We're Home

Thursday morning Tom arrives to begin working on the cabinets and the baseboard molding. Bill arrives and gives us an update on all that has been done in our absence. He is pleased with the progress, even if it has been slow (because of circumstances out of our/his control) and the look and design of the kitchen.

Tony arrives to fix a broken wax seal on one of the toilets and he’s gone. Bill discussed options for finishing the trim around the bathtub and shower before moving back into the kitchen to work.

A little while later Larry and I laid out the tile design with Bill for the backsplash and he began installing the white subway tiles. Three rows high of two by four tiles, and then four rows of one by two cracked glass tiles, topped off by four more rows of white subway tiles. We had ordered white marble pencil tile to cap off the two open ends of the tile under the outside wall. Bill had an idea to use the tile saw and split the pencil tiles to make them just a little smaller and he did a beautiful job. We found out these pencil tiles were less expensive and better made than what the big box stores sell--these have a steel bar in the middle of the tile to support it and keep it from breaking. They also took its toll on Bills tile saw blade and he will probably need a new one.

At the end of the day Bill and Tom are tired, Larry has mowed the lawn in the few hours of sunshine this county has had in months, and I left to do a little grocery shopping for dinner.

I put a few shelves in the pantry cabinets and sort of blindly found my way into the dark dining room to retrieve boxes of food items and kitchen supplies. One box down, ninety-nine more to go (not really, but it looks like it and I am sure will seem like two hundred when I am done) and I am sure this is going to be a slow process with all the dishes, cookware, and silverware needing to be run through the dishwasher. Of course before I can clean the dishes I need to line the cabinets and drawers and until the last saw and drill has been removed from the house I won’t start that process.

Friday morning Tom is busy on the crown molding. With the different cabinet sizes, there are not many straight pieces, meaning there are lots of angles to measure twice and cut once. The darker color crown makes the cabinet color pop and stand out in the kitchen. This is a tedious job and after working overhead for several hours Tom gave his arms a rest and began the finish details on the island.

Bill laughed and said several people who have seen the island have commented on the low size. Bill told them it could double as a massage table when we aren’t cooking. I would never have thought of having the island at less than counter height, except when we moved in the existing island was twenty-six inches high. What I quickly realized is rolling or kneading dough or chopping vegetables was much easier with a downward movement than a chest high movement. Against everyone who tried to talk me out of it, I had the new island built the same (almost, because the base cabinet is an inch or so higher and a thicker butcher block will top it off). My butcher block is not one of those pretty-to-just-look-at objects; it gets used, which is the purpose of having a butcher block and not one of those flimsy pull out cutting boards they used to build into kitchen cabinets that were a half inch thick and made from scrap pine or some other cheap wood that looks good when you first see it and quickly becomes useless.

Bill broke down the last of the empty cabinet boxes that were stored in the garage and loaded up all the other miscellaneous cardboard from the appliances, fixtures, etc. and took them to be recycled. Cardboard is free to recycle and helps the environment which as Martha would say is “a good thing”.

Fritz came to finish the electrical connections for the double ovens and then turned them on high to burn off the new appliance smell. He also finished the vent for the guest bathroom exhaust and checking off any other electrical items that needed to be done. He still has one trip to finish the garage lights we are replacing and checking all the others to make sure they are okay. Fritz also helped us decide on under counter lighting for the cabinets which I ordered from Home Depot and it should arrive next week.
Our island five light wire hanging chandelier that we spent so much time searching for and then looking for a bargain is not going to work. The staggered height of the cords would either hang down too far to be able to work under or shortened up would be too close to the ceiling to look good. Next week it gets shipped back and we have began a new search for an over the island, closer to the ceiling light. I am truly disappointed to not have this design element in the kitchen but it is just another one of those “flexible” choices we have had to make.

No more chrome, stainless, ceramic, granite, or wood. Fabric and plastic are out. That leaves rattan, metal, glass, bronze or black for choices. I know what my weekend is going to consist of, computer research and pinning to Pinterest all my ideas for Larry to look at later and see if anything appeals to him. It may be awhile before Fritz returns.

Larry and I need to make another trip to IKEA to look for drawer pulls because the cabinet doors and drawers show no face frame and that means they are almost impossible to open without handles. We need fifty-four handles and they are probably going to need to be seven to nine inches long. I don’t even want to think about what this is going to cost.
I washed the drop cloths that I am going to cut up for curtains and have them folded away waiting for the day I can get to my sewing machine. The new hand towels for the downstairs bathroom are washed and stored in the under counter basket that also has extra “TP”. A mirror and we will be done with that room…well a curtain and some art, and then maybe we will be done.

Saturday is all about more laundry that has been piling up, dusting and cleaning the upstairs bathrooms, and maybe putting in a few more shelves in the pantry and unloading a few more boxes.

Sunday the sun held and we were on the bike riding with eight friends with not a thought of kitchen remodel in our heads. First stop Starbucks and then it was back roads to Skagit HD. Afterward, we took the freeway to avoid the throngs of people visiting the tulip fields, winding our way to highway 9 to The Blue Mt. Grill for lunch. Part way up the mountain and down the other side the sun held and we were blessed to spend a day with such good friends--Dave, Lorie, Dave, Dawn, Rob, Kaye, Bill, and Marla. Thanks for the memories.

Woodring's Larry Marrs to retire Dec. 31 after long career at WWU

The following article appeared Dec. 7th, 2010 in Western Today, news and inforamtion for the Western Washington University community.

by:  Matthew Anderson, Western Today editor

Larry Marrs, a longtime administrator at Woodring College of Education, will retire from Western Washington University as of Dec. 31.

Marrs served as dean of Woodring for 15 years, from 1984 to 1999, and has been a Woodring professor and director of the college's Professional Development Resource Center since 2005.

From 1999 to 2005, Marrs was executive director of the North Snohomish, Island and Skagit Counties Higher Education Consortium.

Marrs also served as vice provost for University Extended Programs, from 1990 to 1991, and assistant vice president for Academic Affairs from 1989 to 1990.

"I've really enjoyed my time here," Marrs says, "both as a teacher and an administrator."

Marrs' current class, EDUC 297C, capitalizes on his experience with Communities in Schools of Whatcom County, where he co-chairs the board. Marrs helps his students understand issues in organizing and providing services to children, families and schools, the goal being that Western students would help implement systemic changes throughout schools and their surrounding communities.

"We've got really bright and exciting students in the program," Marrs says. "They just dive into anything I ask."

During his time as dean of Woodring College, Marrs oversaw the creation of the Center for Regional Services, Woodring's outreach and continuing education arm. The center provided for off-campus instruction of thousands of students annually and generated more than $4.8 million per year in external support of college faculty, staff and programs.

"We went from teaching 30 or 40 classes each year to teaching several hundred out in schools and community service centers," Marrs says. "And in doing so we generated revenue to use on campus in the college while providing access to Woodring’s programs for people who were place-bound and could not attend school in Bellingham."

But the Center for Regional Services isn't the only program Marrs had his hands in over the years. Among other programs, Marrs also created the Center for Educational Pluralism, the Center for Interactive Multimedia for Education and Training, the National Rural Development Institute, the Woodring College of Education Advancement Office, the Center for Global and Peace Education, and the Center for Family Supportive Schools and Communities.

Some of his federally funded projects and programs included: The National and Rural Small Schools Research Consortium, the National Rural Independent Living Network, and the Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use Technology grant.

Marrs also helped establish satellite instructional centers at Everett, Port Angeles, Seattle, Olympia, Bremerton and Oak Harbor and initiated undergraduate and graduate degree programs in collaboration with community colleges and The Evergreen State College.

Marrs says he'll miss the colleagues he's gotten to know so well during two decades at WWU. Woodring faculty and staff are well respected in their fields, he says.

"We've employed some really good faculty and staff in Wooding," he says. "We were able to bring in top-notch people because of Western's reputation and geography."

In retirement, Marrs plans to stay active locally with Communities in Schools, but he'll take some time for himself, too. He plans to do a lot more hunting, fishing and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

bye bye 2008 hello 2009

Larry and I spent New Years Eve day cooking.

Larry has been busy slow roasting about twenty-five pounds of pork tenderloin that he will turn into barbeque pulled pork sandwiches. I have been simmering almost four gallons of tortilla soup since Monday afternoon. We are expecting anywhere from twenty to thirty people for lunch on New Year's day.

I was going to try a new soup this year but heard so many positive comments from last year, and the fact that the two gallons I fixed last year were gone before either Larry or I could sample a bowl, helped us make decision for this year’s menu.

New Year's evening we went to Patti and Mike Hoelzles home for a party with a lot of our friends attending. We took shrimp with a red cocktail sauce, and egg rolls for appetizers, to share with the group. Lots of laughter and good cheer with people you care about is the best way to celebrate any occasion. Patti and Mike set up the Nintendo wii and several of us tried to hula hoop and quickly realized that we weren’t kids with unending energy levels any more. I haven’t seen it but know there is a picture of me on someone’s camera phone swinging my hips in simulation to using the wii hula hoop. Wonder what it will cost me to buy it back? Next several of the group played a friendly game of bowling. Patty Price said something about not being good at bowling and then proceeded to bowl a 226 game with five straight strikes. Looks like Mike and Patty P. will be shopping for a new game system soon. Larry says we will be, too.

On New Year's Day the Mt. Baker Chapter Harley Owners Group arrived at our home for the 3rd annual Frosty Fingers ride for a hot home cooked lunch about 11:00 AM. When I got up about 5:30 AM to check the tortilla soup that had been simmering for two days, I looked out the kitchen window to see a white blanket covering the backyard. Three inches of snow by morning and while most of the county was dry and clear, there was no way the bikes would make it up our road and driveway.

Everyone on bikes headed home to switch to a cage (car or truck) and soon the house was full of friends. The coffee was hot and ready and all the group had to do was serve up their food and find a place to sit down and eat. Most of the guys headed off to the newly redecorated study with the big screen TV to watch a football game. The dinning room table was full and those who really wanted to relax, kicked back in the living room. We had several kinds of cookies, chocolate covered cherries, and M&M’s for dessert, and soda for the non coffee drinkers.

What a nice way to start the New Year with good friends and good food. My new year’s resolution is really a wish, a wish for good riding weather, warm weather to ride in, and more memories of rides with friends...in nice, warm weather!

Christmas with the Harley Group

The annual Mt. Baker Chapter Christmas party was held at the Bellingham Country Club on Friday December 19th, 2008. Fifty-two members and guests attended and we all had a rockin’ good time.

The weather was freezing at around twenty-two degrees outside while we were toasty at seventy-four or so degrees inside. The Ladies were wearing satin, lace, cashmere, and silk in red, black, blue, green, purple, and silver, with sparkles, glitter, rhinestones, and bling from top to bottom. The guys wore tuxes, suits, sport coats, jeans, casual shirts, and that was okay because the Ladies wanted them to be comfortable and happy.

Everyone who wanted to participate brought a wrapped gift labeled for a man or a woman and then placed it where they were seated. Someone could come along and steal the gift and leave theirs and you could do the same. This went on through social hour and dinner before Miss Rita said stop and whatever you had in front of you, you got to open and keep. I had a $15.00 Starbucks gift card and Larry had Harley coaster. What fun and great gifts.

We had a Charlie Brown tree that members could attach money to and received a ticket for a drawing to win a $100.00 gift certificate for H-D Bellingham. “Mr. Lucky” Dave McNeill won the prize. The money collected will be given to the local food bank.

A couple of months ago, Mike G. brought a special bottle of Jack Daniels Bourbon to a chapter meeting to auction off with the proceeds going to our chapter scholarship fund. My hubby was the high bidder at $250 and then took it to the Christmas party, unopened, to share with the rest of the members—at $20 a shot with these proceeds also going to the scholarship fund. The bottle raised another $280 at the party. So Mike’s bottle will pay for over ½ the cost of one of our $1,000 scholarships.

Dave and Mark were inducted into the Bun Man Club for flipping hotdogs at a Ladies of Harley fundraiser to earn tip money for our charities. They each received a gift bag with…what else? Hotdog buns.

Dinner was a magnificent feast of prime rib and barbequed chicken with several different green salads, orzo salad, wild rice, grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, green beans and rolls; it not only looked great it tasted wonderful. Rita provided a wonderful array of desserts including a five layer chocolate cake, pumpkin cheesecake, Boston cream pie, apple pie, cookies, and more. At the end of the evening the dessert table looked deserted.

A few drinks to be merry, a filling dinner to make us content, and we were ready for the entertainment. Lorraine, Shelia, Rita, Angie, Patti, Cis, Lisa, Jeannie, and myself paraded across the dance floor in our shoes, twirling, dancing, and flirting with the judges as they checked out the “killer heels”. There was a lot riding on this contest, a gift certificate to the Chrysalis Inn & Spa for a pedicure. Those who had already paraded before the judges gave back rubs to the judges hoping to influence their vote. When it came down to the end it was a tie between Shelia and Lisa. They had one last chance to prance and dance for the judges and still it was a tie. Again, our big hearted guy Dave Mc stepped up and threw in a second gift certificate and both Lisa and Shelia are this year’s co-winners of the “killer heels” contest.

Jeannie gathered a basket full of wine, coffee, Harley mugs, chocolates, and too many more goodies to name that was raffled off to members who brought a $5.00 gift to donate to WomenCare Shelter or donated $5.00 cash. Of course most people donated more to get receive extra tickets for a chance at the basket. My own hubby Larry was the winner of this heavy basket and I am sure we will be enjoying the goodies for some time.

So after all the shoes, the gifts, the raffles, the special awards, all we had left to do was “get down”. It was party time and the music was rockin’. Some of the guys just don’t enjoy dancing unless their arms are twisted but the Ladies don’t mind. We’ll dance with each other or join in with another couple. Pretty soon we were one big happy group moving to the beat and working off the desserts.

It was an evening to remember and if you check the website, www.mtabkerhog.com you will find pictures of the members smiling and enjoying themselves.

Next up, the Frosty Fingers ride on 01-01-2009. See you there.

Come Jingle with Us

The Mt. Baker Chapter Harley Owners Group is again participating in “Team HOG” for the local Arthritis Foundation Walk/Run.

Sure it’s cold, and sometimes wet and cold but Team HOG always shows up and we have a great time laughing and talking during our two mile walk. Then we head off to a local restaurant to have breakfast and lots of hot coffee.

Yes we have bells on our shoes and black leather coats or vests to proclaim who we are. In a see of red, white, and green, we do make a statement with our black leather and raise money for a good cause.

http://bellinghamjbr.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=286410&lis=1&kntae286410=D2055ABEA5D64453B132A1E241BB6838&team=3250043&tlteam=0

Oyster Run 2008

The 27th Oyster Run in Anacortes (http://www.oysterrun.org) was Sunday September 28th. This is the largest motorcycle run in the northwest and there were thousands of motorcycles lining each side of the main street of Anacortes and a double row down the middle with room to ride a single bike each direction between the motorcycles. The weather was warm and sunny so even more motorcycles and people than usual turned out for this event.



Some people arrive on Friday and party for the weekend while most of the bikers arrive on Sunday, clogging up the freeways, and every major side road for miles in every direction. Parking is just about non existent for bikers and cages alike. You can drive around the block and around in circles trying to find a parking space.



The Mt. Baker Chapter HOG group volunteered to work the information booth at the Oyster Run. Larry and I had the 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM shift and we drove down in the big red truck which meant parking was going to be doubly hard for us, or so we thought. We found a spot big enough for the truck and it was only three blocks away from the information booth. Lucky! That is all it was, just plain luck.



When you work at the information booth, everyone comes to you, your friends, the lost, those looking for the ATM machine, questions like where are the oysters, and our favorite answer to the number one question was “one block down and to the right”. So what was the question? Where can I get an Oyster Run t-shirt or pin!



Now, it usually takes us about an hour to get to Anacortes but Sunday afternoon it took us 3 ½ hours to return home. Forty minutes just to go from downtown Anacortes to highway 20 to head out of town. It was bumper to bumper, cage to bike, bike to bike and no where to go. Bikes were overheating and pulling over to the side of the road and riders with cell phones in hand to call for help--although I’m not sure how anyone could reach them for hours with the traffic jammed up with people trying to get home. Traffic thinned out a little and moved slowly and steady until we were almost to Burlington when it came to a dead stop again. We took a side road no one seemed to care about and wound our way to the freeway and thought we had it made. Not so fast as saw the red taillights and make a quick decision to get off the freeway and head around Lake Samish. Even with this detour we still did not arrive home until 7:00 PM after leaving Anacortes at 3:30 PM.



At the Oyster Run, we had time to wander up and down the street, check out the bikes, order barbeque sandwiches and turkey legs, saw lots of our friends, and enjoyed being part of the Run. But, I think we may volunteer for an earlier shift next year--less traffic coming and going!!

Smells and Memories

Riding through the farm lands last weekend on the motorcycle gave me a chance to relax and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells. Because of my allergies and sinuses I don’t always smell flowers, foods, or everyday things that most people take for granted.

It was the mowing season and I could smell the fresh cut hay lying in the fields waiting to be bailed or rolled. It reminded me of all those summer days playing in the barn at my aunt’s farm with my cousins in Missouri. We played hide and seek behind the stacked hay bales in the barn loft or climbed down the ladder to hide in the empty stalls.

In the afternoon my cousins and I would walk out into the fields and woods to find the cows grazing and begin herding them down the paths leading to the barns. When the cows came into the barn with their bodies warm from the summer sun and their udders full and ready to be milked, their scent mixed with the odors of freshly cut hay and filled the barn with a perfume that can’t be bottled.

We spent hours exploring the root cellar filled with canned fruits and vegetables for the winter and the evenings catching fireflies. These are memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

My aunt’s house sat at the end of a country road with the corn cribs on one side of the road and my aunt’s home which was a 1960’s modern electric marvel sitting on the opposite side of the road. Across the highway were the fields I remember my uncle tending and mowing in the summer.

My cousin Carl went on to raise polled Herford breeding stock, and Rita and Johnny still live just down the road from where they grew up in Ozark, Mo.

My aunt Elma has Alzheimer’s and although she wouldn’t remember who I was today, I will always remember the childhood memories of farm life that I continued to enjoy even after my family moved to Oklahoma and onto California.

It is amazing what the smells one picks up while riding on a Harley can trigger in your mind; the memories and the smiles it can bring when you look back.

Riding With Friends

Riding With Friends

I’ve been everywhere man…Bellingham, Nooksack, Deming, Sumas, Abbotsford, Mission, Derouche, Lake Errock Harrison Hot Springs, Hope, Yale, Boston Bar, Lytton, Lillooet, Pemberton, Whistler, Brackendale, Squamish, Lions Gates, all over Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Langley, Aldergrove, Lynden, and home to Ferndale…well not everywhere, but I did see a lot in two days time.

Larry and I went with some of our Mt. Baker Chapter H.O.G. family on a two day jaunt into Canada. Accuweather forecast rain for Sunday, so like any good motorcycle rider who lives in the far northwest corner of the USA, you pack rain gear. Even if the weather forecast says sun it might be a good idea to pack rain gear.

Saturday we rode along various rivers right next to the road us or watching the rivers far below us from the rocky mountain roads we were traversing. We arrived at Hells Gate and took a tram four hundred feet down and across the river to have lunch. I’m afraid of heights but the ride on the tram was worth the tingling toes.

We arrived in Lillooet and the weather was warm as we sat on the patio enjoying our dinner as the sun began to disappear behind the mountains. Back in the parking lot at our motel we pulled out our room chairs and kicked back sharing stories. My friend Dave said it’s not how many miles you ride, but the part of the ride where everyone puts the kickstands down, relaxes, and just has a good time visiting. I agree.

Fuel for our bodies, fuel for the bikes and we were off on day two of the adventure. After riding for hours in a downpour we drove right through Whistler (home of the 2010 winter Olympics) without stopping and tiptoed through Brackendale in stop and go traffic for miles before we arrived at Furry Creek Golf & Country Club. We walked in dripping wet and we were welcomed with hot coffee and tea. Pealing off the layers of rain gear and leather we placed our food orders and enjoyed watching the rain from the inside. The one thing the rain had not done was dampen our spirits.

Back on the bikes we headed to the border. We had only a half hour wait to cross and then about another half hour to ride home. Every detail was planned, everyone had a great time, and that made this ride a perfect 10.

What goes on in Washington Stays in Washington...But nothing ever happens in Washington...Or does it?

Well I am just back from the Mt. Baker Chapter Harley Owners Group ride to Republic, Washington and it was a blast. Start to finish, those that planned the ride, led the ride, and swept up after the group did an amazing job. We went in three groups with a chase vehicle to carry cold water and soda. One group headed to Republic via the Canadian route and the rest of us headed over highway 20 to Twisp for lunch before riding into Republic. We were surprised riding out of town to find Kaye and Rob on an overpass taking our pictures as we rode down the highway

All three groups arrived with an hour of each other and when the kickstands went down the real fun began. We sat outside soaking up the sunshine and warmth, having a cold drink or two and wondering what to do for dinner in a town with only one restaurant open on the 4th of July. We pooled our money and arranged for seventy –five hamburgers to be delivered. Angie assigned Mark, Lois, and me to take the rest of the cash with a shopping list and find the rest of the items for dinner at the grocery store up the street. How much fun can a grocery store be right before closing? Not as much fun as it is to walk back three blocks with the grocery cart to find your whole group hooting and hollering in laughter to see us coming. Money left over so what do? Bob returned the cart and brought back more cold stuff to drink leaving the store dry for the weekend.

The day rides were leaving at eight o’clock the next morning but no one wanted to go to bed. It was too much fun to be able to sit outside at 11:00 o’clock at night and not need a coat or rain jacket.

Everyone split up into two groups the next morning for different destinations and our group encountered over fifteen deer in the morning, ran with the unfenced baby bulls right next to the road, we were dazzled by butterflies, and had our share of wild turkeys. We took a ferry across the lake and had lunch at a quaint little fishing resort at Twin Lakes. We did about one hundred and sixty-five miles that day and it was time well spent with friends. We arrived back in time for some of us to get a nap before dinner.

It was Dave M’s birthday and Lorie secretly arranged a cake for his birthday to have after dinner. We had dinner up the street at the local bar, and yes we did eat at the bar. Some of the group retired to the conference room for a game of poker. The rest of the group retired to parking lot which we had taken over with tables and chairs to watch the evening sunset when someone suggested Karaoke back at the bar.

Part of the group remained around the tables talking and relaxing and the rest of the group headed up the street. We had a secret weapon. We had Mark. Little did we know we also had other talent in our group? Mark wowed the group with his first song and the crowd--that was us-- went wild. Mark did several songs while we were there and each time everyone was just amazed by his voice. The locals sang but they just didn’t know what hit them when our Harley group showed up in town. One of the regulars looked at us and said you aren’t from around here are you? The comment from our group was, ”We just rode in.” The night was beginning to get late when Sheila and Bill brought the house down with “born to be wild”. By this time, part of the poker group had shown up so we really did have a good cheering section. That was it; we left a few hangers on from our group behind and most of us headed home to the motel.

A couple of the group rolled out at six o’clock on Sunday morning to get back in time to catch a plane, and the rest of us were on the road by eight o’clock headed to Coulee Dam, Twisp for lunch, and then home. The last surprise of the ride was finding Kaye and Rob waiting for us at Diablo Dam overlook taking pictures of the group as we pulled in to take a break.

A mini vacation with thirty of your friends might seem overwhelming to some people but to our chapter and friends it is just a regular occurrence and another chance to ride and have fun.

Nominations, Election, Results

The nominations and elections are over and I am going to be the new director of the Mt. Baker Chapter Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) in 2008. This is pretty exciting to me. I would have never have imagined when Larry and I bought our first Harley together how important it would become in our lives.

Christmas 1999 found a shinny chrome yellow Heritage Softail under the tree. Well not under the tree but in the shop behind the house. My kids were all excited and laughing that mom was going to be wearing black leathers and they could hardly wait to tell my old friends from CA about it. That was only the beginning.

In 2001 Larry became director of the chapter (he was the first assistant director when the chapter was formed back in 1991) and I became the Ladies of Harley LOH officer. We were a very small chapter of only 40+ members and only about 12-15 actually attending meetings. Since then I have been the chapter photographer, historian, secretary, membership officer, assistant director, and the 2007 WA state rally events coordinator.

I have a wonderful group of officers/friends (Rick, Angie, Vern, Rita, Jeannie, Dave B., Dave M., Dave J., Shelia, Martha, Bob, Mike S., Art, Mike G., Sherry, and Larry) who will serve with me as a team and together I know next year will be a great year filled with rides, events, and lots of fun for our chapter members. The members aren’t just members; they are part of my family. I care about them, worry about them, and truly enjoy being with them. Without a Harley I might never have met them and my life would be so much poorer without this group.

An Escort for a Soldier

On September 15th my fellow H.O.G. members participated in our annual “Iron Butt Ride” of 12.2 miles for charity. This was our was our 7th year and the money we raise goes to our scholarship charity that we award to a local graduating senior each year who lives in our county and has a relative who owns a Harley-Davidson. We had a lot of fun and my husband got real lucky and won the 50/50 raffle. Momma wants a new pair of shoes (notice I didn’t say I need a new pair of shoes).

We finished up the raffles and drawings quickly to stay on time because we had another important event to participate in. Several weeks ago two of our members ask if anyone would like to ride their bikes and help escort their son Tony who was returning home with his Stryker brigade from a fifteen month tour in Iraq. We arrived at the rest stop with thirty bikes and at least forty people when you count those riding two up.

Angie had contacted the Combat Vets and they arrived with a group to lead the escort and several other local chapters notified their members and we had sixty bikes for the escort waiting for Tony to arrive. Surprise--because Marla and Bill told their son they would meet him there but didn’t tell him that all these bikers would be waiting to cheer him home. You see Tony bought a Harley while he was in Iraq and he will take delivery of it October 5th and will become our newest H.O.G. member in the chapter.

All we could do was visit with friends and wait. Someone yelled, “here he is” and the look on his face was like, “where I am going to park my vehicle with all these bikes taking up the spaces?” Then people were calling out his name and waving and the look on Tony’s face was stunned silence. Marla had tears coming down her cheeks to see her son home safe. We gave the family a few moments for welcoming hugs and the Combat Vets then greeted their brother with hand shakes and hugs. Slowly most of the crowd also moved forward to either shake Tony’s hand, hug him, or both.

Mike S. was there with his trusty camera and wide angle lens for a few groups shots before we pulled out and headed up the highway. Several of the bikes with the Combat Vets lead the vehicle Tony was driving with his wife and baby. His family and the rest of the bikes fell into a staggered riding formation stretching out for almost a mile down the freeway. Riding farther back in the pack and sitting elevated on what everyone refers to as a “princess seat” on our ultra classic I had a view of the entire procession ahead of us when we hit the dips and twists. Quite impressive! I am sure the motorists who passed us wondered why there were so many of us and where we were going. Mike had gone ahead of us and was stationed on an overpass to take some shots of the escort parade coming into town.

We ended the ride in Bellingham at a park where everyone could visit and do some more picture taking. Bill spoke on behalf of the family and thanked everyone for making this surprise welcome home for Tony and his family a very special event. Bill also asked that we remember those who have not returned home alive and to remember those still serving their country.

Mike and Miss Patti had a large oversized flag attached to their bike all day and it was quit a sight waving behind their bike. At the park Mike presented Tony with the flag as a remembrance of his escort home.

I have always told my kids that you are born into a family and that in life you also have others who become your family. This HOG group is my family. Thank you Marla and Bill for inviting the HOG family to become a part of your family and sharing such a precious memory with us.