My first Epic Journey

July 8th, 2008

Dear Diary,

I believe that everything is infused with the Spirit of God. Even our actions and movements. Some people, things, movements and actions have very little of that Spirit. Some people, things, movements, actions have an abundance.

In the planning stages of the EPIC JOURNEY I had let the entire SIS Association know that any and all members were welcome. At first I wondered how smart this was because I had no clue as to how many would actually show up. I had no idea, then, if it would be a manageable number for me and my ADD brain. But, I decided since it was a spiritual journey for me, and that my intention infused the journey, that it would most likely be a spiritual journey for whomever came along. Though I would work diligently during our travels to ensure that every one stayed safe and happy, for the most part, any one individuals experience ( and perception ) was out of my hands and the journey would unfold and end up as it should. I believed that those who would end up coming would be the very people for which this journey had been called into being. ( Along with me, of course )



Love your neighbor as yourself.

The peace and existence of our world would be secured if we all lived by this one Truth.

That if you truly loved yourself ( were empty of fear which produces selfishness, and defensiveness ) you really would be free to act and re-act out of a self-less love for others. Love your neighbor AS yourself. Loving self comes first...then loving others selflessly.

The love in one heart...love that casts out fear....can make such a profound difference in the life of another. Just sharing our selves, which is a powerful act of love, makes that difference.


We all got up this morning cleansed, so to speak. We had had a great bonding evening that went a bit deeper than most bonding moments during a bike trip, I am guessing.

As I got ready for my day, still chuckling at all the goofy things that were said and done last night, I realized I had started to be changed by these women. I believe that these women, regardless of what reasons they gave themselves for coming on this trip, were called to it.

As I started to pack my bike I ( After having showered in Mosquito repellent, and I am NOT kidding ) I took a moment to take pictures of our steeds.



I could hear the sound of the brook near by as it tumbled ever closer to the big lake. The air was cool and damp; symptoms of the existing overcast sky that hinted of the weather moving in. Once in a while I could hear a car passing by on highway 61, but for the most part, nothing. Stillness. Air.....and me with the bikes.

Foxy's trike. Big and deep blue. A Honda. Stable on her three wheels. Ready to take a passenger or carry an extra piece of luggage. In essence, ready to assist. Reliable, easy to ride, ready to roll when you are.

This is Foxy. Foxy and her family own and operate a saw mill in central Wisconsin. She is without a doubt the picture you would see if a picture were included with the meaning of the phrase, "Salt of the Earth". Ya, Youbetchya!

After having been met by my brother and his wife in Bayfield the previous Sunday and led into Duluth as a special favor to me, Scarlett, Foxy and I then made our way to see my eighty-eight year old Mother in a care facility.

Foxy, I could tell, was not the least bit out of her element. She was at home with my Mom; with my "family visit". I knew that if my mom had asked her to help her to the bathroom, Foxy would have done so without a second thought for herself and then probably would have offered to help her with her daily ablutions too. That is just the kind of person she is.

There is a carefree and wild side to Foxy that, perhaps, isn't so welcome at times in the conservative environment of central Wisconsin. So, perhaps, she keeps some of who she is hidden a lot of the time. I wish that weren't so for her sake. But, that is why she came along with us. We got to know and love Foxy.....all of Foxy, not just part of her. Her spirit is very young, though it has weathered some difficult times. Foxy's oldest daughter died just a day or two after giving birth to Foxy's grandson nine years ago. Foxy has a big, beautiful tattoo on her chest of a fairy blowing stars from her hand and her daughter's name. Pam.

Foxy was called to this journey.


Then there is Twitter's bike next to Foxy's. Twitter's bike was re-named after much talk of frogs and flies and face-reddening, gut wrenching laughter. We named the bike 'Nooner'. A low slung V-Star 1100. Burgundy and Cream.

Nooner has the ability to have a side car attached. So that even though you may see only the bike, the reality is that there is a piece of Nooner missing when the sidecar is not in place. A beautiful bike on its own, Nooner is completed by the side car. This is Twitter ....and her daughter.

What little you know of Twitter through these entries would lead you to believe that Twitter lives a carefree existence, full of frivolity and humor. Though, indeed, she fills her life with humor it is out of necessity. Without her humor, her world would consume her. Twitter, or Leah as her family knows her, has three biological children. The older two boys, now in their early adulthood's, have some emotional problems that have, at times and even now, been extremely difficult to deal with. Her darling daughter, Angela, was born 12 years ago with Downs Syndrome.

The name Leah has its origins in Hebrew and means 'weary'. In her short life, Twitter certainly would have every excuse to be 'weary' given the amount of attention, care and concern her children require. Not to mention the worry that, is not required but, just comes with the territory. But as you have read, Diary, she is anything but weary. She defies her name and inspires those around her to deal with their moments as best as they can and trust that the Spirit will guide, support and provide, all while finding the humor in the moment...finding sanity to move forward. One, of many, ways that Twitter keeps sane is by writing her own blog about her life with her daughter Angela and life in general..... you can find it by clicking here: Garden of Eagan.

Nooner, as I mentioned can have a sidecar attached. Angela loves to ride in the side car. A mother and daughter bike. A proud mother. A gifted mother. An hilarious mother!
They are blessed to have each other!

Twitter was called to this journey


Then there is Scarlett's bike. I cannot look at Scarlett's bike without seeing her second bike in my minds eye. Scarlet started on a Savage 650 and then moved to a Honda Shadow 750. The 750 prepared her. Now she rides a Honda VTX 1300. A reliable, quiet bike that is low to the ground. Ready to move out when called upon and not needing to be fast. This bike handles well and will perform when asked. This is Scarlett.

Scarlett's first response when I strongly 'asked' her to come along on this trip was to say she wasn't certain she could. She didn't tell me then but she was doubting her riding abilities and her stamina. She had spent years not valuing her abilities and had been left a bit, i don't know, tired, worn down perhaps by a couple of relationships.

It took Scarlett some time to think it through and realize that she WANTED to go but lacked the 'moxy' so to speak. If you remember, Diary, I have already told you that she has more moxy than most! So she set out to eliminate anything that would give her reason to back out. She got her health issue under control, released her worry over family, got her VTX 1300 so she knew she would be comfortable and (when need be) faster. She took an Experienced Rider Course, bathed in moxy for months and put away her TV remote control. She opened her heart and her life and said she was coming.

Scarlett was called to this journey



And lastly, there is the 1200L Harley Sportster that belongs to me. A real workhorse of a bike with sparkles on top. Snappy throttle (voice) and lowered by design, custom seat
( ahem ) and progressive shocks. You can't get much lower to the ground. Maintained ( and that can get expensive ), it is always ready for a ride but sputters during warm up, though it is fuel injected. It will take whatever you give it whether it is an unpaved mountain road , a nice quiet highway, busy town traffic or a drop in gravel and handle all of it with a great sporting attitude. At the end of a long run it will take to keeping its revs higher at a stop, so it needs its cooling down time. But it doesn't take long for that and it is ready to roll again!

This is me. Like every one else I have my share of woes and have been knocked down by life on occasion....but like the sporty, I get back up, get dusted off, *sigh*...and off we go to try again!

One of the ways I cope is by hosting a motorcycle crash site dedicated to helping those who have lived through any type of motorcyle incident, and those who have lost a loved one to a crash. It is called Biker's Haven.

I was definitely called to this journey!



So here we are, all together and on the road, sharing a part of ourselves and a bit of life with one another. This is good Spirit energy. This is life changing love.
POSTED BY TINK AT 9:05 AM 1 COMMENTS
LABELS: EPIC JOURNEY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2008

Kissing The Frog; The Final Chapter
So Diary,

As you have read we have already had quite the event filled day.

Scarlett and I have been on the road together now for one week and I think she has pushed the envelope, with regards to her riding skills, nearly every single day and proven to herself that she has the ability to handle whatever she encounters. I think she may be a bit road weary and a bit tired of me stalking her ass for more pictures. HAHAHAhahahahaha!!!!! But, I really don't care because it is just too darn funny to give up doing! Everyone needs a muse. Evidently Scarlett is mine for the duration!!! Heeheeheehee....

We have been a group of four now for about three full days and it has become apparent that Twitter and I were separated at birth ( and about six or seven years ).
It is like reuniting with a long lost twin. We talk over each other but say the same things. We make the same hand movements and gestures often simultaneously and end up inadvertently whacking each other. We ride with a similar slouch and treat our throttles with a snappy confidence. Our tendency toward impatience is exceeded only by our desire to laugh, make someone else laugh and the propensity to "fix" things even if nothing is broken.

I am most confident that between the two of us we believe that we could do almost anything.....fly a plane if the pilot suddenly kicked the bucket....ride a horse bareback into town for help if Timmy falls into the well....build shelter that would defy an earthquake and keep everyone warm and dry for years....find, take down and prepare food in the wilderness with a nail file, a bungee cord and hot bike pipes...or even sew a severed limb back on. About the only thing I know I can't do is pull out someones tooth. But I am betting Twitter could do that. And I know she has an aversion to reptiles, so I can cover her on that front. Yep...I think we are definitely a pair to be reckoned with, as 'they' say. The only problem I can foresee is that we would never be able to regain our strength from the constant and hysterical laughing that enslaves us, in order to actually 'do' any of those things.

So Diary, by the time we get to dinner this first night of the four of us being on the road we are ALL pretty weary. 'Cept for maybe Foxy. ( I could swear I saw her knitting as she was trekking down the highway today on that comfy trike!!! And you do realize, Diary, that there is no way for HER to win the 'Falling Down Pin' from me!! Blast! ) We enter the unsuspecting establishment, as is now our custom, screaming with laughter, talking loudly to compensate for the bike, wind and road noise which is still ringing in our ears and generally ignoring the personal space of every one else around us.

The wonderful thing is that never once has any one been offended or disturb. Quite the contrary, Diary. We seem to attract people and positive attention like honey attracts flies.

We stopped for dinner this Monday evening at a small pizza place in Grand Marais. Chatting, laughing, dirty and ready for anything we no sooner get all our gear off ( again ) and sit down when the first admirer arrives. A young local gent with nothing better to do than to sit at the table next to us while he eats and enjoy the show. When he leaves he actually comes up to us to thank us and wish us a great journey!

The next moth to the candle comes up from behind Scarlett. A woman in her late sixties, early seventies. She looks and sounds just like Dame Edna ( an English Female Impersonator) blue hair and all. It turns out she is nearly as humorous and she chats about her friends who ride four-wheelers through the woods and then ride to dinner sporting shirts that say something like, "Bad to the Bone" HAHAhahahahah! Can you picture THAT Diary???HAHAHAhahahahaha! When we ask her her name she stutters a bit and then responds in a more subdued tone than heretofore employed, "Well, my name is Sandy...except when I am in Arizona...then my name is Crystal!" **?????????????????**!!!!!!!!!!!!!** HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OMG! Diary, we laughed so hard Twitter and I almost couldn't bear it! ( As Twitter is want to say, "Perhaps you had to be there." )

Before we left she got out her camera and got her picture taken with us! I tell you what, I won't soon forget that face or her enthusiasm!

On the way back to the motel Twitter and I decided we need a bottle of something so that we can have a cocktail before bed. This seems to really irk Scarlett, who as you will remember is pretty road weary by now. Scarlet takes off down the road with Foxy in tow ( much to Foxy's dismay ). It took Twitter and I a couple of minutes to stop focusing on just ourselves to figure out that Scarlett was unhappy. But, being us we figured we could 'fix' it back at the motel! Hahahaha ahhhhh!

It is apparent that when I get back Scarlett is upset. But here is the great thing about being on the road with women bikers. They pretty much take responsibility for their own garbage and issues. When I inform her that we can't go anywhere tomorrow until the air is cleared, and I profess my love and loyalty ( hee hee...i do love ya Scarlett! ) The day finally catches up to us and we melt into tears and while I hold her hand and we sit on the bed she shares a bit of her heart and personal story. In the middle of it Twitter presses her face against our window and we invite her in. Now the three of us are bonding and holding hands and in comes Bev. The team is complete. I get out my guitar and Twitter and I sing a few praise songs for every body ( HA!... I bet that's a surprise for some of you! ) and then a heart felt rendition of One Tin Soldier. ( You won't get that travelin' with stinky old boy bikers! )

It is at this point that the giddiness ( or was it the wine??? and by the way Scarlet didn't partake...THAT night anyway!) sets in and we start to laughing all over again. The fact that I found a strange bathroom device between the toilet and the shower which sparked Twitters imagination only added to the ensuing hilarity.


Just before calling it a night we briefly touch on the events of the day. It has been filled with some really weird energy and we are exhausted because of it. It is at this point we realize...WE DIDN'T KISS THE FROG THIS MORNING!!!!!

Well, Never again Diary. The moral to this little tale?...Always keep your frog handy and make certain it gets kissed every morning! (HAHAHAHahahaha...inside joke for Foxy, Scarlett and Twitter!)


Diary....don't forget to say a prayer....
G'Night,
Tink