It’s our last day on the road for a while. Henry is going to take a rest from all the rambling. Three longish motorcycle trips in 5 weeks is probably too much for my old bones. I’m going to take some time and plan our next adventure.

We sat down to breakfast at our motel and talked about being only 130 miles from home. Rain was forecast for all day so maybe we should have pushed ourselves to just ride on to the ranch. The breakfast area at the motel was small and seating was very limited. I was not exactly pleased when someone sat down next to us at a table so close we could have shared our plates. She seemed OK so I didn’t immediately get up and move.

She asked us where we were from (typical traveler question). We responded and asked her the same question. She was just beaming when she told us they owned a farm not too far away and were there celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. OMG, 65 years married to the same person. How does that happen? About that time her husband sat down and said hello. We offered congratulations. I asked her what she told people when they asked what the secret was to staying married for that long. She said it was “understanding” – which I thought was a sweet and appropriate answer. I swear he answered “farming – because it kept me out in the field all day”. I found that hilarious. If someone asked me about longevity in marriage, I think I would answer “humor” but “understanding” is also a good answer. I’m not sure about the farming thing.

We reluctantly left our new friends and headed back to the room to don the uncomfortable rain suits which we would wear all day. It was time to head for the local gas station and then start the trek north-east. The GPS wanted me to drive in circles at first which was actually my fault. I put our starting point as the motel parking lot. If you don’t hit the exact point, the GPS will keep giving you directions to that point until either you hit that exact point, give up, or you pitch the GPS into the weeds. I shut TomTom off and used the old fashioned “which way is the sun” technique. That method led us to the much needed gas station.

My bike has a weather radar feature but it depends on a signal via XM radio. The signal goes away with heavy cloud cover, trees, tall buildings, or the shadow of a telephone pole. It can be frustrating but on this day it was working. I could see that we were racing a storm front and we were not winning.

We made one quick stop for — well, you know (coffee consumed at the hotel). Even with this stop we were holding our own getting to the ranch before the storm did. The storm appeared to accelerate and we started getting drops on the windshields about 20 miles from home. The intercom was working (somewhat) and we discussed stopping to wait out the storm. My wife is tough and the decision to press on came quickly. The rain suits that had been of no use the first 110 miles were certainly necessary the last 20 miles. It was good to see the garage door open as we parked the bikes inside.

We asked each other if we would do another motorcycle trip. The answer was “yes” but maybe not tomorrow. The trip plan was good. It was flexible enough to let us change direction on short notice. The roads were good. I was pleased with almost every aspect of the trip. The only downside is that we had the rain suits on 6 days out of the 8 day trip. Next time, I should consult the weather committee before we leave the ranch.

Jana did an amazing job. Riding a motorcycle is something we both enjoy. She has enthusiastically been riding her own bike for a few years now but it’s always been limited to day trips. The rigors of riding multiple days in a row over unknown territory can be draining. Hauling luggage in and out every day can be draining. Rain can be draining. We ate at gas stations, in our hotel room, and in the hotel lobby sometimes. All of this could have become drudgery. My wife finished the trip with a smile on her face and a willingness to do it again. I find that awesome.

Our trip was not huge – mileage wise but will be in our memories forever. Henry is temporarily done rambling.