Dragonslayer

him to swerve into a pot hole at which time all of the nuts and bolts on the harley fell off causing the bike to explode into a million parts and pieces right in the middle of the road. I just rode on past in muffinman's pink chaps as I casually flipped a cig in my mouth and pushed in the cigarette lighter in wondering what would happen next.....

Who was passing out beers to the band and the dozen country music groupy chics.

Willie Nelson hanging out the window of the RV waving me over to stop on the side of the road. Before I could get stopped and get my kickstand down Willie was running up to me in the driving rain yelling at the top of his lungs," Hey Dragonslayer I thought that was you. Are you heading to Nashville via the dreaded Black bear country of Vogel? and WHY are you wearing those Pink chaps?" I calmly answered, " I reckon, and because they were there" He replied, " Then why don't you load the bike on the trailer and ride in the RV with me and the band. We have a designated driver, a dozen country music groupy chicks. You can have a dry ride to Nashville, we can party and Jam all the way, No Bears to deal with and when we get to NashVille you can play your C harp with the the band for our scheduled recording gig. But, you'll have to lose the Pink Chaps." "No Thanks" I said, " I'm not trailering my bike nowheres and I'm not taking these Chaps off for no one, not even country music groupy chics." "But, I will catch up with you in Nashville if I get a chance. "OK" he said, as he braced himself against the tornado wind and started fighting his way back to the RV. As he stepped into the doorway of the RV he yelled back, "See you in Nashville"

The sound of a distant freight train that always preceeded an impending Tornado

Their trusty C Harp and green bullet mic just in case they might get discovered in Nashville. Also knowing that their route would take them through the dreaded Black bear country of Vogel they also packed an extra pair of riding gloves, an extra jar of Dukes Mayonaise and a metal sauce pan and metal spoon. Going over the mental list of things to carry, I remembered to have my MP3 player within easy reach of my vest pocket, just in case I might need a quick light source or tune.

Muffinman's Pink Chaps that he had loaned me in Asheville. Knowing that he would not be needing them in Afganhistan, I was sure he would not mind me using them for this trip.

86er posted a last minute weather report for the event which called for a bright beautiful clear day in the low seventies. As I walked out the door to saddle up for the event I felt the chill of the wet cold blustery wind on my neck as I heard the distinct sound of thunder rolling to my North. I looked toward the northern skies to see a mass of churning black clouds spiked with vivid flashes of lightning. At this pointI knew that suiting up in my frogtogs and full face helmet would probably not be a bad idea.

Were Dan's gloves fingerless? Looks like he has the remnants oy Mayonaise on his snout.

Oh, that's so cruel

Yea David don't you ride a 2nd gen:whistling:

Some bears need killin

I also Bowhunt with Crossbow, Muzzle loader hunt, rabbit, dove, Turkey hunt, rifle hunt for big game deer/bear/wild hog.

I had a Winchester 12 Ga. # 7 shot shot gun shell blow apart a pump shot gun while dove hunting, several years ago.

I'll be hunting again this year after not hunting very much over the past few years, If you are looking for a hunting companion. When I did hunt since loosing my lease over the past 6 or 7 years I sometimes would deer/bear/hog hunt on Swallow Creek WMA on Tray Mt. Just N. of Helen. But as you said a lot of the federal land up there is open for the full state season for all game within the state restrictions. After this weekend I was planning to check into rules for bear hunting around Vogel. Many of the state parks have limited hunting within the park. If such was the case at Vogel I would love to hunt the Bear(s) that stole my cooler.

Cross bows are legal in Ga. It used to be that to hunt with a crossbow in Ga you had to have a Dr's affadavit to get a lifetime permit from the DNR to hunt with crossbow. Several years ago they changed the law making the crossbow a legal primative weapon for everyone.

Point taken, understood and respected. I, with all of my human failures should at times take my own advice and keep some of my opinions to myself. And where I fail to do so, I sincerely apoligize and hope that my statements are not construed as a personal attack on anyone, especially the members of this forum that I have grown to enjoy, respect and love. My main point being how selective editing might be more useful and less damaging than trashing an entire thread. Please excuss me if I over stepped the boundry of rules in the way I was voicing my opinion. I did not mean to do so.

I agree, are we talking about Censorship or decorum. As far as I am aware we are still guarantied Freedom of Speech by our Bill of Rights. Excuse me, that last comment may seem to be too political to some. Almost anything said on any forum where humans with differing opinions, beliefs and backgrounds are contributing their thoughts can be found offensive to some one. I refer back to an earlier post regarding political correctness. Let's be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water. I would rather trust the decorum of our members, understanding that from time to time some post may be considered in good judgment to be too controversial and inappropriate we all would be better served by selective editing, reprimands or where appropriate disciplinary action than trashing the entire thread. I read the post and found it news worthy, interesting and informative and also don't feel that posting it was wrong. I did not however, see any replies that may have taken the thread South. Even though from time to time I think that some should keep their opinions to themselves I hope that my reaction to what I find offensive does not come across as being self-righteous in anyway. Because I don't feel qualified to be anyones moral judge. Those that feel qualified to be mine can KMA. Sorry if I offended anybody by voicing my opinion. Yama Mama, Keep posting, you have just as much right as anyone else. Losing your insight and contribution would be a great loss to all of us on this forum.

Well gee, I didn't know I was gonna do that either or I would have asked you for some of those happy pills in advance.

Good Advice

Not True... When this happened I was suddenly very sober

The last night of the Vogel IV /Tail of the Dragon event turned out to be quite exciting. The day began with a nice early morning ride with Blackjack to Blairsville to have breakfast with Eck, SleeperHawk and his Mechanic, 1rooster and several other VR members. Afterward we returned to Vogel to hook up with Squidley, Yammer Dan, Broken spoke, Raceman62 and Melinda for a ride over Hog Pen Gap to Suches then North up 60 to Stechoa Gap Rd. to Blairsville then back to Vogel. Then there was the BBQ dinner and the drawing for prizes and the 50/50 drawing. When Lewis called the numbers for the 50/50 drawing. My enthusiasm grew and grew as he called each digit 9-2-1-1-1-------------7, Ah Cr_p my tickets ended with 1-8, 1-9,2-0. Well anyway the money goes to a good cause. I was just sorry that half the money didn't go to my favorite charity------ME. I was however very thankful later that Raceman62 had won the first aid kit which came in handy the next day wrapping up my road rash. Thank you Raceman62 for sharing it with me and the person who donated it as a prize. As I said it came in very handy. (I did However, win the auction for the last set of Squidley running light brackets that I have wanted for a long time:)I'm sure that being the last set they will end up being a collector's item someday. After the drawing I was able to spend some quality time with John and Melinda (Raceman62race) enjoying some good conversation and adult libations. Followed by a solo swim under the stars. I then went home to my tent where I found that my tent site companion Blackjack had packed up and left. At that point there was nothing left to do but lay down for a good night's sleep with the restful music of the blue ridge mountains playing in my ears through the ear spud speakers of mp3 player. All of a sudden (at approximately 2:30 am) there was a loud CRASH right outside of the tent window by my head where Blackjacks tent would have been. I jumped up from my slumbers and unzipped the window flap to see (by the light of the mp3 player display) my pick-a-nik basket (which had been sitting on the pick-a-nik table) had been hurled and scattered right out side of my tent. (see photos attached) At that moment I'm sure I heard a voice saying.. "Heeeeeeeey BOOBOO, screw that Pick-a-nik basket and come help me grab this cooler.... The Ranger is coming". Then there was a smaller voice replying "OK Yogi". When I finally got my tent door flap unzipped I ran out of the tent waving my MP3 player where I thought I saw (By the light of the MP3 player display) one large bear wearing gloves holding on to the pole hook next to the pick-a-nik table with a smaller bear on his shoulders removing my soft shell cooler off the hook where I had placed it earlier making it bear proof.... I thought. Realizing how naked and unarmed I was, in my underwear waving a MP3 player, :whistling:I quickly retreated to my scatterd pick-a-nik basket where I found (by the light of my mp3 player display) a pot, a large metal spoon, and my battery operated camping lantern. (see pics attached) When I got the lantern turned on, I heard two different voices giggling with a tee-he-he-he-hee and saw two bears (one large wearing gloves and one small) running into the woods carrying my blue soft shelled cooler. I used the pot and spoon as a noise maker hoping that it would startle the bears into dropping my cooler and run them off. After putting on my pants and boots, (which made me feel much braver) I was joined by my camp site neighbor who was awakened by all of the commotion. With my new found courage, illumination, weaponry and back-up camper we did a circular search in the immediate area for my cooler while being careful not to penetrate too deeply into the dark shadowed underbrush on the other side of the creek. Not finding my cooler, we returned to our respective camp sites where I managed to find my bike keys to unlock my trunk after remembering that I had been packing heat stored in my trunk (where it did me a lot of good at the time). I packed the heat in my pants pocket and went back to bed keeping my pants and boots on. I carefully placed my pot, spoon, lantern and MP3 player within convenient reach in case of an emergency and went back to sleep.... as much as I could with one eye open and one ear unplugged by the MP3 player ear spud speaker. I didn't want to unplug both ears because I knew by my more alert adrenaline filled brain that if I had to jump up again as long as one ear spud speaker was inserted in my ear the MP3 player would be dangling along side my 3rd shirt button within easy reach, in case of another emergency. Which came about an hour later. Once the crime scene had settled down and I was finally drifting back off to sleep I was again awakened by a commotion outside of the tent window. AGAIN by the light of the MP3 player display I saw the bears rummaging through the contents of the pick-a-nik basket. Grabbing the lantern, pot and spoon, (the heat still packed into my pants pocket) I ran out of the tent. Just in time to hear two different voices giggling with a tee-he-he-he-heee and see two bears ( one large wearing gloves and one small) running off into the woods carrying arm loads of Romaine dried noodles, condiments and my prized package of powdered coco, which I had been saving for a cold rainy day.:rippedhand:AGAIN! The only thing I could think of at the time was to yell at the bears as they ran off "YOU BETTER BRING BACK YAMMER DAN'S RIDING GLOVES OR HE IS GOING TO HUNT YOU DOWN AND BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH HIS CRUTCHES". :soapbox:They didn't seemed impressed or scared because they didn't come back after that to return the gloves. I didn't get much sleep after that. Oh, I might of dozed a little until daylight, but, it's hard to sleep with one eye and ear open, and a loaded gun in your pants pocket. Once it was daylight I followed the debris trail into the underbrush where I found the remains of my cooler and contents where the marauding bears must have dined within eyesight of and within 50 feet of my tent. I must have walked within feet of the dining bears on our circular search of the area earlier that morning. Upon finding and analyzing the evidence :detective:I learned this about the marauding bears. They were evidently very smart bears due to their ability to talk and giggle. They were some what athletic due to their ability to climb on to each others shoulders to remove the cooler from the pole hook and run off into the woods carrying arms loads of stolen goods. They don't care to much for lettuce, tomatoes, whole wheat honey nut bread or pepper because they only gnawed into them but didn't eat them. They do like ham, cheese, Romaine dried noodles, salt, powdered Coco because they ate them up. They did not have a can opener because they left the can of Tuna Fish. (Dolphine safe tuna fish) BOOBOO evidently loves Duke's Mayonnaise because he must have been the one to unscrew the lid of the mayonnaise jar and lick it clean. He even licked the label off the jar. It could not have been Yogi because I don't see how Yogi could have unscrewed the lid wearing gloves. They were not Baptist and liked to party. I know this because they consumed the entire contents of the plastic container I had in the cooler which was filled with pre-mixed Gin and Tonic. They must have been Federally employed secret spy double nought bears because they left one intriguing piece of physical evidence on the pick-a-nik table. A lapel pin with the logo of the Central Intelligence Agency. I swear that all of the above is true and I can prove it by the photo evidence attached. OK I admit I did evoke poetic license and did embellish the story somewhat for entertainment value.

If'n I was you, Idda hired Bubba and fired the cameraman.

Thank You Lewis and Charlene and all that helped, contributed, participated, attended, socialized, rode with, broke bread with and made the Vogel event so enjoyable and memorable an event...............................AGAIN. Don't let me forget about giving credit to the Bear or Bears who added to the interesting stories that are coming out of this event. It was great spending time with all the old friends and new friends (especially Wes who was my sidekick throughout the event) brought together by this Forum family and the events that are organized and attended by the greatest group of like minded motorcycle enthusiast I have ever known.

It's hard to slay a bear with a mp3 player, a pot and a large metal spoon.

Thanks John and those with prayers But, I'm really OK. I made it home OK and was even able to stop by the F.O.E Eagles Club for some NASCAR pizza and an adult libation which I was tempted to pour over the road rash. There were a few ouuuues and aaaaahhhhhssssss taking a shower, washing the rash on my forearms and changing the dressings but that was short lived. toshing and turning in my sleep with apparantly a cracked or brushed rib was interesting. But, it too seems to be getting better with the aid of handfulls of Advil. It was remarkable that the damage to the bike was limited to a little extra road rash where there was already road rash on the crash bar and hyway pegs. Still thanking God for his protection. I'm more interested in telling the story about the multiple bear attacks the night before which I'll do under a separate thread title Heeeeeey BOOBOO,