Chickenfoot! Cluck, cluck, cluck! Wow! What a great time we all had. It was the 17th annual IHR Campout in Shingle Springs, and I learned to play Chickenfoot dominoes. Naturally, I lost my rookie game (even nine-year-old Kyle beat me), but look out for next year—I am going to practice my clucks. Yes, it was the 17th annual campout, and it was held on the same patch of ground and included the same group of friends as the first one. It all began many years ago when someone phoned Ed and Lorie Linderman and asked to come for the weekend and, by the way, they would be bringing 30 of their closest friends. Can you believe it? Ed and Lorie have welcomed us back every year since, and every year they have added to the accommodations. This year the new addition was a unique and extremely useful outdoor shower. And let me tell you, with three huge barbecue grills and Ed’s cooking, everyone leaves at least five pounds heavier. Ed and Lorie even supply trophies for winners of the pool and poker tournaments. This year, first place in the pool tournament went to Chuck Brassfield. Chuck is one fine pool player. First place in the poker tournament went to either Mike Oliverio or Rick Chandler, but what I remember most is that third place went to Diana Visage. Diana was looking for the paparazzi to record the moment. She said, “Coming in third in poker is not something you would normally brag about, but after all those years when I came in first, this is the first time I was given a trophy.” Many thanks to Ed and Lorie. On Labor Day weekend, the Linderman’s house is a four-star resort… Four of us just got back from our annual road trip. Terry and Bobbie Jo Hurst and Jack Munoz and I toured Utah. We crossed the Salt Flats and rode into Salt Lake City. None of us recommend riding in Salt Lake City. It has millions of cars with drivers who could hold their own in downtown Los Angeles. It was much nicer up north around Brigham and Logan. Friends Sandi and Will Long rode down from Pocatello to have lunch with us, and they showed us around Logan and Bear Lake. It was one of the nicest days of our trip. From northern Utah, we headed south for sightseeing in those beautiful red rock canyons and lush green forests. This is when we had one of the luckiest days of our trip. Jack’s bike broke down in Natural Bridges about 50 miles outside of Blanding. The area is pretty remote, and there is no cell phone service. One piece of the luck is that we were within about 40 feet of a ranger station, and the rangers let us use their landline to call for a tow truck. The closest Harley-Davidson dealership was in Durango, Colorado, but with Road America roadside insurance from Harley, Colorado is where we were taken, and that was another piece of luck. Durango Harley-Davidson is a fine dealership with an outstanding service department. Slade Boyher, the service manager, went all out for us. He got a part shipped in overnight, and he got the bike repaired the next day. Slade and ace mechanic Keven stayed right on it and kept us informed every step of the way. Thank you, Slade and Keven… I was talking with Pat Maggard in Fairfield, and she told me about her Harley-riding family. Pat is licensed, but prefers to ride behind her hubby, Print Maggard. Print is a judge in San Francisco, and he frequently rides with Dave Fullen, a Fairfield police officer. Dave is married to Pat’s cousin, Karen. Dave pulls a trailer and Print teases him about it. Print says, “Why don’t you just get a motorhome?” Dave takes it in stride, and his answer to that is to just keep pulling his trailer. You go, man!… Get well wishes go to Michael Scott “Cactus” Moser, and sympathy goes to his wife, Wynonna Judd. They were married in June, so they are still newlyweds, and they were riding their Harleys just south of Hill City shortly after the Sturgis Rally. They were in the area because Wynonna was booked to perform at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel & Casino and Cactus is the drummer in her band. Wynonna was riding ahead with Cactus following and as they rode north on U.S. Highway 16/385, Cactus drifted across the centerline and hit the driver’s side door of a southbound car. He was taken by helicopter to Rapid City Regional Hospital where doctors had to amputate his leg above the knee and perform surgery on his hand. The police have said that Cactus is being cited for riding on the wrong side of the road and for riding without a license to operate a motorcycle. I am sure the citations are the least of their worries… Happy birthday to all Harley riders who celebrate in October. Happy birthday to IHR members Colleen Cuccarese, Jewel Kinchloe and Dale Visage. Happy birthday to Paul Bush in Santa Cruz, to Charlynn Matheson in Vacaville and to Sue Roi in San Jose. Happy birthday to ABATE 17 members Bill McBride, Marshall Johnson and Linda Hines. Happy birthday to celebrity riders Alan Jackson and Dwight Yoakam. A very, very special happy birthday to my sister, Jackie Nobrega; I am so grateful that you are still with us.
