In Chico, a big shout out for Steve Adams, owner of Sierra Steel Harley-Davidson. Steve, Jack and I will be up to see you this summer. Keep the welcome mat out!… Happy birthday to all bikers who celebrate in May. Happy birthday to Amy DeNero of the Monterey Bay H.O.G. in Santa Cruz, happy birthday to Elly Rampoldi of the Modesto H.O.G. and happy birthday to Pam Hensley of the North Coast H.O.G. in Ferndale. Pam, I rode around Ferndale a couple of years ago. You have such a pretty town. Happy birthday to Hannelore Hill in Watsonville. Hannelore, if you are ever in my area, please stop by. I would love to see you. Happy birthday to Andy Lagosh in Sacramento, and happy birthday to Niel Macdonald in Boulder Creek. In Fairfield, happy birthday to Jan Landers, and happy birthday to Pervis Leewright. In the Santa Cruz and Monterey areas, happy birthday to George Lucchesi, and happy birthday to Barbara “JJ” Wissler. Say, JJ! Do you still wear bright red gloves when you ride? Happy birthday to Jim Statham in Spearfish, South Dakota. Happy birthday to Felicia Morgan in Sacramento and a contributing editor for THUNDER PRESS. It is a bit strange around here without Terry, isn’t it, Felicia? Happy birthday to celebrity riders. Happy birthday to two of my favorite singers Cher and Wynonna. Cher, are you still riding? I think I asked you about this on your last birthday, but I am still waiting to hear. Happy birthday to George Clooney. George, congratulations on your expanding family. Happy birthday to Clint Eastwood. Clint, I have a story for you. Some years ago, I was riding my Harley with a group of friends, and we stopped at your Mission Ranch in Carmel for brunch. After we filled up on delicious food, we gathered in the parking lot. Actually, we hemmed and hawed a while because your green truck was parked nearby, and we were hoping to meet you. Of course, a ploy like that never works. A very nice car was parked next to our bikes, and there was a small white poodle inside. That little dog was bouncing around in the car trying to have a look at us and get our attention. I recall that someone said, “I hope we don’t scare that dog when we start the engines.” Well, we did. We fired up that group of Harleys, and the dog went nuts. I suppose it was actually panicked because it shit all over the front seat, the back seat and points in between. It was sad, but it was also funny. We had to make a quick getaway before the dog’s owner (or you) came out. I will never forget that day!… I have a history of self-inflicted wounds, and here I sit with a broken right hand. The doctor thinks it may heal itself in another six to eight weeks, and if not he will call for surgery. In the meanwhile, it is a challenge to type out this column. I can’t even imagine what will happen when I pull the bike up from the kickstand and twist the throttle. As with most self-inflicted wounds, it comes as a result of bravado and matter over mind. In this case, I had thawed a frozen duck in the refrigerator for three days before I took it out to roast. I looked down the neck for the giblets. They were not there, so I turned the duck over. Sure enough, his neck was sticking out between his legs. I took hold to pull it out. The damned thing was frozen into a block of ice down in the cavity. I pulled and tugged. I twisted left and right. The more it resisted letting go, the more determined I became to win this fight. Yes! Finally, I got it out. The problem was that I had ripped a knuckle apart and fractured one finger. There is just no polite way to say this. It is riding season, and I broke my hand trying to pull a duck’s head out of its butt!… Old Coots on Scoots MC will be celebrating their 70th anniversary this month. This is not a true MC, but who is going to argue with a bunch of old guys if they want to ride and call themselves a club. Old Coots was founded by George Harris Tucker in 1947, and it has grown to many chapters. The Santa Rosa chapter will throw a three-day party on May 19, 20 and 21. Plans include a meet and greet social on the 19th, impromptu rides on the 20th and an organized ride on the 21st that will end at Lake Sonoma for the party. You can register on the 19th between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. at the Burger King at 2542 Guernerville Road in Santa Rosa. Look them up at oldcootsonscootsmc.com or call Gary at 707.360.5081… Did I hear this right? Apparently there is a rumor that California is looking into having all motorcycle riders wear reflective vests. Can’t be! Can it? I also heard that the DOD has dispensed with the requirement that bikers must wear reflective vests when riding on base. I am not sure that I would trust this rumor… Don’t forget to ride over to Jamestown Harley-Davidson for the Frog Jump Weekend celebrations. The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee will be held in Angels Camp on May 18 through 21. Proprietors of Jamestown H-D, Karen and Allen Aldridge, will throw a big party on Saturday. We are talking poker run, food, live music and more. Then you will want to be in Angels Camp on Sunday afternoon for the jumping frog finals. The record to beat was set by Rosie the Ribeter in 1986 with a 21-foot 5 and ¾-inch jump.
