Hi Guys!!!

I am so sorry for taking so long to get back in here and let you guys know wht is going on. First of all, I have to say....WOW, what a trip!!! I had such a great time with everyone in Elkns. Thank you all for owning the same wonderful motorcycle as me and sharing parts of your lives with me. I wantedit to go on for ever.

Well, well do I start? I guess first Ii better give up the photos that I took. I've told you before that I am not a very good photographer. Just accept my offerings as you would from ant other retard with a camera. http://s691.photobucket.c.../vv279/guns90/?start=all .

On one hand I can say that travel days for this whole adventure have been about as bad as one could get. However, I have lucked out completely when it came to the riding days. You all know what it was like at Elkins. I'll show you some photos of Deals Gap on another thread.

The ride from Connecticut to Elkins started off in heavy fog and temps in the lower 50's. The higher the elevation, the worse it got. I had a little sunshine at the end of the first day, but rained in that night. My ride into Elkins with Alain was explained by him, not very pleaseant a good deal of the way, but it was great riding with a friend.

My ride to Deals Gap from Elkins was the pits! It was the first time I can remember hiding under an overpass to escape lightening and hail. It was the longest 450 miles that I ever rode. Oh, but the next day made it worth it. I thoroughly enjoyed the Dragon and Cheroholla Skyway.

My ride into my father's in Illinois was again through the rain. Is it ever going to stop raining? Here's a funny little tidbit...when I got to my father's, it was pouring. I pulled up to his back porch and unloaded my motorcycle. I parked it in his garrage for the night. The next morning, we ahd sunshine, so I went out to it to move it outside to wash it. It really looked bad. Anyway, it wouldn't start. It was out of gas!! I still had reserve, but how's that for pushing it to get home?

I've been enjoying time with my family. Haven't really had much of a break since I've been here. Saturday, my cousin came over to see me for a while. That was nice, but Sunday, I rode with him and some friends of his for 160 miles around the roads that Illinois has to offer. He has A Triumph Tiger. With us were a CBR 1000, CBR 600, R1, R6, and a new Gold Wing. You can gues who was sucking hind tit. My cousin called me the next day and told me that his friends really got a kick out of the way I was leaning off to the inside on the corners to keep up with them. One of them said that the straight-aways were the only thing holding me back. It was a lot of fun.

Well, back to the Rally....

Brian and Terry, I sure had a great tiem with you two. Wish we could have spent some more time together. Let's do it next year.

Johnny and Dawn, I really enjoyed the talks we had together. I hope that we can all get some quality riding time together next year also.

Fred, if it wasn't for you, I'd be riding my T like Alain. You have honed my skills friend. Thank you for everything you did this trip. I hope we have many more.

Alain, Thank you for taking it easy on me this trip. You know I love you, Dude.

Tony, I'm sure you and I will be talking about the trip you missed for years to come. Thank you for keeping the others posted about my whereabouts and welfare.

Frankie, as I think about it, you and I didn't get to spend near enough time together. Let's do so at the next gathering.

Andy, we finally met. What a disappointment! Seroiusly, It was good to see you after all this time. Thanks for all the conversation.

Ken, It was so good to have you on the rides with Fred. I hated having the others talk bad about only me trying to relive my childhoood attempting to keep up with Fred. It was fun. Thanks.

Jim, I enjoyed your company also. Thank you for sharing your stories.

And Kirk, It was a pleasure meeting you after all this time. I wish that I was young and healthy enough to keep up with you. Nice to have you there for the short time.

To all of you, I cannot express well enough the joy that being with all of you gave me. It was the most fun I've had in quite a while. (Shame I live such a boring life, huh?) Seriously, it was a wonderful time for me and I hope it is not our last together. As my signature says...

WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!!

Gary

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow!!! What A Ride!!!"