Koi...

Before going on today's ride with the guys, I decided to ride in to Matter Park Gardens, here in Marion, Indiana, and take some pictures of the flowers. The Garden is very pretty after all the work they have done on it over the last several years. The entrance:

First thing you see are pots of petunias and impatiens:

And beds of pretty flowers:

There is a waterfall on the west side of the Garden:

And, plenty of Koi in the pond below the water fall:

In the center of the Garden is a large fountain:

And "Knock Out Roses" galore:

There's much more in the Garden..a gazebo, statues of children, etc. It's really nice.

I rode to our regular meeting place, Gaberial's, and six of us showed up to day. John Nave, Jerry Cole, Charlie Thomas, Larry Burke, Merle Combs, and Larry Davis. I wanted to ride down to Blountsville, Indiana, so Merle led us down to Gaston for lunch. After lunch, we rode down to Blounstville, which is about 10 miles south of Muncie, just off US35. I was looking for an 1812 War memorial that was suppose to be in the Blountsville Cemetery. The memorial is suppose to have my Great Great Grandfather's name on it (Peter Davis). We looked and looked, and never found the memorial. I'll do some more research on it, and maybe go back down there by myself. It was too hot to do more looking (about 90 degrees), so we quit, and took Charlie to Losantville so he could buy some gas. We rode west on IN 36 to IN 109, and then north on IN 109&9 to Anderson Power Sports. Merle and Billy stopped off there, and the rest of us rode on home.

I rode 137 hot miles:

Blog Changes..

I've made some changes with the blog. I made the pictures, and text a little larger for our tired old eyes. Let me know if this helps or if you'd like other changes. Email me at ldavis@indy.rr.com or leave a comment.

Thanks, Larry

Dark Clouds...

Six of us rode toward Lake Wawasee today. First, we stopped at Bob Evans in Wabash for lunch. After lunch, we headed north on IN15 until we got up by Laketon, and then went east to North Manchester. We then went north, on IN 13, to Webster Lake. After looking at the northern sky, our leader, Merle, decided it looked too dark to the north, and we turned south until we got to Bippus (I love saying Bippus!), and then Huntington, where we stopped for coffee and ice cream. After a break, we rode back home. It was the first ride on my new Harley Switchback, and it was good.

 I rode 132 miles today with the temperature in the high 80s, and it was beautiful outside (a gift!).

Riding were Merle Combs, Larry Davis, Charley Thomas, John Nave, Larry Burke, and Billy Niverson.


At Huntington McDonalds:

Larry Burke and Billy Niverson entering McDonald's:

Merle, John and Charley

Our favorite stopping place:

 

My  new Harley Davidson Switchback:

No Electricity!

We woke up to no electricity Wednesday morning, so I wasn't able to get ready to ride that morning. The I&M lineman replaced the transformer and we got power back:

(as usual, click on any photo to enlarge)

Merle called to tell me that since it rained Wednesday, we would take a ride Thursday, instead. We met at Gabriel's at the usual time, 11:30AM, and rode to Ugalde's, on U.S.31 near Grissom A.F.R.B., Peru, for lunch.

As you can see, the parking lot was full. It sometimes takes us a while to dismount, and to mount our vehicles, due to our age, I guess:

We had a nice breakfast. Our waitress prides herself on taking menu orders using only her memory. She did a "bang-up job", and got all our orders spot on!

Since we had not been back to Monon, Indiana since Billy suffered his stroke there, Merle decided we needed to go back there under better circumstances. So, we rode up north to U.S.16, and then west to Monon.

http://www.mononconnection.com/

"The Monon Connection Museum" and "Whistle Stop Restaurant" is all about The Monon Railroad line. A train station and several railroad cars are outside for all to see:

They even have a British telephone booth, for some reason:

Inside the restaurant model trains run around the ceiling:

I had planned to take a "food picture" of my apple pie with ice cream on top, but I seemed to have eaten it before I remembered to take a picture! So, I took a picture of Jerry Cole's cherry pie with ice cream on top, half eaten:

Over in one the side of the restaurant were displayed railroad time pieces in glass display bells:

After pie and coffee, we rode home with no incidents or illness! It was a great ride in beautiful weather. Temperatures in the high 70s, low 80s. A little windy. Just right. We all got home around 5:30PM. I rode 180 miles.

Riding to day were Merle Combs, Charles Thomas, Larry Davis, Jerry Cole, and Billy Niverson.