Update: 1980 Ironhead

                           http://carolanncahill.blogspot.com/search/label/1980%20Ironhead

1st place Backyard Build  Thunder by the Bay 2011

Tim was able to ride her for a while and show her off.  She won her share of "dust collectors".  Friday afternoon she was loaded in a truck and heading to California.  I sure will miss climbing over her to get to the closet!  We don't have a whole lot of room and the shed is out of room.  See, since the Sporty sold he got himself a new project.  Yeah!!!



Buelster

I can't wait to see what he does with this!

45th Annual Swamp Cabbage Festival

On the last weekend in February, the sleepy little streets of LaBelle, FL find themselves transformed.  Thousands of people come from all over to pay tribute to our state tree.  Then we eat it.  Swamp cabbage!  The festivities include armadillo races and of course there are the motorcycles and games.  The favorite being the weenie bite, so they say.  Guess who is the reigning Champion?  Two years in a row?  Yours truly.  My claim to fame.

                                                    45th Annual Swamp Cabbage Festival

This 56 Panhead was my favorite.  Very nice!

Peggy's Corral Anniversary Party

We went to Peggy's Saturday.  The weather was great and the parking lot was packed. 

This is Kevin's Suzuki M109I.  I'm a Harley girl but the paint job caught my eye.

The girl's from Myakka City were there raising $ for the American Cancer Society. 

My honey's mother who is about the most creative lady I know donated some baked goods. 

 Check these out!

As I write the girls are circling the track in Myakka for 24 hours.
                Relay for Life of Myakka City
      The link is a video of Saturdays Festivities.

AAAARRRGH!

I have happily been using Picasa to edit my pictures.  Picasa is a VERY simple program and does a nice job.  Plus your pictures are easy to view in the library.

WELL.  I have this dream.  I want to take my pictures and bump'em up a notch.  Maybe on down the road I could fire my boss.  This will take more than what Picasa offers in the way of editing.

Photoshop was my choice.  I even went to the library and got a book.  As our library only stocks the most outdated books, I did find one by Scott Kelby.  Photoshop CS2.  I of course have CS5.  I figure I can get around anyway.

Needless to say after 3 days my mind is mush. 

While attempting to erase a background I had to keep myself from grabbing a razor and slitting my wrist.  Maybe it was the 5 packs of cigarettes and 3 pots of coffee.  I don't know.

Anyway, being the stubborn bitch I am, I shall persevere.  I guess you'll withstand anything if the dream is big enough.

Here is what I ended up with.  The original photo had all kinds of palm trees and other distractions in the background.  The shot was taken at the Exotic Car Show on St Armands Circle this April.

2nd Annual Gator Alley Jamboree

We love bike games and we love Naples Harley Davidson.

 

Fantastic Merge to HDR Pro in Photoshop CS5! Part 1

I ride every day.  Fortunately I have never been down.  I don't know how many times I have been riding and I think about what could have just happened that would send me to the pavement.   It's a pretty sobering thought to me.  A lot of close calls are because of people in cages being in too much of a hurry.  But there are other things too.  Is my mind on what's going on in front of me, behind me, around me?  Or, is my mind somewhere else.  Maybe not so much on the everyday commute to work, but out on the open road.  It's easy to get lost.  I admit, I have let my "justified" anger get the better of me and come flying up on some fool that just cut me off.  After the fact I find myself regretting being so stupid.  Was it really worth the risk?  I imagine my Sporty wadded up in some guys trunk and the hospital making the phone call to my honey.

This documentary is about some Pennsylvania riders.  But it could be from anywhere.  About anyone who rides, has ridden, or has lost someone.

Be responsible.  It's not always the other guys fault.  

 

Check out the full video:  Live Free Ride Alive

I love finding really creative people and sharing their work.

David Uhl.

Thunder by The Bay 2011

I must say this year.  Thunder by the Bay was OUTSTANDING!

Last year, frigid temperatures kept the "fair weather" riders at home.  We, of course, had to make an appearance.  Tim was out washing bikes and the thermometer read 44 degrees (see photo below, right). 

This year the sky was blue, the temperatures were in the 70's and bikes were everywhere.

Thunder by The Bay Sarasota Florida



Hap's Anniversary Party

I'm not one of those women who just hop on the back of a guys bike.  Main reason being, I don't have to.  I have my own.  Second reason, if I want to ride with someone (which I don't).  It would be Tim.  I did find myself hopping on the back of some guys bike at the West Coast Rally in 2009.

This guy Bob, needed a partner in the doubles events.  I was having fun making a fool of myself in the singles events (it was my first rodeo).  Tim didn't put pegs on the back of his bike so... I hopped on.  Bob and I won the doubles event.  We each got a gift card to the local T-shirt shop (Rossiters).  We call it the T-shirt shop because they very rarely have a part we may need, but you can get T-shirts or shot glasses or stickers.  Bob said he didn't need any T-shirts so he gave me his gift card.  I thought this was a pretty nice gesture.  Come to find out, Bob's dad owns Hap's Honda.

We've gotten to know Bobby since the Rally.  He is a truly genuine guy.  Loves motorcycles.        





Hap's has been around Sarasota forever.
  This is a video I put together from their anniversary party.  If you are in Sarasota and need anything Honda.  Check out Hap's.  Good People.
 
I am sorry to say, not long before their anniversary.  Bobs dad passed away.  Below is the link to his tribute. 

A life devoted to selling cycles- or riding them

Ride On!!!

I had to get a shot of Tim on a Honda

This is our landlords bike.  He doesn't ride.  As far as I know it has been sitting in his storage.  He brought it over to have Tim do some work on it.  He is giving it to his kid, which is a shame.  His kid won't really appreciate the bike.  Spoiled rich kid syndrome.  Know what I mean?  It's really a nice little bike!

I was kidding about the "Tim on a Honda" thing.  We ride Harley's.  Being Sportster nuts, we ourselves hear our fill of crap from those who think a Sportster is a "girls" bike.  I chalk these type of comments up to a big mouth and a small IQ.  

Tim being a mechanic has worked on all kinds of bikes and appreciates them all.  He has taught me this appreciation.  It's about the heart.  

Do ya LOVE to ride?  Then ride.

I was making the last turn to work the other day.  My hands were numb through my gloves and my ass was froze.  It was 35 degrees.  I stopped at the sign and a thought crossed my mind...

THIS is the difference between the people that have bikes and THOSE who RIDE!

Iron Horse Rodeo 2010

Westcoast ABATE hosts the Ironhorse Rodeo.

The old guy (Herb) on the Triumph actually comes from the east coast to participate.  He trailers his little bike behind his other bike. 
I love seeing old guys (and girls) on bikes.  Tim and I are already planing on a sidecar when we get too old to be able to handle 2 wheels.  I'm hopin' that will be a long way away.  You never know.  Gotta have a plan in place.