Sunday, Sunrise and a ride to the past..

One of the most common question I get from those who know me other than are you F'n crazy is why I live where I do..It sucks in the winter, it sucks in the summer, spring is about fours hours long and fall might stretch into a day on a good year..We got fog, not the normal stuff we got fog..we got cold and we got heat..I grew up or should I say aged here since I refuse to grow up..it's home and it holds memories, the good, the bad and the long forgotten..Sunday as the sun broke over the majestic mountains I saddled up and took a ride into my past..

It didn't start out like that, no like most of the Rat's rides it started out with what Starbucks do I lend my support to first today..about a mile from the winner I had a change of heart..it was early and a heavy breakfast sounds good..the old hole in the wall for some biscuits and gravy..road rocks, belly busters but little did I know I was going to need them..

After stuffing down three full and some home fried taters, wiping what I could off the front of my favorite hoodie I stroll out to the shovel and fire it up..No plan, no direction and no intention I pull out of the parking lot and head for the river..it was the start of a day of memories and the sun was just finishing making it's way over the hill..The little turn out on the one lane road we could some how park twenty cars in on a summer night under the peach tree's..a place of lost youth, stolen watermelons, beer runs and fist fights..a few never forgotten days with people you knew well but have never seen since..but they still live on in the the movies of your past..

Up the road past Kellys Beach, Kelly is long gone and so is the vigor and party that once ruled the summer at the camp ground..Roll on past and just let the shovel take the lead, we know each other well it stay's to the back roads..Like me it likes back roads, back ways and back sides..well I think it does anyway..we roll out to Adams avenue. I spent part of my youth in a little farm house there, the house is still standing and so it the back patio I use to sit up on and watch the drive inn through my telescope..Roll on a few more miles and catch Anchor ave...my favorite home in my youth the shop I build the panhead in is now a small rental..I know the family that owns it, the orange tree's across the street are gone..looks like condo's will be going in..imagine..

The picture above is the rock house, one of the first houses in this hole..the locals don't argue about which one is first anymore cause no one cares..this has been a favorite stop of mine forever so it's first in my book..pull out and sneak around the corner wondering if that old grouchy sawed off mixed mutt is still around,,he sure is and still has some speed left in him..damn near let him get an ankle just so he would feel good about today..well not this time old man..see ya..

So a full day of wide awake dreams, sad moments and happy memories..Got home to the three legged dog with oil stains on my new jeans and a smile on my face..Life's good today and been good to me all along..sometimes we forget to remember what we have and what we have had..you take the bad with the good and if your sitting here reading this I bet your share of good far outweighs the bad..Have memory on me today..ride on..

Rat