Storms again this morning. Lots of lightening and thunder - so this is tending to get a bit on the old side, although my hip is holding us back from doing any long rides. We're hoping that we can get down to Keystone and the Needles Highway today - one of the more thrilling rides in the area. Traffic should be a bit on the lighter side today because a lot of riders/tenters left town yesterday due to the rain the last three nights.
Dave, Rocky & Tony took Tom to the airport yesterday. Tom wanted to leave here by 9 a.m. but due to the storms in the area he had to wait it out a bit. Tom is IFR qualified (instrument flight recognition) which means that he can fly by his instruments and doesn't need to see where he's going, but the Sturgis airport doesn't have the proper equipment so he had to wait for the ceiling to raise before he could take off. He finally got out of here at about noon and made it safely home in a couple of hours, although he had to deal with several big storm cells that he "wiggled through" up in the Dickinson/Bismarck area. He called us after he landed to thank us for the hospitality and to let us know that he was home safe. He's a fun guy.
So the night before he left the guys decided that Tom needed to "experience" the Full Throttle Saloon and took him over there for a couple of hours. You'll see the pictures in the video. But let me warn you - if nudity offends you (snicker) please don't watch the video. Tom told me to please make sure I send this one to his office and not to his home (chuckle). Good for blackmail in the future, I think.
The airport is out by the notorious Buffalo Chip campground, so when the guys took Tom to the airport late this morning they had to deal with all the exiting traffic from the Buffalo Chip. Seems that there's no grass or trees out at the Buffalo Chip, and after two nights and one day of rain it was just a wee bit on the muddy side. Most tenters and a lot of rigs packed up and decided to vacate the area. Some of them were stuck in the mud, and the bikes that were leaving the campground were covered with mud to the point that you couldn't tell what color they were. Because the guys were dealing with all the exiting traffic it took them two hours to go two miles from the airport to our campground.
So due to the traffic we decided to hang out in the campground again yesterday afternoon. It was horribly hot and terribly humid so the A/C in the campers felt pretty good. Jerry, who is a big farmer/rancher in SD brought along t-bone steaks So we gorged like gluttons AGAIN with an early supper (8 of us) and then decided to venture into town to people watch for awhile. There weren't many odd balls around last night so Karen and I decided to search out some ice cream and filled our stomachs even more. Oh, roll me over and poke me with a fork, okay?
I don't know if it was due to the large exit of so many folks yesterday or it was because the weather was a bit on the cool side - but there was just no one in town - very little traffic on the main street so we packed it up and rode on home. Don't forget, you can see what's going on on Main Street 24 hours a day by clicking on this link
http://www.sturgisrallydaily.com/interactive/sturgis_street_camera.php
Maybe you can catch a weirdo or two at some point in time.
Love Lena
THE ADVENTURES OF OLE & LENA A Stud & and Hot Dish
Showing posts with label Sturgis 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sturgis 2009. Show all posts
Friday, August 7, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Random stuff
I totally forgot to tell you about the Yuppies next door with the hot tub. They've been busy entertaining the neighborhood every morning at 6 a.m. We can't see them because our rigs are back to back, and we didn't want to be too obvious and go over to Rocky and Billie's at 6 a.m. for coffee to watch the show. But we get a full report from Rocky and several others every day as they're all up early drinking coffee by their picnic tables.
Every morning promptly at 6 a.m. the senior citizen yuppies open the door to their rig and come out in their bathrobes. Rocky says they've got to be at least in their late 60s or early 70s. They take the cover off their hot tub, slowly disrobe down to their birthday suits and elegantly step into their hot tub. After exactly 30 minutes they exit the tub, wipe dry with the towels they have brought out with them, slip their robes back on and go back into their rig. They haven't bothered to get to know anybody - just put on their show regularly every morning. Boy - you see all kinds in a place like this.
Karen and Dave have a very busy campsite also, but for a very different reason. They have a Yorkie named Gidget that just had six puppies 8 weeks ago. They were able to find homes for three of them before they left, but have three left. In addition to the Mama dog and the three puppies, they have Scooter who is a rescue Yorkie and Mandy, the old grandma dog. So every morning at 6 a.m. sharp (wonder why he picked that time) Dave has all the puppies outside letting them do their thing and get a little exercise. There's little balls of fluff all over his campsite running and leaping and wrestling and barking. They're very good about staying in the campsite and not wandering off, but if necessary Dave has a rolled up newspaper and all he has to do is wave it in the air and everybody comes racing back. I've tried to get some video of them but they move so fast I haven't been successful yet.
Yesterday was very hot with not much breeze, so we headed up to Deadwood, which is several thousand feet higher hoping that it would be a little cooler. It was, but not enough to make much difference. So we had lunch and then sat on the street, people watched and ate ice cream cones. On the way back to camp we got stuck in some horrible stand still traffic on Lazelle Street in Sturgis. It got so hot sitting there on the street on the motorcycle with no breeze to be had, I thought I was going to get sick. So needless to say when the sun went down and it cooled off we were all grateful.
A friend of Ole's flies his own plane, and he and another buddy flew in this morning. Ole and Dave met them at the airport. They'll be staying with us for a couple of nights and then heading home. Ken is a laugh a minute, so it should be a fun couple of days.
So - I'm giving you all a opportunity to ride on the back of a Harley. Hope you enjoy it. Hang on tight and don't fall off, okay?
Love, Lena
Every morning promptly at 6 a.m. the senior citizen yuppies open the door to their rig and come out in their bathrobes. Rocky says they've got to be at least in their late 60s or early 70s. They take the cover off their hot tub, slowly disrobe down to their birthday suits and elegantly step into their hot tub. After exactly 30 minutes they exit the tub, wipe dry with the towels they have brought out with them, slip their robes back on and go back into their rig. They haven't bothered to get to know anybody - just put on their show regularly every morning. Boy - you see all kinds in a place like this.
Karen and Dave have a very busy campsite also, but for a very different reason. They have a Yorkie named Gidget that just had six puppies 8 weeks ago. They were able to find homes for three of them before they left, but have three left. In addition to the Mama dog and the three puppies, they have Scooter who is a rescue Yorkie and Mandy, the old grandma dog. So every morning at 6 a.m. sharp (wonder why he picked that time) Dave has all the puppies outside letting them do their thing and get a little exercise. There's little balls of fluff all over his campsite running and leaping and wrestling and barking. They're very good about staying in the campsite and not wandering off, but if necessary Dave has a rolled up newspaper and all he has to do is wave it in the air and everybody comes racing back. I've tried to get some video of them but they move so fast I haven't been successful yet.
Yesterday was very hot with not much breeze, so we headed up to Deadwood, which is several thousand feet higher hoping that it would be a little cooler. It was, but not enough to make much difference. So we had lunch and then sat on the street, people watched and ate ice cream cones. On the way back to camp we got stuck in some horrible stand still traffic on Lazelle Street in Sturgis. It got so hot sitting there on the street on the motorcycle with no breeze to be had, I thought I was going to get sick. So needless to say when the sun went down and it cooled off we were all grateful.
A friend of Ole's flies his own plane, and he and another buddy flew in this morning. Ole and Dave met them at the airport. They'll be staying with us for a couple of nights and then heading home. Ken is a laugh a minute, so it should be a fun couple of days.
So - I'm giving you all a opportunity to ride on the back of a Harley. Hope you enjoy it. Hang on tight and don't fall off, okay?
Love, Lena
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Red Neck Hillbillies
Isn't it interesting that there are folks in this world who have absolutely no respect for other people's property or space. They think nothing of just "moving in" like squatters when you're gone.
We were all out and about yesterday and returned back to the campground about 5:30. Up to this point we've had no one occupying the camping space in front of us. It's been nice, but of course we eventually expected to have neighbors.
Well, the new neighbors were here in all their glory when we returned. They were spread all over - overflowing into our space, physically occupying our chairs and picnic table and even had one of their pickups parked in front of our rig blocking our path out with the Harley. They have two pickups, a camping trailer, and three tents in their group. Just a bit crowded.
This didn't sit very well with Ole, and as he rounded the corner to park the bike under our canopy he intentionally drove into the middle of the hillbillies and almost hit one that was sitting in one of our chairs. The guy leaped out of the chair almost spilling the beer he had in his hand and yelled some profanity at Ole. Ole told him in no uncertain terms that dividing line between the two lots was the tree that was in the middle and if it was shade under our awning that they were looking for we sell it (snicker). The red neck then said that he noticed we didn't have any beer in our cooler so he was willing to buy shade for the price of a beer. We had a cooler sitting outside by our step and no, we didn't have any beer in it - just bottles of tea and water and a few sodas. So obviously they had not only been occupying our space but snooping through it also.
There are four couples in this group and they all look like something from the back woods of Kentucky and Tennessee. Someone that you would greet you with a shotgun pointed out the window as you approached their property - probably because they've got a still out back and don't want the Revenuers snooping around. So it should be an interesting week in that respect.
When I asked the guy who leaped out of the chair how long they were staying his response was, "Until I run out of money and that will depend on how much I drink." Boy, doesn't THAT sound like fun!!
It was my turn to serve supper last night, so when I finally got our picnic table cleared off, the food on the table and the members of our group sitting down - here were all these people next door staring at the food and looking like dogs who were ready to drool. I'm really surprised they don't have some red-boned hound dog along with them.
In the lot on our backside is the total opposite - totally yuppie. They're here in a huge new rig in the half-million dollar range, four brand new Harleys, a 4-wheeler and a HOT TUB!! But we haven't heard boo from them.
So another day dawns, and hopefully I can make it through again on the back of the Harley. I'm having a lot of pain in my hip due to the angle that I have to keep my legs when I'm riding on the back. In case I haven't mentioned it previously, I was informed two weeks ago that I have to have a new hip. I guess if it will take away the constant pain I'm in it's worth it, but I'm quite leary about being called the Bionic Woman in the future!!
I'm sitting by the window in the RV where I can see the hillbillies. They just crawled out of their tents and they all look like death warmed over.
Love Lena
We were all out and about yesterday and returned back to the campground about 5:30. Up to this point we've had no one occupying the camping space in front of us. It's been nice, but of course we eventually expected to have neighbors.
Well, the new neighbors were here in all their glory when we returned. They were spread all over - overflowing into our space, physically occupying our chairs and picnic table and even had one of their pickups parked in front of our rig blocking our path out with the Harley. They have two pickups, a camping trailer, and three tents in their group. Just a bit crowded.
This didn't sit very well with Ole, and as he rounded the corner to park the bike under our canopy he intentionally drove into the middle of the hillbillies and almost hit one that was sitting in one of our chairs. The guy leaped out of the chair almost spilling the beer he had in his hand and yelled some profanity at Ole. Ole told him in no uncertain terms that dividing line between the two lots was the tree that was in the middle and if it was shade under our awning that they were looking for we sell it (snicker). The red neck then said that he noticed we didn't have any beer in our cooler so he was willing to buy shade for the price of a beer. We had a cooler sitting outside by our step and no, we didn't have any beer in it - just bottles of tea and water and a few sodas. So obviously they had not only been occupying our space but snooping through it also.
There are four couples in this group and they all look like something from the back woods of Kentucky and Tennessee. Someone that you would greet you with a shotgun pointed out the window as you approached their property - probably because they've got a still out back and don't want the Revenuers snooping around. So it should be an interesting week in that respect.
When I asked the guy who leaped out of the chair how long they were staying his response was, "Until I run out of money and that will depend on how much I drink." Boy, doesn't THAT sound like fun!!
It was my turn to serve supper last night, so when I finally got our picnic table cleared off, the food on the table and the members of our group sitting down - here were all these people next door staring at the food and looking like dogs who were ready to drool. I'm really surprised they don't have some red-boned hound dog along with them.
In the lot on our backside is the total opposite - totally yuppie. They're here in a huge new rig in the half-million dollar range, four brand new Harleys, a 4-wheeler and a HOT TUB!! But we haven't heard boo from them.
So another day dawns, and hopefully I can make it through again on the back of the Harley. I'm having a lot of pain in my hip due to the angle that I have to keep my legs when I'm riding on the back. In case I haven't mentioned it previously, I was informed two weeks ago that I have to have a new hip. I guess if it will take away the constant pain I'm in it's worth it, but I'm quite leary about being called the Bionic Woman in the future!!
I'm sitting by the window in the RV where I can see the hillbillies. They just crawled out of their tents and they all look like death warmed over.
Love Lena
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Let's Play Catchup
We're here - we had a very uneventful trip which is the way we like it.
We finally got loaded and out of the yard about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As usual our "intentions" didn't come to fruition - that was to be on the road by ten. Somebody told me once that we plan and God laughs. Our plan was to drive as far as Faith, SD and camp there for the night. We did do that - but that last 90 miles seemed like 190.
Once you cross the ND/SD line at Lemmon, SD you better make sure you have a full gas tank because there is NOTHING out there. The road is narrow, has NO shoulder and the grass is about knee high and grows right up to the edge of the asphalt. This makes it quite interesting as all kinds of creatures are jumping out of the ditch in front of you - fox, coyote, antelope and various other small critters. Even though Ole was running with the high beams on he turned on the spotlight on the roof of the rig and shined it just beyond the range of the headlights so he could see better. I was really glad to see the lights of Faith that night. A number of years ago we hit a deer with our old rig. I don't want to do that again. It makes quite a mess.
From Faith it was about two hours to Sturgis the next day. When you can see Bear Butte you know you're getting close.
I am truly ashamed to say that on the side of the trailer these guys were pulling was the name of the city they were from - Detroit Lakes, MN. Don't tell me that he can't feel a breeze blowing back there. And as you can see, this is not a young teenager so I know he's not trying to be trendy. I truly hate to claim them as fellow Minnesotans!!
We finally got loaded and out of the yard about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As usual our "intentions" didn't come to fruition - that was to be on the road by ten. Somebody told me once that we plan and God laughs. Our plan was to drive as far as Faith, SD and camp there for the night. We did do that - but that last 90 miles seemed like 190.
Once you cross the ND/SD line at Lemmon, SD you better make sure you have a full gas tank because there is NOTHING out there. The road is narrow, has NO shoulder and the grass is about knee high and grows right up to the edge of the asphalt. This makes it quite interesting as all kinds of creatures are jumping out of the ditch in front of you - fox, coyote, antelope and various other small critters. Even though Ole was running with the high beams on he turned on the spotlight on the roof of the rig and shined it just beyond the range of the headlights so he could see better. I was really glad to see the lights of Faith that night. A number of years ago we hit a deer with our old rig. I don't want to do that again. It makes quite a mess.
From Faith it was about two hours to Sturgis the next day. When you can see Bear Butte you know you're getting close.
If you use your imagination, Bear Butte is supposed to look like a sleeping bear. It's a sacred site for many of the plains Indians. Maybe my imagination isn't what it should be, but if you can see the bear more power to you.
We were the first ones into the campground on Wednesday (that's a first) and spent the afternoon lounging around waiting for our friends, Karen & Dave from AZ, to show up. They got a late start that day and didn't get in until ten at night - after having dealt with having to replace 4 truck tires and 4 trailer tires along the way. All the tires had less than 12,000 miles on them and started to bubble on the inside. All defective I guess - but still money out of their pocket until they can get home and return them to their dealer. Not a good start to their trip.
Jeff and Jerry showed up in the afternoon. They're a father and son from Huron, SD that farm 3000 acres of corn, wheat and beans. They're a riot. Jerry, the dad, is new at dealing with diabetes so isn't always feeling quite up to par but is learning to deal with it. Jeff is 28 and used to work at a boys' ranch out in western ND as a counselor. He's so interesting to talk to and has quite the stories to tell. A year ago he decided it was time to go back to farming and gave up his job and moved home with his dad. He's an only child so will be taking over the farm eventually.
Shortly after that Rocky and Billie (husband & wife) arrived from Kansas City. And of course, Norton. Can't forget Norton. He's a black lab that loves everyone but you better look out for his tail because it can be used as a weapon. Rocky owns a business in Kansas City and his wife, Billie, is his office manager. Fun people. Rocky just had his shoulder replaced a month ago, is deep into physical therapy, so his riding is going to be limited.
On Thursday, after spending the morning lounging around, sitting at the picnic table and consuming large amounts of coffee we all decided to go into Sturgis for lunch. After dining on the fine cuisine of pizza and burgers we all decided to head down to the Harley shop a few blocks away. Karen, who usually rides her own bike, wasn't feeling well that day so had decided to ride on the back of Dave's bike. Dave was halfway out of his parking spot when his boot hit gravel on the street and slipped. He tried to hold his bike up, his boot caught on solid asphalt, but by this time his bike was so far down that his ankle rolled and the bike went down with his foot under it. We got Dave and the bike back up with a minor amount of damage done to the bike, but I'm afraid there's more damage done to Dave. He thinks he's just sprained his ankle, but several of us think he may have detached some ligaments or tendons in his ankle/foot. Hopefully we can convince him to go to the ER this morning.
So you can see we're all quite a conglomeration of riders that have gathered together. Dave with ankle issues who won't be able to ride - and to have that happen on the first day here is so frustrating; Rocky with shoulder issues who will be able to ride but not for long distances; Jerry who is dealing with getting used to diabetes, doesn't always feel well so doesn't want to go long distances; and myself having hip issues and can't ride long distances due to the pain. Let me tell you, this getting old stuff is NOT for wimps!! And to think that when we first started out doing this years ago we would leave the camper at 10 in the morning and not return until 10 at night. Guess we'll have to live with the memories (chuckle).
This group of people has been getting together at the same campground for the last eight years so a lot of the fun is not only the riding, but the camaraderie. They're a wonderful bunch of people.
The rally doesn't OFFICIALLY start until Sunday and runs for a week, but every year riders seem to come earlier and stay later. So at this point there's not a lot going on but it's a nice time to be here - before all the heavy traffic arrives and makes it more difficult to get around. Here's a link to a web cam that is on the main street of Sturgis. You can click on it and watch the progress throughout the week. There's not much traffic on the street right now, but by Monday the street will be blocked off to car traffic and there will be wall to wall motorcycles and people. Tune in - you might find it interesting.
http://www.sturgisrallydaily.com/interactive/sturgis_street_camera.php
Of course there's always work to be done in a campground. Somebody's got to drink the coffee and then there's those who have to unload the bikes. Here's Ole helping Jeff & Jerry unload Jeff's from the back of the truck.
We were the first ones into the campground on Wednesday (that's a first) and spent the afternoon lounging around waiting for our friends, Karen & Dave from AZ, to show up. They got a late start that day and didn't get in until ten at night - after having dealt with having to replace 4 truck tires and 4 trailer tires along the way. All the tires had less than 12,000 miles on them and started to bubble on the inside. All defective I guess - but still money out of their pocket until they can get home and return them to their dealer. Not a good start to their trip.
Jeff and Jerry showed up in the afternoon. They're a father and son from Huron, SD that farm 3000 acres of corn, wheat and beans. They're a riot. Jerry, the dad, is new at dealing with diabetes so isn't always feeling quite up to par but is learning to deal with it. Jeff is 28 and used to work at a boys' ranch out in western ND as a counselor. He's so interesting to talk to and has quite the stories to tell. A year ago he decided it was time to go back to farming and gave up his job and moved home with his dad. He's an only child so will be taking over the farm eventually.
Shortly after that Rocky and Billie (husband & wife) arrived from Kansas City. And of course, Norton. Can't forget Norton. He's a black lab that loves everyone but you better look out for his tail because it can be used as a weapon. Rocky owns a business in Kansas City and his wife, Billie, is his office manager. Fun people. Rocky just had his shoulder replaced a month ago, is deep into physical therapy, so his riding is going to be limited.
On Thursday, after spending the morning lounging around, sitting at the picnic table and consuming large amounts of coffee we all decided to go into Sturgis for lunch. After dining on the fine cuisine of pizza and burgers we all decided to head down to the Harley shop a few blocks away. Karen, who usually rides her own bike, wasn't feeling well that day so had decided to ride on the back of Dave's bike. Dave was halfway out of his parking spot when his boot hit gravel on the street and slipped. He tried to hold his bike up, his boot caught on solid asphalt, but by this time his bike was so far down that his ankle rolled and the bike went down with his foot under it. We got Dave and the bike back up with a minor amount of damage done to the bike, but I'm afraid there's more damage done to Dave. He thinks he's just sprained his ankle, but several of us think he may have detached some ligaments or tendons in his ankle/foot. Hopefully we can convince him to go to the ER this morning.
So you can see we're all quite a conglomeration of riders that have gathered together. Dave with ankle issues who won't be able to ride - and to have that happen on the first day here is so frustrating; Rocky with shoulder issues who will be able to ride but not for long distances; Jerry who is dealing with getting used to diabetes, doesn't always feel well so doesn't want to go long distances; and myself having hip issues and can't ride long distances due to the pain. Let me tell you, this getting old stuff is NOT for wimps!! And to think that when we first started out doing this years ago we would leave the camper at 10 in the morning and not return until 10 at night. Guess we'll have to live with the memories (chuckle).
This group of people has been getting together at the same campground for the last eight years so a lot of the fun is not only the riding, but the camaraderie. They're a wonderful bunch of people.
The rally doesn't OFFICIALLY start until Sunday and runs for a week, but every year riders seem to come earlier and stay later. So at this point there's not a lot going on but it's a nice time to be here - before all the heavy traffic arrives and makes it more difficult to get around. Here's a link to a web cam that is on the main street of Sturgis. You can click on it and watch the progress throughout the week. There's not much traffic on the street right now, but by Monday the street will be blocked off to car traffic and there will be wall to wall motorcycles and people. Tune in - you might find it interesting.
http://www.sturgisrallydaily.com/interactive/sturgis_street_camera.php
Of course there's always work to be done in a campground. Somebody's got to drink the coffee and then there's those who have to unload the bikes. Here's Ole helping Jeff & Jerry unload Jeff's from the back of the truck.
Things didn't go well, and when Jeff got his bike halfway onto the ramp it started to tip and Jeff almost went down with the bike. Thanks to a bunch of macho men they were able to save it and get it back into the truck before it dumped. Poor Jeff's heart beat very fast for quite some time after that.
One of the things you have to look out for is the amount of "crack" that's around. Yes, there is always a certain faction of motorcycle gangs around - like Hell's Angels, Banditoes, etc., and they're big time into the drugs. Ole and I did locate some "crack" in the campground yesterday, and of course I had to document it:
I am truly ashamed to say that on the side of the trailer these guys were pulling was the name of the city they were from - Detroit Lakes, MN. Don't tell me that he can't feel a breeze blowing back there. And as you can see, this is not a young teenager so I know he's not trying to be trendy. I truly hate to claim them as fellow Minnesotans!! On that note I'll leave you for today and hope to find more interesting things to report next time.
Love Lena
PS: Tami - I know you're reading me so you could be gracious enough to acknowledge yourself by leaving a comment!!!
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