October 2007 news articles |
October 2007
The Killington The weekend after Labor Day was the Killington Vermont Classic Motorcycle Rally. I had heard about it in previous years, but the timing had not been right for me to go. I was undecided this year as well, but received a call the week before asking if I was going. That call, combined with a person who wanted to ride with someone, made up my mind. Also playing into the decision was the fact that I had not been in Vermont (believe it or not) since I was about 10 years old (over half a century ago). We met at the Dunkin Donuts in Pembroke just off Route 3, exit 12, on Thursday morning. We had Dave & Pam Larsen, whom I had married last year as Reverend Hawk, Rick & Donna Dockendorff (try saying Donna Dockendorff 5 times fast), myself and bikey chick, wannabe, Kathleen Cogan. Other members had promised to meet us up there on Friday. I might add that Rick & Donna came fully out-fitted in the latest in motorcycle moon-walker gear and pulled in on their ultra-quiet BMW bike. It almost made me feel guilty about my loud pipes, but not quite. We had our coffee, chit-chatted for a while, and then we were off. Dave was the group leader and had our route all mapped out. All I remember is route 128 and then route 2. Our lunch destination was some famous (to Dave) outdoor barbeque joint complete with a live 500 pound pot-bellied pig. If you like overcooked ribs, non-stop flies, porta-potties and eating at a 50 year old lopsided picnic table, it was a fabulous meal. By this time the weather had heated up to about 75-80° so the moonwalker and other assorted cold weather gear was stowed in saddlebags. We continued on and arrived in Killington around 4:00. The weather was perfect, the scenery was great and everything looked fine for a wonderful weekend. After registering for the weekend events (bike parade, dinner and dancing, etc.) we settled in at the Comfort Inn, about a mile from the registration center. That night was the dinner dance which had a western theme (right up my alley, since I am a cowpoke at heart). The food was great (they did not have the barbeque place catering it) and the dancing was fun. At one point, I cajoled most of the table to get up and do a choo-choo line to the night-train song. Dave and I quickly ran out of breath. The next day we went on a beautiful ride in the country-side (can’t remember exactly where) and wound up in Woodstock (I think). We had a great deli take-out lunch and ate in a beautiful park. That night Butch Hiller arrived and joined us for dinner. The next day (Saturday) was the big day. We now had a 5 bike contingent and felt more like a MMR group. Dave had the day all planned and it was to include stops at Ben & Jerry’s and the Cabot Cheese Farm. Off we went for another beautiful day of wonderful weather and scenery. Both stops were interesting and we had our fill of ice cream (we all thought of Bill Ferguson) and cheese. However, now I began to get somewhat nervous as Dave gave us a warning that we would be going through Smuggler’s Notch and that the road would become fairly narrow, windy and treacherous. He particularly warned us about the possibility of a large camper coming in the opposite direction which, if it occurred, might lead to a sticky-wicked. I knew that once more I would have to enter my Dragon-Slayer persona, and steel myself for the Notch, where the Dragon might lie in wait. Up we went and the road became increasingly narrow and windy. Thoughts of the real Tail of the Dragon shot through my mind as we wound up through the Notch. We were doing fine until we got to a steep double cut-back, at which point I went so slowly that the bike almost came to a stand-still. I gave a little more throttle just in time and “The little train that could” managed to gain the crest of the pass and begin the descent. Kathleen (on a bike for only the second time in her life) was actually pushing against my back to try and speed us up. We made it and the rest of the day reverted to long, gentle sweeping curves with lots of cows and cow manure scents. We got back in time for the parade (over a thousand bikes) which went from the resort down to Rutland. After the parade, we danced in the streets to the festival music and than headed a mile down the street to the Rutland Fair. We walked the entire Fairgrounds, looked at the live-stock and I bought a silver fox tail for the bike. That night we all slept like a log and awoke to (Oh no!!!!!) heavy rain. We waited an hour from 9 to 10 to see if it would let up. It did and we took off for home. It continued raining lightly to moderately and we all got chilled as the temperature had dropped about 20°. As we got closer to Mass., the rain decreased and finally stopped. We all parted ways as we got near home and were glad to get into warm clothes. Thanks Dave for a great trip (except for the barbeque place)!!!! Check out the picture(s) of our happy group. PAULATICS by Paula McCallum Being the first woman President of the Manomet Mystery Riders has been an honor and a unique challenge over this past year. There were some who mistakenly thought I couldn’t do it (and at times I thought it myself). There was at least one less-enlightened member who chose not to re-join because he didn’t want to belong to a club that has a woman for a President. If any man felt that way then why not step up to the plate and run for election themselves? And, where shall they run when Hilary is elected? I feel sorry for guys in this mind-set because they really missed out on one hell of year with the Manomet Mystery Riders! And as you all know, this group isn’t run by just one individual but by a group of 9 dedicated members who’ve served you well as your President, Vice President (and Membership Coordinator), Secretary, Treasurer and our 5 E-Board members. I couldn’t have pulled this off alone or made important decisions without their remarkable guidance and support. Thanks to all my friends who believed in me, who’ve held me up when I doubted myself. It is your strength that makes it possible for me to persevere. This opportunity has surprisingly shown me what I’m made of, and I’ve come out stronger in the end for having tried my hand at it. The Mystery Riders continue to carry on the traditions of the past by raising money at our Cabin Fever Party and rocking the house down with the Cindy Daley Band at our Skeets Cookout. We are now starting to make preparations for our Halloween Party and soon after we will be donating Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas presents to needy families through St. Bonaventure’s parish as well as organizing our annual Toy Run. It is because of these worthy causes that we focus our energies on that make the MMR not a bunch of bikers who “Just want to Ride!” Thankfully, we are much more than that. We are a group of friends who put our competitive natures aside, who join our resources, talents and time to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. By this generosity, the Plymouth community has seen another side of just your stereotypical bikers. Although I’ve found the position of Madam Prez fulfilling, I took a greater satisfaction in being your Newsletter Editor for these past 3 years. It gave me a chance to share the talents that God gave me. And I hope you liked reading all that I dished out as much as I enjoyed sharing my life’s foibles, loves and adventures with you. In the process, you’ve probably gotten to know me a bit better than I got to know you. Giving up the newsletter was a bitter sweet decision. I feel as though I’ve accomplished all that I can and proven that I could do a good job. But now is a time for new challenges, a time for growth and a time to discover what new beginnings the future holds for my life. A wise man once told me, “When one door closes another will open.” Well, I appreciate that advice because I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s behind door number 3! As I pass the torch on to Hawk Hickman, your new Newsletter Editor, please continue to show him your support by setting aside some time to contribute to this newsletter. Many of our members look forward to reading it every month, so as a group, we can’t let ourselves down. Whether it’s writing an article, volunteering to help at our fundraising events or running for an elected position, now is your time to get involved with the Manomet Mystery Riders. Beginning in October, please contact me at Paulamactootster@yahoo.com since Paulamaceditor@yahoo.com is going away. p.s. I’ll still be your President until the end of the year. Terry’s Ride to The Tide From Dennis Pierce: I wanted to share with you a poem that was written in memory of Terry Bradford on the morning she was laid to rest on December 16, 2006. After a very restless night of tossing and turning and I know I wasn’t the only one, these words were coming together in my mind reflecting back on this wonderful soul. So when I got out of bed that morning I went straight to the kitchen table to pen the words that were churning in my head all night. The following was the resulting poem.
We were so close Our laughter echoed in Our tears flowed into each other’s eyes We were so close Our joys flooded each other’s hearts
Our blood flowed through We were so close We were one and the same We were so close And will be once again. Dennis Pierce
Dear Lee, Signed, DEAR TIRED, BUY HER A BIKE OF HER OWN, IT HAS ALWAYS WORKED FOR ME. AS FOR JUST SMILING AND NOT TAKING SUCH GOOD ADVICE, MAYBE SHE FELL ON HER HEAD TOO MANY TIMES RIDING WITH YOU? p.s. HAVE YOU TAKEN THE SAFETY COURSE? LEE
|