So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

[MiCarl]

Some of you may have noticed not much here from me the last year or two. We just weren't riding much (other interests) so we sold our motorcycles last year.

 

March 31 I closed my shop and retired.

 

Cathy will retire in June and we'll spend the remainder of the year getting our house ready to sell so we can move to the country. Cathy insists that she needs a basement and I need a pole barn and some space to play with my new hobby - tractors.

 

Anyhow, I got my notice that my subscription to VR.org will expire April 13 and I'm not planning to renew. It's been a pleasure to participate here and I wish you all the best.

 

 

Ride safe!

[CaseyJ955]

Some of you may have noticed not much here from me the last year or two. We just weren't riding much (other interests) so we sold our motorcycles last year.

 

March 31 I closed my shop and retired.

 

Cathy will retire in June and we'll spend the remainder of the year getting our house ready to sell so we can move to the country. Cathy insists that she needs a basement and I need a pole barn and some space to play with my new hobby - tractors.

 

Anyhow, I got my notice that my subscription to VR.org will expire April 13 and I'm not planning to renew. It's been a pleasure to participate here and I wish you all the best.

 

 

Ride safe!

 

I'm sorry to hear this, also happy to hear about a cool new hobby to take into retirement. It's not possible to ride from one end of this state too the other without seeing at least one 9N doing something somewhere. Enjoy retirement, there is nothing like leaving the city behind and heading for someplace with some elbow room. Best of luck too you both and thank you for all the valuable contributions!

[SpencerPJ]

Thanks for giving me advise over the years. Good luck on your new AD- Venture. (see, you're still on a venture )

[Freebird]

Tractors can be a fun hobby also. I love them though don't have any right now except for a newer Mahindra compact. Here is a picture of one that I bought several years ago. Only owned it for a short time before somebody came along that loved it a LOT more than I did. It was a Bolens Ridemaster. This is a picture that I found on the internet because I can't find the pictures of mine. The one I had was every bit as nice as this one though and ran very well. If I remember correctly, mine was a 1949 model.

 

[Marcarl]

Gonna miss ya Carl, you come up with some good advice every now and then. Who are we going to get to replace you?? But hey! life goes on and things change and I can see your reason for your decision. Country is a nice place to live, been there for years, but then 10 years ago we moved closer to the city, knowing that as time went by it would be nicer to live closer to city, so now we're on the edge,,, and wouldn't move for love your money. Of course we have all we need and then some, Marca has a 3 bedroom house to quilt, sew, cook and craft in and I have 750sqft of space for my stuff, with more lawn than I need to cut and enough driveway to clear from snow. Some advice: keep your house small and your barn BIG!!!!

[cowpuc]

:95:I REALLY hate to see you go brother but I do totally get it,, times change and so do interests.. I wanna say THANK YOU my friend for ALL the great advice and super posts you have made around this joint thru the years = don't EVER think your contributions to the club have gone unnoticed Carl = YOU and your consistent knowledge of scoots and profound way of bringing discussions about bike issues back to reality are second to none - THANKS CARL!!

It wasn't very long ago that Tip and I were in exactly the same set of shoes, sold the shop, sold a lot of the inventory (did bring a few scoots with us to our new home though,, a cherry pick you would say).. The only difference is we moved from our home secluded (5 miles of gravel roads) acreage where our kids could be kids into our house (with a full basement ) in town to be closer to hospitals, stores, resturants, the Lake and so on = exactly backwards of what your talking BUT I do get the need for change.. My money is on, no matter what/where/when/how you folks end up and where ever you end up,, you will thouroughly enjoy the life in front of you!!! Therein lies my thoughts and prayers for you folks brother!!

By the way,, any chance your into flying airplanes? I just went and looked at an old 4 wheel drive pickup (Tip and I are now into shooting pretty heavy, building a rolling shooting center to be able to traverse the miles and miles of State Land two tracks in a built for purpose shooting machine ) that a guy had not to far from us. He has a BUNCH of acreage with a lake on it and a private air strip (been a crop duster for years). He and his wife are going to be selling out in the near future and moving into town.. It's not listed yet, can hook ya up if you want:big-grin-emoticon:!! Of course,, knowing how us geezers handle snow drifts,, you folks are probably thinking warm climate,, if it weren't for that little grandson of ours having great plans for him and his grandpa = Tip and I would be following ya if thats what your up to

 

By the way,,, if your staying in Michigan and gonna do the walk out basement routine,, be sure to check for sump pumps,, they do come in handy come spring thaw!

[MiCarl]

Tractors can be a fun hobby also. I love them though don't have any right now except for a newer Mahindra compact. Here is a picture of one that I bought several years ago. Only owned it for a short time before somebody came along that loved it a LOT more than I did. It was a Bolens Ridemaster. This is a picture that I found on the internet because I can't find the pictures of mine. The one I had was every bit as nice as this one though and ran very well. If I remember correctly, mine was a 1949 model.

 

https://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=115966

 

These are mine: A 1994 Speedex 1631 built just down the road from you in Ravenna, and a 1948 Farmall Cub.

 

[Patmac6075]

Carl,

you have helped me numerous times with advice about both my XJ750 and my Venture, your advice was always spot on. Any time I saw you contributing to a thread, I knew your answer would be correct, insightful, easy to follow and complete!

Thank you my friend. You will be missed on this site.

I wish you good fortune and happiness!

Pat

[saddlebum]

It will be sad to see you gone from the site. The many conversations the shared input on many situations both Technical and otherwise coming from you was always highly valued input. I get the tractor thing, I have a love for tractors myself and have worked on some real rare oddballs. One was a Minneapolis Malone were the clutch friction disc had gear teeth around its outside diameter instead of the usual center spline.

 

Any way your comments will be missed but I wish you the best along your new path of interest.

[luvmy40]

Sad to see you go MiCarl! I enjoyed your posts at the XJ forum as well as here. You should still come around from time to time and keep us updated on your tractors.

 

BTW, I was born at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna, OH. Literally right around the corner from Speedex.

[campfire12]

gonna miss you at MD, allways good seeing you, good luck in all you do1

[videoarizona]

I too am sorry to see you go. When I first found this forum, your responses to questions were like reading the Bible for Venture Royales. I learned a great deal following your threads, answers and posts.

 

Thank you for being a member here and helping me find my way around the V4s!!

Stay well and enjoy the next stage of your life!!

david

[XV1100SE]

Sorry to see you go as well but wish you a long and healthy retirement !

[cecdoo]

Have always enjoyed your contributions to the site and you will be missed. Stop in every once in a while and let us know how you are doing. Hope you enjoy a long and healthy retirement.

All the best in your next adventure.

Craig

[Chaharly]

Gonna miss ya @MiCarl ! You sure you wanna leave us?!?!

[RandyR]

Happy retirement ! You'll be missed here.

[Red Ryder]

Hey MiCarl, things change in people's lives, but you don't have to leave this Wonderful site, with Great People.

Believe me, when you move to the country after a bit you will appreciate motorcycle sites.

Good luck and wish you the Best,

Later-

[MiCarl]

Looking at the Flyinfool topic I realized I made an error. Even though I don't ride anymore I do need a heads up when he cranks up that snow machine. I guess I'll stick around for awhile.

 

It looks like this is "Hotel California".

[cowpuc]

Looking at the Flyinfool topic I realized I made an error. Even though I don't ride anymore I do need a heads up when he cranks up that snow machine. I guess I'll stick around for awhile.

 

It looks like this is "Hotel California".

 

NOW your catching the rhythm... We'll just keep playin that tune till we get right!!!! Welcome to the Hotel California Carl

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K8FuaGzqUU

[Sylvester]

I know you made a very good decision to stick around. I wiil stay here with my good friends until I lose my mind or my life. Either is death for me. Keep us posted on your happenings while retired. Cowpuc started me last fall doing things that are fun and enjoyable albeit expensive. But I give thanks to him for his encouragement.

 

[cowpuc]

I know you made a very good decision to stick around. I wiil stay here with my good friends until I lose my mind or my life. Either is death for me. Keep us posted on your happenings while retired. Cowpuc started me last fall doing things that are fun and enjoyable albeit expensive. But I give thanks to him for his encouragement.

 

 

You are welcome my brother!! Wait till you see the new thread I am getting ready to start about the next step in this Phase Change for Tip and I... I gotta hunch you are gonna be reinspired,, or, at a minimum get a kick out it.. Just cause our body's wanna go on a permenant geezer land vacation doesnt mean we have to cave in to it .. Keep an eye out in the Water Hole for my next battle for keepin on keepin on brother

 

Way I figure it is this bumpy little downhill on the path we are all traveling on is not cycleable for many of us hurtin, worn out varmints but still we manage to locate the treasures of the trail before us and enjoy sharing those treasure with each other... Kind of strange when ya think about this being a MC Club and the many of us who talk about everything else now besides scoots... Guess thats what makes stickin around for the after show like this adding deeper meaning to the whole "Hotel California" thingy...

Oh my gosh Sly,, I just thought of something else thats also kind of weird about the path we are traveling on involving building AR's, hoggin down the handguns (lookin at a Beretta 5 inch now) and tossing lead,, doesn't the title "Hotel CALIFORNIA" not seem right for us 2nd Amendment/gun loving geezers.. Thought I felt a cold breathe go down my spine when I thought of that one brother .. Sometimes I think I was born with an overactive beener or something...