Well, the summer rains have certainly put a damper (no pun intended) on our summer riding. Although the rain cools the air temporarily, the humidity afterward takes over where the pre-storm heat left off. But because we love the wind in our faces, most of us suck it up and deal with it… On July 1 the Green Swamp Chapter of Nam Knights held an early Fourth of July wing ding. Their clubhouse is located a few miles west of Orlando but well worth the ride. These guys have done so much to make this a great place to spend the afternoon, with a nice big building to house their barbecue dinners, indoor plumbing facilities, and picnic tables under the trees. And on top of that, they’re even paved the once-sandy road up to their property—truly a great addition for those of us coming to visit. The afternoon couldn’t have been nicer. Thanks, Nam Knights, for opening your place to us and for a great afternoon of food, fun and good friendly fellowship… Two local and very popular dealerships, Gator Harley and Seminole Harley, went head-to-head with offerings for the community early in the month. Seminole Harley in Sanford hosted their Independence Grand Slam event on July 1–2. Papa Wheelee provided the music on the 1st with Rock-it Fly and Big Engine rocking on the 2nd. Then the following weekend, the 7th–9th, there were bands every day, a barbecue hosted by the Bo-Key Riders on Saturday and a 12-class bike show and bikini bike wash on Sunday with popular band Hay Fire providing the background tunes… On the 8th Gator Harley celebrated their 24th anniversary with a Battle of the Bands event. The bands competing were some of the most popular in the Central Florida area—Level 360, Southern Breeze, Roxx the Band, and Highway Starz. Riders could enjoy a nice 20-percent discount over the entire weekend… Gator Harley has also started sponsoring the monthly Gator Crawl where participants meet at the dealership and then ride with the “Gator Crew” to downtown Tavares. A minimal charge buys a wristband which gets you $1 off each drink at the local watering holes along Ruby Street. Sort of like the Main Street Crawl in Daytona but you don’t get arrested for having an open cocktail… The Pissin’ Frogs lost a member of their group early in the month, James “Bo” Harvey, after his battle with leukemia. The services for Bo were held on the 13th in Eustis… And on the 15th, the Fallen Few took one of their members, Mike Shade, on his last ride. The memorial ride started at the clubhouse in Tavares about 6:00 p.m. and ended at Rev. Al Paquette’s ranch in Umatilla where folks shared memories and good supportive fellowship in the loss of their brother. My sincere condolences to both groups… On the 16th the JC Road Dogs rode to Tillie’s Grill in Eustis in support of Chris Prescott who was involved in a head-on collision several months ago and is still recovering and dealing with all the bills as a result. The Road Dogs are a Christian group who do a monthly luncheon ride to benefit someone in the community. Everyone is welcome to join in on their rides if you’ve got a heart to help others—they’re on Facebook and easy to find. That’s about it for this month. Ride safe and take care of each other.
