They still raked me for the install though $78.00................ouch.
Makes a fellow want to buy a bead breaker and a set of tire irons, but considering the bike is a 2005 model, I may buy something else before I need to replace another.....
After a quick lunch at Hong Kong Buffet we came home and Scooterchick suited up for our ride.
We rolled out into a rising wind at about 2:30. As we rode west we saw a new housing development called Stonebridge Gate. We cruised the neighborhood and snapped a couple of pictures. Some of these homes are a pretty good size.
Gotta be lawyers I suppose. This reminds me of a palazzo in Italy. Molto bella!
The styles range from palacial to the merely opulent in this neighborhood.
Here's another example of the type of home located here.
Rounding the corner we came across another house that has a rather interesting feature. I suppose the owner has guests frequently, because the guest suite looks rather roomy. I would like to be able to treat my guests to quarters like this.
Scooterchick suggested that all this picture taking might have the residents thinking that random scooter folk were "casing the neighborhood." We took our leave and headed west.
We continued riding until we got to the town of Cache. We have alluded to the size of some of some of the small towns we have ridden to, past and through in this neck of the woods and now we're in a position to prove it. This is C Ave. which the Main Street in Cache.
Just in case you have doubts, believe me you can't make this stuff up, and so we offer as incontrovertible proof a look in the other direction at the other half of Main Street.
We didn't see anything of real interest in Cache so we turned right and headed north. we stopped at a defunct Amusement Park and trading post. The place is just as well tended as the signs which announce it. Here is example number one.
There is more information about this facility which was called Eagle Park located here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf7k-FfaTZE The fellow who operates what is left of this location, mainly a gas bar and an odd smelling "trading post" was born here in 1961 and has been here ever since.
I noticed one window that seemed out of place, and he explained that off hour customers used it to pay for their gas, so that no one had to go outside when there was only one employee after dark.
I believe that this window shows signs of being out of service for some time.
The owner and operator of this place gave us a pretty cool reception and I believe it was because we are a mixed race couple. I bought a can of soda from him, and when he inquired if we "just wanted one", I replied "yes we married folk, like to share."
We sat and shared our root beer, and he chatted with us as he did some chore work in our vicinity. He realized we were just regular people and warmed up to us a little, then we saddled up and headed out when we finished our soda.
There was an old stone house across the street which he said was initially a stage stop, from the stagecoach days, then it became a gas station, and the widow of "Joe Old Guy" still lived in the house.
We continued north and into the Wildlife Refuge and Wichita Mountains. The first thing to catch my eye was this pile of rocks which looked as though they had been stacked this way on purpose.
I rode about another hundred feet and saw another shutterworthy sight. Scooterchick kindly reminded me that she didn't really want to stop every second minute for pictures. I grabbed this and we rolled on....
I asked Pat if she wanted to stop at the lake, so we pulled in to Jed Johnson Lake to take some pictures and relax in the breeze. It was pretty warm, about 90F. and even the breeze was warm.
Jed Johson is an impounded lake and the water was very low at the dam. The depth gauge showed the level to be about 4 ft. Pretty low, but the rains will come soon.
This is a picture looking from the parking lot at the road we came up to get here. It's a great scooter road in this land of few curves or elevation changes, and we saw a couple sportbikes zipping along while we were here. If you don't mind dodging the occasional buffalo, it's a cool ride, even on a hot day.
Here's a picture of Scooterchick on the path that leads to the steps down to the dam. Finally a little shade. Though the day was warm, it was warmer yet riding in the sun and it was nice to get the jackets off and feel the breeze drying the skin off.
I walked down the stairs and out on the dam to get this picture of the Chick at the top of the stairs. There are several flights of stairs to walk down, and it was easier climbing down than walking back up, but I managed.
This is a picture of the outflow from the dam. Though there was no water going over the spillway it made for a pretty picture, of the creek at the bottom.
Here's the view of the dam and the lake. It has it's charms, but they were somewhat tempered by the climb back up....hahaha.
Her is a picture of my beloved, resting at the top of the stairs. Taking the helmets and jackets off to "take the air" was nice, but we needed to saddle up and head back towards town.
Here is Scooterchick, regarbed and ready to roll. I hurried to get ready before she overheated again. It was warm and we were ready to feel the "breeze past the knees."
We made a quick stop at Lake Elmer Thomas, which marks the boundary of Fort Sill and the Refuge to use the facilities. I saw a picture waiting to be taken, so I took it from a couple of angles. then hoked it up in Microsoft picture gallery to see if it could be improved as the original looked a little insipid in the late afternoon light. Perhaps you could compare and tell me which you like better.
Number 1
Or Number 2
Well that's about all I have for now, we hopped on the freeway and rode the 10 miles back to town. I had claimed the first shower while we were still up in the hills so I wasted no time in jumping in and rinsing off the dust of the day. Until next time..........
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