There are friends and there are good friends, but then there are friends that are more like family. Members of the IHR are scattered far and wide, but the friendships in this group are truly like family. Labor Day weekend marked the 19th annual campout at Ed and Lori Linderman’s home in Shingle Springs, and all those who could come, came; and all those who couldn’t come this year will certainly be there next year. We have so much fun. There is an annual pool tournament, as well as poker and dominoes tournaments. And there are coveted trophies to be won for each, including a new trophy this year. Ed and Lorie created a special trophy for longest-distance rider (members do ride in from out of state). Their plan was to give this to their oldest son and his wife because they came from Arkansas. The problem was that they drove. Then there was Jack and me. Never mind that we live only 56 miles away; we rode 5,186 miles to get there, by way of Texas. We won the trophy, and now it proudly sits on my bookcase. I remember the year that Tim Young won both the poker tournament and the pool tournament. Ed didn’t have a trophy for poker that year, so he broke off the figure from the top of the pool trophy and stuck it in a Styrofoam cup. He wrote “pool” on one side and “poker” on the other side. Tim says the trophy is still in the Styrofoam cup and is displayed on a shelf in his home. The days start with bleary-eyed coffee in the mornings and go until about 3:00 a.m. It is amazing. Ed and Lorie put a lot of thought and preparation into getting ready for our arrival, and once we get there, they work themselves to the point of exhaustion to make sure we all have a good time and that we are well fed and lack nothing. Once again they surprised us with T-shirts marking the 19th annual IHR Campout. Just think; this all started 19 years ago when Diana Visage called the Linderman’s to say, “We are coming to see you this weekend, and we are bringing 30 of our closest friends.” The rest is history… Happy birthday to all motorcycle riders who celebrate in October. Happy birthday to IHR members Colleen “Murph” Cuccarese in Salem, Oregon; Jewel Kinchloe in Elma, Washington; and Dale Visage in Medford, Oregon. Happy birthday to Paul Bush in Santa Cruz, Sue Roi in San Jose, to Carlynn Matheson in Vacaville, and to Dwain “Paper Boy” Johnson. Happy birthday to ABATE Local 17 members Bill McBride, Marshall Johnson and Linda Hines. Happy birthday to celebrity riders Alan Jackson and Dwight Yoakam… Here is a great big shout out for Cody Russell in Vacaville. Hey, Cody, welcome to Vacaville. Your mom, Toni Marshall, told me that you moved back in late July, and you are already working for a local motorcycle shop. Congratulations! But I also know that you have been collecting parts for a year and a half and are building a FXR. That’s exciting! Belated congratulations are also in order for your September birthday. Happy birthday. See you at ABATE… I am just full of shout outs this month. Let’s shout out to Dave Schafer, parts consultant in the Tucson Harley-Davidson dealership. Dave is an excellent ambassador for them. Jack and I stopped in, and Dave made us feel right at home. He walked us around the shop, showed us the H.O.G. picture wall that changes monthly, and gave us a rundown on the H.O.G. chapter. There are some really good people in Tucson… Speaking of good people, you won’t find anyone finer than the folks in Barnett’s Harley-Davidson/Buell in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We lost our H.O.G. Touring Handbook somewhere along the way, and everyone was hunting and searching to find a replacement for us. The office manager, Lori Sturtz, is one to never say die. She had the only copy in the dealership, and she took the time to copy maps of states and dealership addresses for us. Lori, we truly thank you. We used the maps and addresses for the rest of our trip. This is one dealership that we look forward to revisiting… Many thanks to Robert Allen in Glendale. Robert, you are right; the month of September has special meaning for both of us. Thank you for the blessings… It is time to sign off for this month. I have to go unpack and wash the bike. Next month I will tell you all about our trip to Texas.
