The Upper Bedroom

Tim Riter August 11, 2014

That day riding along the Oregon combined breath-taking scenery with bone-chilling cold. We’d headed west from Salem to the coast at Pacific City, then we turned north to Tillamook where we had lunch and sampled their world famous cheeses. Well, famous anyplace west of Wisconsin anyway. The beauty of one stretch forced me to shout for joy, with ocean flats on our left as trees formed a canopy over our two lane road. Clouds blocked the sun enough to give a gauzy sense of beauty, but with enough light to see it well.

In all the years of the Gray Hog touring, this road neared the top of the list. But when we turned south, the sun took a nap as the fog rolled in and the world turned gloomy and damp and cold...

Josh, a few years after the story, on Rock Creek

Trout Fishing as a Team Sport?

Tim Riter August 4, 2014

Something unexpected happened when I first held my grandson, Joshua. He adjusted himself into my chest and his hug reached right into my heart. I’ve never been the same since we connected like that. I suppose it’s only natural he seemed to love fishing.

I started him out fishing with an empty line on a Colorado pond. He doesn’t remember it, but he had to fish “like grandpa.”

Later...

God Touches

Tim Riter July 28, 2014

Last week we explored how we need to intentionally evaluate each decision on the basis of being a follower of Jesus. Today, let’s flip the coin, courtesy of an experience with a good friend from years back, Wayne Ragland.

Wayne and I yearned to be the next photo/journalist stellar pair, and headed to Yosemite for material. He’d take the pics; I’d write the copy. You’ve heard of us, right? Yeah, thought so. On the long ride up, Wayne mentioned he saw every scene for its potential picture value. I thought that diminished one’s appreciation of creation’s beauty, so we chewed on it a bit. He didn’t convince me, until I started writing in earnest, decades later.

Sex, Lies, and Thieves

Tim Riter July 21, 2014

Basically, the parameters of my faith were: no sex outside marriage, no lies, no stealing. If I did a decent job on those, I felt fairly successful and had a bit of spiritual pride. OK, a lot. Notice though, I only had three. God had ten primary ones, a much more difficult job, so I created my own Reader’s Digest version. Please don’t try this at home. I made sure they were do-able and I could keep them in mind. You may have your own shortened list, and it may vary from mine. That’s OK, we’re really doing the same thing.

Then I came across ...

Wild Life Detected

Tim Riter July 14, 2014

Naw, this post won’t direct you to wild parties in your neighborhood! Let’s talk about another kind: deer. In 43 years of riding bikes, much in the mountains, I never gave a thought to deer crossing the road and trying to knock me off the bike. Then a year ago, in Libby MT, our group talked to a local who’d hit 23 deer. Killed 17 of them. That gave me pause. Less than a week later on the road to Eureka, a deer bolted in front of Brad on his bike with no chance to avoid a collision. After the life flight to appropriately named Mercy Medical Center in Redding, doctors tended to multiple broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken collar bone and shoulder blade, and a number of abrasions. He now has a plate in his shoulder with 9 screws. He still rides, but that incident got my attention.

So I was particularly cautious leaving Pagosa Springs at 5:30 in the morning with a cup of hot coffee in the cup holder.

Taking Chances

Tim Riter July 7, 2014

AAA maps and locals are not always reliable repositories of good information. Our group pulled out of Cortez CO early with Telluride in our sights. The ride got a bit chilly as we cruised into the town surrounded by the San Juan Mountains at 8700 ft. About 30 elk calmly grazed at the outskirts.

Needing an in internal infusion of warmth, we found Maggie’s Coffee House, only to be met by Mr. Maggie, the husband of the owner and a fellow biker. After some biker talk, he asked if we’d heard of Gateway, the hidden secret of Colorado, the best bike ride in the state. Now, Colorado’s beauty is second to none, so that got our attention.

Roots

Tim Riter June 30, 2014

Our annual cross country biker group calls itself the Gray Hogs, in a veiled allusion to Tim Allen’s movie Wild Hogs. Two prime requirements to be a Hog: you don’t need to belong to the Harley Owners’ Group, just pack a few extra pounds, and to sport some gray hair. Oh yeah, and to ride a bike and to get along with the charter members.

Even so, old totally dominated a day on our recent ride to the Taos NM area. We visited ...

450 Miles of Misery

Tim Riter June 23, 2014

Honestly, I never thought of stopping nor turning back. But 450 miles of misery to start the motorcycle trip did wear on me. I’d pulled out of my garage about 5:15 in the morning, and slogged through 80 miles of metropolitan Los Angeles before meeting Mick and Brad at Cajon Pass on I-15. Metro freeway does not qualify as my favored mode. But the metro yielded to desert and desert brought heat and by the time we got to Vegas the bike’s thermometer bumped 100. 11AM.

Lunch at In-and-Out cooled us a bit, but the temp had risen to 105, with 170 miles to go. The temp climbed with the altitude until it maxed at 109. 30 miles from Cedar City it began to cool, and the 99 felt almost chilly. Note the almost. Our motel’s cool pool finished lowering our body temps, and we walked to a nice café next door for dinner.

That night ...

Unconventional

Old Faith, New Following