Good Neighbours and Two Checks on the Bucket List

Last night Garry and I left the ampitheatre at 'The Chip' because it began to rain. After wandering our way around the campsite we found our tents just before the rain came and it was a heavy rain. The initial drops were about the size of green peas and we were able to scramble into our tents before it really started pounding down. This was one of the heaviest rains I have ever been in. The sound of raindrops hitting the tent was thunderous and it was interspersed with the sight of lightning flashes and the sounds of very loud thunder. The lightning strikes were close by. The rain lasted until about 1:15 a.m. but both Garry and I were dry in our tents. Sierra Designs makes good tents.

When we crawled out of our tents in the morning the two young couples from Oklahoma in the site next to us were taking down their tent and packing their gear. They were planning on heading back anyway, but when they set up their tent on the weekend it had been so warm they hadn't put the fly on their tent and they had left it off on Monday night. Needless to say, the rain came through the mesh and pooled on the floor of it soaking all their gear. They ended up having to spend the night in their trucks and in the morning as they packed their tents they had sleeping bags and clothes hanging everywhere in the hopes that they would dry out.

On either side of our campsites people had driven or ridden across a low lying area. With the rains and the traffic, these areas had turned into mudholes so it was interesting watching people slip and slide through them in cars, trucks and motorcycles.

Our first order of business was to ride in to Rapid City to pick up two chairs, a cooler and other assorted supplies at Walmart. After we did this we carried on with the theme of the lowest common denominator and had breakfast at MacDonald's. Garry had difficulty with the cashier not being able to give him proper change so he had to take some time to patiently explain how much he should get in change and why. When he got to the table they had gotten his order wrong as well. I escaped this mess rather lightly. When I took the cover off my coffee cup it was just a little more than half full. At that point I decided just to go with it and not to cause myself any more grief.

On a trip to Sturgis it is always worth the time to go to Black Hills H-D in Rapid City, SD because they have a large number of vendors who are selling everything from wheels to lighting systems, to engine rebuilds. If there is a way to separate bikers from their money they have figured it out here.

Some of the bikes at the H-D dealership in Rapid City, SD

The parking lot here is massive and when we were parked I looked around and saw at least five thousand motorcycles parked in the numbered rows. We walked up to the vendor area just to check things out. Scott Jacobs was in the dealership building selling his art and the whole floor was filled with clothes and accessories. All of the motorcycles had been moved outside under a big tent and they were selling a good number of bikes. The whole thing is very well organized and considering the large number of people and motorcycles it was relatively easy to get in and find a parking space. I can't imagine though, what a horror show it would have been if they had been dealing with cars instead of bikes.

Parking lot at Black Hills H-D, Rapid City, SD

Slingshot in the parking lot at Black Hills, SD

Scott Jacobs art

Scott Jacobs painting of Paul Lowe

One of the things that happens at bike rallies and especially in Sturgis, is the wide variety of T-shirts people wear. Some of them are quite funny in their way. This is one that I saw at the H-D dealership. I haven't seen that one before.





Having the chairs and the cooler was great but we needed ice so we stopped at the little 'store' where they were selling beer and ice. Garry had to wait in the line for at least fifteen minutes so I parked my bike across the road and watched the world go by. Two Seattle Cossacks, a motorcycle stunt team, rode by on a pair on knuckleheads. The guys had to be well on the north side of seventy but they were riding in perfect formation. Impressive!

Seattle Cossacks on H-D knuckleheads



The highlight of my day was about to happen though. As I stood there in the afternoon heat sweating under my leathers, a most incredible sight greeted me. Riding down the road on Harley were three young women. Three beautiful young women. Three beautiful topless young women! One was riding the bike, another was lying on her back the tank with her legs over the legs of the rider, and the third was riding in the regular passenger position. it was a sight for sore eyes.

After the ladies passed by I looked back at another guy who had been waiting by his bike and who had seen the same thing I did. He gave me a thumbs up and I gave him two thumbs up. He started his motorcycle and as he rode by he said, "You're a dirty old man!" My reply was, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

When we got back to our site we met the three guys who had been camped there last night. they are from Vacaville, CA and had ridden here for the rally. Each of the guys is really funny in their own way but when the three of them get together and get going, it is hard not to fall out of the chair laughing. Robert, who has curly hair and a beard does quick banter, almost like Robin Williams and he switches accents when he tells stories as well. Don is hilarious as well and has a high pitched laugh. the other guys rag on him about his 'girlie' laugh. Kevin had ink all over his torso and arms and he is a serious party animal. He is really funny as well and when the three interact it is like being in front of the stage at a comedy act.

Kevin, Ron & Robert, from Vacaville, CA

 

When we were in Rapid City people had moved in to the site vacated by the wet Oklahomans. Mike, Laura, and Jamie are from a small town in southern Iowa, or as Kevin said, 'Idowa', covering two states in one word. They are really friendly and great neighbours as well.

When we returned from Rapid City the guys invited us to join them so we did. Our entertainment was watching people trying to get through the mudhole which had gotten worse during the day. A couple who were camped beside the hole were trying to leave and the husband got his mini-van stuck. He got his wife to drive it and tried to push her out with no luck, so five of us walked over to help and we got the van out.

After the van was safely parked someone mentioned that beer would be nice and Kevin took it from there. He began to shout, "Titties!" and "Beer!" To our surprise the rather nice looking blonde young lady who had been driving the van lifted he shirt and gave us a good view of a pair of America's finest puppies. We're not sure what her husband thought, but when Kevin asked for a repeat performance she demurred. We never did get the beer. Shortly after that another woman in the site was heading to the tent when Kevin again yelled, "Titties!" and this woman lifted her shirt as well showing us another pair of America's finest puppies, but this time they were totally tanned.

A few minutes later Robert quietly remarked, "We're not special you know." when asked what he meant he replied, "How do you think they got tanned? She shows those to everybody." Anyway, being flashed in a good way is one of the things I can check off my bucket list.

Two of the "Bad Boys' from Vacaville, CA, Robert & Don

As we sat around laughing, Kevin pulled out a Mason jar half filled with a clear liquid. He told us that he has a buddy who makes his own moonshine and this was it. He passed the jar around twice, And I had a couple of hits. It wasn't too bad, and it came in a jar with my name on it. somehow having my first drink of genuine moonshine out a Kerr jar was appropriate.

Because it had rained so hard last night and there was a fifty percent chance of rain I covered my motorcycle with the cover I bought two years ago. Nothing happened! It didn't rain! I was irritated. It took a lot of effort to put the cover on then to pack it up was going to be a lot of work as well.

The groups that were on the bill for Tuesday night were Lukas Nelson, (I can't remember the band name) Shinedown, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Both groups put on really good shows and Skynyrd is obviously a fan favourite because every time they finished a song the Harleys would rev up in appreciation but Shinedown's music was a good listen as well, so it was a good concert night.

When we returned the guys were partying with our new neighbours Mike, Laura, and Jamie. It was Laura's birthday so we all sat around having a good time congratulating her and then all seven guys sang her happy birthday. I suspect that she had been having a good celebration but, some things that happen in Sturgis stay in Sturgis and the rest of the evening falls into that category.

Laura from Iowa

Mike from Iowa

Jamie, Mike & Laura, from Spencer, Iowa

Mike & Laura



Tomorrow is the big shopping day in Sturgis and we don't expect to get a lot of rising in, but that's OK because we still have a lot more to do before we get home.