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| Blue left me a message and has asked that I remind you that tomorrows (Wed) ride will be to Casa Grande. Depending on the size of the group, you will be eating at either the Cracker Barrel or Mimi's. Depart from the station at 9 am.
| | | | | |  | | My apologies to the Red Baron for not including his photo's taken at The Duck Pond.. I just did not see the attachement. If you log onto the site and go back to the Gene's write up on the ride, they are now attached appropriately (I think). Or you can just look at them by clicking here.
I will try to do better in the future, but it is a challenge for people of my moderate skill.
Shutterbug. | |  | | Blue asked that I let you know that Joe Lessard's 2006 Suzuki Burgman 650 scooter is for sale. It has less than 10,000 miles on it, is in excellent condition and he is asking $6,000. For complete details you can call Joe at 208-443-0602 | | | | Angels & Friends.... as soon as I made the posting for today's ride, Gene Bonnes sent me this account. Gene was with the group that rode to the Duck Pond.... Thank you sir... Excellent Account...
Shutterbug
(note: you cannot count these extra words against my reduced numbers)
Hi Pat,
Following is a brief overview of the first group of bikes today, our destination being the Duck Pond. This group was led by Vern with Dollar Bill riding shotgun. We began our trip with a total of 12 bikes and 3 co-riders. When we made our scheduled stop at Wal Mart in Globe, we were joined by Little Al and his co-rider Marlene Moser (photo DSC-104) a long time family friend from Pequot, MN. Marleen seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the ride and the company.
As is usual at the Duck Pond, the service was a little slow but the food was excellent, the prices were right, and the added time gave all some extra time to socialize. As is often the case with either the Duck Pond or Ma's as our destination, we continued around Lake Roosevelt to route 87 exiting on the Bush Highway. Four bikes in our group opted to return directly home due to previous commitments.
Today was another one of those "this is why we're here" kind of days. In addition to the perfect weather was the absolutely beautiful scenery. The rock formations after passing through the tunnel and returning on Bush Road are something I don't think I will ever tire of. My sympathy for those who may never have the opportunity to view these wonderful sights. As I have said before, this is truly a bikers paradise!
I arrived back in Mesa at about 2:45 PM, my odometer showed a total distance of 188 miles to and from our park. Hope to see you all on Wed. not aware of any designated destination at this point.
View these pictures by clicking here
Regards,
The Red Baron.
| To see the pictures from the Pond.... CLICK HERE |  | | Sunshine…. Smiles…. And lots of Miles…. That is the short summary of the Angel’s March 6th outing. I could leave it at that, but it would not be my nature. I don’t suppose that any of you would find it odd that my mother-in-law often referred to me as “Wordy”. Not because I knew a lot of them, but because I used them often… Well, today, I will attempt to be a bit briefer..(This is not going to be easy)
Twenty-eight bikes with 36 riders took part in today’s ride, fifteen of them headed to The Duck Pond with Vern Chrestensen showing them the way and Dollar Bill riding shotgun. The remaining 15 bikes, led by Blue, followed at a reasonable distance behind, but extended their ride to Ma’s Kitchen. Wrangler trailed this group to be sure no one had problems. Both units stopped at Walmart in Miami for a stretch before heading toward their destinations on Roosevelt Lake.
Following satisfying morning meals, the two units met at Tonto Basis before riding on up 188 to the junction of 87 where they turned South for home. Blue and Broker traded positions in the group for most of their journey home. They did make one rest room stop at the Saguaro Lake area before continuing on.
Wanda and I left this group as we neared US 60 as I had some shopping to do. Blue tells me that everyone arrived back without incident.
I mentioned the good weather. It was in the mid 60’s on departure, dropped into the high 50’s for a time and was 75 degrees when we rode back into the valley. Wanda took more than the normal number of pictures from the back of the bike today. She was captivated with the beauty of the very green desert and especially with the spectacular cloud formations. There was one that really reached out and grabbed her (see picture). Doesn’t it look like a hand in the sky?
We did have a new rider with us today. Meet Lynn Flora who was a guest of Chuck Mueller.
Including my shopping excursion, I logged a total of 215.8 miles at an average speed of 50.8 mph. That constitutes four hours and about 15 minutes of riding time. It was glorious.
To view all of today’s pictures, I suggest you use the slide show option under the “actions” tab as it will take you to all of the folders without having to tell it to do so. CLICK HERE
Wednesday’s ride will probably be South with destinations of Petro and Tags…. Time and place remains the same.
Shutterbug
Oh yes.. I forgot to mention that Blue was selling raffle tickets for two carved motorcycles. Chances are a buck each and the drawing will be held at the picnic on March 27th. Here is a picture of the prize..... | http://www.blues-angels.com/p/Picture%20Archive/Forms/MainView.aspx?RootFolder=%2Fp%2FPicture%20Archive%2F2010%2F20100306%20Mas%20%20%20%20%20Duck%20Pond&FolderCTID=0x01200033E31B853A7D514B916FBFB48220A198&View={7A48B2CD-E895-4A24-93E3-F90194FD9EB5} |  | | blue stopped at my work site today to tell me that the plan for this Saturday is to go to Ma's Kitchen and the Duck Pond.... Departure time and location remains unchanged. See you there.
Pat | | | | It has been such a long time since Wednesday has been a ride day for me that I had forgotten how enjoyable it could be. Now I remember. Today was fantastic! No rain, very little wind, temperatures up into the 70’s and an excellent turnout all were contributing factors.
The intended destination for today was the Sunny Side Up Café in Caliente. I think that we ended up with 31 bikes at the station and a total of 41 riders. Needless to say, that is a large group to add to a restaurants normal traffic. As it turned out, some of those bike (I think 6 or 8 of them took a shorter ride down to Coolidge where they dined at Tag’s. The remainder rode in two contingents with Vern Chrestensen leading the first and Blue the second. Dollar Bill and Wrangler rode drag, but Dollar Bill experienced radio problems after departing so I filled in temporarily. He was able to make the correction when we stopped at the Tom Mix Memorial and it was good to have him back in the conversation loop.
It was about 10:30 when we invaded the parking lot and then entered en-mass, with many of the patrons looking a little curious as we paraded to the room they had reserved for us at the back of the restaurant. Blue made the comment that this is one of the top three places we frequent when it comes to facility, quality of food and service. I have to agree, except maybe there are four on the top of the list.
We had some fresh faces today. My buddy Pooh Bear was in the saddle and he has not been able to ride with us much in recent months. It was so good to have him along. Also back visiting his parents this year is Steve Jameson along with his friend Dawn. What a nice couple.
After breakfast all but four of the bikes returned home via Winkleman and Superior. The remaining four, Wrangler, Jack Parsons, Renne Heckert and myself rode on into Tucson to see the nice people at J&M Corporation, manufactures of the electronic headsets we use. Well, three of us had cable issues which were solved with no cash expenditures on our part, and Jack obtained information regarding what he had to do to install communications on his and Linda’s bikes. (I have said this before and will repeat it often, if you are considering headsets, or communication devices for your bikes, J&M are fantastic people to deal with. They really stand behind their products)
Our ride home took us West on I-10 to 87 and then North up through Coolidge. We arrived back in the resort around 3:30. All of us were riding without jackets, so you know that the day was warm and nice..
If you are interested in seeing who rode and some pictures of the trip.. CLICK HERE.
According to my GPS, the four of us rode a total of 206.8 miles at an average speed of 51.5 mph. That reduces to a riding time of 04:01:06. My maximum speed was 80.4 mph.
Shutterbug…..
I have also received a report from the Red Baron on the ride back from Caliente.. Here it is…..
Hi Pat,
Bill Barrington has asked me to forward a note to you which he would like to have included in your trip report of today. Bill is planning a one day trip to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park which is approximately 16 miles norht of Payson, near Pine. The plan is to leave the Chevron station on Thurs. 11 March at 8:30 AM. Bill anticipates returning by mid to late afternoon. This sounds like a nice ride, this park is one of those being closed in June of this year so it may be our last chance to see one of natures wonders. Please let Bill know if you plan on participating.
Ref our trip today, we had a total of 18 bikes returning from Catalina in two groups with a fuel stop at Winkleman and then on to GV via the Kearny route. Blue led the first group with The Red Baron as tail gunner. Vern led the second group with Dollar Bill as tail gunner. Because of the manner in which we parked at Winkleman, the two groups switched positions for the ride home. Another beautiful ride under severe clear skies with the mountains getting greener by the day.. No plans for Sat. as of now.
Hope to have my computer mess sorted out in the near future so I can again include some photos.
Regards,
Red Baron
| View today's pictures by CLICKING HERE |  | | Phil Parsons is selling his Kawasaki. If you, or someone you know is looking for a very affordable ride, at only $2,200 this may be the perfect opportunity. Check out the complete details by clicking the For Sale Tab on the web site.... Or, just Click Here | CLICK HERE to see both pictures. |  | | First of all... the Wednesday ride will be headed to Sunny Side Up in Caliente and for those interested then continue down to J&M where those in need of communication gear or correction will take care of business....
Second... Several of you have asked if my sister in law will be making additional of the Blue's Angels Patches that most of us have sewn on our vests or jackets... I asked and she said that she would make them but we need at least an order of 5. So if you are interested, let me or Blue know.
Third... I am interested in picking up an extra helmet for passengers. Need it to be size medium and do not want a full face helmet. 3/4 or 1/2 is fine.... (and keep in mind that I am poor)
See you tomorrow.
Shutterbug | | | | I received an e-mail from Toy Soltou this evening advising that his surgery has been delayed to March 16th.. He is hoping that will allow him additional rides with us before he has the back surgery. I hope so too. He also said that your prayers for a quick and complete recovery are appreciated.
Shutterbug | | | | I understand that Roy Salteu is going to have spinal surgery this week. He will not be riding with us for some time, and I hope you will keep him in your prayers.
Pat A | | | | Earlier this week, most of the weather forecasts for today indicated a strong possibility for rain. That was upsetting to me, as both of Wanda’s sisters had planned to join us for the morning ride and I had hoped that we would be able to ride north to Strawberry. Yesterday, however, the profile changed and the guess was that the expected storm would not arrive until late in the day.
So, as we gathered for the ride and the plan was to ride either to Florence or Coolidge (either less than a total of 80 miles) I pled my case to Blue for a ride north. Maybe he could see the tears beading up in the corners of my eyes or perhaps he is just the really nice guy I have always proclaimed him to be, but a compromise was made. We would ride north, but stop at Rye Creek. Some of our group wanted to be back in the resort by mid day, and Rye Creek made that possible. (Thanks Blue)
The gathering was smaller than usual and with only 15 bikes and 21 riders, it was decided that we could travel as one unit. Blue took his usual position at the head of the pack and Wrangler rode shotgun. I met a new Angel today, Darrel Hunrud (third from right -facing camera) who I think had ridden previously but was new to my camera. Andrea Kern (my sister-in-law from Laramie) joined us as a rider on the back of Dennis McKinney’s Harley and Wanda’s other sister (Judy Shaw) was at the extreme rear of the procession as a guest riding with Wrangler. Tony Reslein has returned for a second time this season from his home in Canada and he too was along.
Departure was at the prescribed time and we managed most of the stop lights while getting out of town, over Usary Pass Road. That took us to the Bush Highway which led to the Beeline which when taken North leads to Rye Creek. Blue had called to alert them of our numbers and they were ready for us on arrival. We did not need the coffee hand warmers as much as in previous weeks as the temperature on departure was 58 and until the last 20 miles or so, stayed in the upper 50’s. It did cool down a little as the wind came up a bit, but all in all, it was a very comfortable ride. Oh, there was snow covering some of the higher areas, such as Four Peaks and we could see it on the hills West of the restaurant, but none in our path.
They were quick to take our orders and the first helpings were quick to arrive, but the remaining meals took a bit longer, with Blue, Char, Wrangler and Tony ending up the last to be served. Those wanting to get back early, ate and then headed directly back to AJ. When our meal was finished, we proceeded down 188 toward Globe, via Roosevelt Lake. I think that the lake must be at capacity. Never have I seen it this full and there is still a steady stream of water entering via Tonto Creek.
There were eleven bikes headed toward Globe and we made no stops before reaching the Miami Shell station where some of the bikes welcomed a drink of petro while the rest of us took advantage of the stop to stretch or to ease the bladder. On the ride back through the Canyon on #60, the temperatures continued to climb and neared 70 as we dropped over Gonzales Pass into the valley. It was around 2 pm when we rode back into the resort. For this writer, it was a glorious ride. The desert is green, reflecting the benefit of our winter rains. The company was as good as it gets and no one had any problems. All in all, a very good day…
GPS Data:
Miles Ridden: 186,6
Average Speed: 54.00 mph
Driving Time: 03:27:14
On Wednesday, there is talk of riding down to Caliente and if I can get off work, I may tag along as I need to see the good folks at J&M in Tucson.
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view today's pictures |  | | February 24, 2010
Ride to Petro
It was a cool cloudy day when 24 bikers with 5 lady passengers left the Chevron station for the ride to the Petro Restaurant near the intersection of I-8 and I-10. Our travel was on the “high road”, taking Highway 60 to 79 through Florence, then Coolidge and a short tour on I-10. In half an hour, the cloud layer overhead disappeared and the sun shone for the rest of the trip. It was an exhilarating Arizona day.
After the picture, taken by Wrangler, we were divided into 2 groups. Blue led the first 12 bikes with Tomahawk as tailgunner. Vern Chrestensen led the second group with Red Shirt on the back. There was again a new rider. Vern Tiede from Hawley, Minnesota appeared on his 2006 Harley with 1,600 miles. Roy, who rode the yellow Gold Wing with outrigger wheels, appeared with his new grey Gold Wing Trike, but decided not to ride when it made unexpected sounds.
The back room at Petro was set for us when we arrived, and it was a jovial place. This was the second day on the job for our waitress, Mary, and she passed the test of service, delivering plentiful food. Some needed to return directly to AJ, while 14 bikes continued the tour to the west, with a rest stop at Ak Chin Casino, then through Maricopa and the 202, returning to Golden Vista about 2:00 with 165 miles total.
Tomorrow will be the Road Pickup on Baseline, starting at 9:00 from the Center. A rainy forecast for Saturday makes planning a destination uncertain. A short trip, perhaps to Fountain Hills, may become the goal.
Phil Parsons
| |  | | Road Cleanup
February 25, 2010
It was a light day for the Blue's Angels road warriors. Thirteen pickup Angels appeared. Blue had the trash bags, pickup sticks and vests, and we all spread out along our assigned part of Baseline. Eight bags of trash were picked up, and we were all back in the Park by 9:45 and feeling good. How's that for a day's work?
CLICK HERE to see today's pictures.
Phil Parsons
| http://www.blues-angels.com/p/Picture%20Archive/Forms/MainView.aspx?RootFolder=%2Fp%2FPicture%20Archive%2F2010%2F20100225%20Cleanup&FolderCTID=0x01200033E31B853A7D514B916FBFB48220A198&View={7A48B2CD-E895-4A24-93E3-F90194FD9EB5} |  | | I stopped at Blue's on my way home from work. He was sitting across the street, soaking up some sunshine. Smart man!
He told me that the plan for tomorrow is to ride to Petro. The departure time is unchanged. Ride safe...
Pat | | | | The weather forecast for today called for rain ! Hah…. What do those guys know about the weather? Well, today….. quite a bit. Still, even knowing that there was some chance that we might get a little damp, twenty bikes sporting 26 riders met at the Chevron, all wearing warm smiles and toasty jackets and all anticipating another great Angel ride. We had some riders back who have not been acknowledged this season. Bob DeCorte from Michigan rode last Saturday too, but I did not mention him. Also back were Don and Sue Theys on their attention getting Spyder.
While we had planned previously on riding North, as snow was a good possibility that direction, it was decided to try Kearney instead. A phone call to the restaurant there confirmed that they would find a spot for all of us to sit and following the group photo, we were on our way. Vern Chrestensen (now know as “Eagle Chrestensen as he recorded a 3 on a par 5 yesterday) led the first contingent of eleven bikes with Shutterbug riding shotgun. Blue and Wrangler were in charge of the remaining riders and they were not far behind us as we rode East on 60, past Gold Canyon, up to Superior and then South to Kearney. It looked for a time that the prognosticators were going to be wrong about the rain. There was a drop or two as we turned South on 177, the when we arrived at the restaurant, the skies were pretty clear and I, among many, opted not to put any rain cover on my ride. (Mistake!)
Our tables were ready for us as was the coffee and as the temperatures had dropped from the 50’s into the high 40’s as we rode past the Ray Mine, we were ready for some warm stimulants. Owing to the size of our group, the food was a bit longer coming out than we normally experience, but that did not diminish the quality of our gathering. What did put a little bit of a “damper” on the morning was the fulfillment of the rain prophesies as by the time we were ready to ride, rain suits were more than just a fashion statement. They were pretty much a necessity.
Some of the bikes opted to head straight back to Apache Junction, braving what was obviously a serious storm on the mountain. Others went to Winkleman for fuel and then rode on up to Globe and home. The remaining 13 bikes rode as one unit down to Oracle Junction and then home via Florence. We chose this route thinking that if we avoided the mountains, the weather would be dryer. Well, while there may have been less rain, it was certainly not dry. I heard a couple of guys say it was the worst rain they had ever ridden in. I can only say that they have not been with Wanda and I on all our journeys as we have experienced harder and longer storms, but in all fairness, it was pretty damp. And the wind was really whipping it up. I had a tumble weed larger than my bike blow directly in front of me. What an explosion! It was pretty exciting for a second and I will be picking sticks out of my bike for weeks to come. Glad I had the faring to protect me and my face shield down.
One stop just prior to reaching Florence allowed the boys to water cacti and then a fuel stop in Florence gave the “hold outs” a chance to lighten their loads as well. We rode back into Apache Junction just before 2:00. The temperatures had warmed from a low of 42 to about 50 and it was no longer precipitating. And, just in case you are wondering, it was still a great ride.
My GPS records indicate we covered a total of 177.7 miles at an average speed of 53.6. Do the math and that comes to a total of 3 hours, eighteen minutes and 51 seconds of riding. My maximum speed was 83.8 so you know I was near the back of the pack and had to hustle to catch up a time or two.
I will send information about Wednesday’s ride later, but want to remind all of you that this next Thursday is the street cleanup day. Meet Blue and your fellow Angles at the Golden Vista Club House at 9 am.
Shutterbug…..
| CLICK HERE to see today's pictures |  | | As the weather experts are predicting snow in the morning at Payson, it has been decided that alternate destinations are likely. Departure will be at 9 am and the decision as to where we go will be made then.
Pat | | | | Hi Pat,
Still no computer so am unable to forward any photos but will give a brief overview of our ride today which was absolutely excellent. We had a total of 20 bikes, 10 with co riders. We were joined by a new rider today, a Darrel Honrud of Bellingham, Washington riding a Kawasaki Venturer. Darrel is spending the winter in our park (Sun Life) and commented about how nice our group is and how great the ride was today.
We traveled in two groups, the first group (8 bikes) being led by Vern C. with Big Red in the rear, the second group (12 bikes) was led by Blue with Wrangler in the rear. Our destination was Guayo's just North of Globe who's specialty is Mexican food. We arrived at about 11:00 AM and were escorted to a private room in the rear of the building. The restaurant looks small on the outside which is very deceiving as there are several small banquet halls inside. The food and service was excellent, they have the capacity to deal with large groups of people. We were informed that the unlimited supply of chips supplied to each table were home made each morning. I'm sure we will be visiting here again.
Our return route was via Winkelman again traveling in 2 groups, this time with the lead group being led by Blue with Wrangler in the rear, the second group with Vern in the front and Big Red in the rear. I registered a total of about 190 miles from our park and returned home at 2:45 PM. For whatever reason, the route between Globe and Winkelman seems more scenic going South than North, only my opinion.
Our plans for Sat. are to leave the Chevron station at 9:00 AM and go North to the Payson area with one group eating at the casino, another group at the airport and the third group going to Strawberry. Sounds like another good ride. Hope to see you all Sat.
The Red Baron
My thanks to Gene for his fine report. We miss the photo's but understand the problem.
Blue has asked me to remind all of the Angels of the Street Clean Up scheduled for a week from Thursday, Feb 25th. I will be sending you a reminder of the time and place to meet, but please put this on your calendar.
Also, I understand that Blue's brother Bill is improving some. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.
Shutterbug. | | | | It has come to my attention (that is what sister-in-law's are for) that Blue did not lead the group to Judy's. He, in fact, led the last unit to the Duck Pond. I do apologize for the error. Guess I should not wait until midnight to do these entries.
Sorry.
Shutterbug | | | | From 50 to 70 - - - that was our day. Now I could be talking about several things.. Maybe the ages of our riders, but not the count of our clan. Maybe the speeds we rode and I suppose it could be the distance we traveled. As it turns out, it is the temperatures we enjoyed on the fantastic February day.
In fact, we did have one of our largest counts of bikes and riders. If I am not mistaken, there was a total of 35 bikes and 52 riders that crowded the parking lot at the Goldfield Chevron. Blue made the comment that if we continue to grow we will have to find another gas station with a bigger lot. (Maybe we should consider an abandoned air field someplace) The decision was made that we would travel in three groups to three locations. Some of the riders needed to be back a bit earlier so Judy’s Cook House in Globe was the first destination. Group two would ride to Ma’s Kitchen at Roosevelt Lake and the remaining riders would stop at the Duck Pond which is only a few miles short of Ma’s. Figuring out who was going where, so we could get a count that would allow Blue to call to alert them of our pending arrival, was a real challenge. When asked for a count of hands for any given place, some hands were barely visible, while others went up for about 30 seconds, but not long enough to get an accurate count. It was a challenge. So, Blue called ahead with what he hoped to be good numbers and we were soon ready to depart. But not before our traditional group photo.. I also took a picture of most of the ladies who were present. (Good looking group don’t you think?)
Garry Hewitt led the first unit up to Judy’s.. Garry was nice enough to send me a report on that segment and I really appreciate that. Thank you sir!
Hi Pat: As per your request:
Left Chevron with 8 bikes & 5 passengers for Judy's Cook House in Globe. Garry lead the way, with Little Al on the tail, arriving in Globe in time to wave & spur on Vern's group on their way to lake country. Short but warm & beautiful ride - great service @ Judy's and as always, great company. Back to AJ by 12:15. (no rain today!)
Thanks, Pat. Garry
Thank you Garry!.. Wow.. how can he say it all in so few words?
Vern Chrestensen led the second unit which consisted of 13 bikes packing 19 riders. Don Fields assumed the responsibility of tail gunner and our destination was Ma’s. As I mentioned, the temperature early was in the 50’s, although I think it may have dropped into the high 40’s as we went over the top of the mountain. As our departure from the Chevron was a little delayed, we opted not to take our usual stretch stop at the Wal Mart store in Globe, and made the trip to the lake in just under an hour and one half. They had expected only 12 Angels, but quickly made the adjustments to get us seated, coffee poured and our orders submitted. The foot was abundant, delicious and came out in a reasonable length of time. The company was as good as the meal.
Blue led the remaining riders (14 bikes with 20 up) to The Duck Pond. Gene (Red Baron) Bonnes rode shotgun and their unit was close behind us so we were able to hear them chat over the CB’s. Before we stopped to eat, arrangements were made to meet at Roosevelt Dam for a picture session. You will see that we took a several pictures of the riders and their mounts, all of which are posted. (If any of you want copies of you and yours, let me know).
Our next stop was at Tonto Basin and was important as our breakfasts always include an ample intake of coffee and it does not seem to travel well (or long). Several of the bikes from group two and three had opted to return directly back to AJ so I think we were now down to around 21 bikes total. Blue led the way home, continuing on up 188 to the Beeline Highway and then home.
Remember the 50-70 thing.. Yep, it was over 70 degrees when we rode back into town. Now that is perfect riding weather. And, according to my GPS, these riders traveled a total of 177.3 miles at an average speed of 52.1 mph. That figures out to be 3 hours, 24 minutes and 15 seconds of riding time. My maximum speed was 78.4 mph (the result of falling behind for traffic at a stop sign) And, on a personal note, I also turned over 80,000 miles on my 03 Goldwing. For me that is 60,000 miles of enjoyment and smooth riding.
As you are looking at today’s pictures (which are available by clicking here) be sure to not the beautiful blue skies and the emerging green in the desert. Our recent rains have made a tremendous difference in the look of things and in the water levels of our reservoirs. (Roosevelt must be near capacity) When viewing the pictures, I suggest using the slide show option under actions.
The ride on Wednesday will be up to Globe for lunch. Departure is at 10 am so mark you calendar accordingly.
One last thing… Bill Kelty, Blue’s brother, is needing our assistance. He is struggling with pneumonia and is also being treated for cancer. Please keep him and the Kelty family in your prayers.
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view today's pictures |  | | Blue informed me that the ride this Saturday (Feb 12) will be up to Ma's & the Duck Pond... Departure will be at the regular 9 am time and we will meet at the Chevron Station. See you there.
Shutterbug | | | | I want to thank all of the Angels and Angels Friends who attended our showing of the Wyoming Ride pictures last night. It was a fun evening for Wanda and I. We had about 30 show up. Some had to depart at intermission but most hunkered down and shivered through the entire program.... Pictures and HERE | click here to see all of the pictures. |  | | Blue asked me to remind you that this Wednesday the group will depart from the Chevron Station at the usual 9 am time. The planned destination is The Sunny Side Up Cafe. I hope that someone will remember to take pictures and send me a report to post. Wish I could tag along, but work prevails.
Ride Safe.
PS... Blue has turned in a number of the update sheets for the next roster. Please remember to get them back to him, or to me as soon as you can. If you do not have a form to complete, ask
Blue for one. If I do not get an updated form from you, I will assume that you do not want to be included in the roster.
Pat | | | | Payson is a popular destination as it is a pretty ride and the airport is a wonderful place to eat. Combine that with sunshine and warmer temperatures and the result is 29 bikes and 37 riders. Yes Sir… it was a very good turnout.
I was delighted to see that Audrey Chrestensen (on the left) was again one of our riders. For those who do not know, Audrey joined us in Wyoming and there demonstrated that even those new to riding can be troopers and she proved that for certain. Last year she was riding in a borrowed parka and now is sporting a fancy helmet with communications and a nice new Gold Wing Jacket. Nice to see you back Audrey.
And today I met some new folks. Roy and Karen Dansforth joined us, riding a beautiful black Harley and aboard a shiny white Harley was Dale Ringuette (seated on left). It is always nice to have new riders with us.
Owing to our numbers, we opted to ride as two units. Blue and Wrangler had a total of 17 bikes with 6 ladies on the back of the bikes… They would have breakfast at the Casino and their contingent followed Shutterbug and Broker whose group was 14 bikes strong with 16 riders up and our choice for the morning meal was the Crosswinds Restaurant at the airport in Payson. I understand that the Casino had a room reserved for that group and the back room at the airport had tables waiting our arrival. This is another of my favorite places to go. Their service was exceptional and there were no complaints with the quality. In fact, the service was so good that, in spite of the fact that we rode about 6 miles past the Casino and the same distance back, that our group was the first to Tonto Basin where we had agreed to meet as a group. After a short break, we decided that we would stop on down the road at the Roosevelt Dam and would check to see how much water was being released. It was pleasing to see that Roosevelt Lake is again full and we have a lot of winter ahead of us. At the dam, our group was parked and waiting when Blue and his riders rode right past the gate and on down toward the unpaved portion of that highway. I guess they were just going to practice turning around on very narrow roads.
After a bit of a rest, we again headed on South toward Globe. 5 of us stopped for fuel while the remainder rode on past toward home. We were not far behind them and we rode into the resort just a bit after 2:30. It was a great day. No rain, only a little rain and no major problems. Little Joe experienced some breathing difficulties but I guess was able to return without incident.
My GPS indicates that we rode a total of 211 miles at an average speed of 52.9 mph. We were just 54 seconds short of riding 4 hours. My maximum speed was 74.1 mph.
To view all of today’s pictures, CLICK HERE. (I recommend using the slide show option under Actions)
Shutterbug
PS... If you are planning on joining us this next Thursday evening to watch the Cody Adventure Slide Show, and have not yet told us that you will be here, please do so. We want to be sure we have adequate seating. The show starts at 7, so come early. We are expecting over 30 and hope you will join us and make it a real party.
| CLICK HERE to view all of today's pictures |  | | My thanks to Wrangler for the account of today's ride. As you will see, the plan to ride South to Catalina was changed. I think they learned there was rain in Florence, so opted for a dryer location. In any case, it sounds like a good ride. Here is the report:
We started with 17 bikes and one cute little co-rider. Our revised destination was Denny's in Fountian Hills. Someone's mike got stuck in the open position, so we stopped at the Salt River to get that corrected and at that point Dallas turned back.
We arrived at Denny's, sat down and within 10 minutes some of us were eating our breakfast. Now, that is good service. Upon finishing our morning repast, we decided to return via the same route thus avoiding city traffic and were home before noon.
It was a great Ride and back in time to have our spouses fix lunch.
Wrangler
| |  | | Blue called this morning to let me know the plans for tomorrows ride are to head South, to Catalina and the Sunny Side Up. 9 am departure...
And as of this date, he is planning on riding North on Saturday. The destination is Payson and we will probably eat at the Airport and the Casino. Again, 9 am departure....
Please remember to let me know if you plan to attend the slide show of the Cody Ride which we have planned for February 11th. That is a week from Thursday. As of this date, we have had a few responses, and I do hope more are interested.
Pat | | | | Hi Pat,
Having Wi-Fi problems again so am not sure when this will make the outgoing mail. Apparently our band width is not adequate to support all the computers in our park, bet you've heard that one before!
Following is an overview of those of us who elected to make Ma's our breakfast stop this morning. Blue served as our leader with Broker riding shotgun. We had a total of 12 bikes with 6 ladies as co-riders. Our first stop at Wall Mart was very timely as everyone welcomed the opportunity to stretch and warm up a bit. We encountered temps in the low 40's on the way to Globe with a few small banks of snow still hanging tough in some of the shaded areas. The group arrived at Ma’s nearly on our ETA of 10:30 and were served promptly with warm cups of coffee. They again did their usual fine job of serving us large quantities of excellent food. This has to be one of our favorite breakfast places.
For those who do not know our riders, I have some "couple photo's. Lets begin with Dollar Bill & Fran Barrington, and then Ray Moore is sitting with Jack Kemmer (on the left) who has not ridden with us for a couple of years. It is great to have him back on a bike again. Next is Mini Al & Sandy Jeanquart followed by Mike and Charmaine LaGrange. Of course you know Golden Girl and Blue Kelty followed by Bill & Bev Lieser and finally, yours truely Red Baron & Snoopy Bonnes (no Mary is not napping but she is good at blinking when photo's are being taken).
Two riders (Dollar Bill & Mini-Al) opted to return directly home with the remainder of us taking the long way around. Roosevelt Lake is now near 100% capacity compliments of our recent rains. We made a stop at Punkin Center and were informed that Aunt Becky's is no longer in business. There is supposedly a new owner planning on re-opening up in about a month.
My odometer showed a total of 190 miles to and from our park. We arrived home at about 2:30 PM. Another great ride enjoyed by all.
Hope to see you all on Wed.
The Red Baron & Snoopy
| See all of todays pictures by CLICKING HERE |  | | It would appear that you need to find someone more competent to coordinate the responsibility of updating this site. It would seem that yesterday I forgot to include the pictures that Wanda took on our portion of the ride. (Actually I thought she told me her battery was dead and that she took no pictures... wrong! on both accounts). And secondly, I put in the wrong link to all of the pictures so if you tried to access them from the account, it took you to a different folder... Sorry on both accounts...
Anyway, this morning I have added the rest of the pictures and you will see there is evidence of the recent rains all along the way. Lots of new ponds that make one wonder if we are beginning to grow rice in this country, or maybe just mosquitos? And there are shots of our beautiful mountain. And the CLICK HERE link will take you to the correct folder where all of yesterday's photo's are stored including the one showing the huge band of sheep that are keeping one acreage neatly trimmed.
I am still hopeful that Red Baron is preparing an account of the ride the second group took up to Ma's Kitchen. I did hear that they did not return to the valley until after 2 pm and that it was a chilly, windy ride.
Shutterbug. | CLICK HERE to see all of the photo's |  | | It is winter in Arizona, yet on this January day 38 Angles showed up for the Saturday ride. Oh yes, the key word in this opening statement…. Arizona!
It was a beautiful morning. Cool, yes, and eventually pretty windy, but have you seen the weather in most other parts of the country and we were riding. It was decided that we would travel to two locations for this mornings breakfast ride. Blue would take one group to Ma’s Kitchen and Shutterbug would lead the others to Coolidge and Tag’s Restaurant. Wranger agreed to travel with us to Coolidge as my sister-in-law,Judy, was riding with him and we wanted to stay together. (He was the tail gunner and Broker rode the back door for Blue.) Thank you, Wrangler!
This group consisted of fifteen bikes and twenty riders. That is a sizable number of units and it took some doing to keep us all together as we traveled through all of the traffic lights that have been installed on Ironwood. So, at times, part of the group had to ride at a slower speed, allowing those delayed by the red lights to catch up. Still, a few minutes after 10, we arrived at Tags and boy were we glad that Blue had called ahead to reserve tables. The parking lots were jammed with bikes and cars and the restaurant was crammed with customers. Our two tables were set up and waiting. Coffee was quick to arrive and our orders gathered promptly. One could have safely bet that it would have taken 30 to 45 minutes for our food to arrive, but this facility always does an outstanding job of seeing that you are served promptly and today was no exception. It was a chatty group today, but once the plates arrived, all grew quiet. The food was excellent and in less than an hour, we were all climbing back on our steeds and ready to return home.
The ride back took us East on Coolidge Ave over to 79 and then North through Florence up to 60 and then back to the homestead. It was a little after Noon when I rode into my drive. Other than encountering some pretty strong winds, it was a great ride.
I understand that Blue’s group encountered cooler temperatures and strong winds as well, but I will let someone else report on that.
My GPS indicates that the Coolidge group rode a total of 88.4 miles at an average speed of 45.5 mph (I told you we rode slower to allow the back of the pack to catch up) Our total driving time was 01:56:29 and my maximum speed was 67.1 mph.
Shutterbug
| Click Here to see all of todays pictures |  | | Wouldn't you know it! Moments after I reported that there was no ride on Wednesday, Vern C wrote to tell me that there certainly was and then I had a call from Gene Bonnes asking if I had received his report. Of course, I had not and he promptly resent it. So, I stand corrected and am pleased to assist with the publishing of same...
Shutterbug
Hi Pat, hope this comes through ok, having some issues with WIFI tonight.
What’s the old expression: the best laid plans of mice and men? Mother Nature kind of nixed our plans for the day. When we left our park at 9:15, it was not clear, but nice and looked encouraging. By the time we arrived at the Chevron station, it was raining. There were only a few bikes in queue. Blue arrived shortly after and said that he checked and it was also raining in Globe and that several of our usual riders had cancelled out. The decision was made to cancel the ride for the day.
A few of us hung around just talking cycles and pouting a little when the rain subsided for a bit and Dollar Bill suggested a quick ride to Florence and eat at Mount Athos. All agreed and we were on our way with Dollar Bill leading and Vern in the rear. I think Dollar Bill wanted to spend the bet he had just won from Vern, something to do with the Vikings losing to New Orleans. (photo 0004) The farther we went, the better it got. The weather can change in a hurry around here!!
We had a total of 8 bikes and 3 ladies. One of the ladies; Carol Henz lives in our park (lady on left side) rides a HD Road King and is an experienced rider who had never ridden with the Angels before. Another first timer this year was Gladys Ringuette (on right side with husband Dale (Carol is on left side of same picture).
Our meals were excellent as to be expected, our timing was perfect as we arrived at about 11:30, by noon, the place was full! Our return ride was uneventful and rain free. We arrived at GV at about 1:00 PM. with a total distance of about 60 miles round trip.
Not sure about the plan for next Sat. hope to see you all then.
Red Baron and Snoopy
| CLICK HERE to view all of today's pictures. |  | | You may be wondering when the report for the Wednesday ride will be posted. Well..... turns out they cancelled the ride because of weather... End of report.
On Saturday the plan to to take a shorter outing down to Tag's in Coolidge. The resort is celebrating it's 25th anniversary on Saturday and many need to be back for those festivities.
I did get my new tires mounted, so we are planning on riding with you. If any want to ride further, naturally, that is your option.
See you at 9 am for the ride.
Shutterbug. | | | | Hello Angels and Friends:
I want to again thank Gene (Red Baron) Bonnes for providing another excellent account of the most recent ride. He is a prince to do so. I hope to have the tires on my bike replaced by next Saturday so we can again be part of the group. It is a challenge though, when my days at work extend past 4. Here is Gene's report:
Hi Pat,
Well, I finally got my computer back, SOS did their usual fine job, all seems to be working well. Sorry for the delay in doing our trip report.
Our ride Sat. proved again that inclement weather does not necessarily have to spoil a ride. Being in good company can easily offset anything bad that Mother Nature has in mind. Our ride Sat. was to the West End Café in Kearny, Blue selecting this due to the snow and cold temperatures in the higher elevations. Not that it was exactly balmy when we departed the Chevron station at 9:00 AM, I think we were in the low 40's with overcast skies. We had a total of 12 bikes with Goldie as are lone lady co-rider. Blue served as our leader with Wrangler again acting as tail gunner. We had a new this year rider with us; Bill Lieser of Paynesville, MN. Bill rides a Harley Ultra and rode with us a couple of times last year.
The cloud layer seem to be dissipating as we progressed East giving us the impression that things would improve as the day went on. Following breakfast (The West End Café did their usual fine job) we came outside to see that the cloud layer had in fact become darker and was at a lower altitude. We encountered a few cool showers between Kearny and Superior which dissipated very quickly after proceeding to the West. The remainder of the ride went very well with increasing temperatures en-route. The new 4 lanes between Florence Junction and Superior is certainly a welcome improvement.
I returned home about 1:30 PM showing about 130 miles on my odometer. I had run a few errands earlier in the week and neglected to reset my trip odometer so am only guessing. Again, a great ride.
The plans for Wed. are to leave the Chevron station at 10;00 AM and have lunch at Guyano's just North of Globe. We have eaten there several times, the food is excellent.
Hope to see all on Wed.
Red Baron and Snoopy
| CLICK HERE to view today's pictures |  | | Well, will they ride... I posed this question to Blue and his reply was "if the weather allows it, we will ride to Kearney". So, my advise is, stick your nose out the door about 7 am, check for clear skies and if it is not raining, meet Blue at the Chevron for a 9 am departure.... I was not able to get my Wing to the shop to have new tires installed, so will have to pass on this outing... Hopefully, next weekend will be different.
Shutterbug | | | | Mother nature was very kind to us today as we woke up to clear skies following a full night of rain. Because of the less than ideal forecast, our numbers today were lower than normal. We had a total of 14 bikes with two ladies, one of them being a rider; Maureen Sawatzky. I would guess that she and Dollar Bill just might be discussing Harley's? Another rider from the past but new to us this year was Dave Sylvester of Crookston, MN. Dave rides a Harley and is currently staying at GV but will be relocating someplace nearby at the end of this month.
Because of our smaller numbers, Blue decided to stay as one group which worked out fine. Blue served as our leader, Wrangler played his usual role as tail gunner. Our destination today was Petro at Casa Grande, our routing down was via Florence, our routing home was via "The big road". As usual, the food was fine as was the service. We were back at our home bases by about 1:30PM, my odometer showed a total of 148 miles. It turned out to be just another great day for a ride. No word on plans for Sat. mother nature may be playing a major role in that.
Hope to see you all then,
The Red Baron
I want to thank Gene for taking the pictures and providing the account of this outing. To see all of the pictures from today, you can CLICK HERE.
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view today's pictures |  | | I called Blue this evening to inquire about tomorrow's ride plan. He is watching the weather but at this moment is planning on heading down to Petro for breakfast. 9 am departure.
Ride safe Angels....
Shutterbug | | | | Hi Pat,
Mary and I joined the Mesa Riders this Sun. & Mon. on a trip to the Chiricahua Nat’l Monument SE of Wilcox, AZ. You may have already been there, it was a first for us. I am attaching the few photos I took, I would have like to taken more but it was not a good day for photography, low ceilings, sometimes poor visibility, etc.
We departed Mesa @ 7:30 AM with our first stop being the casino East of Globe, can’t remember the name but do remember we had a good breakfast at a reasonable price. We had a total of 13 bikes with 12 lady riders including one lady driving her own trike. Her husband drives a Honda ST 1300. We had a total of 5 trikes which is about the normal average for this group. I would guess that at least 75% of the bikes in this group are Goldwings. We traveled in two groups: 6 in one group, 7 in the other with about a ¼ mile gap between which is their normal policy. Sunday was the better of the two days but far from perfect. While traveling to Stafford, temperatures as low as 31 degrees were encountered with only a few occasional glances of the sun.
We made a fuel stop @ Stafford and then went on to Wilcox for lunch, this group enjoys eating! Following lunch, we continued on to the park. It is a Federal Park so our Golden Age Passports got us all in N/C. Being a Sr. citizen does have some advantages!! The park office offers an excellent movie of the park, it’s wildlife, etc. It was here where we were introduced to the big blue jays commonly referred to as “camp thieves”. We took the approximate 8 mile ride through the park with a stop at the top for a few photos. The mostly vertical rock formations are very unique, one can’t help but wonder how they were formed a few million years ago and how they stay stacked so perfectly for so long. Some appear like a slight touch of hand could cause them to tip off their lofty perch.
We returned to Wilcox for the evening which is about 35 miles, arriving just before dark. There are several signs warning of wild animals along most of the route. The second group did see a wild bobcat in a tree being photographed by some passer byes, sorry I missed that opportunity. Our return back to Mesa began at about 8:30 AM today with a lunch stop @ Barnies in Casa Grande, a fantastic buffet I would recommend to anyone. We made about a 1 ½ hour stop @ J & M in Tucson, great people! Mary and one other lady purchased new helmets with new head sets. Both were equally impressed with the improved quality of audio reception.
We did encounter a few showers on our return but nothing as severe as was forecast. Our total mileage was 559 miles. We were back in Mesa at about 3:00 PM today. Overall a good trip to a place Mary and I had never been before, definitely worth seeing.
Take care; hope to see you later in the week.
The Red Baron
| CLICK HERE TO VIEW THESE PICTURES. |  | | It’s Saturday and the first part of this day was much better than the last (boy did our Cardinals get their butts whipped) so lets concentrate on the positives.
This morning began with a beautiful pink and red sunrise (no picture) and a good deal of overcast. A prelude, I fear, to the storms that are in the offing. It was a crisp morning with valley temperatures in the low 50’s. That did not deter the 23 bikes and one cage (car with Angel passengers) from showing up. If fact, when Wanda and I rode into the Chevron, it looked like we had about 30 or more bikes ready to go, but it turns out this is an excellent location for many groups to use for congregation and departure.
I was so pleased to be greeted by Linda Parsons, who has been absent since our Cody trip, as she has been recovering from complications related to surgery. Hers is such a great smile and she is a blast to have in your company. Mike McDonald was also there, many pounds lighter, as he has recovering from a very serious internal bleeding problem. It appears that they have things under control and it was so nice to meet his wife Barbara. Mike and Barbara arrived in the cage and were accompanied by Gene Vogelgsang and his wife Peg who made her first appearance at an Angel ride. I hope that happens more often. As long as I am on the subject, this was my first time seeing Mary Bonnes (Snoopy) on their new trike. Welcome to her and my compliments on your beautiful new ride as well.
Once the ritual of the group picture was behind us, Blue announced that we would ride as two groups, the first led by Vern Chrestensen and they would ride to Ma’s Kitchen. Red Shirt rode shotgun on those 12 bikes and the cage. I think they had a total of 19 Angels in that contingent and have since talked with Rainbird who assured me that the meal and service there was good. And that they experienced no problems while traveling.
As is normally the custom, Blue led the other group of eleven bikes with 15 up. Wrangler did his usual outstanding job of keeping tabs at the back of the pack. I was impressed with the excellent job our group did in maintaining position and spacing while in route.
We stopped for a 10 minute break at WalMart in Globe where we met the first unit who had arrived only minutes earlier. They were soon on their way and we were not far behind. Both restaurants had been advised of our pending arrival and expected us at about 10:30. I am certain we were both on time…. We were ready to be inside as the temperatures had dropped to the low 40’s as we gained elevation. Our first glimpse once inside was of a roaring fire. That was a great site. The Duck Pond (Roosevelt Lodge) had a table set for us and Lucy was quick to see that we had coffee and felt welcome. The meals are usually a little slower coming out but I don’t think anyone minded. It was enjoyable watching the waterfowl on the pond and wandering to see the animal mounts around the facility. By the time the assorted dishes of eggs, bacon, ham, etc arrived, some of the riders were a bit ravenous as is evidenced by this picture. Soon, however, it was calm again and by a little before noon, we were ready to return home. Broker opted to extend his ride on N, up to the BeeLine Highway while the rest of us rode straight back.
We arrived back in the resort around 1:30, in ample time to watch the kickoff of the Cardinals & Saints game. The first play was tremendous but it went downhill for Cards fans after that. Oh well…. Maybe next year..
To see all of today’s pictures, you can click here. I recommend using the slide show option under actions to see the pictures.
My GPS statistics indicate group two road a total of 134.9 miles at an average speed of 52.7 mph. Driving time was 02:22:32 and my maximum speed was 75.5 mph.
I had several ask about the slide show program on the Wyoming Ride and it is not scheduled yet, but will likely be on a Thursday evening within the next couple three weeks. We will watch the weather forecast and let you know as soon as it looks like a warm, dry evening is likely.
Ride safe and we will see you soon.
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view all pictures |  | | I visited with Blue earlier and the plan for tomorrow's ride is....
Departure at 9 am from the Chevron Station.
The destination(s) will depend on the number of riders. If we can fit into two groups, it will be to Ma's and the Duck Pond. If for some reason, we would only have riders for one group, Ma's is the target... If a third group is necessary the other location will be Kearney.
We will be home by 2 pm in time for the Cardinals Ball Game.
| | | | What a day, what a ride: we ended up with a total of 29 bikes and 5 lady riders, must be a near record. In spite of a less than ideal forecast, the weather just continued to improve as the day progressed. Riders with us for the first time this year were: Carl Jarret of Missouri, Dale Ringette of BC, Maureen Swawartski of BC a very accomplished HD rider, and Joe & Carol Mitzel, not sure of where home is. As you will see, Packer & Tina came over to see everyone off and thank all the Angels who attended his performance with I understand was outstanding and may take place again in a couple of years.
We split up into 2 groups today, the first (13 bikes) going to the Cracker Barrel in Casa Grande, the other (16 bikes) to a new restaurant called Mimi's. Vern led the first group with Red Shirt keeping the group together. Blue led the second group with Wrangler in the tail gunners slot. Our routing down was via Ironwood, it seemed like the stop lights were all timed to cause as much misery as possible. Not sure if we ever were able to run
through a green light as a group. As no one had ever been to Mimi's before, a little confusion resulted in finding the place but Broker was able to locate it in short order and all went well from that point on. Because we were unable to contact them in advance, we kind of overwhelmed the kitchen but I think all were satisfied with the food, it is a very nice place. For anyone interested, it is located in a mall area just NE of the big intersection, The Cracker Barrel is just SW of the same intersection. The second group returned home via Maricopa with a stop at Ak Chin then returning home via the "big roads". The parking lot at Ak Chin was nearly full, we ended up parking wherever possible. Again, what a wonderful day.
My odometer registered 155 miles for the day.
I have no details on the other group, I hope someone took some notes and photos. You can see all of today's pictures by CLICKING HERE
Blue stated that next Saturdays destination will be Ma's and possibly Kearny, depending on size. Hope to see you all then.
The Red Baron | CLICK HERE to see all of today's pictures. |  | | This evening was filled with pure delight. BJ (Packer) Smith, one of our own performed some of his poetry to a huge crowd at Golden Vista RV Resort. Packer did pack them in, and I can't imagine anyone being anything but delighted as he painted word pictures of his time with the RCMP and some of his adventures while riding the trails through the Rocky Mountains. I would never be one to say it, but am certain that many of the ladies present tonight thought him quite handsome in his bright red uniform. I will say that he and Tina are a striking couple. There was even one poem that penned about riding with the Blue's Angels.
While Packer was changing from his colorful Red Kit of the Mounties into a more comfortable cowboy attire, we enjoyed the music of Perry Jacobsen, another retired Mountie.
It was, as previously stated, a delightful evening. I am attaching several of the pictures taken this evening. You can see them by clicking here.
Shutterbug
It was, as mentioned, a delightful evening | Click Here to view all of the photos |  | | I checked with Blue today, regarding this Wednesday's ride and he is planning on traveling down to a new restaurant in Casa Grande. Departure will be at 9 am from the Chrvron Station.
And, he assures me that the ride on Saturday will not be affected by the Cardinals ball game. I was wrong on the start time of the game, so you can plan on a 9 am departure, desitnation is still undetermined. He said that it could be either Kerney or Ma's Kitchen.
I will see you on Saturday and will forward any reports on the Wed ride.
Ride safe Angels...
PS... I understand the Mike McDonald is now out of the hospital and recovering from the internal bleeding problem. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.
| | | | I have to tell you the truth... When we missed the field goal and then lost the toss for first possession in overtime, I was certain the Cardinal season was over... SHAME ON ME!!!
Now then, the Cardinals play an early game next Saturday. Any bets on whether or not Blue rides? If he does, you can bet that it will be either:
1) an early departure time
2) a nearby breakfast destination
or
3) both of the above.
Shutterbug | | | | You can bet that at 2:30 today, Blue will be glued to his TV, encouraging his Cardinals to victory. Hope many of you are inclined to support him.
And.. speaking of TV, Wanda and I are considering hositng an evening social for those Angels who might be interested in watching the slide show compiled of the Wyoming Ride we enjoyed this last August. It is about 2 hours in lenght, but if you think you might be interested in attending, let me know. It will probably be later this month and will be very informal. We will provide a little wine, maybe a snack or two. Depending on how many might attend, we may wait until the evenings are warmer and sit outside.
Let me know if you have interest.
Shutterbug | |  | | I have to admit that today was special in that I was able to ride again. It has been nearly two weeks since I broke a couple of ribs and had missed a ride before that happened, so I was more than ready. And, judging by the turnout, I was not the only one that was anxious for today’s ride.
By my count, there was a total of 27 bikes supporting a compliment of 40 riders who arrived at the Chevron in anticipation of our 9 am departure. Obviously, this was too large a group to send to one location or to travel as one unit. The decision was made to parcel some of the bikes to Aunt Becky’s at Punkin Center and the remainder would travel on up to Rye Creek. So, following morning greetings and the traditional “group photo”, Vern Chrestensen led a unit of 14 bikes with 19 up on a route that would take them up #87 (the Beeline Highway) to #188 where they turned for the short jog over to Punkin Center. Dale Keyes rode shotgun for that unit, but if you will wait a bit, Red Baron will give you an account of that journey along with some photo’s.
Blue departed just minutes behind that group. He and Wrangler were in charge of the remaining 13 bikes and 21 riders. As I was a part of this unit, this portion of the report will try to paint a picture of our day. Group 2 followed the same route but continued on past the 188 junction to the little community of Rye Creek. As you will see by the pictures, we had a cool blue sky and all will attest that the temperatures were crisp for the entire way. It was 50 degrees when we left but as we neared Mount Ord it dropped by at least 8 digits and no one was complaining that they were wearing too many layers of clothing. While we had no major problems, Wrangler’s bike had some loss of power and for a time it looked like he might have to cut his ride short. Two of us dropped back to accompany Fred, who was carrying my sister-in-law, Judy as a passenger. After a few miles the bike began to respond a bit better and I am assuming that Wrangler was using his spurs to urge Pearl on up the trail and by the time we neared Rye Creek, all of the bikes had merged into one unit.
Rye Creek was expecting us, as Blue always makes a courtesy call letting the restaurant know our count and anticipated arrival time. The table was set and the coffee hot. That was a very good thing as all were ready to warm both their fingers and their tummy’s. We were one spot short at the tables as one of our riders arrived after the call had been made. Today, we again had riders that I had not been with this season in Arizona. Bill and Fran Barrington with their brand new 2010 Harley were the first I saw today. What a great addition to the Angels they are. Also returning are Al and Marie Servais who always come wearing wonderful smiles. I also met a new couple today. Paul and Marlene Rasmussen who hail from near Minot, ND joined us. They are Gold Wing riders and have been logging miles since 1975. Welcome to the Rasmussen’s. With the Becky’s group was Irving Valvick who rides an unusual Harley Trike Conversion. I look forward to getting better acquainted with both Irving and the Rasuussen’s.
Rye Creek did a pretty good job of getting us in and out. It took a little over an hour before we were all done and ready to retrace our tracks back to 188 where we would travel over to Tonto Basin with hopes of meeting the rest of our gang at Chuck’s Jerkey Wagon. As we rode past Punkin Center, those riders were just getting on their bikes and soon we were all shopping for goodies at the Wagon. I understand that this is Chuck’s last weekend here as business is not good this season and he will be returning back to the valley where he will concentrate on working special events.
As Blue’s group prepared to lead the first unit on down to Globe, I lost all electric power to my unit. After tightening the wires at the battery, the bike started again and we were soon on our way. Our next stop would be the Shell Station at Globe where we parked long enough for a stretch of the legs and a trip to the bathroom. It would appear in this picture of Golden Girl that it was still cool even at this early afternoon hour. By the time we reached the valley (about 2 pm) and our homes, the temperature was just over 70 degrees.
I am not positive of the miles as my electrical problem caused a temporary outage on my GPS, but I think that we rode 187 miles at an average speed of 55.1 mph. Our total riding time was about 3 hours and 22 minutes.
Boy, I have been very wordy. I wonder if there will be space for Geno (Red Baron) to give his account of the journey to Becky’s. Here it is:
Hi Pat,
Other than being a little cool, only a little?? (39 degrees) going over the mountain, we had a great ride. We had 14 bikes and 5 ladies to complement our group. Vern was our leader, Red Shirt kept an eye on the rear.
Our sevice was a little slow but it all worked out fine as we all needed a little extra time to "thaw out". Food was great as usual, our timing on the return was perfect as we met up with the other segment at the Jerky Wagon.
Blue was the leader of that group with Wrangler as tail gunner.
Attached are the few photos I took today if you would like to combine them with yours.
Take care and I hope to see all next Wed.
Gene (The Red Baron) Bonnes
Again, my thanks to Geno for his contribution. Remember, you can see all of today's pictures by CLICKING HERE. There are two folders of pictures and the best way to view them is to select the "Slide Show" option under Actions. | CLICK HERE to see all of today's pictures |  | | Well, another near perfect day in AZ. We left the Chevron station with 21 bikes and 26 riders; our family continues to grow. Our destination today was Denny's in Fountain Hills for b'fast and then on to Lake Bartlett.
Because of our size, Blue decided we should travel in two groups, the first being led by Vern C, with Red Shirt in the rear, the second group departed with Blue in the front and Wrangler in the rear. Our routing took us the
long way around via Bush Hwy and a beautiful ride it was, you could litteraly feel the air warm up as the day progressed. Denny's did their usual fine job; feed a large group of people in near record time with good food to boot.
Following b'fst, a few decided to return to GV with the majority continuing on to Lake Bartlett. This is always a nice ride regardless of how many times it is done. The lake is incredibly low, some of us experts guessed as
low as 30+ feet compared to our visit last year. On our return, a few decided to detour to D & D Discount, I believe to pick up some "T" Shirts which had been won at their open house. Our remaining group returned via
101 to 202. Again, just a beautiful day and a great group of riders!!
My odometer registered 179.9 miles total to and from our location in Mesa which is exactly 15 miles from AJ.
Hope to see all on Sat, Blue says our destination is to be Aunt Becky's with our scheduled departure time still being 09:00.
To view all of today's pictures, please click here..
Regards,
The Red Baron
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A note from Shutterbug..
I want to compliment the Red Baron on his fine report. It takes a good deal of effort and extra time to provide put these together and if you appreciate it, please let him know. Let me be the first... THANK YOU SIR....
Shutterbug | View all of today's pictures by CLICKING HERE |  | | Blue has made the decision about tomorrow's ride. The plan is to go to Fountain Hills. Depending on the side of the group, you will be eating either at Phills, or at Denny's or at both places. The ride will continue on up to Bartlet Lake and then back. Departure is at 9 am from the Chevron on Goldfield Road.... Wish I were riding along... Will look forward to receiving a report and perhaps pictures from one of you.
Shutterbug. | | | | Hi Pat,
We missed you today, hope your recovery process is quick and painless.
It was a special day for me for a couple of reasons, my first ride this year with the Angels, it's a pleasure to be back, and secondly my first ride of significance on my new GW Trike. As you all my know, my cherished red trike was demolished this summer so am now riding a new stead. It is very similar to my earlier bike except this one has a few more bells and whistles, heated
seats, integral GPS and a CB so I am now able to communicate with everyone. My handle is "Red Baron", now all I have to do is learn the proper jargon, so bare with me please.
Our group today consisted of 23 bikes plus 7 of the opposite gender. What a beautiful day it was, a little chilly on our departure but it just kept getting nicer as the day progressed. Bill Barrington was kind enough to bring over his new Harley to point out all of the innovative features which drove his decision to buy a new one. Photo included in above photos.
Because of the numbers, Blue decided we would divide into two groups, one going to Ma's Kitchen, the other to Judy's. Unfortunately, Blue was informed that there would be 43 Corvette's visiting Ma's kitchen which ruled them out as a destination. Plan B was to have the Ma's riders to go to the Duck Pond, the option I selected as I had never been there before. I'm not sure if I have this all correct but I believe Blue led the group (8 bikes, 2 ladies) to Judy's, with Wrangler on the tail end, the other group (15 bikes, 5 ladies) was led by Vern with Dale filling in as tail gunner. I found the Duck Pond to be a very nice place but because of our size service was a little slow but the food was good and very reasonably priced. Of special interest was the"T" bone special.
Our departure consisted of 11 bikes making the "circle route" home, the remainder returning directly to GV to assist in removing Christmas decorations. The "circle group" was led by Dennis with Dale in the tail gunners slot again.
I returned to my Mesa destination at about 2:15 PM, my odometer showed 188 miles. My new Honda GPS does not give much other information, i.e. avg speed, max speed, etc.
Look forward to seeing you all next Wed. I hope mother nature is as kind to us as she was today.
To view all of today's pictures, please CLICK HERE
Geno, (Red Baron)
Note from Shutterbug...............
So nice to have Gene back with us and I want to extend my appreciation to him for submitting the report and these pictures. It is my understanding that Phil Parsons will be sending an accoung and additional photo's of the leg to Judy's in Globe. When that arrives, I will get it posted as well.
Talked with Blue this afternoon and he said there were about 15 who showed up to assist with the decoration removal of the resort.He is so appreciative of that and I know that the resort is thankful for their efforts as well. Good job Angels.
One last note... I try to acknowledge returning riders as I see them. As I was not able to ride today I don't know how many there might have been, but I do see a photo of Steve Jamison who is back in the resort visiting his parents. Welcome back Steve... | To see all of today's pictures, CLICK HERE |  | | Happy Days are here Again! The weather warmed, and eighteen bikes showed up for a 9:00 AM start at the station between the holidays. There were several riders newer to the group, and an assortment of machines. Joe Lessard came with a brightly decorated jacket, and Roy's son Al from Northwest Territory came over to photo the group to prove that we actually exist!
The riders were split into two groups; the first group guided by Vern Chrestenson headed for the Cracker Barrel at Casa Grande. Dale Keyes with his wife Goldie rode herd on the group from the tailgunner's slot. Blue led the second group to Petrol, and this report follows their trip.
Temperatures started at 55 degrees, got warmer, and then declined under overcast skies. The most significant event was the 6-mile long moving traffic backup on I-10E north of Casa Grande where the multiple accident happened last week. Highway maintenance workers had to tear out the burned
pavement and replace the driving surface. Both groups returned by way of I-10 and the 202 shortly after noon with 145 miles on the odometer. It was a good trip.
The first trip of the New Year will be on Saturday, January 2, 2010 starting at 9:00 with more returning riders. The destination has yet to be set.
A reminder: Riders from GV are invited to help take down the Park Christmas lights at 2:00 after the ride.
Anybody interested in checking the snow up north?
Phil Parsons
My thanks to Phil for preparing the report and taking the photo's.
I did check with Blue on this Saturday's ride and he confirms that you will be departing from the Chevron Station at 9 am. The destination will be Ma's Kitchen. The group will come straight back and it is hoped that upon return, many will volunteer an hour or so of their time in helping to take down the Golden Vista Christmas lights.
It will be some time before I am able to ride again, but will continue to provide these reports if someone gets them to me.
One last thing...
Happy New Year! | To view all of today's pictures.... CLICK HERE |  | | Those of you who reside at Golden Vista may have seen the notices that our "Poet Angel" Packer Smith will be performing a QUEEN'S WRANGLER SHOW on Tuesday, January 12th here at Golden Vista RV Resort. As you know, Packer is a remarkable poet and entertainer. BJ will be joined by Perry Jacobson who will add music and songs to the performance.
It is my understanding that a portion of the program may contain a bit about the Blue's Angels as well as the stories and poems that recount his life with the RCMP, his experiences as a cowboy and his love for life in the Rocky Mountains. I know that many of you will want to attend this great show. The cost of a ticket is only $5.00 and they are available at the Golden Vista Activity Office. Maybe we can make arrangements to sit as a group? Wanda and I have our tickets and look forward to your joining us.
Again, that is Tuesday, January 12th at 7 pm.
Shutterbug | |  | | Had a call on the answering machine when we returned home this evening. Blue was concerned about my ribs and I appreciate that. Just want you to know that I am OK. Yesterday I fell while doing a ballet dance across the floor joists on the room Pooh Bear and I are building. Hit on my right side and cracked a rib or maybe two and did a number on my right hip. Managed to work most of the afternoon and then went to Urgent Care. I will be off work for a few days and unable to ride for a bit. But, rest assured, I am OK and will be back.
My thanks to Ed Kelty for inputting recent updates. It appears that our wifi service has been repaired and if there is any interest in my resuming the updates, I guess I will do so.
Shutterbug | | | | Blue wanted everyone to know that the Christmas decorations will be coming down Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 at 2pm (after the ride). Co-riders included!
FYI :)
| | | | Blue wanted me to give everyone an update (sorry it's late) about Saturday’s ride!
The ride started at 9:00 AM and it was 34 degrees (Yikes!)... There were six bikes (Blue, Truck Smith, Vernon Christianson, Dennis Mc Kinney, Mini-Al, BJ), all guys, no girls! A call went out to Debra and everything was setup when they arrived. The Blue's Angels met up with another group there from Tucson, eight riders, four couples. Lots of were great people, great food and great service.
The Angels came back via globe 177 and happily the construction finished! Everyone made it back all OK
153 Miles total
Starting Temp: 34
Ending Temp: 50 | | | | I received an e-mail from Vern Chrestensen today saying that Bob Kruse passes away this morning. Apparently he had finished his breakfast and they found him dead a bit later...
I think that Bob and Jane lived at this address:
1416 240th Ave
Kanasville, WI 53139
Pat | | | | For the past few weeks, we have been experiencing problems with our computer connections and my computer is adding additional frustrations to my life. Last night I spent over 4 hours inputting and uploading the ride report which is just more than I can put up with. Additionally, I tried to send some pictures online and after 7 hours, they still have not uploaded. I have mail waiting to abe sent to you that still will not go out and I have had it way past the swallowing point.
So, I have made the decision that I will no longer be managing the entry of data on this site. I know that some of you will be disappointed in my decision and I feel bad about that. I feel very bad that my friend Blue will be upset about the decision and can only offer my apologies. Still, there are other demands on my time and those have to be addressed as well.
Thank you for understanding.
Shutterbug. | | | | There was an error in the link provided to see all of the pictures from the Dec 19th ride..... You can see them all if you CLICK HERE | |  | | Today is proof positive that you don’t have to ride a lot of miles to have a really great time. (Now don’t be misled, riding a lot of miles is very desirable, just not the only requirement).
We always have a great turnout when Barb and Ted Moody open their home to the Angels for coffee and pastries. Today was no exception. I think that we had a total of 40 who filled the patio at the Moody household. 42 with Ted and Barb! Most of us met first at the Chevron station where 24 bikes were in attendance along with 16 ladies. Part of the group opted to travel in their autos. It made no difference, as all were welcomed by Santa Pooh Bear and his “sparkly” bride Eye Lady.
Moody Manor is always decorated to fit the season of the year and today was no exception. Their drive was soon filled with bikes. For a time today, it looked like an early gathering at Sturgis (except everyone was properly clad). Included in the assemblage were new riders Dallas & Sarah Talbott, who I had not met before. Chuck Smith, after a year away, is back for the season.
It was nice to see Vonnie Anderson on the bike with Hank and this was the first time out for Caroll Johnson and LeAnn Linderman (I did not get one good picture of LeAnn today). Wives who do not ride but shared in this Christmas gathering include Cel Moore and Jean Parsons. I know that Yvonne Voit has been on rides this season, but not when I was able to attend…. If I have missed someone in this account, please remember that my mind ages a little each day.
While we rode as one unit from the station to Moody’s, that was too large a group to make the ride down to Mount Athos in Florence for breakfast. So, we divided up into two units with Blue leading the first 10 bikes and his trusty sidekick rode herd on the back door. I led the remaining units while Packer did an outstanding job of keeping track of us from the back side. We totaled 34 (some rode in the cage) as we entered the restaurant. Blue had called ahead and all was ready for us. Seating was orderly and the behavior of the group was commendable. It took a bit to get us all served, but as we did not have far to travel, it was not a problem.
Conversations were lively as we waited for the servings to come out. Blue introduced some of the ladies and asked us to think about whether or not the Angels would be interested in taking on the hanging of the Golden Vista Christmas lights each year. He also asked for a moments quiet prayer for our friend and fellow Angel Mike McDonald who was admitted to the hospital with internal bleeding, Please keep Mike in your prayers. Also, as we were riding into Florence the emergency fire department emergency crews were responding to a call at the McDonalds. As it turns out, “Little Joe” Lessard had ridden down there and suffered a heart attack. I understand that he was transferred to a hospital here and I am not certain as to his status. Keep Joe in your prayers as well.
Today was so nice and warm. There was some wind, but that did not detract from the 70+ temperatures on the way home which was via the more rural route, coming into AJ from the south on Ironwood. In route, many drivers on the road acknowledged he presence of Santa who, in case you were wondering, does ride a Harley.
We were back in the resort just after 1:00 so with a departure time of 8:30, we managed to use up four and one half hours riding just over 80 miles….
Let me check the GPS for the more official data…..
Miles Ridden 83.0
Average Speed: 42.3 mph
Driving Time: 01:57:56
Maximum Speed (for this bike) 65.1 mph
Blue reminded us that there will be rides both this next Wednesday and the Saturday following Christmas. The destinations are yet to be determined. I will let you know what they are when a decision is made.
I will not be riding on Wednesday, so in the event that we don’t talk before the 25th, please have a wonderful Christmas.
Shutterbug
PS… there are lots of pictures today and you can see them all by tapping here. I recommend using the slide show option under actions. | Click Here to view all of today's pictures (Recommend Slide Show Option under actions) |  | | Today's report comes to you as a result of the efforts of Phil Parsons. My thanks Phil. Excellent report and thanks for the pictures as well.
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Twenty bikes with 23 riders assembled at the station on another mild and sunny morning for the ride to Tags Restaurant in Coolidge this morning. Blue led the first group, and BJ led the second group with Brian Smith as the Taildragger. There was an occasionally stiff east wind to keep us on our toes as we rode south on Ironwood toward Anthem. A road detour turned
us to the right thru the Anthem town area, an interesting tour of an all-new area.
Our group parked in the front, and was quickly escorted to our
reserved tables for coffee and breakfast. Coolidge was once the quintessential farming town, but after breakfast we turned west thru the new gated communities, realizing that it's no longer a cowtown. Our return was by Highway 87 thru Chandler and the 202. We were back in AJ by 12:30 with 103 mile on my odometer.
The next ride on Saturday December 19th will begin at 8:30 at the station. All the riders are invited to the beautiful home of Ted and Barb Moody here in AJ for coffee, to be followed by a tour for breakfast in Florence at the Greek Restaurant.
Phil Parsons
Again, my thanks to Phil for the report. To see all of Phil's pictures, you can click here
| Click Here to see all of today's pictures |  | | The ride tomorrow will be at 9 am and you will meet at the Chevron Station.
The destination for tomorrow's ride will be either Tag's in Coolidge or the Cracker Barrel in Casa Grande....
I will not be there, so if one of you can take some pictures and get me an account of the ride, it will be appreciated.
Shutterbug | | | | Well… it warmed up, just a little and it is after the first of December so I suppose it should be expected that we had 34 for breakfast…. Wow… what a great turn out..
From the station, there were twenty one bikes that departed, transporting 30 riders and we picked up Chuck and Gladys Mueller in route to the Deer Valley Airport which is situated in North Phoenix. There we met with Hap Boardman and Lyle Kreis who live over on the West side and who are part of the original Blue’s Angels riders. I think they originally had 4 or five that rode in the beginning and that BJ Williams may have been part of that assemblage. It was good to see both Hap and Lyle.
Our ride over was uneventful. The traffic was not bad even though we were riding on city arterials. We enjoyed temperatures at least 10 degrees higher than last Wednesday and that was a welcome change. There was not much sun as the clouds have been hanging in the valley all day. That does contribute to some nice sunrises, however.
Blue had called ahead to alert the airport of our numbers and they did a good job of getting us seated, even though they did not have tables reserved. That would have been difficult today as the airport had Santa coming in by helicopter and the place was jammed with families. I thought that the staff did a great job of getting us in and served.
In addition to seeing Hap and Lyle for the first time this season, we had other new faces back including Al Vandentop and Henry Spittle. Nice to see you with us again guys.
Owing to the number of bikes, we opted to travel as two units. I led the first bunch of about 10 with Tomahawk (Don Fields) riding shotgun. Blue and Wrangler let the second unit. The ride was without incident though I think probably not the favorite with some as it was all done in traffic as we traveled up the 60 to 202 and then up to the airport on the 101. That does not bother me, but I know some are less comfortable with cars and trucks so close and driving so fast.
On the way home, we detoured over to D&D Cycle where they were having an open house. There were a lot of cyclists there and several vendors. I am waiting for someone to call and tell me I won the raffle on the new helmet and maybe a door prize as well.
Here is the GPS data:
Miles Ridden: 123.6
Average Speed: 56.0 mph
Driving Time 02:12:18
Maximum Speed 71.4 mph
No information has been issued on the Wednesday ride, so stay tuned….
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view today's pictures (Recommend Slide Show Option) |  | | Fourteen bikes with seventeen up made a colder than usual ride South, to Petro West and the Iron Skillit Restaurant. Our departure from the Chevron station was timely, but without benefit of our normal leadership, as Blue was helping a friend move a trailer. So, with Wrangler riding heard at the back, I took a deep breath and, all the time hoping I could lead us there without making many wrong turns, we headed South.
I mentioned that it was cool but that is only if you consider 44 degrees in that catagory. If you are in Wyoming and riding a bike to work when it is 17 below, 44 would feel really toasty. Of course if you were riding when it was 17 below, in Wyoming or anywhere else, you should be committed to a warm instituion for at least 4 months. (It should be warmer by then)
There were many fresh faces today, but none new to this years rides. My sister-in-law, Judy Shaw, who is avoiding the -17 degree weather in Wyoming by spending the winter here, rode in her sisters seat today. It was nice to have her aboard.
Country Boy and Packer kept us entertained most of the ride. Thanks so much guys. You do make it interesting to be part of this group.
Our route down took us S on Ironwood through Coolidge & past the airport at Eloy. We saw no evidence of any jumpers this morning. Breakfast was completed by 11:30 and our route home was quicker as we rode up I-10 and then back to the resort on the 202 and Highway 60.
The GPS says we rode a total of 149.3 miles at an average speed of 50.0 mph. We were riding a total of 2 hours and 59 minutes and my maximum speed was 72.4 mph.
If you are interested is seeing today's pictures... Click Here
Remember, this coming Saturday, we will be riding to the West side of the city to meet Lyle and Hap at the Deer Valley Airport. Then we will be checking the happenings at the open house being hosted by D&D Cycles. Maybe one of us will win one of the door prizes.
See you on Saturday...... 9 am departure... Goldfield Chevron.
Shutterbug. | CLICK HERE to view all of today's pictures |  | | The plan for tomorrow's ride (Wednesday, Dec 9th, is to meet at the Chevron Station for a 9 am departure to Petro West. And, for me the best news is.... I think I can ride along.
See you there.
Shutterbug | | | | Sixteen bikes, four female passengers and a cage all combined today for what could be classified as a “spicy” ride. Spicy? Where in the devil is that coming from? Has he lost it? Probably….. but think first of spices, really hot spices, you know… the kind that makes up some delicious chili…. There, now you have it… CHILLY. Yep it was a crisp day, one that made those of us who were wearing heated jackets happy to have them.
As we rode away from the Chevron Station, my temperature indicator had a reading of 48 degrees and as we usually ride with the windows down, there must have been a bit of wind factor that would make is seem a bit cooler. And as we rode over Usery Pass and up the Bush Highway I heard a comment or two about wishing they had some snowmobile gloves. Never once did I hear any reference to wishing they were not riding. Nope, not once for as you probably know, people who love to ride have really never had a bad weather day.
With 16 bikes, Blue broke us into two riding units of eight. The first lead by Dennis McKinney with Shutterbug riding shotgun and Blue took the helm of the second bunch and Wrangler rode herd on the back end and BJ, who was in the cage followed them. (BJ was not on his trike as he is recovering from having some blood vessels reamed out).
This is the first ride I have attended where Garry and Anne Hewitt were in attendance and also I was pleased to see Tina Smith along to keep Packer in line. I know that Vern Chrestensen was on the Wednesday ride but I had not been out with him since our Cody outing. Welcome back buddy. Also back and riding is Roger Voit. And, while it was not his first ride with the group, it was my first meeting with Roy Saltou.
Upon arrival at Denny’s in Fountain Hills, we were promptly seated at one long table and the coffee cups were put into use as hand warmers. Our server was on the ball, getting the drinks out and our orders taken. The food came out in a reasonable time as was evidenced by the fact that all 21 of us were getting back on rides only an hour after our arrival. This Denny’s Restaurant certainly does not live up to the “boy are they slow” reputation of many of the same chain.
Our ride continued on up to Bartlett Lake, again riding in two groups and again, in a temperature less than what Sunny Arizona usually brags about. I think it has warmed up 4 degrees, but what the heck, we were riding, which is more than most of the nation can claim.
The road into the lake is fun to travel as it has lots of dips and rises and just as many corners to negotiate. I was really surprised as to how low the lake is. Much lower than I have ever seen it and when you look at the pictures you will see what I mean. We spent 20 minutes or so there and then headed back. Six bikes accompanied Dennis on the fastest way home (down Pima Road to the 101 and then back in on the 202) while Blue retraced the route back to Fountain Hills and then over Gilbert road to the 101. They stopped for fuel and still were only about 15 minutes slower than we were.
All in all, it was a great day.
Here are the GPS figures:
Miles Ridden: 170.0
Average Speed: 48.3 mph
Driving Time: 03:31:07
Maximum Speed: 84.3 mph (yes.. I had to do some catching a time or two)
Blue mentioned that the Wednesday ride would likely be down to Petro West. Departure time will be 9 am.
When you look at the day's pictures, you will see that the ones I took are grouped at the front of the folder followed by those Wanda took while we were riding. So they are not in order. To see them... CLICK HERE
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view today's pictures |  | | I have been remiss in getting this notice on the site and for that, I apologize...
Blue stopped this morning to tell me that because of the uncertain weather, the ride destination for tomorrow has been changed.
We will depart at the regular 9 am time, but will be riding up to Fountain Hills for breakfast at Denny's and then continue on up to Bartlett Lake.
Hope you can all attend.
Shutterbug. | | | |
My thanks to Phil Parsons for preparing the following account of today's ride. Sounds like it was a great time.
Pat
Eighteen bikers along with 5 lady passengers met the warming sun at the station this morning at 9:00 for the ride to Catalina. There are more new riders each week, and today was no exception. Among them were two Gold Wing riders who have a unique outrigger trike configuration. They are Wendell Stahl and Ray Saltou. Ray is a sprightly 83 years young. Ask him to tell the joke of the day about “drinkin an smokin”. Other riders new to our group include Dan Quaderer on a Harley and Dallas Talbott, riding a new Burgman scooter.
We divided into two groups. The first was led by Vern Chrestenson with Brian Smith as the tail gunner. The second was led by John “Blue” Kelty with Char as his passenger for the first time since last May. There was the traditional stop at the Tom Mix turnout, followed by a delicious breakfast at Sunny Side Up. They were all set for us with a long table and 2 waitresses. All those bikes and diners make quite an impression, and it was great.
After breakfast, we formed a single group for the tour to Winkelman and then returning thru Superior. A few riders opted to head straight home; Dale and Goldie went to check some equipment at the radio shop in Tucson. It was a great ride, and we look forward to many more.
Blue has planned the ride for Saturday December 5 to go to Aunt Becky’s in Punkin Center, then make the circle past Roosevelt Lake. The rides now begin at 9:00 at the station. Hope you can be among “em.
Phil Parsons
To see the pictures Phil took... click here
| http://www.blues-angels.com/p/Picture%20Archive/Forms/MainView.aspx?RootFolder=%2Fp%2FPicture%20Archive%2F2009%2F20091202%20Catalina&FolderCTID=0x01200033E31B853A7D514B916FBFB48220A198&View={7A48B2CD-E895-4A24-93E3-F90194FD9EB5} |  | | I stopped to check with Blue regarding the ride plans for tomorrow and was informed that those attending will be headed South to Catalina and the Sunny Side Up Cafe. Departure will be at 9 am from the Chevron on Goldfield.
I hope that someone will be able to take some pictures and provide us with an account of the outing. It seems that any time I don't get a report in, someone is inquiring why not.... Please help me.
Ride Safe.
Pat | | | | Rene Heckert has recently purchased a 2002 1800 Goldwing and has his 1988 1500 for sale. For details, click the For Sale Tab on the Blue's Angels Web Site or click this link:
| |  | | Good afternoon Angels (please notice that I spelled it correctly today).
I know that some of you may be surprised to find that some of the Angels did ride today. As you know, the plan was to travel up to Aunt Becky’s in Punkin Center but when Blue saw the weather forecast, he felt that there was too much of a chance for more than a sprinkle and opted to cancel the outing. There were several, however, who he was unable to get in touch with and some of us who had decided that we would chance the weather and as it turned out, a total of 10 bikes with 16 up traveled up to Kearney for breakfast at the West End Café and then on down to Oracle Junction where we turned the bikes toward home via Florence. And, while we did experience some stiff winds as a result of the low pressure system that is moving through the area, there was no rain.
We had some fresh faces in attendance. Among those returning were Tony and Jan Reslien , Joe Lessard as well as Chuck & Gladys Mueller (boy does she spoil him). The Mueller’s brought Dave & Sandi Dutcher who are wintering here and escaping winter in Nora Springs, Iowa. Wanda and I were pleased that her sister, Judy Shaw chose to accompany us and was a guest rider on the back of Wrangler’s (new to him) Gold Wing. This is the first ride that I have been on where Wrangler has been along, so a welcome back to him as well.
Dawn in AJ was a beautiful site and while early on, it did look like a good possibility of rain, the day turned out to be a pretty clear, at least where we were riding. Temperatures were in the low 70’s at departure but did drop down to about 63 as we rode past the Ray Mine. You will see as you look at Wanda’s portion of the pictures that there is a good deal of color in the trees. You will also see that Tony and Jan are sporting a (new to them) Harley. It is a beauty even though it sports more chrome than Tony prefers. Jan, on the other hand, really likes the glitter (as do I) She says that now he can join the “Hello, my name is Dave, and I am a Chromoholic” club.
We arrived for breakfast a minute or two after 10:00 and it was nearly 11:30 before we resumed our way South toward Oracle. We did stop for fuel at Winkleman and then on the way home took a short break at the Tom Mix Memorial. There were a few who should have fueled in Winkleman that required a stop in Florence, but that was opportune as several made a beeline straight for the bathrooms. Along the way, we managed to lose several of our riders. A couple opted to ride past Tom Mix and others at the Florence stop. Then we had a couple who rode past us as we were approaching Gold Canyon. As it turned out, I rode back into the park with only 3 of the original 10 bikes in attendance.
My thanks to Wrangler for his always superb job while riding shotgun. And we should thank Packer ( Bryan Smith) for his entertaining poem about strapping his GPS to the horn of his saddle. You are amazing Packer.
GPS data:
Miles Ridden: 173.9
Average Speed: 53.2 mph
Driving Time: 03:16:15
Maximum Speed: 68.5 mph
Safe Riding All,
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view all of today's pictures (Recommend slide show option) |  | | I wanted to take advantage of this format to wish all of my Angel Pals and all of those who are friends of the Angels (and regularly check our web site) the best possible Thanksgiving Holiday. I hope that you were able to spend it with family, friends or both.
Wanda and I missed being with our son's but were able to share the day with her sister (Judy) and Judy's granddaughter and her husband (Ashley and Todd). We had a great meal and a wonderful time.
Some of you may wonder about yesterday's ride. As you know, my employment prevents me from attending the Wednesday outings so I must rely on others for those reports and pictures. Sadly, I received no report. I did chat with Blue a little and I understand they had a good turn out and did go to Judy's in Globe. Departure at 9 and were home by about 12:15. I hope to be on the Saturday ride and look forward to seeing who has returned.
Speaking of Saturday, we will depart again at 9 am and the plan is to breakfast at Aunt Becky's in Punkin Center (Weather permitting). See you then.
Shutterbug | | | | I checked with Blue concerning the plans for this Wednesday's ride and it appears that the Angles will be headed up to Globe for breakfast at Judy's. Departure is scheduled for 9 am. Hope you can make it. | | | | As the threat of snow invades the North Country, our group of riders benefits with new and renewed faces. It is great to have so many of our friends returning and to be making new acquaintances.
This mornings contingent consisted of 16 bikes and a total of 24 riders. Some of those I had not seen back on rides include Country Boy (Bob Adair), Packer (Brian Smith) and Goldie Keyes. Riders new to our group included Roy Karasiuk and Wendell & LeDean Stahal. There was also a young man (Steve) from Minnesota who is here only for a few days. A nice group. We all met at the Chevron station for the scheduled 8 am departure. The original plan was to ride down to Florence but the people at Mt. Athos were not answering their phone so we altered the destination to Tag’s in Coolidge.
Owing to the number of bikes, we opted to ride as two groups. I led the first 8 bikes and Packer was riding shotgun. Blue and Wrangler were in charge of group number two. We rode down taking the back route (Ironwood to the Hunt Highway) and it was an easy ride. The cotton farmers have been busy in the fields and there are a number of places with one ton bales waiting for transport to the gins. We passes a field full of sheep (my Wyoming kin being cattle people call them Range Maggots) and there were a lot of lambs chasing their mothers.
Upon arrival at Tag’s, we were shown to the back room where three tables had been set up for our convenience. Coffee soon arrived and the chatter began. Before long, meals arrived and chatter stopped. Blue introduced our the new faces and I told the group of my plans to expand the 2010 Angle Roster. We will have more members listed and I will soon be distributing an update sheet for those currently in the book and an information sheet for those who will be new to the roster.
It was 50 degrees when we rode down, but near 70 as we emerged from the building and started our return. Again, we rode as two units, this time taking the county road over to #79 and then home via Florence. I was back in the resort about 11:15. My GPS indicates the following:
Miles Ridden: 87.7
Average Speed: 46.7 mph
Driving Time: 01:52:50
Max Speed: 68.6 mph.
It was another good ride.
Blue informs me that the starting time for all future rides will be moved to 9 am. (So it will be warmer at the outset) The next outing is this coming Wednesday and , YES, there will be a ride the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
I will see all of you next Saturday.
Shutterbug
Oh yes... if you want to see all of today's pictures.. CLICK HERE
| CLICK HERE TO VIEW TODAYS PICTURES |  | | The ride this coming Saturday will be a short one. The plan is to meet at the Chevron Station for an 8 am departure. We will be riding down to Florence for breakfast at the Mount Athos Restaurant and then back to AJ. Some of you may not be aware, but Don Fields and JoAnn are celebrating 50 years of marriage. Some of us have been invited to a gathering to share this milestone.
I do not have an official report on the Wednesday ride but I understand that 9 bikes made the trip down to Tag's in Coolidge and that it was a good ride.
And, today was the street clean up project. I apologize for not being able to attend and assist, but my weekday job just will not allow that. I understand that the attendance was not very good, but those who were there to help did a fine job and the road is once again presentable.
Shutterbug | | | | Blue informes me that effective this Wednesday, the group will be riding on Wednesday mornings. Those interested will meet at the Chevron Station for an 8 am departure. This week, you can tag along to Tag's in Coolidge.
Also, please remember the street clean up project this next Thursday. You will meet in front of the Golden Vista Club House at 9 am. With lots of hands, it goes fast and is an easy project.
Pat | | | | Hello Angels.... I did not ride with the Angels yesterday, as the Bookeeper and I had company visiting. There was time, however to go to the station to see them off. I also delivered some of the tee-shirts to those riders present who rode in Wyoming this summer. My thanks to Mike LaGrange for the following account of the ride and most of the pictures. I did get a few while there, including some of those riders who I had not seen on rides yet this year. That would include Wrangler (Fred Krantz), Roger 3 (Roger Voit) and Rainbird (Gene Vogelgesang). Welcome back guys.
Shutterbug
Here is Mikes account of the ride:
We had a group of 9 bikes with a count of 11. Only two gals showed for Saturday's ride this week. Included for the days ride was, John, Dale, Eileen, Dennis, Roger, Fred, Brian, Ray, Phil, Mike and Charmaine. Maybe the possible rain was a factor, however it turned into a nice day. The original plan was to go to Payson and the airport for breakfast but the rain factor was more possible in that direction so we headed south. Petro station, "Iron Skillet" in the Eloy area was our breakfast destination of choice and turned into a good one.
The breakfast was a bit slow in coming but came mostly at the same time. Blue and Roger's orders were messed up a bit and they had a bit of a wait for the correct items to show. The food was good and hope it made up for their added wait time. Roger left for a direct route home. We did get a little rain on the way home coming thru Maricopa but not enough to stop for rain gear as we tried to stay ahead of the in coming clouds. No major events to speak of, just good company as usual.
Return time was about 1PM. milage unknown,no gps, only John to lead us thru the back roads to and from home.
| CLICK HERE to view all of today's pictures |  | | I stopped to talk with Blue yesterday and he asked me to post the information about this weeks Saturday outing.
The plan is to gather at the Chevron station in time for an 8 am departure to Payson. The group will be going to the Airport for breakfast. If there is a large number of attendees, then a second choice to eat will be offered. We have lots of people returning and I am guessing that the size of the group will continue to grow.
Speaking of returning Angles, Wrangler drove in yesterday with his new Wing. It looks good, but is absent a CB and antenna which I understand he has in a box and will be installing right away. Welcome back buddy.
Other news...
The Bookkeeper and I have a passle of cousins arriving for a "Cousin Reunion" that begins today and runs through Sunday, so we will not be on the ride. I am hoping that some of you will get me an account of the ride and pictures as well.
I am picking up the tee shirts this afternoon. Those are for the people who rode in Cody. Some have already paid me for them and if I will do my best to get your shirts to you promptly. If you are going to ride Saturday and have not paid me yet, let me know and I will send your shirts with Blue, asking him to collect the $.
Road Clean Up.
Remember, one week from today, November 19th is the Highway Clean Up Day. With good attendance, this is an easy project so plan to be there. Meet at the Golden Vista Club House by 9 am on that Thursday morning.
Enjoy the ride, Angels...
Shutterbug | | | | Good evening Angels and friends….
I am delayed today in compiling the report on today’s ride. That is what happens when you have other responsibilities and have been putting them off for too long a time. But, it was a good day. The ride was excellent and many of those little items once undone can now be checked off of the to-do list. So, let’s talk about today’s little adventure.
There were eleven bikes that assembled at the Chevron station in anticipation of today’s ride to Kearney. Some of the regulars were absent, but they were counter balanced by some returning faces. Among those were: Packer (Bryan Smith), Gary & Jackie Johnson. BJ Williams and Mary Beardslee (Dancer) who seems to be recovering well from her accident this summer that resulted in breaking her hip replacement.
We were a group of 16 total riders and after exchanging hellos and pleasantry’s and following the traditional group photo, we were only minutes past our 8 am scheduled departure time when departing. Blue led the group and I was honored to ride shotgun. This might be a good time to compliment the group for their excellence in maintaining a tight riding formation. It was really a pretty sight to see all of the bikes maintaining their 1 second – two second intervals as they wound their way East on 60 to Superior and then South on 177 to Kearney.
Blue had called ahead to make reservations for us and our tables were ready. The restaurant was busy today as was the rest of the community. They were celebrating the town’s 50th anniversary. With the extra patrons in the restaurant, the service was a bit slower than usual. This gave Wanda time to show off the new T-Shirt that is now at the printers. As you can see, it is designed for those who rode the Cody country this last summer. We had several nice comments on it’s design.
I think we were almost an hour and one half before the last of the Angels had finished their meals and we had paid the bill. Blue, Gary and Jackie and I opted to ride straight home. BJ lead the rest of the group on down to Winkleman and I assume then up to Globe and home. I have not had a report on their extended ride, but I assume it was free of incidents.
We three returnees arrived back at AJ about 11:30. The day was beautiful. 70 degrees when we departed at 8, andd while it cooled off by 9 degrees as we rode past the Ray Mine, by the time we started home, it was tee shirt weather. I think it was nearly 90 when we rode into the resort.
GPS Statistics for those who rode the short route:
Miles Ridden 102.4
Average speed: 53.8 mph
Riding Time: 0:54:15
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to see all of today's pictures |  | | This is a notice to all Angel's and Friends of Blue's Angels. The next cleanup of our section of Baseline Road is scheduled for Thursday, November 19th. We will meet at the Golden Vista RV Resort Main Building at 9 am. With a good turnout, this project does not take long, so please lend a hand. | | | | Blue asked me to let you know that the ride on Saturday, November 7th, will be to Kearney. Some will be returning direct, while others may opt to go on down to Winkleman and then back via Globe. Departure this week will be at 8:00 am. See you there... | | | | Mike McDonald has just listed his 1989 Honda Goldwing 1500 for sale. To see the listing CLICK HERE | |  | | It’s Halloween, 2009, but there was nothing frightening about today’s ride. In fact, this was a day filled with happy experiences.
•Let’s begin with the new faces that have returned to our ranks and there were several.
- Don and Shirley Gabbert
• Mike McDonald (actually Mike was back last week but, as we did not ride, I did not see him)
• Ed Hensley has been back for a couple of weeks, but this is his first time out with the group
• Phil Parsons just returned and lent his smiling face to our contingent
• And… our leader, John (Blue) Kelty has received the release from his surgeon to ride and he assumed his spot at the head of the pack. Welcome back Blue!
In total, we had 11 bikes with 4 additional riders for a total of 15 which is a big change from our summer numbers. Big Red & Eileen, Shutterbug & Bookkeeper, Jack Parsons, Mike & Charmaine LaGrange, Ray Moore and Dennis McKinney rounded out those in attendance. It just goes to show that when you have good leadership, attendance grows.
Our departure was at 7:30 from the Chevron Station. The temperature was a crisp 55 degrees and as we went East on 60 towards our first stop in Globe, it dropped down to about 52. The skies were void of any clouds and a crisp blue which proved to be a wonderful backdrop for the Saguaro cactus and the rugged peaks. We did stop and stretch a bit in the Walmart parking lot and then went North on 188 to one of our favorite breakfast stop’s.. Ma’s Kitchen. Blue had called ahead to reserve our seating and all was ready when we rode in.
Ma’s always serves a good breakfast. The kitchen is small which at times causes the delivery of the meals to be spread out a bit, but mine came early, so I did not perceive it as a problem. The portions are large as is evidenced by Jack Parson’s breakfast burrito. They are a popular item on the menu and most take some home in a box… Not Jack… (that boy can put it away)
Following the meal, all but Mike M rode on North to Tonto Basin were we stopped to facilitate fueling for those in need. We did not stop at the Roosevelt Dam, but the reservoir appears to be down several feet. I am thinking 10 or so. The lake was a brilliant blue today but there were not many fishing. Still, it would have been a good day to be on the water.
Broker had been riding shotgun to Blues’ lead and the two switched positions at Tonto Basin. We headed on up to the Beeline Highway where we turned our machines toward home. It was just a few miles down the road when Phil Parson’s bike acted up a bit. His front breaks locked up, for no obvious reason. Don Gabbert was able to get them to release and we rode home without further incidents, stopping briefly at the rest area just West of Saguaro Lake.
It was around 1 pm when the group arrived back at our homes. The temperature had risen by about 35 degrees and most had shed jackets, many riding in just their tee shirts. Isn’t it great to be in such a nice climate.
The destination for next Saturday’s ride has yet to be decided, but the departure time will be changed to 8 am. Blue also announced that in a week or so, there will be a call out for Angels to help with our road clean up project. Watch this column for more information. Your participation can make this a quick and easy effort.
GPS Summary:
Miles ridden: 177.7
Average Speed 52.1 mph
Driving Time” 03:24:39
Max Speed 77.7 mph
Nice to have so many of you back. As the winter visitors continue to return, our ranks will continue to grow.
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view all of today's pictures |  | | It is a day of celebration!!!!!
I talked to Blue today, who had just returned from an appointment with his knee Doctor..... and.... he has permission to NOT WEAR THOSE DAMNED SOCKS ANY MORE and..... HE CAN RIDE AGAIN.
So, this Saturday, Blue will be leading the Angels on a ride to Ma's Kitchen. Departure will be at 7:30 am from the Chrevron Station. Reservations to ride are not a requirement. I hope we have a great turn out. | | | | My thanks to Mike for compiling and sending me this report of the Saturday ride. Excellent job Mike and let me say, I am so pleased to learn that I am not the only guy to lead our riders to spots where you turn around and retrace your steps.... thanks....
Here is his report:.............................................
Pat
Here is a basic run down of our ride on Saturday, sorry you a Wanda could not join us. Hope to see you next week.
Our round trip consisted of approx 160 miles. There were 7 total to our group, on 5 bikes. Michael and Charmaine took the lead, Jack, Dale with Eileen, Michighan Mike and bringing up the rear was Ray. After discussing the route to Casa Grande we left about 7:45 and headed down thru Florence on 77. Turned on to 287/87 and only had one stop and turn around... the leader was only slightly confused. Only one (Ray) in our group had a CB so we had to feel our way thru the change in direction, making a U-turn to follow the very small sign that said "Casa Grande". Stopped for the funeral procession, just before Casa Grande. Soon after, we were seated promptly at the Cracker Barrel, Very tempting place, lots of goodies to check out. Anyway, we had a ok breakfast, as the opinion on the sausage and the gravy were not very positive. However, other choices were good and the coffee kept coming and of course the conversation was great as usual, never a dull moment and plently of smiles. We always enjoy our Saturday mornings with any Angel who makes the run. We all agreed, however, that we are looking forward to the morning that John returns with Blue and Char to lead us on our journey. Attached are a few pictures, really not a very scenic area but the temp was wonderful, cool jacket weather to start and t-shirt weather coming home.
| CLICK HERE to see all of today's pictures |  | | It is not my intent to embarass anyone but I want to share a thought with you. As you know, earlier this evening I sent the invitation to ride on Saturday and I have a response already, from Dennis McKinney.
Those of you who know Dennis will probably agree that he is an accomplished rider. I would venture a guess that he accumulates more miles each year than several of the Angels combined. In addition to the time spent with the Angels, he rides with at least one Harley Group and during his off days is usually on the bike, rather than his auto.
Well, Dennis will not be riding with us on Saturday. Want to know why? Here is his response:
Pat,
I can't make it this Sat. I am going to go through the Team Arizona experienced riders course again. A little refresher never hurts. Hopefully next weekend I will be able to ride.
Thanks Dennis
My hat is off to Dennis. He obviously understands the importance of continued training. Miles ridden help, but riding while being observed and instructed by professionsals is smart. In my opinion, this is someting that each of us should do, on a regular basis. Maybe one weekend this season, we can have an Angels day at Team Arizona? What do you think?
Shutterbug
| | | | If you are interested in riding this Saturday morning, I am thiniking of a trip down to the Cracker Barrel in Casa Grande. Would then come home via Maricopa.
I plan on departing from the Chevron Station at 7:30. Hope you can make it.
Pat A. | | | | Today’s ride for the Angel’s was to Catalina, a community just north of Tucson. While we have more of our riders returning, the size of today’s contingent was pretty small. Five bikes with 8 up were at the station. Blue and Char were there as well, but only to see us off, as he still has no OK to ride and had some chores that required attention at home. You will like hearing that he is doing well. They have been working to get his leg extension to 100 percent and I think I heard him say that yesterday at the PT’s torture chamber, they reached 98 degrees. He should be proud. I think he is getting around great and it will not be too many more weeks before he will get the OK to ride at the front of the pack.
Today, however, that position was mine. Ray Moore rode shotgun and the other bikes were occupied by Red Shirt and Eileen, Mike and Charmaine LaGrange and Jack Parsons. Jack tells us that Linda continues to improve and we look forward to her complete recovery and having her back in the group.
Departure was just after 7:30, with comfortable temperatures in the low 70’s. We made a quick stop at the Tom Mix Memorial and by then any who were wearing any outerwear were quick to get it off. We visited for a few minutes, read the information about the demise of Mr. Mix and then continued on to the Sunnyside Up Café. They were prompt in seating us. Service and food was above average and it was an enjoyable breakfast break.
Our route home took us up 77 to Winkleman where we paused while some fueled and others rid themselves of extra coffee. Then we zipped up past Kearney into Superior and on home. Arrival here was just after noon and by that time the temperature was nearly 30 degrees warmer that at departure.
We look forward to having more of the Angels on the rides.
GPS Data:
Miles Ridden: 185.6
Average Speed 57.9 mph
Max Speed: 75.2 mph.
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view all of today's pictures |  | | In August of 2010, 15 Blue's Angels Bikes and a lot more riders will be spending the night in Estes Park, Colorado. We are excited about the prospect of seeing the wonders of the Rocky Mountains and expect to have a really great time. I am wondering if we will experience a show of Elk in the Rut, as presented in this video:
As you will see, this footage was shot in September of this year so it is a definite possibility.
Now I understand why it only took a matter of hours for the trip to fill up....
Shutterbug.
| | | | All who are interested in riding down to Caliente this coming Saturday are invited to meet for a 7:30 departure from the Chevron Station. I thought we would go down via Florence and come back on 177. See you Saturday.
Shutterbug | | | | I have been speculating for some time regarding what choice of ride Wrangler would make to replace his 96 Goldwing. In fact, in my mind, I was pretty sure he was the person who purchased Dollar Bill's Harley Davidson.
This afternoon, I received a note from Fred (please understand that he is very concervative with his typewritten correspondence) saying simply that he had a new bike.. I pressed him for more information and finally have received a picture which I assume took the place of a thousand words.... Ultimately I had to call him for more information. As it turns out, the picture he sent (and that is featured here) is not really his bike but it will just have to do. His bike is on the trailer, waiting to make a trip to Arizona this next month. Turns out he has purchased a 2008 Honda Goldwing 1800 that has 20,000 miles on it. (It was owned by a Harley rider who purchased it to take a trip to Alaska and then to Oregon... and I guess that tells a story by itself). Fred says that he has ordered a CB for it. It does not have the GPS, but I have ridden lots of miles with Wrangler and can tell you for certain that his dead reaconing skills are supurb.
So, Mr Krantz remains a Honda rider and we look forward to his being back in Arizona and riding with the Angels. | |  | | Hey Pat, Here is the rest of the story. Leaving Payson with 3 of the bikes going there own way the rest of us rode to Clint's Wells where we lost 2 more. They had breakfast and headed back as Johanna had to be home before 3 pm. The ride was beautiful the construction was closed down for the weekend, so it was not a problem. The trees are turning and the leaves were a spectacular sight.
We arrived a little early as our reservations were for noon. We stopped at the Flying J for gas and Bill's Harley would not start. ( I forgot to mention that some times this happens and you just have to move your key fob away from the bike and then it will start) So after solving this problem we then went to La Pagoda motel restaurant. It used to be a prison and has been remolded. Nice place the food was excellent, the service was terrific, and the companion ship was great (sorry for those of you that couldn't make it).
After lunch we stopped at the Standing on the Corner enjoyed the gift shops, then headed down the mountain. Put on coats about 20 miles from Winslow, the next stop was Payson. A couple of people left Payson early and headed home, I managed to stay in line until we passed Rye, then pulled out and set the cruise at 72 and came down the mountain. (No one else joined me guess 65 was ok) I got home a little after 5. It was a great day and I am looking forward to many more!!!! When Leonard sends me the pics, I will forward them to you
Thanks Pat
Dennis
| View these picture by CLICKING HERE |  | | Many thanks to Dennis McKinney for coordinating today’s ride. And, if he had anything to do with the weather, more cudo’s… In both cases, it turned out well.
In case you are wondering, the morning temperature this time of the year hover in the mid 60’s which makes for very pleasant riding conditions. Today was no exception and it was appreciated by the six bikes that met at 7:30. Jack Parsons, Dale Keyes (with his frequent rider Eileen), Mike and Charmaine LaGrange, Ray Moore and Wanda and I met Dennis at the station. He had arranged for us to join a some of the Harley riders that he rides with during the week for a journey north. We rode from the Chevron Station over to the QT at Ellsworth & University. As you will see, there were a number of bikes there. It turned out that some of them were going to a GWRRA chapter picnic so the group going north was not quite as large as I first expected. At 8 am, 18 bikes rode north over Usery Pass to the Bush Highway and then continued on up the Beeline to Payson. It was an enjoyable ride and I was impressed by our ability for all of the riders to stay as one unit. At Payson, we all stopped at the Mobile station by the casino and from there, people kind of went their own way.
Many of the riders continued on up to Clints Wells where they planned to stop for a break. After that it was the plan to continue over to Winslow for lunch, then back to the valley.
I think that Ray and Red Shirt went for breakfast at the Casino. Wanda and I opted for the Airport and I have no idea what the others did. We were seated immediately and is always the case, found the service and meal to be above par. We rode home after first taking a tour through Payson. The golfers appeared to be having a good time and many were out enjoying the nice parks. Our ride home was great. We enjoy riding with, and associating with our Angel friends, but are equally comfortable cruising by ourselves as we can set our own pace, stop when we want and that has its advantages. We did make one stop at the rest area in the Lower Salt River Canyon. The views are enjoyable here and there is a bathroom that allows us to take some of the pressure off. It was also a good spot to shed our jackets and ride in with just the tee shirts.
We rode back into the resort just after Noon. The temperature was in the upper 70’s. We had ridden about 180 miles and our average speed was 53 mph. As we approached the turnoff to the house my odometer reached an interesting number. It has been suggested that I should have immediately ridden to a casino to try my luck… NOT!
I am hoping that Mike, Jack or Dennis will send me an account of their continued journey up to Winslow. If so, it will be added as “the rest of the story”
Shutterbug
| CLICK HERE to view all of today's pictures. |  | | It is a new month and in Arizona, the riding temperatures are becoming more moderate. In fact, today we delayed our scheduled start by 30 minutes, electing to ride out at 7:30. And while in weeks past, it could, but this time of the morning, be in the mid to high 80’s on this day it barely over the 70 degree mark. And, when we rode back into the valley, it was still just a hare over 70. NICE!
Our ride could also be described in the same manner. Today we rode to Kearney and enjoyed a nice breakfast at the West End Café. The contingent was 5 bikes strong with a total of seven riders, so we did not bother to make reservations and in spite of the advertised horse shoe tournament in that part of town, we found ample space for our morning meal. I guess that could be space to sit and space for the food to rest after being shoveled in.
The group was led by Dennis McKinney. Mike and Charmaine LaBarge were in the rocking chair, followed by Dale Keyes with his riding partner Ileen and they were tagged by Jack Parsons. I rode shotgun and was solo on the bike as The Bookkeeper was invited to a baby shower at Ted and Barb Moody’s house. Yep, Amy and Sean are expecting their first child and we wish them well.
With Wanda absent from her in route photo responsibilities, that job became mine and I can tell you that she was missed. Still, there are pictures taken in route as well as those captured with my recently repaired Sony.
The scenery was beautiful. Even though we ride this route often, I never tire of it. The mountain at Superior has a special allure and the view of the Ray Mine is always a winner. Following the gang around the corners and watching as they ride in formation is always fun.
After breakfast, we continued South on 177 to Winkleman and then turned north on 77 up toward Globe. The construction that has delayed traffic on this road for over a year is about complete and the road is nice, as is the scener.
We stopped at the Shell Station in Globe for a rest and with the hope that we might meet Blue who planned to return from a trip to the Rim about this time. He went up to pull the Jerky Wagon down to Tonto Basis. By the way, Blue is doing great. His doctor chews his fanny a bit for not always following directions the way he wants, but I think Blue is walking well, and he looks great.
I am not positive of the group ride totals as I left the GPS on while I rode past the resort to get a haircut and run some errands. I am guessing that we rode close to 157 miles and I show an average speed of 55.7 mph. Broker did a fine job of leading us, and the group rode an excellent formation. I was the only deviate as I was forever falling back as I took pictures. Good thing I was in the back. We arrived back in AJ just in time for lunch.
Next week, Broker will be coordinating the ride as Pooh Bear and I have a job down near Yuma and I am not sure we will be home in time. So, watch for his mail.
Shutterbug
| http://www.blues-angels.com/p/Picture%20Archive/Forms/MainView.aspx?RootFolder=%2Fp%2FPicture%20Archive%2F2009%2F20091003%20Kearney%20Globe&FolderCTID=0x01200033E31B853A7D514B916FBFB48220A198&View={7A48B2CD-E895-4A24-93E3-F90194FD9EB5} |  | | Wow.... that did not take long!!!!!
As of this writing, all of the availabe spaces for the 2010 Colorado Ride are taken. I want to thank all who have been so supportive of next years outing and promise you that I will do my best to insure that it is worth your time and investment.
For those of you who have been considering riding with us, but did not respond, please remember that a lot can happen in a year and some who currently pledged to attend might have a change of circumstances. If that happens, I will be filling those spaces from an alternate list and as of this moment, no one is on that list. Your name could be at the top of it.
In a day or two, I will be announcing who is attending and providing you with additonal information.
Thanks again to each of you who will be joining us in Colorado.
Pat | | | | Out with the old, in with the new!... Bill sold his old Harley and the 2010 arrived. My thanks, sir, for sharing the pictures. I love the color but then, you may have guessed that I like red.
I know that you have lots of extras on this unit, but trust me when I remind you that the best looking after market addition sits on the seat behind you.
Also, I am wondering if this nice a bike really fits the " Mean as Hell" biker image you have cultivated!
We look forward to seeing you back in AJ. | |  | | Many of you know Bruce Watson, owner of Motorcycle Service and certainly a friend of the Angels. I was at Blue's today when his wife, Fran, called to tell Blue that Bruce is in Hospice, and expected to survive only a couple of weeks. He has had a real ordeal these past years, with a lung transplant and now has Stage 4 cancer. Blue has asked that you include Bruce and his family in your prayers. When asked if thre was anything that the Angels could do, Fran said that patronizing the shop would be the best thing. It has been Bruce's passion these past years. I certainly plan to continue to do that.
| | | | This evening my mail included this note from our friend and fellow Angel Gene Bonnes.
Hi Pat,
Finally, here's a couple photos of our new ride, one taken at the Trike Shop factory which is only about 35 miles from our home and one taken near dark after I arrived home. So far we have ridden a few hundred miles and couldn't be happier. There are just a few accessories which should be installed this week, hopefully there will still be some good riding weather around here.
We are both looking forward to our riding it in AZ this winter. It will be especially nice to be aware of what's going on in the group via a CB.
Obviously we will need a new photo for our new business cards. We can arrange this sometime after we arrive.
Take care, our regards to you and Wanda,
Gene & Mary Bonnes
We look forward to Gene and Mary's return to Idaho. I know he will enjoy his new ride and the ability to communicate with his fellow riders... By the way, I think he has decided that "Red Baron" will be his new handle..... Hurry back RB...
Shutterbug | |  | | Had a note from Dollar Bill to let me know that he has found a buyer for his Harley. My thanks to each of you who may have told a friend or relative about this unit.
We look forward to seeing Bill's 2010 HD.
Shutterbug | | | | It is Saturday, a prescribed day for a ride with the Angels. True, there are not a lot of here yet, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of those in attendance. Red Shirt and Eileen, Pooh Bear and Ey Lady, Jack Parsons and the Bookkeeper with Shutterbug made up our group. I had talked to Blue yesterday and he had indicated a possibility that he would be at the station to see us off, but did not make it. By the way, he is doing well. I stopped yesterday and he had been in the shower (good decision sir) and was looking refreshed. His incision is a beauty, but will heal and fade with time. We continue to wish him well.
As long as I am discussing healing, we leaned today that Linda Parsons is recovering from her surgery. She had a growth removed and has learned that it was not cancerous, so that is great news. And her daughter in Denver continues to do well with the baby that was in distress, so we continue to pray for a successful delivery. Finally, Dale Keyes told us that Goldie has been placed on the donor list for a kidney. Hopefully that will come together soon so she can resume a full energetic life.
Now, about the ride, as you look at the pictures, I defy you to find a cloud in the sky. It was about 70 at 7 when we rode out and our destination was to Superior and the Buckboard Café. That is just a short hop but still an enjoyable ride. There was ample space for us to occupy one table but soon after our arrival, the place began to fill up. Mostly guys and gals on bikes but a few who still travel the old fashioned way were there.
It is now 9:30 and, obviously, we are home. The ride was uneventful, with the exception of Teddy and Barb setting their bike down in the restaurant parking lot. He had given us the ok to pull out and then did not follow. I was about to go back to see what the problem was when he came on the radio to say all was OK. He is a little embarrassed, and I know that feeling, but they were not hurt.
I think next Saturday, we will go for a longer outing. Maybe we will ride over to Fountain Hills and then out to Bartlett Lake. Hope more of you are available to go along and maybe we can get the guys from the West Side to join us?
Till then…
Shutterbug
| See today's pictures by CLICKING HERE |  | | I just received this update on Jim and Thelma Breen's daughter and knew you would appreciate seeing it:
Debi was released from the hospital last Fri. evening after 15 days in the hospital. They decided after many tests that she suffered a Lupus flare up that attacked her lymph system, her adrenal glands are not functioning and the extreme pain she was having in her right knee was of unknown factors. Apparently her heart was not involved in this. she does have two holes in her heart which she will have to have repaired out of state at some point. Her ear drum needs to be repaired as it has a hole in it also, but all of these surgeries probably need to be delayed until she feels stronger. Any surgery seems to flare her auto immune disease of Lupus so really takes her down. She is feeling a little down and sad that her life has taken this turn and needs to get back into ministry and feeling part of society as much as she can. So please keep her in your prayers, that the Lord will guide her and comfort her in this change in her life. It is a hard thing for her to accept but she is working on it.
Thank you for all of the prayers that you have sent to heaven on her behalf and the thoughts and prayers on our behalf.
Blessings,
Thelma
Also, I have seen Blue a couple of times since returning from our adventure and he is doing great. He has a physical therapist come to his home three times a week in addition to his daily therapy regimine. We look forward to the day that he can again get on the blue bike and ride with us.
Finally, our friend Linda Parsons has recently has surgery. I understand that she is home, recuperating. I need to call and see how she is doing. In the interum, please keep her in your prayers as well.
Shuttebug | | | | Bill is buying a new HD and has his 2008 for sale. For complete details see the "FOR SALE" section.... use the following link.
| |  | | I had mentioned that Blue is home from the Surgery Center earlier. Today, after unpacking the bike and trailer, I stopped by his home to see how he is progressing.
The Home Health People will start working on his physical therapy this monday, so there is nothing to report on there. He, like always, is in good spirits and is looking forward to the days when he will be back on the bike, leading the Angels on the bi-weekly rides. He is able to walk with the aid of his walker and I am certain they will be pushing hm to do more of that. He has the exercise machine for the knee, which he used in the hospital, but not yet at home. I know that is essential to good recovery so hope he is diligent about using it. Beyond that, all I can say is he looks "fetching" in his pretty white socks......
Just kidding Blue... Wear the damned things. They will keep you from getting clots.....
More in the coming days.
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