In planning stages

I suppose I'm going to need to take a Christmas vacation from my blog around this time each year. I have had too much going on to continue everyday and I've been putting it off. I want to do it but I just don't seem to find the time. I'll pick it up again soon after Christmas.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. May the spirit of Christmas be with you this year, whatever your religion may be or not be(and may Dallas not be in the super bowl please).

Petit Jean, Part 5

When leaving Petit Jean to the West you have several choices of routes to take. You can keep on going West on 247/154, then make a choice of cutting off on 247 S, 155 N or on to Hwy 7 at Centerville. If you make a right on 155 it will take you past the turn off to the Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge.
You can also make a left on 155 S before leaving the mountain. This will give you the choice of making a left on Hwy 324 and on to Hwy 10 or staying on 155. Either way is a good ride and the two are my choices for nice scenic rides. Hwy 155 S will take you over a narrow bridge (cant remember the name of the bridge or creek), then on to Hwy 10. Hwy 10 is a well surfaced, wide road.

This old barn is on Hwy 247 SouthWest of Petit Jean State Park.

Both of these old houses are on Hwy 155 SouthWest of the park. The one with the John Deere in the shed is still there, but the John Deere is gone. Maybe someone borrowed it, who knows, but it looked like it had been there for years.

Petit Jean, Part 4

A little further West is this old cabin, if I'm not mistaken, I believe it was built in 1815.



Just a little further past the cabin is the old CCC Water Tower. Looks kind of like part of a castle doesnt it? Until a few years ago, you could go inside and climb the rocks. Not something I would have recomended though, it was dangerous to say the least.



My daughter and I on during one of our rides to the car show.

Petit Jean, Part 3

As we traveled West on Hwy 154 we came to the Antique Automobile Museum. Its well worth the entrance fee. If your there at the right time of the year you can catch the Annual Car Show and swap meet. There is a show in June and I believe in September. The shows used to have alot of motorcycles also, but now its almost exclusivly cars and trucks. I guess that makes sense, it is a car show.

A convertible Corvette that was selling for $11,000.

I'm pretty sure this is a Roadrunner and the price was not bad on it.

A little further East is Cedar Creek Bridge, this is the creek that feeds Cedar Creek Falls which is just a short distance East. To get to this bridge you make a turn to the right just after a pavillion on the right. If you keep following the paved road it will take you past Rockefellers Ranch, where his Prize Santa Gertrudus cattle are raised. There is also an airport in the area. If you like horses, there is a rent a horse business in the area.
Cedar Creek Bridge.

Petit Jean, Part 2

Also at the overlook near Petit Jeans grave is this old rock building. It was called the College Lodge. I dont remember exactly what it was used for, but I do know it was sometimes used by the Boy Scouts of America. You can see the triangular emblem of the BSA in the chimney rockwork.

IM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH UPLOADING PICTURES AGAIN. When I upload pics its different now. I get the message block - open, save or cancel. I have no idea why this is happening. I shall investigate further when I get the time.

What not to do with a camera today.

Or maybe a better title would be "what not to take pictures of with a camera". I had no idea I wauld be opening a can of worms when I took these pictures. I will say this, unless you want to be contacted in person by a person of authority, dont do it. I was told of the patriot act and how a person just cant go around doing what I was doing anymore without be checked out, and I'm all for that. The thing is, I didnt know what I was taking a picture of until I had already taken pictures. Security got my tag number and well, I was maybe still a little surprised. Probably twenty years ago I had gone to this same spot and there wasnt even a fence, now its one of those places you need to avoid.
Im not going to say what it is, or where it is and I told them I wouldnt show any close ups. So here they are, its not like the place is a secret. I did get the feeling though that 9/11 took away alot more of our freedoms than what we know about. I'll say again though, in this instance, I should of been checked out.

This what it looks like from a distance.


This is a little closer.


Up close and personal, which is where I made my mistake. Unless you like having to talk to the man, dont do this. I cropped the bottom portion of the picture for security reasons :).

Pictures

I have soooooo many pictures in 35mm waiting to be scanned. I started not long ago with my Military pics. I've scanned around 100. I'm really looking forward to getting all the pics scanned, its the actual process of doing it that bothers me.

Petit Jean over the years

I believe the year was 2002, just after the space odyssey. I was kind of busy in 2001 preparing to be whisked into the trail of a visiting comet so I didnt take many pictures. Actually, I dont think I had a camera that year (If I'd had one I would be rich now :)).
I had contacted Charles earlier in the year and let him know I had purchased Cindy. We planned a ride to Petit Jean for the annual car show in June. I rode to Morrilton then to Oppello, the planned meeting place.

I was at the corner gas station when Charles came riding up from the direction of Houston, Ar. on his 1998 Dyna Convertible .

Charles on a ride with his Dyna in 1999.

These pictures arent very good, due to the quality of the camera I had. I did the best I could though, with what I had. They were taken from the Eastern end of the mountain at the tourist overlook near Petit Jean's gravesite.



You can read all about Petit Jean by going here http://www.petitjeanstatepark.com/history/ (I have no idea how to make that into a link, when I started the blog it would, now it wont). I'll be putting more pics of PJ on in the next couple of days.

Interesting old house.

I always liked this old house. Why I dont know, I guess there was something about the way it sit next to old Hwy 64 with the big oaks in the yard, the shake roof or the little chimney. It sat on a piece of land just West of London. The old highway went directly in front of it, but the new one went below, so for years when driving West you could see it up on a little hill to the South.
I went metal detecting there several times. My best find was a 1941 Walking Liberty Half Dollar that looked like it just came out the roll. As a matter of fact that was my first really exciting find. There nothing like digging up a shiney coin. The newer coins change color after being in the ground a short while.
Thats my brother Dick standing outside the house. These are the only pics I have of it. Back around 1982 when the pictures were taken, I had to be very careful with what pics I took, getting film developed could get costly. Thats why I love digitals so much, I only wish they had come out sooner.
The old house is gone now.

Cold weather has just started

Yes it has and I cant wait till Spring. I have big plans for riding this coming year. Guess what? You can see them all right here :).

MM4

Motorcycle Mania 2004 with Kenny Wayne Shepard. Awesome concert but extremely hot. Heres a few pics from the Mania.
A good turnout as always. Why I dont know. Its hot and if it sunny theres not many places for shade. There are never any seats for the concerts or anything else. You have to stand up to eat. On top of that it will cost you ten dollars a head to get in, if it wasnt for the name bands that show up occasionally I wouldnt waste my time at one of these events.


Kenny Wayne is a great guitarist.



No comment.

Cindys new home

This is what Ive been working on the last few days. I still got a lot more to do. Its a 10x16 and has plenty of room. The aluminum ramps work fine. I did feel the need to build a wooden brace to put under it though. I hope she enjoys it this winter, I tired.

Northfork

I've been working alot the last few days. Pouring a slab of cement and steps in front of a new shed I bought. I can tell you for a fact that it takes 24 and a half 80 lb bags of quickcrete to make a 6'x 8'x 4" pad (and its not fun, none at all). I think I found muscles in my body I didnt know I had, and now they hurt. Enough of that though.

Northfork, Ar. is a great little town, known for its fly fishing available on the White River. I also found a nice old house that used to be the county court house for Izard County. Its a state park land mark now.

Calico Rock

I didnt get any great pictures from Calico Rock,Ar., which means, I'll be going back because it does have potential for photos. Calico Rock is North of Mountain View, on the Northern banks of the White River. The ride was great, fantastic roads, couldnt get much better for good take it easy riding. The roads are for the most part wide and clear so the worries of Deer or dogs is lessened.
I'll have to eat here on my next trip.

I like going onto back streets in old towns, never know what you'll find. Here there was an old factory of some kind and two kids riding a go-cart around. Also there is an old bridge in the distance. Since I've developed an interest in old bridges I'll need to get a pic of this one on my return trip.

After leving Calico Rock and continuing on Hwy 101 past Mountain Home, I found this the Veterans Memorial Bridge across Northfork lake NE of Mountain Home. This picture is facing South.

I went to MacKay's

I went to Mackays Cycle and Marine Thursday and Don, one of Pat's mechanics installed my new rear tire. I always buy the Bridgestone Excedra for Cindy. The Bridgestones get at least a third more mileage than other tires I've tried (Dunlop and Perelli).
If I ever buy a much needed motorcycle stand I'll just drop off the wheel, taking it off the bike myself and saving $15.00. I know its not that money but it is money and its not difficult to remove a wheel with the stand. Also when I get the stand, it'll much easier for me to change the oil. One of these days soon I'll modernize but until then Mackays does a fine job for $40. for the rear and $30. for the front tire change.

The old tire, it was time to change, don't you think so? I've went longer, but why take chances?


The new, much better looking tire. I had right at 15000 miles on my old one. Thats some good mileage for me.


Cindy sitting and waiting for her turn (this pic is way out of focus :().