First day out we rode all day in the rain.  I noticed that everyone had rain gear except me.  Now I will be the first to admit that a little rain can’t hurt you, BUT all day?  At the end of the day there wasn’t even a little spot of me that was dry.  Mum said I kinda smelled like a wet dog.  Well what do you expect?  My typical suit of cloths is made from wool.  I spent the first night at the motel sitting on the heater trying to dry out.  In the morning my cloths were dry but my boots still squished when I walked.

Second day out started out nice.  The temperature was warm and the sun was shining.  First stop was at a winery.  I love these places.  Do you know that you can go there and they let you taste the wine before you buy it?  We should have stayed there and kept drinking all their different wines but NO!! we had to keep moving.  Next stop at a BP station in Hanover, Illinois for gas.  Every one’s bikes were empty so filled up with gas.  Pop drove about 20 feet when his bike stopped running.  Following shortly thereafter with Steve & Marilyn’s bike and a few minutes later Butch and Val’s bike.  To make a long story short, 6 hours later we finally left the station after a local named Steve syphoned all the gas out of the bikes and another local Chris went to a neighboring town and brought us back gas from a Mobile station to put back in the bikes.  Now I know that accidents can happen and obviously BP put bad gas in the tanks at the station (Butch said it was probably E85) but the owner of that gas station was not a nice lady.  She kept getting in Pop’s face saying it was the bikes and not the gas.  I don’t like to see anyone talking to my Pop that way.  If I wasn’t so small I would have really popped that lady.  I almost forgot to tell you what happened to me.  Pop thought he had me strapped on the back of the bike really good but WRONG!!.  I almost fell off.  I was hanging by my feet held on only by one strap.  Of course I’m yelling as loud as I can but because of the noise of the bike they didn’t hear me.  Finally Mum looked back and didn’t see anything except my feet.  I lost my hat and my goggles in the process and we couldn’t find them back.  Now I’ll have to order a new hat and goggles.  That’s OK as both my hat and goggles had a lot of bugs on them.  I have never been so scared in my whole life.  It took me a long time before I could stop shaking.  I shudder to think of what would have happened if I had fell off.

After we finally left the station it was late in the afternoon and after spending all afternoon in the sun we just wanted to go back to the motel and cool down.  Of course we had to go to “Poopies” for dinner.  Just like told times.

Lois at the “L&M Motel” was just as nice as always.  Welcomed us there with a beer and Goldy and Max (dogs) were happy to see us.  This motel is definitely the most friendly we have every stayed at.  They immediately make you feel at home.  Lois has the same yellow mustang as Mum has except with a few extras.  Now Mum says she has to get the ground effects for her car.  I especially liked the Mustangs she had painted on the sides.  I think Mum should do that to hers.

Last morning we got up and going early and rode some beautiful roads in Illinois.  The sun was shining and it was warm.  We had a great time.  Most of the trip home was uneventful until we got to Byron, Minnesota when Steve and Marilyn’s bike broke down.  They had to call AAA and have their bike trailered back to Sioux Falls.

Butch and Val came back home with us and we ordered a pizza and laughed about the past 3 days.  Mum said we were making memories and that not all memories have to be good ones.  This trip was definitely one of memories.

I only withdrew $100

He didn’t say where he was at but it looks like a nice quiet place to be.  He said he’s having a great time.

Roulf, I want to be where you are.  Cute waitress!   I thought we were cousins.  Cousins go everywhere together remember. 

Roulf said you’ll have to look close to find him in this picture.  It looks to me like Roulf is having more fun than me right now.

Roulf, wherever you are please keep sending pictures so we know you’re OK.  Looks to me like you having a really fun time.

We had such a great time.  We got to drive most of the time with the tops down.  I love that part with the wind blowing in my hair and all the wonderful smells.

We got to drive along Lake Superior – that is the biggest lake I ever saw.  I even saw a big, big ship off in the distance.  Pop said it was probably a freighter ship.  I wonder what it would be like to live on one of those ships for a little while?  I think I’d like to do that.  There is so many things I want to do but so little summer left to do it in.

We saw this really big Indian.  Bruce and Mary Jane took our pictures in front of it but it was so big you can’t even see where I am.  I felt so little standing next to it.  It looked like a real Indian to me just really really big.

This is a picture of us eating dinner.  I’m not in this picture cause Mum let me take the picture.  I did good didn’t I?  Mum said because I did so good, I can get my own camera.

One night we got to stay at the a Bed and Breakfast called “The Listening Inn“.  If you’re in the area of Crystal Falls, MI, you have got to stop and spend the night.  Carol and Leslie Kufahl are wonderful hosts and made us all feel so welcome.  This was definitely a high point of the trip for us.  This Inn was hand crafted from logs and was beautiful, warm and welcoming.  Our rooms were great and right out the sliding glass doors of our room we watched bears come to feed on corn. You have to look close to see him.  Later we watched even a bigger bear come to eat.  I stayed far away because I’m so little .

For breakfast Carol and Leslie made us a breakfast of fruit, muffins, juice, egg bake and toast made from her homemade bread and homemade jam.   Pop said we can come back again and I’m glad because this place was really nice.

Bruce and Mary Jane, thanks for being my friend.  I had so much fun and I can hardly wait until we get to go some place together again.  In the Mustangs of course.

Friday was a good day.  The ride to Sioux Falls was great and I was soooo glad to see Marilyn and Steve again.  Once I got re-acquainted with my cousins we had a great time.  We spent Friday night in the gnome house for our sleep over.  That was fun.  I’ve never had a sleep over before.  We stayed up much later than Mum and Pop, laughing, telling stories and munching on snacks.  We got up early and everyone got back into positions before Mum and Pop and Marilyn and Steve were even up.

Then it was off to the Grody’s house.  It was pretty fun to watch all of the other bikers ride up on their bikes.  The motorcycle ride in the afternoon was to raise money to send Veterans to Washington DC to see the Memorial Wall.  This year there was about 70 bikes in the motorcycle ride and when it was all over we raised enough money to send 5 Veterans.  How cool is that!  Before we left on our ride, the Grody’s had a group of people come and play the bagpipes to send us on our way.  That was pretty neat.  I never saw anyone play bagpipes before.  I think I’d like to get one to play but Mum probably won’t let me play it in the house.  I still maybe am going to buy one.

It was a hot ride but we got to stop lots of time and have something cool to drink and even enjoyed some food along the way.  Just as we were riding to our last stop for the day, things took a turn for bad.  Pop’s bike was following my cousin Don’s bike and my new friend Wally’s bike when suddenly BANG!, the two bikes crashed into each other.  Pop had quickly swerved to the left and was able to get around their accident but it was so scary.  I’d never seen a motorcycle accident before and I NEVER want to see one again.  Everyone quickly stopped their bikes and we all ran over to see if anyone was hurt.  Don and Wally were lucky and only had some minor bruises and scratches on them but the bikes didn’t look so good as you can see.

After the bikes were loaded onto a trailer and hauled away we went on our way to be in the parade but it wasn’t as much fun as the other years.  We all felt so bad for Don and Wally.

After the parade we rode to Don and Teresa’s house to see how the guys were doing and to look once again at their bikes.  By the time we noticed how late it was getting, Pop said it’s time to go.  BUT now it was raining and raining really hard.  I was so hoping Pop would decide that we couldn’t ride back to Marilyn and Steve’s house and luckily Teresa said “leave your bikes here and take my car home and then come back in the morning and get your bikes” so that is what we did.  I was glad.  I HATE riding in the rain!!!

This morning the sun was shining when we got up and so we brought Teresa’s car back and after saying good-by and having one last look at the crashed bikes we were on our way home. 

Saturday was definitely a “Day to Remember”, but I was so glad nobody was hurt bad.  I did notice Don was walking pretty slow this morning and he said he had a really big bruise on his butt. I wonder if he’ll put a picture on that on Facebook.  Probably not!

This is so cool.  We’re going to leave this afternoon and do some extra riding to get there.  The temperature is very warm and the sun is shining.  How much better than this can it get for motorcycling.  We’re going to stay by my Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Steve house tonight and tomorrow night.  I like staying at their house.  She has gnomes kinda like me and I get to play with my cousins.  She has a real gnome house so tonight we’ll get to have a sleepover in the house.  I’ll bring my sleeping bag and some snacks and we’ll stay up late and tell scary stories.

Tomorrow we’ll ride the motorcycles all day and then be in the parade tomorrow night.  That is the best part.  Everybody takes their lawn chairs outside and watches us ride by.  They wave their flags and I wave back.  After that we’ll have a party and then Sunday morning we will ride back home.  It will be a short trip but oh so much fun.  I’ll tell you more about it when I get back.

Roulf, wish you were coming along but you’re probably having your own kind of fun.  Don’t forget about me and let me know what you’ve been doing.

I’d like to know why it is that whenever someone see’s a gnome, they think they have to kidnap us.  Roulf, if you are reading this, wherever you may be, don’t worry.  I will rescue you.

Look closely at this picture.  If you’ve seen him, please let me know as soon as possible.  I don’t have a lot of money because I only get a small weekly allowance, but somehow I’ll find enough money to pay you if that that is the only way his Mum can get him back.

You may be laughing now, but you won’t be laughing when I find out who took him!  Don’t mess with my friends.