LAST REPORT FROM FLORIDA

Tomorrow our stay in Panama City Beach will be over, but we are looking forward to another cruise with our Gold Wing friends.  We depart Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday and cruise to Cozumel, Roatan, and Puerto Costa Maya and return on Saturday.  Then it's the long journey back to Iowa.  We are depending on you guys to warm up the area before we arrive.  We would much rather have the sun warm up Waukon than any fires!

The official mileage on the trike has reached 2,075 now for our travels through the Florida panhandle and south Alabama.  As the years we have been coming down here have increased, I have become much more familiar with the back roads, and have actually found some curvy ones.

On one of our most recent trips we motored up to the village of Ponce de Leon.  Remember Ponce?  He was supposedly the Spaniard that discovered Florida while looking for the fountain of youth.  The fountain wasn't there, but there is a huge spring and pool located in the town.  Just outside of town is a lunch stand combination ice cream stand where we enjoy stopping for lunch.  This area of the south is famous for little roadside stands where they sell everything from fruits to boiled peanuts to sea food to candy.

LUNCH STAND IN PONCE

Another feature here in the south are the live oak trees.  Many of them are draped with Spanish moss and they can reach very old age and tremendous size despite the wind from hurricanes.

A LIVE OAK NEAR PONCE

Another one of our journeys this month took us up to Jim Woodruff dam that creates Lake Seminole.  It is located on the Florida/Georgia state line near the town of Chattahoochie, GA. ("Way Down Yonder On the Chattahoochie, It Gets Hotter Than a Hoochie Coochie.")  It's a huge dam that also provides electricity to the area.  The tail race provides some good fishing, but they weren't biting that day.  (should have been here yesterday!)  Here's some shots of the dam and fishermen.

DAM GOOD LOOKING BIKERS!

Bob & Julie weren't the only WNR's to escape the Iowa winter weather.  Dennis & Marlene and half of Allamakee County are doing some four-wheeling in Arizona soaking up the sun.  Here's some photos of their fun times.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

MARLENE SEEKING SOME SHADE

TRADING SAND FOR SNOW

Jim & Cathy also ventured off the ponderosa to attend the kite festival in Clear Lake.  Too cold to send text, but warm enough for a couple of photos.

THAT GUY LOOKS FAMILIAR!

Now for some late winter (early spring) humor. It's time to start thinking about getting your rig ready for riding.  Here's some items you should attend to.  If these prove to be too difficult, please DO NOT take your rig into the dealer for service!

So, it is time to start thinking about what I need to do to get me and my motorcycle ready again. It is time to adjust the muffler belt and check my blinker fluid level. Don’t forget to check your piston return springs, the Johnson rods, relay coil damper, spark plug springs, horn fluid, windshield wiper timing belt, bumper valve, tire gaskets, radiator springs and definitely check the operation of the flux capacitor. You don’t want that to malfunction when you need it.

Do I have a longer list of important, but oft overlooked parts? Oh, sure. Check the catalytic invertor, the tow capacitor, the manual DCT, intake oil, muffler fluid (best done when adjusting the aforementioned muffler belt), the magnetic brake resistors, the dipstick extender, floor pan drain valve, brake coolant, exhaust impeller, thermostat bearing, replace the filament in your LED lights and check out the electric resistance of the ventilation regulator. When shopping for parts make sure you get a can of elbow grease. Get a second can for your best friend so they can help you with the hard stuff.

This should keep you busy for the rest of the winter!!

See you soon--