A difficult year in many ways!

Let's see, it all started with an unusually cold and persistent winter.  No, there was no Indian Summer as we tend to have in January.  We passed quickly through spring to an unusually hot summer with high humidity summer.  In the middle of this I had oral surgery that went very well but with temporary teeth for the next 4-5 months and I was on a pretty soft diet.  Then in July while trying to fix a toilet I had a severe muscle spasm in my back that triggered nerve pain around my chest.  Since Duke couldn't get me into physical therapy until November, I changed Dr's to UNC and BAM! this new Dr ran all kinds of tests.  Then she scheduled my colonoscopy for a week later (in June Duke scheduled me for next January).  She had me in physical therapy in 3 weeks and I seem to be on the upswing.  The latest is that my mouth healing is almost over with my dentist fitting my permanent implants next week and I will be back to eating steak!  None of this has anything to do with my motorcycle!

The weather is now cooling and the humidity is declining so I am planning to start riding again with trips to Camping in VA and visiting a close friend in NY.  My mood also seems to be improving.  Nothing makes me grumpier than being locked up inside.  We just got back from 11 days in the Rockies seeing many National Parks and hiking numerous trails.  My legs are in great shape for riding but the plane flights weren't great for my back.  I am still planning to forge ahead gradually.  

I hope to get in the following trips;

Camping at Willville Campground at Meadows of Dan, VA - 2 nights  3 trips!

Trip to Woodstock, NY to visit a great friend 5 - days (will include a visit to my Daughter Megan)

Calabash, NC  for Lunch (a one day trip when the spirit moves me) 

Loop of the Outer Banks from Ocracoke, NC to Corolla, NC (an annual thing)

And of course somewhere in this I will try for the 6th time to ride the Elwell Ferry that has had the landings rebuilt.  That would leave only 1 cable ferry left for me to ride.

So my spirits are high and I will start going over the BMW and Goldwing to make sure they are road worthy(which I know they are).  But it is good to check.

Willville Camping trip was a success!

I was nervous about the trip but it was great!  I left Cary and looped through Winston-Salem to visit a friend.  After lunch I was off straight north to Meadows of Dan to Willville Motorcycle Campground.  The trip in total was 190 miles and I arrived around 3:30 on the 17th.  First thing on the agenda was to set up the hammock.

Expectations were for lows in the high 40's and the high in the 70's.  Well as usual the lows were lower and the winds were howling pushing the windchill into the 20's.  I was comfortable in my hammock with my 20 degree quilt.  Saturday was beautiful and I led a new member of the club on a 100 mile ride up through Indian Valley on twisty roads.  It was beautiful.  My strength was pretty good although I could tell I was really tired after.  Saturday night was colder and I woke up at 5 am to high 30's and expecting rain around 9 am.  I decided to packup and get down the mountain where the temperature would be 10 degrees warmer.  I did see some snow flakes as I started down the mountain but by Martinsville it was in the 50's and I stopped for breakfast.  The ride back through Greensboro down rt 220 was rain for one hour then cleared up. The total miles for this weekend was 480 miles so I guess I am recovering.  I am looking forward to more trips to Willville this summer since I am not planning any long ones this year.  I am not going to the BMWMOA Rally in VT due to the diet I am on for the coming 3 months.  Maybe I will get to WV for a few days as my longest trip.