Summer time as a kid... man the whole year spun around summer vacation and hanging out with my buddies and doing stupid sh!t. The cars were muscle, the girls innocent, the music still some of the best ever made.

This summer, well lets just say, I'm one lucky b@stard... I've got a great memory, cause those days don't even exist anymore.

Worked every day, saturdays and sundays and holidays. When I can retire in 40-90 years I might get a day off again.

I'm hoping you guys had some memorable rides and outings.

There's a trip I took some time ago but the experience was life changing. Up in the mountains with the Sequoia Trees. I rode up the coast from LA to San Jose. Stayed with my brother from another mother for 4th of July. We, he and his girl and one of his friends from work and myself went up to the mountains for the rest of the weekend. We camped in the wilderness with a motorcycle trail to the road. We went through the park roads for the days and had a blast around the campfire at nights. Time stamped in my brain - top percentile of good life times.

The few days they were there went by fast and before I knew it I was watching the dust settle as the sound of their bikes faded into the distance.
The realization I was alone in the woods by myself kinda started to sink in. This was miles from the campsites with Rangers watching over them.

I did my thing that day. They left after breakfast, so the day was mine. I went down the the water falls, then went on a hike up the mountain to the hidden lake 6 miles each way. Not a bad walk at sea level but 10k feet up was a big effort, never walked down 6 miles before, don't want to do it again. Up was actually easier on the legs. Back to my bike, back to the waterfall to wash the hike off and then back to camp.

That first night....

Every little sound, my pistol never left my grip... oh thats right all I had was my camping hatchet

Needless to say I finally fell asleep and the sun hitting the ten woke me up. I made it through ALIVE

I stayed for another 10 days for a total of 11 - out of my 3 week vacation, made it back sunday night just as it got dark.

I have never been afraid of the dark since. I actually welcome it. The scariest thing in the room is ME.

Roadking

Good read thanks for sharing.

Wish I had same. My summer has been fraught with minor set backs motorcycle wise. Unable to get out of work for both LAconia and Americade. Was hoping to go to a car/bike show in RI on 8-20-18..got rained out and canceled. Rescheduled to 9-16-18. Gonna try to make that. Then last Tuesday, between rain and work I was getting behind in my yard work. I have a lot of yard..probably 3 1/2 - 4 acres to be precise. Finally that Tuesday I managed to get to the dump and start on the grass. First phase is to do close by the house with the lawn mower and weed whacker. The freaking ethanol, no matter what I do ( startron additive, new plugs) keeps fubaring my lawn mower. I'm pulling, pulling, pulling, pulling that dam cord with no luck. Take out the spark plug (should bought new ones when I was in town) and it was black nasty. Cleaned it off, sanded the important parts, put it back in and lawn mower would start but only run a few minutes. Back to pull pull pulling the freaken cord again when all of a sudden TWANG and my right forearm is in pain! Long story short I can't even write because the slight pressure kills, never mind pushing or pulling. Have to brush teeth with left hand. Frustrating. Pretty much limited what I am able to do and I have soooo much on my plate. WTF the getting old stuff is not for the weak of heart! Its my fault. Coulda been avoided if I bought new plugs and non ethanol gas(hard to find up here).

The best part of riding is coming up in autumn and the fall. Hope to make up for lost miles then.

BI,
Sorry to hear you hurt yourself. To quote the OLD MAN - "Getting old AINT for sissys".

I gotta tell ya, I did myself this April. I was opening the roll up garage door when one of the rollers that hold it into the track came out.
I wound up working over my head on dead weight that put me out for a long time so far. I too have the chores adding up. The redeemer is here I can get to it even in the winter.

Hope you heal up before the car show and those off the scale fall rides. I miss the cooler weather and the foliage, not the snow.

Glad you enjoyed the short story, writing it made me kind of relive it... all good!!

Just FYI, I used the same spark plug in one of my mowers for maybe 10 years, really. I know it sounds bs but it is true. I did what you described with the cleaning and re-gap. That mower was just a cheapy I got. But it just kept running and running. Now it's 30 and I guess it's time for a new plug maybe, it didn't start this spring, first time since I got it. I think the gas is old.

Off Thursday, gonna test the elbow/forearm. Its better but no where's 100%. Throttle/front brake and clutch should be no big deal but moving the beast manually may be an issue. Still twinges where the ligaments, tendons attach at the elbow with any pressure on it.

These days I sit on the bike to move it, much easier to push with both legs, no back or arms really. To go forward - use the engine.
Even when I wash it, to move it around, throw a towel down on the wet seat - sit on it use the legs no back.

I can remember.... when I first got this thing.... I used to just walk it around like a bicycle.