Kelley (Texas)
New member
I still remember that fateful day back in March of this year as I was driving to Castroville, Texas to visit with my horses at my cousin's ranch. I had stopped at an ice house for gas and was sitting at one of the picnic tables where I met and had a conversation with a small group of folks passing through the area. That conversation led me to do a lot of thinking about my life...where I had been and where I was heading.
As many of you know, I am a diabetic and a few years ago I encountered a minor health problem that eventually resulted in Debbie and I moving into the city. Needless to say, I have not enjoyed living in this city and I have been guilty of letting everyone know it too! These houses are so close together that your neighbor two houses down the street can hear you fart. The big thrill around here seems to be working in the flower bed and cutting the grass. All those flowers do is attract bees and the lawnmowers make lots of noise...boring way to live.
I will never forget that evening when I told Debbie that I had made a decision about embarking on a new adventure in life. She almost yelled "WHAT!" so loud that I would be willing to bet that all the neighbors within two blocks heard her! She told me that she did not want me doing it...that I would get killed doing such a crazy thing. She said that I have never done such a crazy thing and knew nothing about it...she said that I was heading for trouble big time. The more that she talked the more that I was determined that I was going to do it...she might as well have been talking to the wall. As far as I was concerned, it was a done deal and it was my ticket to freedom...free again at last!
Folks, I had decided that I was going to buy a motorcycle and roam the back roads of Texas...the motorcycle was my ticket out of this city and my means of getting back out into the country side. In the back of my mind a dream was developing about driving a motorcycle across the entire nation, from coast to coast and up into Canada. I now had a dream...I was not going to be living a life working in a silly flower bed or sitting on the front porch wasting my life away.
For a few weeks I shopped around for a motorcycle...Debbie was yapping at my heels the entire time, trying to talk me out of doing this. The more that she talked, the more determined I got that this was a done deal. She told me that I did not know how to ride a motorcycle...I told her that I rode a bicycle when I was a kid and it was similar. I finally found a motorcycle that I liked. It was two years old but only had 5000 miles on it and was in like new condition...I bought it.
It was delivered the next day and Debbie finally realized that it was a done deal, she had lost the battle of trying to talk me out of it. I quickly read the owner's manual and headed out the door to ride it. While trying to figure out how to start it, neighbors slowly appeared in their front yard to watch the excitement. Somehow I finally started the motor and got it into gear, but it kept stalling when I let out on the clutch. I was also getting a little angry at the neighbors...out of the corner of my eye, I could see them laughing! Finally, I did not stall it when I let out on the clutch, but things quickly turned bad...I took out two of my neighbor's trash cans and left a big skid mark across their yard before I got the thing stopped. I pushed the motorcycle into my garage while Debbie calmed down the neighbor and told them that I would fix their yard.
While I was still determined that this was what I was going to do, I quickly realized that I was going to need help with learning to ride this motorcycle...it was not going to be easy like I thought it would be. I enrolled in a motorcycle class where I learned all the safety issues as well as how to ride the motorcycle.
After completing the class, I rode for an entire month in the neighborhood, practicing how to turn the corner and how to stop. I then ventured out onto the open streets to gain experience with riding in traffic, and from there I progressed to riding out to a few farm to market roads just outside of San Antonio. I slowly gained experience and two weeks ago, I took a ride out to Bandera, Texas and yesterday I took a five hour ride to the Fredericksburg, Texas area. Slowly but surely, I am building up my endurance, but must admit that yesterday's ride was a little too much for me because by the time that I arrived back home I was a little tired and my legs were slightly swollen. It will just take time building up my endurance, but that is OK with me, I now have my freedom back.
Folks, now you see why I have not been on the Forum as much lately. I must confess that my good friend, Cierlast, knew about what I have been doing and has really given me support. He found some John Deere decals for my helmet and sent them to me. In a fews weeks I will paint my helmet John Deere green and put the decals on my helmet.
I already have had a few adventures that I will be posting about in the near future...about a nasty, mean spirited snake I encountered on a farm to market road, or about the skunk that decided he was not going to move off the road.
My heart and first love will always be my horses and ranch life...even with the motorcycle, I will always be a cowboy. I must admit that Debbie is scared and wish that I was not doing this motorcycle riding, but she also understands that I need my freedom to roam away from this city. We have even recently talked about moving back out to the country. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)
PS: In the last picture, in the background you will see a white colored car parked in a driveway. That is the house where the good looking teacher named Cindy lives.
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As many of you know, I am a diabetic and a few years ago I encountered a minor health problem that eventually resulted in Debbie and I moving into the city. Needless to say, I have not enjoyed living in this city and I have been guilty of letting everyone know it too! These houses are so close together that your neighbor two houses down the street can hear you fart. The big thrill around here seems to be working in the flower bed and cutting the grass. All those flowers do is attract bees and the lawnmowers make lots of noise...boring way to live.
I will never forget that evening when I told Debbie that I had made a decision about embarking on a new adventure in life. She almost yelled "WHAT!" so loud that I would be willing to bet that all the neighbors within two blocks heard her! She told me that she did not want me doing it...that I would get killed doing such a crazy thing. She said that I have never done such a crazy thing and knew nothing about it...she said that I was heading for trouble big time. The more that she talked the more that I was determined that I was going to do it...she might as well have been talking to the wall. As far as I was concerned, it was a done deal and it was my ticket to freedom...free again at last!
Folks, I had decided that I was going to buy a motorcycle and roam the back roads of Texas...the motorcycle was my ticket out of this city and my means of getting back out into the country side. In the back of my mind a dream was developing about driving a motorcycle across the entire nation, from coast to coast and up into Canada. I now had a dream...I was not going to be living a life working in a silly flower bed or sitting on the front porch wasting my life away.
For a few weeks I shopped around for a motorcycle...Debbie was yapping at my heels the entire time, trying to talk me out of doing this. The more that she talked, the more determined I got that this was a done deal. She told me that I did not know how to ride a motorcycle...I told her that I rode a bicycle when I was a kid and it was similar. I finally found a motorcycle that I liked. It was two years old but only had 5000 miles on it and was in like new condition...I bought it.
It was delivered the next day and Debbie finally realized that it was a done deal, she had lost the battle of trying to talk me out of it. I quickly read the owner's manual and headed out the door to ride it. While trying to figure out how to start it, neighbors slowly appeared in their front yard to watch the excitement. Somehow I finally started the motor and got it into gear, but it kept stalling when I let out on the clutch. I was also getting a little angry at the neighbors...out of the corner of my eye, I could see them laughing! Finally, I did not stall it when I let out on the clutch, but things quickly turned bad...I took out two of my neighbor's trash cans and left a big skid mark across their yard before I got the thing stopped. I pushed the motorcycle into my garage while Debbie calmed down the neighbor and told them that I would fix their yard.
While I was still determined that this was what I was going to do, I quickly realized that I was going to need help with learning to ride this motorcycle...it was not going to be easy like I thought it would be. I enrolled in a motorcycle class where I learned all the safety issues as well as how to ride the motorcycle.
After completing the class, I rode for an entire month in the neighborhood, practicing how to turn the corner and how to stop. I then ventured out onto the open streets to gain experience with riding in traffic, and from there I progressed to riding out to a few farm to market roads just outside of San Antonio. I slowly gained experience and two weeks ago, I took a ride out to Bandera, Texas and yesterday I took a five hour ride to the Fredericksburg, Texas area. Slowly but surely, I am building up my endurance, but must admit that yesterday's ride was a little too much for me because by the time that I arrived back home I was a little tired and my legs were slightly swollen. It will just take time building up my endurance, but that is OK with me, I now have my freedom back.
Folks, now you see why I have not been on the Forum as much lately. I must confess that my good friend, Cierlast, knew about what I have been doing and has really given me support. He found some John Deere decals for my helmet and sent them to me. In a fews weeks I will paint my helmet John Deere green and put the decals on my helmet.
I already have had a few adventures that I will be posting about in the near future...about a nasty, mean spirited snake I encountered on a farm to market road, or about the skunk that decided he was not going to move off the road.
My heart and first love will always be my horses and ranch life...even with the motorcycle, I will always be a cowboy. I must admit that Debbie is scared and wish that I was not doing this motorcycle riding, but she also understands that I need my freedom to roam away from this city. We have even recently talked about moving back out to the country. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)
PS: In the last picture, in the background you will see a white colored car parked in a driveway. That is the house where the good looking teacher named Cindy lives.
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[attachment 67727 DSC01434.JPG]
[attachment 67729 DSC01438.JPG]
Dan, you have always been one that I would be proud to ride fence with any day of the week. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) 
I am closing in on 16,000 miles and love every minute on it.
