictures. Let's see how it works!

October 16, 2007

Gravel 1 Me 0

Ok now that everyone in my family *finally* knows about my accident I will post here about it..

..had my first accident on the scooter... On the way down to Rocheport I took a slight spill. On HH near Tom Frost, I hit some gravel at about 30 mph and the front tire came completely out away from the road.

It's funny how things happen so quick and you remember to do the right things..

As soon as the tire slide out, I went to put my left foot down and my mind said uh no.. put it back on the scooter and ride it out..

I tried to counter steer, no can do, to much gravel..

As soon as my head hit the road, I saw the road and my sunglasses then a ton of dust. So I close my eyes and then I felt the bike slide away from me.. so I right away tucked in.

First thankful for no traffic coming.. secondly thankful that I was wearing a jacket jeans and boots, thirdly glad Pete was there..

Once I stopped moving, I got to my feet to find Pete.. seeing he was ok, I moved over towards my scooter with Pete.

Damaged, yeah.. all cosmetic. But still, I wash and wax this scooter every time I take it out.. sigh.. wanted to cry but thought all well..

Pete came over to look at my injuries, my right hand is missing a lot of skin on top at thumb and fore finger, not from the road but from the cowling on my scooter near the grip.. best I can figure it caught there. This was the only injury that was bloody..

If you know Pete, you know he is very very calm and under control.. so I never looked at my injuries, I watched him. He showed no emotion till he saw my left arm.. I was like umm could you not look at my arm that way?? He said that one is gonna hurt...

This was rash through my jacket.. The Corazzo jacket held up perfectly.. bit dusty but all good..

Both my knees were scraped and pretty bruised... as are my shins.. left side the road, right side best we can tell was from hitting the scooter.

Had boots on so nothing scraped up on my foot but it is bruised. Strawberry on my upper left thigh, not a bad one.

Knuckles have some minor scrapping on left hand and my right elbow very little scrapping. Slight bump on my head.

Yesterday I rode with a full face helmet, jeans, boots and a jacket. Thank God.. had I been in shorts and no jacket.. forget it, I would be typing this from a hospital.

Never again will I ride without a jacket.. the Corazzo 5.0 took all the hit and I had minor damage. Pete thinks it will take a long time for my left arm to heal but it could have been much worse...

Once up and some what cleaned off I decided the scooter and I were fine to make the rest of the trip. A large part of me did this cause I thought if we had the scooter trailered back to the house, it might take me a bit to get back on her..

Made a stop at Wal-Mart where Pete got supplies to properly clean and dress the wounds.. then we continued on no problems.. Still they do not hurt (Yes Pete, I know hey will...)

On way back to St. Louis today, I started feeling more sore and I mean everywhere... It was as if someone lifted a switch and said now it is time for you to be sore. Actually my sorest spot is my stomach muscles..

So out goes my newest Fulmer helmet.. but that baby did the job, but I will discard it.. out goes my Revo sunglasses, they are trashed. My new designer jeans that I PAID to have holes in them have some new holes put in for free courtesy of Route HH. My boots are pretty scraped up but they did their job.. Had I not had those on I have no doubt my left foot would have been crushed... my scooter works as I said damage is all cosmetic. Called insurance company and ETS so now it is in their hands.. nothing money won't cure.

Again having Pete there with his medical background made all the difference long term to my healing better. Had I had this accident alone I probably would have dusted myself off came home and cleaned up and not dressed it etc...

For all the teasing I gave Pete about his bed side manner, I could not have asked for a better person to be there when I had the accident.

Thanks Pete...

Rest of the trip was awesome, I glad I got back on and rode.. and wasn't afraid.

Lesson learned, gloves a must.. had I wore them my right hand would not be torn up. Never ever again will I ride without a jacket, that rash on my arm was through the jacket, the road melted the polyester lining into my arm.. so I guess ultimately the best thing to do would be wear long sleeve shirts to prevent that.

However I will accept that over no jacket. Only scrapping on the 5.0 is the pull tab over the velcro at the sleeve. Rest of my black/pink/silver jacket looks dusty but great!

Third day out I am very very sore, especially my stomach muscles. I have zero appetite (not a recommended diet solution :) )Skin is starting to tighten up, yeah!

Follow up, Corazzo reads a forum I post at, they are replacing my jacket for free. They want to see the damages to the inside. Pretty cool of them..

October 11, 2007

Rocheport Revisted

I traveled to Rocheport 4 times this year. Maybe my last trip of the year (on the scooter at least) this past weekend. Each trip was better and better.

Two of the main reasons you go to Rocheport; Sunsets and Dixie's cooking. Neither disappointed this past weekend.

I was looking through my pictures and noticed how different each sunset was.

June 2007



September 2007



October 2007




Of all the photos this is my favorite, was in June after the sun had gone on to set further west.