October 2013 - Texas Chapter M The Moonlighters

In The Moonlight
TEAM
GWRRA Chapter M - South Central Region H - Arlington/Mansfield Texas
www.txmoonlighters.com
Chapter Directors
Ken & MariEllen Johnson
817-447-3289
[email protected]
Asst. Chapter Directors
Steve & Kathy Tackel
Steve 817-819-1086
Kathy 817-874-5379
[email protected]
GoldWing Road Riders Association
October 2013
Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge
From The CD’S
So here we are, October is here and Fall has officially started.
The weather is getting cooler and what a great time to ride.
COY (Couple of the Year) Leaves are changing colors, (in some parts of the country anyWayne & Kristee Orr
Wayne 817-271-9006
Kristi 817-271-0876 way). The mornings are cool, the evenings are cool and the
[email protected]
daytime temps are much more agreeable. We have some great
Chapter Educators
David & Ginny Topley rides coming up to take advantage of the nice fall temps. Keep
817-235-5269
[email protected]
checking our website for ride info.
Treasurers
Craig and Mary Watkins
Since I mentioned our website, what a great job Charles does
940-648-2028
[email protected] for the chapter. In my humble opinion, I think we have the best
Webmaster
Charles McConnell website out there. We are lucky to have so many dedicated and
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talented people in our chapter.
Membership Coordinator
Beverly Lewis
At last month’s meeting it seemed that we had a lot of mem817-279-9804
[email protected]
bers who were sick, hurt or suffering a loss. The chapter sends
Ride Coordinator
Gary Lewis it best wishes for speedy recover to you all. Plans are under817-279-9804
[email protected] way for a great thanksgiving ride to Arkansas, so we hope that
Sunshine /Moonshine
Sylvia/Marvin Andrews everyone gets better really soon.
Sylvia 214-563-8395
Marvin 214-564-8395
By the time we read this the Texas district R&R will be over
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Apparel Sales and I cannot wait to hear the stories from that event. I underCyndi Burt
817-239-1564 stand Chapter M had 25% of the rooms booked. How great is
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that?!
Newsletter Editor
Jim Culver
As always I thank my team for all the help and support and
817-881-1956
[email protected]
I thank the members for participating in our chapter rides and
Photographer
Terri Culver events, without you enjoying yourselves in our chapter, we
817-929-8500
[email protected]
would be doing it all wrong. So keep having fun. Keep particiEvent Coordinators
Don & Charlene Vickers pating and ride safe.
817-483-1257 sprint1964@
swbell.net
Chapter Historians
Dennis & Carolyn Martini
817-478-8418
[email protected]
Ride cool and ride safe Moonlighters.
Ken & Mariellen
“So Is That A Gun In Your Pocket, Or RRrr…..”
By Troy Pennington
Or…..RRrr you at the 2013 Chapter “R” Rally Cats
Poker Run and Shootout!?! Well for 5 Chapter M’ers,
it may have been both! Saturday, 7 September had
Ken Peterson, Wayne and Kristee Orr, and Troy and
Marilyn Pennington participate in Chapter R’s first
ever Poker Run and Shootout at the Eagle Gun Range
in Lewisville.
The day started warm and got just plain HOT by
afternoon, but the event was pretty well attended by
Gold Wingers and a few non-Wing riders. The poker
ride was originally planned for about 100 miles, but
because of the heat the route had been changed that
morning to about 60 miles. This still took about two
hours with card-drawing stops. The route wound its
way from Lewisville, then through some back roads in
and around Denton before returning to the Eagle Gun
range and the site where the rest of the day’s activities
were held. You could sign up to shoot against a standard CHL sized target, or just participate in the poker
run. There were plenty of “maRRrroon” shirts there
to coordinate registration, sell 50-50 and Grand Prize
tickets, facilitate those shooters who came “packing”,
play multiple games of Bingo, cook and serve burgers
and dogs, and lead the poker run rides. Our [Chapter
M] participation was greatly appreciated and I know
that many of our fellow GWRRA members that claim
Chapter R as there “gang” made comment to us greenshirts that they were very glad we had come.
prizes! But members of the Gang-Green did not do
bad either as Wayne Orr won 2nd place (a certificate
and gift card!) for his almost “perfect score” on the
range. Also, Kristee won 2nd Place in the poker run
with a winning hand of four 7’s. Ken Peterson was
seen carrying home several prizes from the drawings and also some of his winnings from Bingo. The
Chapter R team had done very well at getting donations for this fund raising event. The Grand Prizes
(two of them!) were a new S&W 9mm handgun and
a set of tires (included installation); but there were a
large number of other prizes ranging from gun range
time, gift cards, tools, shirts, cycle cleaning supplies,
and much more. I will bet that all who attended went
home with at least a few prizes.
A big hit was the burgers and dogs that were provided (there was a donation jar), and it included chips
and cold bottled water. Ross Crum, Chapter R CD,
kept the pace of the event going and his whole chapter
made for a fun day and good ride. Ross stated that
they would plan on having this type of fund raiser
again next year…but he added they might look in
making it a bit later in the month of September in
hopes of cooler temperatures!
Check your calendar for next year and if the date
is right bring on your firearm and bullets, your GoldWing and sun-screen for an enjoyable days event and
fellowship with this nearby Chapter.
CONCEALED HANDGUN
CLASS
On Sunday, October 20th there will be a CHL class
held at the Arlington Sportsman’s Club in Mansfield.
The class will start at 9:00 am.
This is primarily a class for “Ladies Only” however,
any spouse who wants to attend can do so. Class
room instruction and shooting will be done there.
For details please contact: JACK DENHAM (817)
602-2281 or email to “[email protected]”
Several members from Chapter T in Killeen made
the trip and it was a good thing they had trailers
behind their trikes as they hauled home many of the
SUPPORT
OUR
SPONSORS!
Impromptu Ride September 8
After getting home from the Chapter R Shoot Out /
Poker Run Saturday afternoon (fun, but a long hot
day), we threw our clothes in the washer, took a dip in
the pool, showered, ate and then Wayne mapped out
a ride to Glen Rose to the Big Cup, in case no one the
next morning had anything planned.
Sunday morning was gorgeous for a motorcycle ride.
It was 72 degrees when we headed out to meet at the
ly not busy at all. We had a wonderful breakfast and
enjoyed some stories Cotton shared with us about his
life. As disappointing as it is to have only a handful
of people show up at our impromptu rides (why that
is, I don't understand), the up side is that in a smaller
group, it's easier to talk one on one and get to know
our members better! Y'all missed out on some good
stories.
When we left the restaurant, it was 88 degrees,
still very comfortable motorcycle weather. It was a
nice ride home and we got home in time to do things
around the house.
We realize poor attendance may have been due to
surgeries, sicknesses and other prior commitments this
weekend, but we hope more M'ers show up on more
impromptu rides in the future. The rides are always
fun, food is always good and it's great to spend time
visiting with each other.
Wayne & Kristee Orr
From "Razzi" Terri Culver
"Exxon" in Mansfield (which we all know is not really
the Exxon). Kristee was actually chilly. We pulled up
to the parking lot, and much to our surprise, were no
"M'ers" in sight. Finally a Goldwing drove by, and we
considered chasing it down to see if they would ride
with us.
Thankfully the Wing that had driven by us was
Cotton Smith going to get gas before arriving at the
meeting spot. Boy, were we glad to see someone from
our Club. After a short discussion, we voted on the
proposed ride to Glen Rose. It was unanimous! Glen
Rose/Big Cup won (although I'm sure Cotton realized
with only three people showing up, he would be out
voted!! Cotton was ready to ride, since he was on vacation and doesn't usually have weekends off. So off
we went. Wayne leading, Cotton tail gunner.
It was not only a pretty ride, but the weather couldn't
be beat! It was in the 70's and just a beautiful morning. We arrived at the Big Cup, which was surprising-
Our chapter is definitely creative, unique, and oneof-a-kind. On a recent ride lead by Craig and Mary I
realized what an opportunity I was afforded as I was
perusing through the pictures of the day and deciding
which ones to share with everyone. We have a "tradition" that it's not an official ride without a U-turn.
Well, I guess we've had a lot of "unofficial" rides then
for a while. But on this particular ride the tradition
was brought back to life and I realized what a treasure
it is.
In performing my duties as Chapter Photographer
and photographically documenting the "officiality" of
the occasion I also was able to document the riders in
a way I don't usually get to document them, coming
toward us instead of away from me, and was greeted
by some of the riders with a friendly wave. I'm usually documenting all the riders on the road ahead of us,
and occasionally the 1-2 that might be behind us, but
it's rare to see them coming toward us. What a treat!
Thanks to all for helping me exercise photographically
with all our riding experiences, and unexpected moments of frivolity and such. It's always an adventure
when we get together. I always appreciate the diversity in our chapter that adds to our times together.
Horse Country Ride
The Sept 22 ride was through horse country -- Aubrey, Celina and stopping for Lunch in Whitewright, a
great Mexican restaurant. The owners were so happy
to see a sea of green shirts in their establishment, they
gave us $60.00 worth of gift cards for our poker run.
We had a total of 27 people. Ended the ride at DQ in
Denton.
When we got home we checked our mileage and it
was ONLY 206 miles. That's not so bad, is it????
Craig and Mary
Tailwind Terrestrial Tour '13
I left for Cloudcroft, NM at 6:00am on September
5 to meet a bunch of fellow Tailwind trailer owners
for the annual get together. As you can see from the
image above, it was 558 miles from my driveway to
"The Lodge" resort. The ride out was uneventful even
though I got quite weary of the heat. Every once in a
while, I would see other motorcycles on the road, usually they were Wings or Harley bagger types. Didn't
really get any images on the way out as I was traveling
without my copilot and photographer.
Once I arrived, I suddenly realized how tired I was,
and being at almost 8900 elevation probably did not
help. We ended up with 20-25 of us and most had
already arrived when I rode up. We had folks from all
over, a couple from Wisconsin, a couple from Washington State, a couple from Gillette, Wyoming, and a
solo rider from Ohio. And of course, there were many
of us from Texas, which is natural since the trailer is
built down in Spring Branch.
I slept VERY well that night, and after breakfast the
next morning, we all rode down to Alamagordo, fueled up and headed south for where our leader thought
that the Solar Observatory was, but found out that it
was actually up in the mountains several miles out of
Cloudcroft. Back we went up into the cool air and to
the observatory.
The image above was taken at a lookout on the way to
the observatory, you can see the White Sands off in the
distance.
The next morning found us fueling up at the same
Texaco station in Alamagordo and then heading for
White Sands. Typically, I am the only person in a
group pulling a Tailwind trailer, but this is one time of
year when we cause a scene wherever we go because
of the numbers! Here, we are in the majority! Next, we
rode out to White Sands Missle Range.
On Saturday morning, we all mounted up and headed
for Riudoso and rode a good portion of the famed
Lincoln County, where the Lincoln County Wars took
place and where Billy The Kid met his end.
The trike and trailer you see are Kevin and Lisa
Griffith from Gillette, WY.
We rode to Ski Apache ski resort which was quite the
ordeal! The narrow, extremely winding road had just
had tar and then gravel applied so we ended up riding
that for 20+ miles to get to the base of the ski mountains. I don't have any pictures from the ride up and
back as I was white knuckling it the whole way!
Sunday morning found my roommate, Hilmer Merz,
and I headed east toward Artesia, NM and home, he
going south in Artesia and me continuing east. I normally carry a mounted spare rear tire in the trailer on
long trips but since both front and rear tires were quite
new, I did not do that on this trip. BIG MISTAKE! I
had a flat, actually a blowout west of Weatherford and
Terri and a friend brought the spare out to me and we
swapped it out. I will not make another long trip without a spare and without TPMS!
Phyllis and Len Ellis (Len can do ANYTHING fixing Goldwings) from S.A., Craig Vetter and wife
(YES, THAT CRAIG VETTER), Louie, Tom Finch
(Tailwind Trailers), Kevin and Lisa Griffith from WY.
Taken in Ouray, CO.
I'm already looking forward to next year, no idea as to
where we will meet up at but without a doubt, we will
have a blast!
Oh, except for the last two images, all of the pictures
were taken with my iPhone 5. I had the big Nikon
with me but should have just left it home as the phone
did fine.
Jim Culver
"The Wave"
If you ride a motorcycle, you know about “The
Wave”. “The Wave” is your rolling connection to the
biker brother & sisterhood, but is there a special secret
to this wave? When you started riding did you seek
out a "wave master" and perhaps copy theirs, or did
you develop one of your own? Have you ever wondered if you’re waving appropriately? Do you wonder
if the wave you’re flashing is politically correct, not
brand specific enough or old and outdated? Unfortunately, wave training is not covered in the basic or
advanced motorcycle safety classes.
Many riders believe there was a secret wave society
similar to the Priere de Sionformed around 1903 when
that first HD rolled out of that shed, but there wasn’t.
It all started, one day in 1904 when Arthur Davidson
passed by William Harley and since they knew each
other, they waved. Well, another biker saw the two
"Kings of Motorcycles" doing this and thought this
was a biker necessity and the tradition was born. The
waving tradition continued on through the years and
became haphazard. There were bikers doing the “Bye
Grandma Wave”, others doing the "Howdy Wave" and
still others doing the extremely feminine “Princess
Wave". In 1946, after several years of these image destroying gestures, a group of crusty old bikers decided
to put some proper waving rules in place and formed
the Wave Hard And True - Biker Society.
Abbreviated: WHAT-BS
To wave or not to wave, that is the question. We’ve
all faced that critical mass state when we felt obligated
to wave but then became unsure. The worrying starts
and then there’s that overwhelming feeling of guilt.
Well, worry no more, here are some general waving
rules to help guide you:
1)interstate; unnecessary,
2) in a curve; unnecessary
3) in the rain or at night; unnecessary
4) on a mellow two lane; proper.
5) a highway with little traffic; proper
6) A rally, unnecessary and
7) in traffic, unnecessary.
There are, however, times when not waving is just
down right rude. So if you’re not a jackass, when you
are presented with “The Wave” you should, if at all
possible, reciprocate. If it’s the proper place and time
and you receive no reciprocal wave, don’t get your
panties in a bunch and think you’ve just passed a jackass, because there are some acceptable reasons. These
reasons are as follows:
1) you weren’t seen,
2) clutch manipulation or
3) a head nod was substituted.
There are 5 basic waves
1) the left-handed low wave,
2) the left-handed straight out wave,
3) the left-handed high wave
4) the right-handed (ha, ha, I have cruise control) wave
5) the left-handed forward wave. The variations of
these waves are as varied as the bikers & the bikes
they drive, but there are some basic rules.
1) Left-handed low wave, sometimes called the Harley
or cruiser wave. Typically seen used on cruiser style or
custom chopped motorcycles. The arm is fully extended and aimed down towards the street in a 45 or lesser
degree angle with the extension of either one, two,
three or five fingers. The direction of the palm is also
critical to the look and feel of this wave. The palm
must either face the other rider or face the road. A
classic variation of the finger positioning is throwing
a peace sign (Duce) or thumbs up. To low wave with
an angle greater than 45 degrees and/or with the palm
facing up or back and/or with the use of 4 fingers is
telling the biker community at large that you are either
new or inept. If you have a cruiser and can’t get this
wave to work for you, then consider the Left-Handed
straight out wave or trading out your bike.
2) Left-handed straight out wave is an all around
general wave. Typically seen used on crotch rockets,
cruisers, customs and baggers alike. The arm can be
Join us on Facebook! The group is called Moonlighters and once you submit, Beverly will add
you in. You can also send a message to
the group at: [email protected] We hope to see you there!
either fully or partially extended with no more than
a 10 degree angle higher or lower than the shoulder.
The palm must be facing the oncoming rider in either
a horizontal or vertical position and a full palm must
be shown. It is suggested you present the hand in a
relaxed state, as flattening it will make you look like
a dork. The classic variations of the peace sign (duce)
or thumbs up are also acceptable. If practiced, this is
one of the easiest waves to master and will work with
all bikes. If for some reason you can’t get this wave to
work, you will probably have serious problems with
the kickstand dynamic and should immediately sell
your motorcycle before you cause yourself anymore
embarrassment!
3) Left-handed high wave is a variation of the typical wave seen made by kings and kids alike. Mostly
used by upright riders of crotch rockets and baggers.
The elbow is kept even or slightly lower than shoulder
height. The elbow should be bent at about a 75–85
degree angle with a slight forward angling of the forearm. The palm must be facing the oncoming rider and
the hand can either remain still or the use of a side to
side motion is acceptable. This wave has been proven
very useful when you have a loose watchband. It is
suggested you present the hand in a relaxed state, as
once again, flattening it will make you appear to be a
dork. The classic variations of the peace sign (duce) or
thumbs up are frowned upon when using this type of
wave. it’s a bit too over the top. Important: Should you
be riding a crotch rocket, it is extremely important to
maintain the image by using this wave only if the left
hand is coming from the left hip or thigh. This should
never, ever be used when coming from the handlebars.
Warning of possible injury: Do not use this type of
wave on a cruiser. You will appear aloof, snobbish and
everyone will hate you! If you have a medical condition or feel you must use this type of wave, get a bagger or ride a crotch rocket only in the upright position
and don’t be a dick about it. There are rules!
4) Right-handed (ha, ha, I have cruise control) wave.
This is an occasional use wave by bagger riders.
Typically seen being employed by Ultra Classic and
Goldwing riders. They’re riding on rolling living room
sofas. These big, comfy and not really coooool bikes
are great for touring. This lack of coolness can cause
a temporary condition known as “Dickishness” which
can be instantly healed by passing a cruiser giving the
right hand wave. The general message being sent is
“You might be on a cool bike but dang it, I’m comfy”.
If the rider of the touring bike is a smoker he will typi-
cally light up a cigarette or a cigar, just to drive that
point home.
5) Left-handed forward wave. This wave is solely used
by crotch rocket riders because, let’s face it, what the
heck else can they do in that position? A flashed wave,
is almost imperceptible due to the speed of the wave
and the bike. To execute this wave one must slightly
raise the left hand from the grip, no more than 3 or
4 inches, show the palm and return to the grip. This
entire motion must be fluid and executed in under
three seconds. You must learn all the intricacies of
this wave before you take your first ride. If you don’t,
they will know you’re a newbie and you’ll instantly
become pink slip bait. The only way to avoid this lame
wave stigma is by doing something crazy like riding a
wheelie while naked. If you don’t fall off, that’s a big
plus!
The last and probably most important part of the
wave is the hand you’re using to wave. You’ll want
to care for that hand because without it; How do you
expect to wave? Get some of the Time Rider's Shtuff
For Bikers; Crack & Crevice Cleaner (body & bike
cleaner) to clean that hand up and some Totally Awesome Crap (liquid glove) to protect it
When approaching another biker always remember
to maintain the rule of "The Wave", you never know
who's watching!
MY MOTHER
One day my grandchildren may ask, "Who is the
lady in the picture?" They will know who she is
by the picture, but will not really know the woman.
Somebody who has heard of my mother may ask me,
"What was she like?" I could try to go into all the
different jobs she had and all the charitable things
she did, but that is still not the woman I knew as my
mother.
To say my mother was a great woman may not fit
how other people would see her. I was young, but
I still remember watching as my mother buried two
husbands and a son. She buried two other sons before
I was born. So in all she had buried two husbands and
three sons, and then raised six children on her own. To
me that took not only a lot of courage, but also a lot of
strength. With all that had happened to her in her life
it is a wonder that she didn't hit the bottle. With little
thought of herself, she set out to raise the remaining
six children.
To say that we were angels would be far from the
truth. We gave her more hell than she deserved, but
that is something that we didn't know at the time, and
for that I am sorry. She deserved better than we gave
her, but she loved us anyway. She gave us unconditional love, and that is a rare commodity now days.
She made sure that we all had a good education and a
fair start in life. For this I am thankful.
I would like to say that she was without fault and
she was perfect, but that would be a lie. But with all
her faults and imperfections she gave me the greatest gift, life. And she taught me how to live that life.
She always put her children ahead of herself, as I do
today. She taught me that there is good in everybody,
some people you just have to dig a little deeper. She
taught me to be thankful for what I have and not want
what others have. She inspired me that when things
got tough just grab your pants, pull them up, and keep
right on going. For it will get better somewhere down
the road and you will be a better person for it. I have
tried to pass these same values on to my daughters and
hopefully I have. And maybe the next generation will
be better.
Rita Elizabeth Felderhoff Jennings Tucker, my
mother, my teacher, my inspiration; the world will
surely miss this woman, but she is in a far, far better
place.
Larry Jennings
Ride Report from Paul Beegle
On September 8th, my son Bryan and I left for a
planned five day ride thru New Mexico and Colorado.
We rode to Alamogordo the first day. The second
night found us in Durango, Colorado after riding in
rain for a hundred miles, where we planned to ride
the Million Dollar highway the next morning on our
way to Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak on the ride
home. We woke up Tuesday morning to more rain and
a forecast of monsoon rains for the next three days.
With the rainy forecast, we decided to cut and run for
home. We rode in rain from Durango to Santa Fe,
New Mexico where we spent our third night. We then
rode in very heavy rains from Clines Corner to about
50 miles west of Amarillo. The air temperature went
up about 30 degrees when we rode out of the storms
and into Texas. The ride from Santa Fe to Ft Worth
was 680 miles according to our GPS.
We were talking to a husband/wife riding team in
Pagosa Springs, she noticed some of the features on
my bike and asked her husband why she didn't have
it on her bike. He replied: "Honey, that's a Goldwing,
it's a luxury touring bike and yours isn't."
October Already?
It is hard to believe that we are this far along in the
year but I guess that the calendar doesn't lie. It seems
that I just finished the September newsletter and her I
go again!
We really enjoyed the horse country ride led by
Craig and Mary (single file) Watkins! Lots of twisty
roads and little towns that we hear the names of occasionally but had never bee to or through.
As you can see from Paul Beegle's and my ride
reports, you are more than welcome to send things like
this in so that we can include in the newsletter.
See you Thursday night at the meeting!
Jim
Moonlighter T-Shirts, Polo Shirts, Hats, Vests, Jackets and Flags
Available
See
Cyndi Burt for all of your Chapter Apparel Needs
October Rides
October 3-5 - Oklahoma Rally
Sunday, October 6 - Posse Looking for Zorro, Ken Peterson leads. Mansfield Exxon, KSU @ 8:30
Sunday, October 13 - Ride For Kids, Ken Johnson
leads. QT Blue Mound Rd. KSU @ 7:30am
Saturday, October 19 - Picnic Ride, Wayne and Kristee lead. KSU from Mansfield Exxon @ 10:30am
Sunday, October 27 - Lunch Ride, Jim & Terri lead.
Details TBA on website
November Rides
Saturday, November 2 - Lunch Ride to Boo Rays,
Marvin & Sylvia lead. Details TBA on website
Sunday, November 10 - Mystery Ride, Craig & Mary
lead. Details TBA on website
Sunday, November 24 - Details TBA on website
Ginny Topley
Gary Alford
Sherry Myers
Blanca Lerch
Nancy Sell
Carolyn Martini
Dan Bailey
Perry Noblett
Denise Francis
Jim Culver
Kristee Orr
Shirley Bishop
Diane Westcott
Tommy Browning
Mike Fuller
Hal Puckett
Toni Burgess
October 02
October 03
October 03
October 04
October 05
October 06
October 07
October 08
October 08
October 10
October 10
October 15
October 15
October 21
October 25
October 26
October 29
Friday-Sunday, November 29, 30, Dec 1 - Hot Springs
Village, AR. Details to follow.
Where Chapter "M" Meets
Chapter Meeting 1st Thursday of each month @
Spring Creek Barbeque, 1724 HWY 287 (at Debbie
Lane), Mansfield, TX. Dinner at 6:00 PM Meeting at
7:00 PM, Come join us!
Other Area Chapter Meetings
“P” 7:00 PM on 2nd Thursday, Spring Creek 317 Hwy
377 @ Overton, Granbury
“R” 7:30 PM on 4th Tuesday, Fuddruckers (near Bass
Pro Shop), Grapevine
“W2” 7:00 PM on 3rd Thursday, Ryan’s, 1400 N.
HWY 77, Waxahachie
Fred & Sherry Myers
October 05
"Z2" 7:00 PM on 4th Thursday IHOP in McKinney
S access Rd. of Hwy. 75 (Central Expressway)