Today was way different. It wasn’t a Bobby Day. You know what a Bobby Day is: hot, wet, and miserable. The kind of day where you’re not sure whether you’re riding through Florida or being slowly boiled in a bag. But today? Today was different. When we took off, it was in the 70s and pleasant. I know that sounds suspicious, but it really happened. The sky was overcast, the humidity was manageable, and for once you could ride without feeling like somebody had thrown a wet blanket over your head. I call days like this at the end of summer “Tease Days.” The Road Gods can be cruel. Very cruel. They’ll give you a morning like today—cooler temperatures, almost dry air, a pleasant breeze—and you start getting ideas. You begin thinking, Maybe summer is finally over. You start believing that Fall, which is only two days away, might actually mean something in Florida. You poor sap. The Road Gods are up there somewhere, sitting around with their coffee, watching us. They’re saying, “Hey, watch this.” Then you enter Shalimar. And just like that, the Gates of Hell open. The humidity comes back. The heat climbs aboard. You’re right back in the same hot, wet misery you’ve been riding through all summer. That’s Florida Fall for you. It doesn’t arrive. It sneaks up behind you, gives you a cool breeze for five minutes, and then kicks you in the backside. People ask me, “Why do you do this to yourself?” My answer is simple: “I love riding more than I hate Bobby Days.” Now, let’s get to the important back-office stuff. 8 Sandies. 160 miles. That 160 miles ought to tell you something about today's weather. When the weather is miserable, everybody starts looking for the shortest route home. When the weather is pleasant, suddenly nobody knows where home is. Today was one of those days. The weather was so nice it made you want to keep going. We had breakfast at Milly’s Café in DeFuniak. It’s a pleasant little place, just right for coffee, breakfast, and sitting around visiting with people who apparently have nowhere else they need to be. Which, when you’re riding motorcycles, is pretty much the definition of breakfast. I also understand that last week’s missive got my good friend Ken C thrown under the bus. I really didn’t mean to do that. Well...Maybe a little. But in my defense, I did paraphrase Ken’s comment a bit, okay quite a bit. And if you’re going to say something funny around a somebody who likes to embellish, you really ought to know better. It was great seeing Randy and Brigitte L out riding with us today. I noticed Randy picked the best Sunday we’ve had in months to come along. Some folks have good timing. Some folks have Randy timing. Bobby was out today too. He said the Indian group on Saturday took almost the exact same route to DeFuniak that we did—almost mile for mile. Great minds think alike, I suppose. The difference was, we went almost another 100 miles after breakfast. That’s what pleasant weather will do to you. It gives you confidence. Dangerous thing, confidence. Then there was Misty on her Ryker. For those who aren’t familiar with a Ryker, it’s the sporty version of a Spyder. It’s got a sportier look and doesn’t have all the Tupperware hanging off it that you find on the big touring machines. None of that seems to bother Misty. She just rides. Anywhere we go, Misty is right there. You can’t tell her, “That’s too far,” or “That road looks rough,” because she’ll apparently just go find out for herself. Then there was JoeJoe, who was in full weatherman mode. Location of showers? Away from us. Temperature? Very pleasant for riding. Chance of some world-ending storm appearing directly over our heads? Apparently low. It was actually nice hearing JoeJoe report that there weren’t any biblical storms waiting for us around the next bend. For once, the weather report didn’t sound like the opening scene of a disaster movie. So all in all, it was a pretty good riding day. The Road Gods teased us. They gave us cool temperatures, tolerable humidity, dry roads, and enough sunshine to make us forget what August and September had done to us. And we fell for it. Because that’s what rider’s do. Give us one decent day and we’ll forgive you for a hundred miserable ones. That’s what makes riding so damn interesting great riding. Oh and great riding friends helps a lot.

Today was one of those days that makes a fellow think he might actually know what he’s doing on a motorcycle. That delusion lasted most of the morning. We knocked out 190 miles on a fine early-fall day, and eight Sandies decided the cooler weather was too good to waste sitting at home pretending to have something productive to do. So off we went. We wandered through backwoods trails, canopy roads, and eventually made our way to the Highest Point in Florida, which sounds more impressive than it is. Still, it’s the highest point in Florida, and when you live here you take your victories where you can find them. Randy and Bridget hadn’t been there before, so naturally we decided they needed to see it. That’s how group rides work. Nobody actually asks you if you want to go. We just announce that you’re going somewhere and call it fellowship. Along the way, a small native revolt broke out. Sandy was at the head of the rebellion and had decided we should have lunch at the Conecuh Sausage store. I explained, in what I believed was a calm and reasonable manner, that it was a considerable distance to go for lunch. This was apparently the wrong thing to say. Before long, the rebellion had gathered steam. Ken was definitely in it, Sandy was obviously in it, and I believe I heard a JoeJoe somewhere in the mob shouting something inflammatory about sausage. Wisely, we compromised. We stopped at the Country Buffet in Florala. Nothing ends a revolution quicker than a buffet. The rebels were fed, the government remained intact, and civilization was restored PDQ. Speaking of Florala, they now have a Museum and Welcome Center, which we’ll definitely add to the list for a future ride. Because nothing says motorcycle adventure quite like a bunch of sweaty people in riding gear wandering through a museum pretending they aren’t mostly there for the air conditioning. The ride home was when Florida reminded us that summer hasn’t quite accepted its eviction notice. That beautiful little taste of fall packed its bags and left us somewhere along the way, and good ol’ Summer came marching back in just to let us know he was still around and apparently still had something to prove. As we approached Shalimar, the Gates of Hades were not exactly wide open, but somebody had apparently left them cracked. Yes, it was hot. Yes, we sweated. But it wasn’t the full, wringing-wet, mid-summer sweat where you wonder if you should just throw the riding clothes away and buy new ones. This was more of a respectable little river of perspiration. Enough to remind you that Florida is still Florida, but not enough to require a baptism afterward. Still, you can feel it coming. Fall is sharpening its elbows and getting ready to shove Summer out the door. And speaking of folks returning from adventures, Tommy is back from his and Sandy’s trip to Hawaii. Yep, the dry observations and carefully delivered understatements were back in full regalia. It’s good to have them both home safe and sound. All in all, it was a fine ride, a good crowd, a little rebellion, a little sweat, some scenery, and 190 miles of proof that there are worse ways to spend a Sunday. Today was a great ride and, I suspect, a harbinger of good rides to come. So dig out that jacket. You’re going to need it soon. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. Come ride with us you will enjoy it.

Today was way different. It wasn’t a Bobby Day. You know what a Bobby Day is: hot, wet, and miserable. The kind of day where you’re not sure whether you’re riding through Florida or being slowly boiled in a bag. But today? Today was different. When we took off, it was in the 70s and pleasant. I know that sounds suspicious, but it really happened. The sky was overcast, the humidity was manageable, and for once you could ride without feeling like somebody had thrown a wet blanket over your head. I call days like this at the end of summer “Tease Days.” The Road Gods can be cruel. Very cruel. They’ll give you a morning like today—cooler temperatures, almost dry air, a pleasant breeze—and you start getting ideas. You begin thinking, Maybe summer is finally over. You start believing that Fall, which is only two days away, might actually mean something in Florida. You poor sap. The Road Gods are up there somewhere, sitting around with their coffee, watching us. They’re saying, “Hey, watch this.” Then you enter Shalimar. And just like that, the Gates of Hell open. The humidity comes back. The heat climbs aboard. You’re right back in the same hot, wet misery you’ve been riding through all summer. That’s Florida Fall for you. It doesn’t arrive. It sneaks up behind you, gives you a cool breeze for five minutes, and then kicks you in the backside. People ask me, “Why do you do this to yourself?” My answer is simple: “I love riding more than I hate Bobby Days.” Now, let’s get to the important back-office stuff. 8 Sandies. 160 miles. That 160 miles ought to tell you something about today's weather. When the weather is miserable, everybody starts looking for the shortest route home. When the weather is pleasant, suddenly nobody knows where home is. Today was one of those days. The weather was so nice it made you want to keep going. We had breakfast at Milly’s Café in DeFuniak. It’s a pleasant little place, just right for coffee, breakfast, and sitting around visiting with people who apparently have nowhere else they need to be. Which, when you’re riding motorcycles, is pretty much the definition of breakfast. I also understand that last week’s missive got my good friend Ken C thrown under the bus. I really didn’t mean to do that. Well...Maybe a little. But in my defense, I did paraphrase Ken’s comment a bit, okay quite a bit. And if you’re going to say something funny around a somebody who likes to embellish, you really ought to know better. It was great seeing Randy and Brigitte L out riding with us today. I noticed Randy picked the best Sunday we’ve had in months to come along. Some folks have good timing. Some folks have Randy timing. Bobby was out today too. He said the Indian group on Saturday took almost the exact same route to DeFuniak that we did—almost mile for mile. Great minds think alike, I suppose. The difference was, we went almost another 100 miles after breakfast. That’s what pleasant weather will do to you. It gives you confidence. Dangerous thing, confidence. Then there was Misty on her Ryker. For those who aren’t familiar with a Ryker, it’s the sporty version of a Spyder. It’s got a sportier look and doesn’t have all the Tupperware hanging off it that you find on the big touring machines. None of that seems to bother Misty. She just rides. Anywhere we go, Misty is right there. You can’t tell her, “That’s too far,” or “That road looks rough,” because she’ll apparently just go find out for herself. Then there was JoeJoe, who was in full weatherman mode. Location of showers? Away from us. Temperature? Very pleasant for riding. Chance of some world-ending storm appearing directly over our heads? Apparently low. It was actually nice hearing JoeJoe report that there weren’t any biblical storms waiting for us around the next bend. For once, the weather report didn’t sound like the opening scene of a disaster movie. So all in all, it was a pretty good riding day. The Road Gods teased us. They gave us cool temperatures, tolerable humidity, dry roads, and enough sunshine to make us forget what August and September had done to us. And we fell for it. Because that’s what rider’s do. Give us one decent day and we’ll forgive you for a hundred miserable ones. That’s what makes riding so damn interesting great riding. Oh and great riding friends helps a lot.

Sand Dollar Motorcycle Club's Monthly Newsletters. Club Newsletters October 2026 View July 2026 View September 2026 View June 2026 View August 2026 View May 2026 View Contact the Club Secretary if you are looking for older Newsletters. View More

Listing of all of the active and honorary Sandies. The Sandies Sam E A.K.A. Sam Joined: December 1, 1980 Club Miles: 235259 2026 Sandie The Dark Prince A.K.A. Tim Joined: September 22, 2002 Club Miles: 64422 2026 Sandie Rocketman A.K.A. Lee Joined: May 22, 2005 Club Miles: 23356 Lifetime Sandie Sir Robert A.K.A. Robert Joined: September 21, 2008 Club Miles: 78347 2026 Sandie Waldo A.K.A. Bobby Joined: December 22, 2012 Club Miles: 50195 2026 Sandie Howard W A.K.A. Howard Joined: November 5, 2016 Club Miles: 5152 2026 Sandie Dennis O A.K.A. Dennis Joined: December 31, 2023 Club Miles: 3405 2026 Sandie Ken C A.K.A. Ken Joined: May 24, 2025 Club Miles: 2393 2026 Sandie the Captain A.K.A. Jerry Joined: February 29, 2004 Club Miles: 113050 Honorary Sandie Dale K A.K.A. Dale Joined: May 31, 2014 Club Miles: 0 Honorary Sandie Chief Cat Herder A.K.A. George Joined: February 12, 1981 Club Miles: 254194 2026 Sandie Animal A.K.A. Will Joined: June 22, 2003 Club Miles: 39523 Lifetime Sandie Wheet A.K.A. Fred Joined: October 15, 2005 Club Miles: 25524 Lifetime Sandie Miz Edna A.K.A. Edna Joined: December 31, 2010 Club Miles: 25785 2026 Sandie Tim M A.K.A. Tim Joined: August 31, 2013 Club Miles: 3951 2027 Sandie Ace A.K.A. Tony Joined: December 31, 2023 Club Miles: 17253 2026 Sandie Joe W A.K.A. Joe Joined: December 31, 2023 Club Miles: 7083 2026 Sandie Randy L A.K.A. Randall Joined: April 18, 2026 Club Miles: 962 2027 Sandie Brenda L A.K.A. Brenda Joined: December 31, 2010 Club Miles: 0 Honorary Sandie Wayne P A.K.A. Wayne Joined: May 31, 2014 Club Miles: 0 Honorary Sandie GQ A.K.A. Tommy Joined: December 31, 1988 Club Miles: 71566 2026 Sandie Cool Hand A.K.A. Chris Joined: August 22, 2004 Club Miles: 64086 Lifetime Sandie Judge A.K.A. Laura Joined: April 22, 2007 Club Miles: 4475 2025 Sandie Munchkin A.K.A. David Joined: December 31, 2010 Club Miles: 114764 2026 Sandie Greg L A.K.A. Greg Joined: March 16, 2015 Club Miles: 11533 2026 Sandie Annie W A.K.A. Annie Joined: December 31, 2023 Club Miles: 8125 2026 Sandie Mark S A.K.A. Mark Joined: December 31, 2023 Club Miles: 10608 2026 Sandie Misty Z A.K.A. Misty Joined: August 16, 2026 Club Miles: 429 2026 Sandie Doc Pat A.K.A. Pat Joined: December 31, 2010 Club Miles: 0 Honorary Sandie Ms. Betty A.K.A. Betty Joined: May 3, 2015 Club Miles: 0 Honorary Sandie JoeJoe A.K.A. Joe Joined: October 24, 1999 Club Miles: 220939 2026 Sandie Tina G A.K.A. Tina Joined: October 17, 2004 Club Miles: 53588 Lifetime Sandie MacRocket A.K.A. David Joined: May 26, 2007 Club Miles: 58834 2025 Sandie Sandy S A.K.A. Sandy Joined: February 16, 2014 Club Miles: 44870 2026 Sandie Jim W A.K.A. James Joined: March 10, 2015 Club Miles: 41935 2026 Sandie Dawn M A.K.A. Dawn Joined: December 31, 2023 Club Miles: 5023 2026 Sandie Wes H A.K.A. Wes Joined: December 31, 2023 Club Miles: 6482 2025 Sandie SpectreSteve A.K.A. Steve Joined: November 26, 2000 Club Miles: 127313 Honorary Sandie CarolAnn D A.K.A. CarolAnn Joined: March 6, 2011 Club Miles: 25538 Honorary Sandie

2021 < Back Pat Griffin 1961 - 2021 Pat Griffin Pat joined the Sand Dollar's in 2016. He made sport out of making any situation more awkward. I didn't get the opportunity to ride with Pat very often, everyone would always have a Pat story to share whenever we would meet up. Pat would always give a sheepish smile and confirm the authenticity of the shenanigans as told. Bobby B Previous Next