The Ride, The Tradition Continues.
3/17/08
The Tradition Continues.
My Annual Guinness (Motorycle) Ride (the 4th). The St Patrick’s Day god’s were kind again. My 4th annual Guinness Ride to the Fiddlers Hearth Public House in South Bend for a little Irish celebration was a success.
This year my brother, John, from Logansport went with me, adding to the adventure.
Starting temperature was about 39 degrees. The thermometer hovering just below 40 and sticking there. We were bundled in several lagers and looked like puff balls. At 40 degrees, although I had my electric vest with me, and John did not have one, I did not wear it. I was just trying to be fair. We were cool but not cold. Temps were supposed to get up near the 50’s, with a rain and sleet coming in the evening. Things were looking good. We would be back well before evening.
I had been watching the gravel road from the house to the black top all week. Thawing out, covered with pot holes, water spots, and muddy spots. Concerned, will I be able to make it out. This morning an hour or so before I left, the county gravel/scraper truck came by. Wow!, I had just talked to the County Highway Superintendant last week on another matter and mentioned my annual Guinness ride. So out they came just special for me, and dumped some gravel and graded in some of the muddy spots and pot holes. At least that is my story, and I’m sticking with it. So it was not bad getting out at all. Coming back later it was back to close to its usual shape. Grading and filling doesn’t last long. But I made it in OK.
I was to meet my brother at a gas station in Rochester. I knew which one I meant, but ‘which one’ he thought I meant was garbled in the planning conversation and he was waiting at a different gas station.. Fortunately he came looking and after a couple of ‘what do you means’ we took off up US31 heading north to South Bend.
Arrived at the Fiddlers Hearth, http://www.fiddlershearth.com/index.html about 11:30 or so, wearing as much green as we could find. (Don’t worry Gator, I was wearing your Irish sweater gift with pride). We received our shamrock as we entered the door. Found 2 side by side chairs at the bar immediately. From my past experience, this was very unusual. We enjoyed a nice lunch of Irish Stew (to ward off the chill), some fish and chips, Guinness, coffee, Irish and Celtic music, all blessed by the local Priest, and conversation. “Conversation’, especially with Jeff. Our bar neighbor Jeff only had to work a half day. His Irish wife had to work all day. So he was there celebrating for her. We all autographed a menu for her, wishing her a happy St Patrick’s day. I noticed that Carol ‘the lady of the house’ looked a year younger not older, said hello to Shawn bartender and musician. After a couple hours we were ready to head back home.
As we hiked across the street to the garage (free parking)- still overcast, cool wind from the east, thermometer still stuck on about 40 degrees. What happened to the high 40’s?. We headed south, nice ride on the state roads, IN23, IN10, IN17. I rode part way to Logansport with my brother. We decided to stop in Kewanna and break the chill. A little Yukon and a cup of coffee did it very well. After some more brotherly conversation we stepped out by the bikes right by the door. . . and low and behold. . . it was raining sleet!!. Fortunatetl the roads were still warm… and it was melting. . . and we were getting close to home. I headed home to Winamac, John to Logansport. I got a little damp but not bad. John said later that he got soaked. It had been and was raining harder in Logansport.
Happy St Patrick’s day 2008
The Tradition Continues.
My Annual Guinness (Motorycle) Ride (the 4th). The St Patrick’s Day god’s were kind again. My 4th annual Guinness Ride to the Fiddlers Hearth Public House in South Bend for a little Irish celebration was a success.
This year my brother, John, from Logansport went with me, adding to the adventure.
Starting temperature was about 39 degrees. The thermometer hovering just below 40 and sticking there. We were bundled in several lagers and looked like puff balls. At 40 degrees, although I had my electric vest with me, and John did not have one, I did not wear it. I was just trying to be fair. We were cool but not cold. Temps were supposed to get up near the 50’s, with a rain and sleet coming in the evening. Things were looking good. We would be back well before evening.
I had been watching the gravel road from the house to the black top all week. Thawing out, covered with pot holes, water spots, and muddy spots. Concerned, will I be able to make it out. This morning an hour or so before I left, the county gravel/scraper truck came by. Wow!, I had just talked to the County Highway Superintendant last week on another matter and mentioned my annual Guinness ride. So out they came just special for me, and dumped some gravel and graded in some of the muddy spots and pot holes. At least that is my story, and I’m sticking with it. So it was not bad getting out at all. Coming back later it was back to close to its usual shape. Grading and filling doesn’t last long. But I made it in OK.
I was to meet my brother at a gas station in Rochester. I knew which one I meant, but ‘which one’ he thought I meant was garbled in the planning conversation and he was waiting at a different gas station.. Fortunately he came looking and after a couple of ‘what do you means’ we took off up US31 heading north to South Bend.
Arrived at the Fiddlers Hearth, http://www.fiddlershearth.com/index.html about 11:30 or so, wearing as much green as we could find. (Don’t worry Gator, I was wearing your Irish sweater gift with pride). We received our shamrock as we entered the door. Found 2 side by side chairs at the bar immediately. From my past experience, this was very unusual. We enjoyed a nice lunch of Irish Stew (to ward off the chill), some fish and chips, Guinness, coffee, Irish and Celtic music, all blessed by the local Priest, and conversation. “Conversation’, especially with Jeff. Our bar neighbor Jeff only had to work a half day. His Irish wife had to work all day. So he was there celebrating for her. We all autographed a menu for her, wishing her a happy St Patrick’s day. I noticed that Carol ‘the lady of the house’ looked a year younger not older, said hello to Shawn bartender and musician. After a couple hours we were ready to head back home.
As we hiked across the street to the garage (free parking)- still overcast, cool wind from the east, thermometer still stuck on about 40 degrees. What happened to the high 40’s?. We headed south, nice ride on the state roads, IN23, IN10, IN17. I rode part way to Logansport with my brother. We decided to stop in Kewanna and break the chill. A little Yukon and a cup of coffee did it very well. After some more brotherly conversation we stepped out by the bikes right by the door. . . and low and behold. . . it was raining sleet!!. Fortunatetl the roads were still warm… and it was melting. . . and we were getting close to home. I headed home to Winamac, John to Logansport. I got a little damp but not bad. John said later that he got soaked. It had been and was raining harder in Logansport.
Happy St Patrick’s day 2008
posted by IN Tom at 11:29 AM
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