B
Bruce_H
Guest
In February I fell down somewhere south of Crater Lake. Don't know what happened, on the pavement un-able to get up. It hurt like hell so I wasn't dead. At some point someone came along and help me to get up, picked up my bike and helped me get on. I just wanted to go home. I stopped at a country store and asked if they would tie up the light that was hanging by its wires. Someone wanted to call an ambulance. Thank You, no. It hurt too much to get off. I rode a hundred and fifty miles before stopping at a friends house. I couldn't raise my arms off the bars so just wiggled my finger and then laid down on the tank bag, did I mention it hurt? In a few hours my wife came to pick me up. Went to the ER next day, wouldn't want to rush it would you? Five broken ribs, separated shoulder, broken finger and something was wrong with my ankle but I didn't mention it, there were enough other problems.
Now seven weeks later... It was a low speed fall, the bike faired better than I did. A few scratches, windshield and turn signal. My can of bear spray was in a pannier outboard of the tank crash bar, the bike slid down the road on that. Sure glad it didn't puncture.
Went for a first ride yesterday, gear-up at 5:30 in the morning. Leaving before day light usually means there is little traffic and would allow me to test my new Piaa bulbs (ordered before the fall). Not as much light as I had with the original bulbs but half the power needed to run them. I also tested out the latest BMW fuel gauge repair... NOT. After all of that it works just the same. (also before the fall) I filled with three bars showing, used 3 gallons of gas. Later in the day with two bars showing it used 3.9 gallons of gas. What about the other 4.8 gallons? In any case 275 miles for the day. Lyn and Reychal were at a double header soft ball game in Rockaway so I was on my own, didn't fall down!...
A little cool for the start 32/34 degrees until after breakfast in Winchester Bay. I did that all winter and am ready for some warmer temperatures. My shoulder got tired, guess that will take some warming up to. I stopped along the road near the Coquille River Lighthouse, laid down in the ditch and took a nap, way nice. The sun was sort of out so I took my shoes and socks off, unzipped my riding pants and folded up my jacket for a pillow. I have a small nylon cover I use against the ground. How nice is that?... For a brief moment on the return thru Coos Bay my temperature gauge read 64 degrees, didn't last but also didn't rain before I got home.
This ride was about lighthouses and to see if'in I still knew how to pilot this voyager. Somewhere I read a sign that said Oregon has eight light houses, I can think of nine, wonder who proof read that sign. I passed a fourth lighthouse at Heceta Head but the photo light was terrible so didn't stop. Cape Arago is a tough one as there are no public visitors allowed.The other two you can drive right up. Good flowers weren't easy to find. I tried sea birds but they didn't work out so well, can't walk on water. I didn't have an agenda for this ride so besides the photos and breakfast I managed a stop at two coffee shops as well. Always nice to ride in civilization, most places I ride there isn't anything. The cowboys in "cowboy land" can't make coffee anyway, theirs taste like it was run thru a dish rag or else they droped in the butts. No Starbucks.
I thought about riding up the river on my return to visit the friends who helped however by then my shoulder was not liking things. Instead of pushing it decided to stop by another weekend. I still hope to do a Death Valley ride this month, if the snow quits. Hope my shoulder gets happy. I did buy a warmer tent, don't know how sleeping on the ground will be.
Guess cowboys are tougher than me, bad coffee and butts or not...
Bruce
Umpqua Lighthouse, Reedsport, Oregon
Cape Arago Lighthouse, near Charleston, Oregon
Coquille River Lighthouse, Bandon, Oregon
didn't have to walk on water for this flower
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Now seven weeks later... It was a low speed fall, the bike faired better than I did. A few scratches, windshield and turn signal. My can of bear spray was in a pannier outboard of the tank crash bar, the bike slid down the road on that. Sure glad it didn't puncture.
Went for a first ride yesterday, gear-up at 5:30 in the morning. Leaving before day light usually means there is little traffic and would allow me to test my new Piaa bulbs (ordered before the fall). Not as much light as I had with the original bulbs but half the power needed to run them. I also tested out the latest BMW fuel gauge repair... NOT. After all of that it works just the same. (also before the fall) I filled with three bars showing, used 3 gallons of gas. Later in the day with two bars showing it used 3.9 gallons of gas. What about the other 4.8 gallons? In any case 275 miles for the day. Lyn and Reychal were at a double header soft ball game in Rockaway so I was on my own, didn't fall down!...
A little cool for the start 32/34 degrees until after breakfast in Winchester Bay. I did that all winter and am ready for some warmer temperatures. My shoulder got tired, guess that will take some warming up to. I stopped along the road near the Coquille River Lighthouse, laid down in the ditch and took a nap, way nice. The sun was sort of out so I took my shoes and socks off, unzipped my riding pants and folded up my jacket for a pillow. I have a small nylon cover I use against the ground. How nice is that?... For a brief moment on the return thru Coos Bay my temperature gauge read 64 degrees, didn't last but also didn't rain before I got home.
This ride was about lighthouses and to see if'in I still knew how to pilot this voyager. Somewhere I read a sign that said Oregon has eight light houses, I can think of nine, wonder who proof read that sign. I passed a fourth lighthouse at Heceta Head but the photo light was terrible so didn't stop. Cape Arago is a tough one as there are no public visitors allowed.The other two you can drive right up. Good flowers weren't easy to find. I tried sea birds but they didn't work out so well, can't walk on water. I didn't have an agenda for this ride so besides the photos and breakfast I managed a stop at two coffee shops as well. Always nice to ride in civilization, most places I ride there isn't anything. The cowboys in "cowboy land" can't make coffee anyway, theirs taste like it was run thru a dish rag or else they droped in the butts. No Starbucks.
I thought about riding up the river on my return to visit the friends who helped however by then my shoulder was not liking things. Instead of pushing it decided to stop by another weekend. I still hope to do a Death Valley ride this month, if the snow quits. Hope my shoulder gets happy. I did buy a warmer tent, don't know how sleeping on the ground will be.
Guess cowboys are tougher than me, bad coffee and butts or not...
Bruce
Umpqua Lighthouse, Reedsport, Oregon
Cape Arago Lighthouse, near Charleston, Oregon
Coquille River Lighthouse, Bandon, Oregon
didn't have to walk on water for this flower
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