DYNAMIC DUO CHALLENGES WEATHER WITCH

Yes, the weather witch was out again this Wednesday evening, but she got challenged!  Waiting at Casey's last night were Irv, Al, and Kenny (newbie) when Bob R arrived.  He noticed that it looked like some decent weather to the south, and said he was going to head that way.  He was the only one that left.  However, he was met heading south by Jim, who also planned to go in spite of the outlook.  So the dynamic duo (not Batman and Robin, but closer to Heckle and Jeckle) continued south challenging the witch.

We encountered a few sprinkles on the Forest Mills Road until we got past the Gelo ponderosa, and the rain stopped.  We continued onto Cherry Valley Road and on into Postville and onto HWY 18 east.  After a short jaunt on 18 we turned south again onto the Gunder Road.  We did pick up a few more sprinkles near Gunder, but again they were very light and short.  We did see quite an unusual set of showers to the west of us as we continued on through Gunder and down into Elkader.

However most of the way we were headed, the sky was sunny and blue and comfortable temps in the 70's.

We continued on through Elkader and then took HWY 13 north for a short time and turned onto HWY 128 east through Clayton Center and onto HWY 52 south for a short trip into Garnavillo for a reat stop.

WE DEFY THE WITCH

After our break we left Garnavillo on CR C17 (Clayton Road) heading east again.  We then turned south on CR X56 and cruised down into McGregor where Bob ran the stop sign right in front of a city cop.  We continued on through McGregor and Marquette and headed up HWY 76 north.  I'd planned to take us through Harpers Ferry and Elon back to Waukon, but when we got to the top of the hill, we could see another storm front brewing to the south.  So we scooted as fast as the bumps on 76 (Terry E. Branstad Memorial By Way South) would take us.  Both of the duo made it home dry, and I had 95 miles on the wing as I pulled into the shed.  Looking outside from the garage, here's what we missed.

Sometimes you gotta stay home, but sometimes you just gotta challenge the witch.  Did the duo luck out?  No way.  Just pure "skill"!

SUNDAY
On this Sunday, the 31st, I'm planning on going on a "Make-Up for Wednesday" ride.  It's about time to ride Thumper Road near LaCrescent again.  This is arguably the most scenic four miles in the tri-state area.  I try to ride this once in the spring and once in the fall.  It's supposed to be sunny and in the 70's on Sunday, so if you want to ride along, I'll be leaving Casey's at 1 PM on Sunday.

Cathy took a photo of our group last Wednesday heading for the orchards.

A SUNNY MEMORIAL DAY!

 All week the weather forecast for Memorial Day had rain chances anywhere from 60 to 80%.  However at 1 O'Clock on Monday afternoon a "lucky" 13 Wednesday Night Riders met at Casey's with mostly sunny skies and temps near 80, so even though the cookout had to be cancelled, the ride was on!

WAYNE, BOB Z, DAVID, MERYLE, AND AL TALK BIKES

SUPPORT CONVERTIBLE SUPPLIED BY DAVID & SUZANNE

LOIS AND SUZANNE

SANDY AND MARY

Before we departed, Bob Z discovered that he had no rear brakes on his Harley.  So not wanting to drag his feet the whole trip, he decided it was best to stay home.  Just as we were departing, Gary & Gloria came rolling in, so an even dozen of us took off on our annual Memorial Day run.
We traversed down Forest Mills Road, passed by the Gelo ranch and on into Luana and onto HWY 18 heading east.  On 18 we passed Monona, Froelich, Giard, Marquette, and onto the Mississippi River bridge.  There we waited quite some time while the stop light directing traffic past the construction site was red for us.  Finally the light turned green and we passed through Prairie du Chien and Bridgeport then turned off onto CR C. We used CR C, CR X, and CR P to get us over near Bagley where we found CR A and headed east again.
Following CR A took us on a rather scenic journey on into Bloomington for a planned stop at the One Stop there.

IT WOULDN'T BE AN OFFICIAL TRIP WITHOUT SOME GELOS ALONG

AL IS EITHER CHECKING THE WEATHER OR TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE

THE SUPPORT CONVERTIBLE IN BLOOMINGTON

 However, we soon discovered that the One Stop was closed and we were attracting a crowd including a guy and his hyper dog, so we departed for our next planned stop.
We got back on CR A and followed it's scenic path all the way into Lancaster where the plan was to get ice cream and possibly some pizza at Happy Joe's there.  Again we discovered that it was also closed today, so we motored across the street to the A&W drive in.  

WE ARRIVE AT A&W

IT'S WARM ENOUGH FOR SANDY TO DITCH HER JACKET

CO-PILOT

The A&W stop turned out to be a good place for us.  We ordered from the outside menu kiosks and our food and/or ice cream was brought out to us while we sat in the shade on picnic tables under their canopy.  Their seating area inside was still closed, but we were able to pass through and use the rest rooms.

After finishing our treats we started our journey back home by passing back through Lancaster and getting on CR K just outside of town.  CR K also provided us with some southwestern Wisconsin scenery as we made our way past Green River and onto HWY 133 heading east.  We traveled through Woodman and then on into Boscobel for another break at Quick Star.

After a quick break we headed out of Boscobel and found CR E about three miles west on HWY 60 at Easter Rock.  We traversed scenic CR E through Steuben (all roads lead to Steuben) and up to HWY 27 where we turned north passing through Seneca and Mt. Sterling.  By now the temps were in the 80's and the breeze actually felt pretty good!  It turned out to be a warm, sunny day with no rain in sight YET.

In Mt. Sterling we turned south onto HWY 171 and down the hill to HWY 35 and then breezed through Ferryville and across the bridge back into Iowa at Lansing.  It looked like some repair work was being done on the Blackhawk Bridge, so it may also be closed or only open to one way traffic.  After crossing the bridge, our last stop was going to be the Skinny Dip drive-in on HWY 26 in Lansing.  However, only Wayne & Sandy and Bob & Julie made the stop.  The rest of the convoy headed straight back to Waukon.  The Skinny Dip didn't seem all that busy, but it did take a while for us to get our orders.  

When we started to leave Lansing, the sky looked real dark back towards Waukon, so instead of taking the Lansing/Harpers Road and the Elon Road back, I decided to beat a quick pass up HWY 9 to avoid what looked like a strong storm.  By clipping along at a fast pace, the trike seemed to skip over a lot of the bumps that make up most of HWY 9.  We did catch a few rain drops on the way, but we pulled into the shed at home dry with 179 miles on the trike clock.  Hopefully Wayne & Sandy made it home dry.

While we didn't get to have our annual Memorial Day cookout, we did get in a super nice ride.  Also, all of the Memorial Day tributes to our fallen veterans had to be cancelled because of Covid 19.  But as I was traveling along today, I couldn't help thinking about all those soldiers who gave up their lives so we could be free to travel when and where we please in our great country. And as the song by Lee Greenwood played on the trike:

"and I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me.."

GOD BLESS THE USA!!

.....and APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE

Each spring we try to pick a Wednesday night when our ride takes us through the apple orchards in Gays Mills to view the blossoming trees.  Sometimes we are too late, sometimes the late frost destroyed the blossoms, sometimes we are too early, and sometimes the wind and rain have taken their toll, but sometimes we do get a view at one of Mother Nature's wonders.

So this Wednesday seventeen WNR gathered at Casey's in anticipation of seeing blossoms and because it was a near-perfect night with partly sunny skies and temps in the low 70's.  We really didn't know what to expect in Gays Mills.

We had a support vehicle with Greg and Dale along with five trikes (3 wheelers) with Carl, Irv, Chuck (not Chuckles),Ron & Helen, and Bernell & Kathy.  On seven bikes were Darron, Jim & Cathy, Larry (you can never have enough Gelos), Lois, Chuckles, Howard, and Bob.

GREG BRINGS HIS SUPPORT CONVERTIBLE

DARRON JOINS US AGAIN

HELEN ON THE TRIKE AND KATHY ON THE NEW CAN AM

CATHY & KATHY

RON, BERNELL, HOWARD, AND IRV

CARL--LETTING THE COOL AIR HIT HIS FOREHEAD

We headed out of town east on the Elon Road passing through Elon and then heading north on the Lansing/Harpers Road into Lansing.  We took this route to avoid one of the worst stretches of highway in Iowa (Highway 9) to be supposedly repaired in the near future.  We then crossed the mighty Mississippi on the Blackhawk Bridge and on into Wisconsin on HWY 35 heading south.  We passed through Lynxville and then turned east again onto CR C which took us on a scenic route on into Soldiers Grove where we stopped for a break at Campbell's One Stop.  We saw a lot of wild apple trees that were still in bloom, so our hopes were high.

LINED UP AT CAMPBELL'S

CHUCK (NOT CHUCKLES) SHOWING A PROPER DISMOUNT

After our break we took off south on newly paved HWY 61.  When we got to Rolling Ground, we turned west onto HWY 171.  Even though we had the sun facing directly into us, our leisurely ride through the orchards proved to be a spectacular sight.  Not only were the trees in bloom, they were in full bloom!  Even the smaller trees were full of blossoms.  Our timing was perfect, thanks to the pure "skill" of our fearless leader!  We continued west on 171 passing by a couple more orchards with blossomed trees.  HWY 171 took us through Gays Mills and into Mt. Sterling where we turned south on HWY 27.  After passing through Seneca and Eastman, we turned west again on Limery Road and through Shihata Orchards where we were treated to more apple blossom views.  Limery Road took us across HWY 35 and onto CR K heading south through Prairie du Chien.  We then turned onto HWY 18 to cross the bridge into Iowa again.  The bridge is being repaired and a stoplight directs traffic going one way.  I was the only one to make it through the light on green, so I waited by the turn into Marquette for the rest of the convoy.  We then took HWY 76 north (another Iowa highway in bad need of repair) where Carl, Jim & Cathy, and Chuck (not Chuckles) dropped off on their way home.  The rest of us continued on 9 to Waukon where more dropped off.  It got a little later than I liked, so I hope our Decorah riders made it back home before it got too dark.  I had 128 miles on the Wing when I pulled her into the shed.

Overall, I thought it was a great ride!  We had some beautiful scenery, nice weather, and got some spectacular sights and smells of the apple blossoms.  How much better could it get?!

MEMORIAL DAY RUN & COOKOUT

Our annual Memorial Day run and cookout is scheduled for Monday, departing Casey's at 1 PM.  If the weather holds, I still plan on going on the ride (maybe stopping for ice cream somewhere), but I think it's best to call off the cookout.  We would really feel bad if one of us came down with the virus after being at our house for the food.  Hopefully by next Memorial Day we can resume the ride and the cookout.  Again, if the weather cooperates and you want to go on a Memorial Day run, be at Casey's at 1 O'Clock on Monday afternoon.

EIGHT ATE AT OSTERDOCK

We had four couples participate in Wednesday Night Riders first RTE (Ride To Eat) of the season.  The original ride schedule that was made out long before COVID 19 had the destination as a Burger Run to Dotsy's in Elgin.  But due to the pandemic, Dotsy's wasn't available.  Jim suggested going to the Osterdock Store, so we gathered at Casey's at 4:30 with Wayne & Sandy, Jim & Cathy, Chuckles & Lois, and Bob & Julie set to make the burger run.

While we were waiting, we were able to observe a "farmers" way to paint on the building across from Casey's.  Let's hope the guy on the tractor gets over his back itch!

GASSING UP THE DFT

PREVIOUS OSTERDOCK STORE PATRONS

Chuckles and Lois make their entrance:

We departed Casey's under partly cloudy skies, temps in the low 70's, and a fairly strong east wind.  (Does the freaking wind ever quit blowing?!)  We took teeth rattling HWY 76 south (Terry E Branstad Memorial Highway south) to Rossville and then turned onto the Volney Road and into Monona.  There we picked up HWY 18 east (They fixed the bumps on the bridge near Froelich.) and then turned south onto HWY 52.  We made a "fake" bathroom stop in Garnavillo and continued on to Kale Avenue (CR X47), CR 7X (Garber Road) and Osterdock Road.  After viewing some outstanding spring scenery, we arrived in the outskirts of Osterdock avoiding "rush hour" and pulled into the Osterdock Store and Restaurant.

Like the rest of the restaurants in Iowa, they are only open for carry-outs.  Jim had run off some menus for us, so we were able to quickly place our orders and wait outside to eat on the tables and chairs they provided for us.  I kept with the theme of the ride and had one of their delicious burgers.  However the others who had tenderloins, fish sandwiches, and chicken strips also remarked how tasty the food was.  If you went away hungry, it was your own fault, because the portions were huge and the prices were very reasonable.

EVEN THE BEARS IN OSTERDOCK ENJOY BEERS!

After polishing off our abundance of food, we started to make our way back.  We got back onto the Garber Road and followed it into Garber where we took Goodview Road over to HWY 13 near Elkader.  This route from Elkader to Guttenberg is one of my favorites to ride, but I can't decide if it's more scenic coming from or going to Guttenberg.  All I know is that it is one of the most scenic stretches of road in northeast Iowa!  We followed HWY 13 north and turned on Golden Avenue through Farmersburg and back onto HWY 18 heading west.  Following HWY 18, we turned into Luana and took Forest Mills road north.  Jim & Cathy left us as we passed by their ranch while the rest of us continued to HWY 76 and back into Waukon.  We had 112 miles on the trike when we put her to rest in the shed.

The wind was an irritant, but it was still a nice scenic ride, and the food was outstanding.  Thanks to Jim & Cathy for recommending the Osterdock Store.  If you are ever in the area and are hungry, this is the place to stop!

UPCOMING EVENTS

I received a note from Nancy indicating that the Hospice Ride has been postponed to  the first Sunday in September.  We'll keep an eye on that.

The weather looks good for this coming Wednesday, so we may try our ride through the apple blossoms in the orchards at Gays Mills.

Right now the weather looks iffy for the Memorial Day Run.  If the weather does cooperate, I still plan to ride. Still leaving Casey's at 1 PM.  Right now I'm undecided on the cookout afterwards due to the Covid 19 guidelines.  I'll probably ask for some input on Wednesday night.

Last Saturday Julie and I drove over to Mason City to visit with our GWRRA chapter members over there who were having a bike show in the mall there.  They use the mall show to attract new members and promote safety.  Here's a couple of photos of the units that were on display.

This unit above is owned by Roger Munson and Roxy Oder.  It's used as a hearse for funerals and can be hired out as such.  It was used for Dean Schlitter's (Dean's Honda) funeral.

ANOTHER FANCY TRIKE AND TRAILER

AND YET ANOTHER

SEE YOU WEDNESDAY NIGHT--STAY SAFE!!

OH, RAINY DAY WOMAN!!

With wind gusts reaching 30 mph, rain squalls, and dropping temperatures, the Weather Witch casts her evil spell on our Wednesday night rides again.  While next Wednesday is predicted to be warm and sunny, we hope no one told the Witch.

I did get a ride in on Tuesday.  I traveled over to the orchards to see if they were in bloom yet.  They were not.  Even though I saw a lot of crab apple trees with beautiful blooms (particularly in Wauzeka), none of the trees in the orchards near Gays Mills showed any blossoms.  So maybe by next Wednesday we can journey over there and check it out.  The way the weather has been, they might all be blown off by the time we get there!  Getting over to Wisconsin from here has turned rather interesting.  With HWY 9 closed to Lansing, I decided to cross at Marquette.  However, they are in the process of replacing the deck on the bridge, and only one lane is open.  There is a stop light that directs traffic, but it seemed like a long wait.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Obviously our Good Sam Trike Rides scheduled for Thursday are not going to take place because of CV19.  I called Judy at Good Sam and told her that we would try to reschedule but only after the virus has cleared up.  Hopefully we can try again this fall.

We have a RTE on Saturday leaving Casey's at 4:30 PM.  The weather doesn't sound the greatest right now, but for planning purposes, I still plan to go.  Where we may stop for eats or ice cream (or both) will probably depend on what restrictions have been lifted by the Governor.  But we should be able to find a safe place.  I want to make it clear.  If you don't feel comfortable going on these rides or events because of the CV19, then don't think you have to come.  That's entirely up to you!

Our next event/ride is scheduled for the Memorial Day Run/w cookout afterwards at Rotach's on May 25th leaving Casey's at 1 PM.  Right now the ride is still on, and we'll decide later about the cookout.

Now, if you think you are too old to ride, you need to click on this link, and watch the video.  It's too bad we can't have commercials like this in the U.S.!

https://youtu.be/vksdBSVAM6g



In closing, here's some more humor provided by Jim & Cathy.

SEE YOU SATURDAY

FIVESOME ON WEDNESDAY

Fivesomes are usually not allowed on golf courses, but the Wednesday Night Riders accept all comers.  Five WNR appeared at Casey's this last Wednesday, all on two-wheelers.  We had Chuckles and Howard on Harleys, Larry on his Yamaha, and Jim and Bob on Gold Wings.

LARRY SHOWING OFF HIS NEW JACKET AND HELMET (FROM JIMMY)

NO CO-RIDER TONIGHT FOR JIM (JIMMY)

  Under partly sunny skies, a fairly brisk west wind, and 64 degrees, the group departed heading up HWY 76 north to Bear Creek Road.  We headed west on BCR over to Locust Road and a little jog north and we were headed west again on CR W40 making for Hesper.  As we turned south in Hesper onto CR A14, we got some sprinkles of rain.  It was Wednesday night, right.  What did we expect!
Fortunately the rain was just enough to put a few drops on the windshield and we turned south onto the North Winn Road.  The northern part of the North Winn Road was rather rough, but as we passed the North Winn School, the pavement became very smooth.  The NWR took us over to HWY 52 where we turned south and motored to just outside of Luther College and took the Pole Line Road west.  The Pole Line Road proved to be a nice stretch of road over to CR W14 that took us south into Ridgeway.  CR W14 is a rather rough road, so it probably would have better to continue on the Pole Line Road over to HWY 9 near Cresco and come back on 9 to Ridgeway.

In Ridgeway we took a break at the Engen Express convenience store.  While Jim (aka Jimmy) plugged in his heated jacket, Howard polished off an ice cream sandwich!  We left Ridgeway heading east on HWY 9 and with the wind at our backs, we sailed through Decorah and on into Waukon.  I had 99 miles on the Wing when I parked her in the shed.  While the weather wasn't ideal for motorcycling, I will use the "common" phrase for northeast Iowa weather--"It could have been worse."

We talked about possibly organizing a ride on Sunday (Mothers' Day), but looking at the forecast (high of 47 degrees and 50% chance of rain) we may have to wait for next Wednesday to see if the apple orchards are in bloom yet.

Here's some humor supplied by Jim (Jimmy)

DO WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR NAME?!

With only one Wednesday night fit for riding and now two straight decent Sunday afternoon rides, maybe we should be the Sunday Afternoon Riders!

We had 14 WNR show up this Sunday afternoon.  There was substantial wind blowing from the west, but the temp was close to 70 with sun, so compared to the past couple of Wednesday nights, the weather was great.  We had Chuck, not Chuckles on his trike, Wayne & Sandy on the DFT, Carl on his trike, Greg and Dale in the support convertible, Howard, Al, Jim & Cathy, Larry, and Chuckles on two-wheelers, and Bob & Julie on their trike.

CHUCK (NOT CHUCKLES) RIDES AGAIN ON SUNDAY

HOWARD REMEMBERS THIS TIME

AL WITH SHINY INDIAN SADDLE BAGS

CHUCKLES WITH HIS LAST MINUTE SHOW UP

CARL STILL GOING STRONG AT 85

We departed Casey's at 1 PM and headed out to HWY 76, then Forest Mills Road, and then onto Cherry Valley Road into Postville.  We leave Postville on HWY 18 east and turn onto the Gunder Road.  At Gunder we turned south on Agate Road and into Elgin.  In Elgin we picked up Golden Road for a smooth but windy ride into West Union.  We made a quick pit stop at Casey's in West Union and then continued about 4 miles west on HWY 18 to Country View Dairy Store for some frozen yogurt treats.

THE ADDRESS IS ACTUALLY 15197 230th St. HAWKEYE, IA

THERE WERE ABOUT 10 DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF FROZEN YOGURT

THE YOGURT IS PAID FOR ON THE "HONOR" SYSTEM

THE LOCATION IS ON A GOOD-SIZED DAIRY FARM

NORMALLY SOFT SERVE YOGURT IS AVAILABLE

IT MADE A NEAT STOP FOR OUR GROUP

After our yogurt treats we continued west on HWY 18 and then turned north onto Rose Road and into St. Lucas.  After passing through St. Lucas, and viewing the beautiful Catholic church there we continued on CR W14 (Quail Road) and onto HWY 24 heading east into Ft. Atkinson.  HWY 24 took us into Calmar where we headed back north on HWY 52.  It didn't seem to matter what direction we took, the wind still tried it's best to move us.  We took 52 on into Decorah and HWY 9 through town.  Just outside of town we turned onto the Old Stage Road, passed through Freeport and Nasset with less wind and on into Waukon.  I had right at 100 miles on the trike when we pulled her into the shed.  A windy but nice run.  As what seems to be the by-word for Iowa weather--"It could have been worse!"

As of now next Wednesday looks doable weather wise, but we'll have to wait and see.  I'm sure our planned Good Sam trike rides will be cancelled.  I may try to set up another time this fall.  Our next "special ride" is the Burger Run on May 16th.  We'll have to wait and see what the COVID 19 rules are by then.

After my cap blew off in the wind while golfing on Thursday, my golf "buddies" noticed my long hair and said I should let it grow into a pony tail, grow a beard, and buy a chopper!

The sign in the hardware store Saturday morning said--
"I have used so much disinfectant, that when I pee, it cleans the toilet."

See you Wednesday night, hopefully!