The Righr Side of the Dial

The big Kawi likes to run. It is so smooth and stable if you don't pay attention she will be over 100 mph before you know it. I was watching the world go by with the BrakeAway Cruise control on when I looked down to see we were going around 110 mph. I had to make a photo before slowing down.

Sunday's Ride

I rode north out of Tucson through Globe to north of Payson. I made a few photos of the the route, this is one made in Globe.

Motorcycle Photos

I have not photographed, worked on making "ART" for several years. The reasons are many but mostly because of changes in location and work the time and interest were not there. Over the years my photographic work revolved around my neighborhood. I was connected to my neighbors and felt a bond with them that I wanted to share. When I left Ogden Street I lost that connection to my daily life and also lost the need to document my surroundings.

During the last year I've joined a new community, Motorcycle riding, and I'm feeling the need to share the joys of that life. I'm working to find a voice and I'm feeling I've started to do things that are interesting. Not all the images "work" but more and more satisfy me and I will be posting those images as I make them.

I guess mostly what I want to say is: This Blog is moving in a new direction and you can expect to see more frequent posts and most of the posts will be about riding and or photographs of bikes and riding.

Last Thursday was the first day in several weeks that I had off and nothing pressing. After sending Ms. OK off to work I headed out with no real plan, I just knew I wanted to ride.

Ended up running east on I-10 about 90 miles to 191 North so I could ride my favorite Arizona day ride. The route runs North on 191 to Eagar then West to Show Low and from Show Low South back to Tucson. Highway 191 is a great motorcycle road, between I-10 and Eagar, AZ, it has everything a rider could ask for: first gear hairpins, slow sweepers, to fast ones. The road passes through beautiful high desert, mountain pine forest and meadows, and even about 10 miles of Moonscape as you ride through a open pit copper mine. The road from Eagar to Show Low runs through the White Mountains and then between Show Low Globe you ride through the Salt River Canyon. None of the road is boring, none of the scenery is boring, it is just a great ride and today was special.

The day had everything, I got hot, and even cold for awhile in the White Mountains, and then hot again. I was rained on a half dozen times, met several folks while fueling, one couple was on a V2K pulling a trailer. They were on their way to California to ride the Coast road to Seattle. Another couple were on their way home from two weeks riding around Colorado. I even watched a beautiful Sunset as I rode back into Tucson. Twelve hours, a little over 500 miles, home just as Ms. OK came in the door, a Martini and the Hot Tub, life doesn't get any better.

Ride to Carlsbad, CA

I had a few days off over the 4th. and Ms. OK is in Austin visiting the girl child so I had to find ways to entertain myself. After dropping Ms.OK off at the airport Thursday I thought "Self what would you like to do"? Well I hadn't stuck a toe in the ocean for almost a year and San Diego is only 6 or 7 hours west.....hummmm can you say road trip?

I threw a couple of changes into the T-Bags, hung 'em on the big Kawasaki V2K and headed West. I ended up in Carlsbad, CA, stuck a toe in the Pacific (yes it is still cold), watched a beautiful sunset as I ate fish and chips, and drank a couple of cold ones. After a good night's rest I rode the coast road to L.A., hung a right on I-10 and rode it like I stole it all the way home. Made it in time to see a great Tucson sunset, I'm not sure which sunset was better. They were both pretty spectacular.

The heat On the California trip was a killer both ways through the desert. I stopped about every 100 miles to cool my core and rehydrate. The photo was made just west of Phoenix, one of the last stops on the way home and by then I was pretty beat up, having a ball but beat up.

Then the next day work called and said my "line" for the week had canceled. Damn the fridge was empty so there was nothing else to do but ride up to Globe for lunch. The Globe, Superior, Winkelman ride is a great bike ride, mostly fast sweepers through beautiful red rock, high desert. Sorry no photos of that part, I was having too much fun riding.