“ Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale a tale of a fateful trip, that started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship. five passengers set sail that day, for a three hour tour, a three hour tour”.   If you’re a Sandie or know about these Sandies they are all escapees from “ One Flew over a Cuckoo’s Nest” kind of place. Since Sandies   are   involved and with boats   this could be the typical start of a Sandie Sailing Adventure. Which by the way usually involves a torpedoing of some sort.   Our trip to Mobile to see the SS United States would require a boat ride. 12 Sandies made the fateful trip to ride The Delta Queen paddle wheeler. This vessel would help us to get a great up-close view of the SS United States. A bit of history inserted here. The SS United States holds the record for crossing the Atlantic ,both ways. This competition among ocean liners had been going on for well over 150 years. Well the SS United States broke the record and was awarded the Blue Ribbon, given to the record holding Liner. The record, which still stands today, was 3 days and 10 hours. So getting to see the fading Queen of Ocean Liners and going by motorcycles to see this magnificent ship was something pretty special.   We left Tuesday heading west. I had laid out a route that kept us off the Slab longer much more fun. Met Tommy N  and Sandy S  and The Dark Prince (Tim W)  at GTD. Picked up JoeJoe, Tony & Nikki G, Mark & Lorna S. in Navarre .   Now keep in mind with this crew anything was possible Supernaturally or   just plain trouble .   Ate lunch at Felix’s, on the causeway. Which brings me to The Bankhead Tunnel, a tunnel opened in 1941 is a narrow tunnel, cars were much smaller then. Now most people are adult in a motorcar tunnel. These were Sandies, remember ? The tunnel echoed with horn noise the whole time the Sandies were in there.   Since we were early for our boat ride, made a stop at The Phoenix Fire Museum. A so very cool place, oh free too. Inside old Fire rigs, horse and internal engined The boat ride was pretty damn cool . The SS United States as faded as she was is, to me,  still a magnificent sight. We had a guide to provide history and stories about The SS United States. Lots of Warships at the Shipyard across the river. In all stages of being built or repaired.   At the end of our three hour voyage, ok so it was only hour. We headed for the hotel, The Hotel Malaga, built in 1862 making the hotel a 162 years old. It is the only hotel like it in the State of Alabama, by the way. It was a fabulous place to stay every room was at least 100 years old. The courtyard was beautiful, it was like stepping back to a much simpler time.  The people that were the average passengers of The SS United States would be very at ease here.   After a great dinner we retreated to the Sky Lounge on the 17th floor of The Holiday Inn.  What a view of The City of Mobile and in the distance was The Blue Ribbon winner herself, still looking proud. We had a super night’s sleep, checked out and got ready to head home. Still keeping with No Slab Traffic we rode on US 31 awhile. The other end of 31 is Detroit, Michigan, maybe some other time. We did spend 245 miles   of Sandie Adventure having a fabulous time.   NOTE: JoeJoe, Sandy Shorey  and yes Tim White  have posted some very good pictures of our Ship Adventures on our Facebook page. But Wait There’s More! Tony Garcia , who takes incredible videos. Well Tony  has posted on the Sandie Facebook page, the most incredible videos.   It was a most bodacious Sandie Adventure, filled with laughter and fun.     .

Monday bright and early 3 Sandies  left to see The SS United States arrive in Mobile. This was 240 mile visit and what a spectacular visit it was. Mark and Lorna  S met me in Navarre.  We did the interstate for a while before taking to the two lane backroads. The weather was simply fantastic, roads outstanding.    Well until we took the old tunnel into downtown Mobile. It was the final Monday of Mardi Gras and we arrived in between Parades. You got a feel for the mood when you noticed every stoplight had hula-hoops thrown around them. We had to wend our way between revelers, vendors and cops. Trying to find your way through the blocked streets, around piles of beads, cups etc was a feat. But we made it to the industrial area along the Mobile Ship Channel. We were some of the first folks there. Mark  tried to pass himself as a member of the media so he could get into the dock area. Nope not happening Mark was politely turned around and escorted out. Like Smokey Yunick, famous NASCAR car builder, you to say “ If ya ain’t cheat’n ya ain’t try’n”.   While waiting, we met some of the folks who came to see The SS United States arrive like us. One guy had a radio tuned to the Tugs bringing the United States in, quite the conversations between all the Tugs.   Pretty soon the funnels appeared then parts of the ship began to show. You have no idea just how big it is she is  a hundred feet longer than The Oriskany , the carrier sunk off Pensacola as a reef. She is longer than the Titanic and still holds The Blue Riband. She crossed the Atlantic from New York to Southampton in 3 days 10 hours a record that still holds today. As she slowly came into view she looked incredible, faded and a bit battered. But you could see she was still The Queen of the Transatlantic Liners.   We will be going to see the SS United States, Saturday, March 29.  We had on the schedule Conecuh Sausage trip that day, but we pushed that trip into April. Leave here, go to Mobile, see The SS United States find lunch. Then go to the Gulf of Mexico Maritime Museum, which is a pretty cool place.   It was a great day to be a Sandie, getting  to see an American Icon. From Americas halcyon days of elegant crossing of the Atlantic. Especially poignant is the fact that she will be taken apart and sunk not too far from here.  Riding with Mark  and Lorna  is always a pleasure.   This is a great video of the SS United States arriving in Mobile Bay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb4M9yV4etg

Sandies , Elise needs to sell Michael’s like new Honda Transalp. Elise is offering it to the Sandies first. It’s  like new 2024 750 cc Honda Transalp equipped with a lot of extra farkles, brush guards, Honda OEM Panniers, head light brush protectors  front running lights. Elise will take $10, 500 or best offer   It was five drive modes, Sport, Standard, Rain Gravel and User. ABS is able to be turned off for off road adventures . Modulated OEM brake and  Front headlight stop Modulator. As you can see it has new everything and with 3500 miles well it should.   Michael was proud of his Transalp , he equipped it with only the best add-ons and it shows. You can leave Elise a message at (850)  420-2180. Just leave a message and Elise will return your call

10 Sandies made their way to the E.O.Wilson Biophilia Center about 5 miles east of Freeport.    Now why would a Motorcycle Club go to a Biophilia Center ? Well cause it was their annual fund raiser  “Birds and Brews”. Let me tell ya there was a drinks ticket and a “Sober Ticket”. All Sandies chose the latter, Sandies don’t drink while on Bikes. Now after the keys are up you can dance naked and howl at the moon, if you so wish.   We did 120 miles  over the course of the day. Speaking of miles Tim W  started out with us , Tim  split off to do what Tim  does best, find new roads.   Harold  and Kim W  , our newest Sandies , we finally caught up with each other Saturday. We have just missed each other for a month easy. Well finally Harold  and Kim  got to ride with their Club, The Sandies.                                   Welcome again Harold  and Kim  ! Tony G  and Sandy S  took some great pictures, outstanding is a word I would use.  We don’t have JoeJoe’s   pictures yet but there must be 100 plus photos from those three. We also have all the video that Tony  took. Those are some outstanding Videos by the way. You can see all of Tony’s  video’s  on The Sandollar Members Face Book page.   The cool news is that Tommy N  is getting to really like that New GoldWing of his. Tommy  is liking all the features that have made the Third Gen GL a riders dream.   If you haven’t visited The Biophilia Center you owe it to yourself to rectify the situation. It is a true hidden gem of a place. It is just a cool place to visit. It is primarily a learning center featuring the animals and plants that call our part of Florida home. The people that work there are truly dedicated and feel strongly about the job they are doing.  As the pictures show the Raptor Demo’s are awesome, Tony has some great videos of the birds  in flight on the Members FaceBook page. One tidbit we picked up was you know the sound you hear in movies and television of the eagles vocal sounds ? Well we been hoodwinked good friend, that sound we have all come to think was the Eagles cry ? Nope it’s the sound  a Red Tailed Hawk makes. I guess  our national symbol is apparently a lot quiter.   It was one fun day , learned a lot, found out a Cajun Ham & Cheese sandwich ain’t your mommas Ham and Cheese samich. Learned a lot, things about NWF flora and fauna  I was not aware of.  Oh and  the water in the pond is the clearest water I have seen in a long while. Great day riding with fellow Sandies. George

6 Sandies  braved the cool temps to work on their motorcycle SKILLS in Crestview. I ( Joejoe ) set up the Crestview Library parking lot for our typical SKILLS layout working around the trucks and huge RV's parked there. George and Sam arrived shortly later and helped finish up the layout. Soon after Greg L . and GQ  ( Tommy N ) arrived to complete the Sandy bunch. (Did you know that Sandies come in Bunches?). We rode around in circles avoiding the leftover patches of ice from last week's snow storm. Once we completed improving our riding and avoidance skills, we discussed a most important subject "Lunch". Sam and George headed back to their home and the rest of us led by me went on a nice jaunt to lunch through the Blackwater Forest. Those avoidance skills we practiced came in handy as some of the shady sections of the road had patches of ice and snow. It reminded me of the 6 years I lived in upstate New York riding the roads of the Adirondack Mountains. Always had to be on the lookout for snow and ice. Along the way I spotted red & blue lights through the trees, so I slowed way down and encountered a motorcycle accident scene. Seems another motorcyclist went down while crossing an icy bridge. We continued along after carefully crossing the icy bridge using the tire width ice free track on our side of the road. Never thought I'd be doing this in Florida! Lunch was had at Boomerang Pizza in Milton, Fl. The food there was very good. I had a Hawaiian Pizza and followed up with blueberry bread pudding ala mode. Disappointedly the waitress informed us that the usual vanilla ice cream was not available. I asked if there was an alternate and she said they had chocolate or butter pecan, so I had butter pecan. It was much better than plain old vanilla. After a great lunch we headed east on Hwy 90 and made our way home. Greg and GQ stayed on 90 and I headed south on Hwy 87. We ended up doing about 112miles on a nice relatively warm sunny day (it got up to 64 degrees). Hope to see you next time! Joejoe   Reminder Business Meeting Sunday 9 am Golden Corral

Who in their right minds would go to lunch with 25 mph  cold winds blowing ? Huh?  Well Sandy S  was there, Nikki G  and Bobby B  wasn’t far behind. That explains part of it but and this is an important but.  Food was involved and  so were The Sandies, who  after all, never turned down a food invite, ever. So 9   Sandies  made the rather chilly trek to Pensacola Beach and Peg Leg Pete’s.  We did 135 miles  of windy chilly weather. The wind was blowing 25 mph straight out of the North.  Oh did I mention we took the Island route, not one real wind break along the whole route. We got to Pensacola Beach early so to kill time we decided to get a banner picture with the Pensacola Beach Ball. Also it offered a  wind break which was sorely appreciated.   It gave me a chance to hand out patches to the Sandies that survived the Hell Night along The Natchez Trace. This was our trip in November to do The Trace backwards .  We got caught in rain then it got dark we were on the Trace, no lights and it got cold. Rain suits leaked, missed a turn off . It took me 30 minutes under a hot shower to feel almost human. It was Sandie Trip that stories will be told for a very long time.   I figured anyone that survived this night and still could laugh about it called for a unique patch. So JoeJoe  and I designed it, I paid for it  and gave them out under the Beach Ball. What a great place to give out patches to the survivors of Hell Night. What better place than a cold windy but albeit sunny spot. Sandy S , Sam, Bobby B and  JoeJoe all received their Survivor   patches . Tim W and Hal W, Pat and Brenda will receive theirs in the mail .     Meanwhile back at Peg Leg Pete’s we had a great meal, fabulous fellowship. Then ride , on the Island of course, into an even colder wind.  But ya know it was still fun , the scenery was spectacular, the company first class. It was after all a Sandie Sunday  Adventure and they always are such a jollification for everyone.    Sorry I beg forgiveness, I always wanted to use that word, couldn’t help myself. I am weak like that.    .  Thank you to Sandy S and JoeJoe for the great pictures

11 Sandies  filled up with food rode through Northgate to see the fantastic lights. Had a new couple join The Sandies and ride with the Sandies and didn’t ask for their money back ! This was even after meeting Sandy S  and Tony G  they stayed anyway. I’m  pleased to have all of you meet Harold ( Smurf) and Karen Williams.   Harold  and Kim ride a very pretty Harley Tri-glide, nice to have you aboard. We left Golden Corral meeting Tony  and Nikki G  out in the parking lot. JoeJoe  forgot his camera and still took some great pictures via IPhone. Speaking of pictures Sandy S  took a bunch, some came out blurry, Christmas magic ?   While on the ride through Northgate we were warned there was a black bear ahead. Tony  an Nikki,   who live in a neighborhood that has a large bear infestation were pretty casual so I pretended to be also.  Well think about it, I’m in front so where is Mr. or Mrs. Bear  and I’m not doing a gender check by the way. So who do you think they would be PO at for interrupting dinner ?  Huh ? Yep me, certainly not Sandy  back there waving arms and hollering  “Here Bear, look this way, need a picture, yoo hoo”.  So I proceeded cautiously, trying to ignore the noise behind me.  Thankfully Tommy   N  was Sheepdoging it that night so I knew we were in good hands, in spite of the interruptions  from the peanut gallery.   Have you noticed we don’t have just ordinary rides ? Most have some kind of excitement happening along the way. In spite of the excitement we had a great ride. We all  enjoyed some beautiful light displays it was a very pleasant night with good friends.   Next event is The Last Ride of The Year , put on by The Iron Butt Association. It’s open to everyone and it’s in Stockton AL. We have quite a few members of The Iron Butt association  here in The Sandies by the way. We leave GTD Monday at 8:30 am heading west .   Here’s Hoping everyone has a great Christmas   !!!!!

How did I end up with 25 stuffed toys, stuffed in my motorcycle? While my heart was breaking? My best friend, Michael McMillan, and I go way back and share a deep love of motorcycles. I was in Arizona; he was in Florida. Though he’s ten years younger than I, he had a heart attack and was hospitalized. We talked often while he was waiting for his open-heart surgery, I laughed and promised to make lots of great motorcycle trips for him, til he could get back on his own bike. But Michael died on December 4, 2024. There are no words to convey that loss. My voice cracked, tears flowed as I explained to his wife, Elise, that I’d keep my promise to ride often, be safe, take pictures, and think of him. The day after Michael died, I went into a frenzy of downsizing and dropped off unnecessary stuff at a local thrift store. And there it was – a large bin full of stuffed toys, on sale “today only” five for $1. And suddenly I had an important motorcycle trip to make. For Michael and for some kids. After migrants are legally processed at the southern border, they have to wait for their sponsors to arrange transportation to various locations. The Border Patrol has a long history of delivering them to the Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, and the Annunciation House has developed an efficiently run operation to provide food and shelter for the few days it takes for sponsors or families to arrange for bus or plane tickets from El Paso. The Annunciation House has provided humanitarian aid in this period of transition, at no cost to the U.S. government, since 1978. Yet, Texas Attorney General Paxton has now declared that the Annunciation House a terrorist organization and is trying to close it. The Texas Supreme Court will hear the case in January. I have friends in Silver City, NM, who routinely provide supplies to the Annunciation House. So I stuffed 25 stuffed toys onto my motorcycle to made a quick trip from eastern Arizona to Silver City, NM, (320 miles round trip – I didn’t want to make the 450 mile round trip to El Paso in one day, not at my age of 76. And I needed to get back to feed my dog). I had to hurry, for the group in Silver City could make only one more trip with supplies to the Annunciation House before it shut down services in light of the threats by Paxton of legal action. But, Santas are like that – taking off quickly with an overstuffed sled. My hope was to be a tiny part of delivering a smile to a child overwhelmed by a new country (that may not always be kind). And the toys are SO cute! The weather looked best on December 9 for a bike trip. It was 35 degrees when I left Arizona, and then the winds kicked up. I was dressed like the Michelin Man; if the bike were blown over, I’d just bounce. I watched a few tumble weeds blow across the road; I wouldn’t want to hit one of those on my bike. After less than an hour I had to stop at a filling station to run hot water over my hands; a cup of hot coffee later I was back on the bike and soon up into the mountains. I only stayed in Silver City long enough to unload the stuffed toys and have another cup of coffee and sandwich with friends. The winds were getting stronger, and there were dust devils dancing on the desert flats. I got back to my RV as the sunset and in time to feed my dog. My broken heart needed the saddle time as perhaps only a biker would understand. I miss you, Michael.

After a grueling 13 minutes of business discussions, engines roared to life with the promise of a country buffet with Brazilian/Hispanic style dishes. Seven Sandies rode 133 miles to Bigfoot Crossing Campground and Eatery in Jay. The Cat Herder and Sam led us through winding roads lined with what passes for fall foliage in northwest Florida. The overcast day helped tamper down the heat as weaved through the backcountry. There were a few joked over the Bluetooth headsets and the occasional factoid. JoeJoe took advantage of a particularly pesky light at PJ Adams to get a group photo. M2 Sensei kept road boredom at bay by weaving through particles of dust on the roadway. Munchkin , sans communicator, roared away not so quietly in the back. The buffet was a little different than what we had previously enjoyed. It was a little pricier, but they stepped up the food quality quite a bit. There was a lot to choose from, and I don’t think you could have sampled it all. Ace opted out of the buffet and enjoyed a single muffin. Granted it was a giant muffin that was the size of three! We laughed, we reminisced, and we made new memories to carry with us until the next ride. When we had our (literal) fill, we made our way back to our respective homes. There were a few sprinkles along the way; shocking us all that the forecasters got it wrong in northwest Florida.

Periodically Sensei , M2 , will teach his Read the Road Class  to us lucky Sandies. This class is normally $300.00 but Michael  shares it with Sandies for zero dollars. Michael  is a fantastic teacher coupled with his encyclopedic knowledge of all things motorcycle you have a class and a half.   This Saturday 7 Sandies  were that lucky to have another Class. Michael  had already taught the classroom part last month. Saturday was the practical on road portion , with Michael  going over all the things a rural road will tell you. We use rural cause it is hard to find a nice curvy no traffic urban road. Thing about it, 129, Cherohala, in our world Bob Sikes or a Tim W  discovery road are all rural ,are they not ?  So it makes good sense for Michael  to teach us how to see the road for real. We learned to really see the road, how to see the road and what direction the road curves , without seeing the curve. All of the clues that are there for your taking, what the road tells you in volumes.   We met at GTD it was chilly, not turn on the seat heater cold, but you hoped it would warm up soon. Seven Sandies set out for the first classroom, College Blvd at the 850 volleyball. Here Michael  pointed out the clues then how to take the curve better, safer and what everyone wanted, faster . Let’s take a pause here, this class is of benefit to both two and three wheel motorcycles. You read the road, the in-out –in method of the curve handling is the same for both types of motorcycle.   Then it was practice back and forth on Bob Sikes getting better. Michael would follow you to see how you were doing, always giving good advice to help improve your riding .   Then it was time for lunch, Eds restaurant in DeFuniak fit the bill perfectly.  After it was again riding using all the things we learned. Tommy N  and JoeJoe  were already good, this class just put a bit more shine to their abilities.  It was a great day we learned to be better riders and can’t thank Michael enough  for the instruction and suggestions.

The day was outstandingly  beautiful, the temps perfect. The bonus was that for The Sandies  who made the trip to The Chautauqua Wine Festival it was a fantastic day.  8 Sandies made the 135   miles  of great roads and Wine Fest to boot.  We got to GTD early, well   JoeJoe and Tony   G  decided a pre-breakfast of doughnuts and sweet rolls were in order. Sam  jumped off her Ride and hot footed inside to join the fun. M2 showed up on his new Transalp . It is always a pleasure to ride with Michael, anytime Michael  is with us it’s a good riding day.  We normally meet Tommy  and Sandy  under the Beach connector bridge. I love throwing around Troll remarks but this time it was at the CEFCO, darn it.   We arrived at the Festival site just after it opened and it was already filling up. We had a very pleasant surprise, motorcycle parking was on a concrete slab by ourselves, it was great.  We kinda spread out, JoeJoe  and Sandy  headed up to the wine tent to what else, buy copious amounts of wine. One of the pictures from JoeJoe, shows his packing a full case into  his Tour Pac. I  wonder the clinking sound made by the bottles on the rough roads made JoeJoe  a little more cautious    Sam  and I roamed around looking and yes buying stuff. Sam  had bought a nice cat bag at a booth. This is where Sam  channels her dad, John loved to bargain. Sam  inherited that gene, bag was marked eight bucks. Sam  offered four, lady went to seven, Sam  four fifty, both agreed at five. This was at all the booths we bought stuff from. I  really think that’s why Sam  goes to these Festivals, don’t even get me started on yard sales.   After a bite to eat it was decided to ride a bit. So off to the Valley we went. Here I  gotta thank Tim   W  for his Lewis and Clarking throughout the local roads. He put an incredible ride together on these new roads. Michael  had to get back so we headed back ourselves. This was such a great day, roads, fellow Sandies and a very nice local Fall Festival it don’t get better.   Next Saturday is the riding portion of Michaels Road Aware Program . Meet at GTD at 8 am, understand we will probably be gone the better part of the day. The class is open to all Sandies in good standing. This is an outstanding opportunity whether on Two or Three wheels. This class does make you much more aware of the road and the clues it shows.

By Joe Our business meeting and after meeting ride started with the important stuff first; breakfast at Golden Coral in Fort Walton Beach, FL. I arrived at our designated meeting spot and started chowing down when M2 shows up and does the same. Shortly after the rest of the crew started trickling in Tony G., Edna, Munchkin, Tommy and Sandy, George  and Robert W . and Bobby B . The meeting was short and almost sweet then we headed for the parking lot to ride sorta North to Jay, FL. Since our illustrious Road Captain had prior commitments, I was elected to lead a ride somewhere. I found out a while ago that the Royal Mexican Grill in Jay, Fl had closed down and was eventually replaced with Pam’s Country Kitchen. I’ve wanted to make a trip up there to check it out so today was the day. I later found out that they have been open there for about a year now. I had laid out a route from Good Things Donuts to Jay and saved it to a GPX file quite some time ago. I elected to follow it up to Jay via Shalimar and parts North, so I did not have to mess with my Harley GPS too much to get the route to work from Golden Coral. The ride up to Jay was a pleasant one as we had overcast skies and no oppressive heat and sun to make things uncomfortable. We rode through Holt, FL and into the Blackwater Forest to get to Jay. We ended up meandering through the wooded backroads all the way up there. There were a few grumbles from the peanut gallery asking when we would get to lunch. We arrived in Jay pretty much on time, just a little past 11 AM. We got our own table in the back after I helped them slide a couple tables together. That is when we found out they had an all you can eat buffet. Menus were quickly thrown aside, and the food bar was attacked in typical fashion by the Sandies. After we had had our first helping and were working on seconds the waitress mentioned that they had cake as part of the Buffett. Orders were taken for strawberry and lemon cake post haste and it was delivered quickly to the table of ravenous cake monsters. Their food was pretty good and no complaint was heard from anyone. Pam’s is going to have to be visited again soon. We took a direct route south after getting fuel in Jay. Bobby, Sandy and Tommy split off at Hwy 90 with the rest continuing south to Navarre, FL. We only had one slight bout of barely perceptible drizzle on the way back although Bobby  mentioned he had run into a rain shower for about a minute and a half. Another Business meeting and after ride is now in the history books. Hope to see you on the next one. JoeJoe

10 Sandies  well 9  and a Foodie   had a super informative class on Route planning. There are many route planning software’s out there. For us who use Garmin devices we have Base Camp  and Tread . The Sandies are fortunate enough to have members who not only now how to use the software. These members know all the “secrets” of using the software. Tommy N dove into Base Camp showing and teaching the In’s and Out’s of Route planning using Base Camp. Quite a lot of interaction between teacher and students, Tommy  answering and showing how to do  why’s and where fors of Garmin.   Next Bobby B  took over explaining and showing route planning from his Phone. The Garmin XT2 uses Tread for routes and planning.  Then Bobby  introduced us to Rever   a web based App that you can use to Route plan.  The app can import a GPX file and convert it for use on your phone, oh it is also Apple Car Play compatible. They have a free version and a pay version, I have the pay version.    Also discussed was using an Apple Car Play device on your Ride with the software on your phone. Tommy who has one on his Wing, explained the in’s and out’s of using it. Tony G already has Apple car play on his Spyder. As a matter of fact even the Harley PanAmerica has Apple/Android Car Play.  Welcome Mark S  back from his 5,000 mile Adventure ( Truck Miles).   Need to explain about JoeJoe’s Route Planner, it comes from Romania and it’s a bit quirky. It has on many occasions attempted to kill JoeJoe . But JoeJoe affectionately  calls it “Navi’ ’ even as it tries to kill JoeJoe . See told ya Sandies ain’t wrapped tight.  On many occasion riding on a mountain road with the drop off on either left or right. The Navi  voice sweetly says “ take the turn on your right or left, “ depending on the side with the longest drop. JoeJoe  laughs it off, I  would be a little worried. I  mean what if it became sentient? What could happen to poor JoeJoe ?   We had lunch at Cheers , in Shalimar. Who do you think joined us to eat ? Sandy S our 9th Joiner also  a staunch Foodie Sandie. At Cheers JoeJoe  had their famous Cincinnati Chile “Five Way” or Skyline Chili ( we have the recipe in the October Newsletter ). I can’t thank Tommy and Bobby  enough for the outstanding class A very special Thank You both A very nice shout-out to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office for letting us use the Training Room for Class

I’m going to make up a new word. It’s going to be sorta like pressurized, simonized or chumpenized . Notice  a word like chump is used  in there. I shoulda known when Munchkin  jumped up and volunteered to lead the Breakfast ride.  Alarm bells should have started ringing like fire bells at a six alarm fire.  But no, not a naïve trusting Old Catherder like me.   Okay back to the beginning, As Sam  and  I drove up to GTD, we watched a Publix’s big truck try and do a u-turn from the parking lot of GTD. Now JoeJoe  and Harley are between the trailer and the street. Did   JoeJoe  move? Not an inch, JoeJoe  just calmly sat there as this wall of aluminum moved a foot from his Harley and him. That should have been an omen but  I  missed the clue.     7 Sandies met at GTD on time. It was supposed to be a  rainy Sunday, 88%  chance of showers I  was surprised that we had that many to be truthful. I  was really surprised to see Kasey K  who hails from the sunny shores of Crestview. I know Kasey  likes to ride, Kasey  just didn’t know he was going to a part of Sandie lore. Then Bobby B  from the far environs of Niceville showed up. Now Bobby  is a savvy fellow but even the Great Waldo neve r  saw it coming.   Munchkin s howed up  with this grin, I  shoulda been warned but for some reason the internal alarms were strangely silent. “Follow me, folks!” declared Munchkin , now giving credit to the Munchkin. It was exactly 7 am when the kickstands came up and off we went, trusting as ever. Turned on to Eglin Parkway, went .4 of a mile and turned onto Mother Earth Café. That’s when  I  knew I  had been Munckinized ! ( cue dramatic music ).   Now being a part of Sandie lore i.e. Taking the shortest Sandie Sunday Ride, ever. It just couldn’t wipe the fact that  I  had been Munckinized . As I  sat there in the parking lot I  had to admit I  never saw it coming. We decided to make the best of the joke and eat breakfast. While sitting there we did watch it raining at least we avoided that.   Next Saturday is Our Saturday ride the schedule says 7 am  but let’s move it to 8 am

After our monthly business meeting, 7 Sandies explored 136 miles of backroads and stopped for food. The Cat Herder headed straight north towards Crestview and Baker. We made a brief stop to reattach Sam ’s sena unit to her helmet. It had leapt for freedom, but forgot it was still tethered with audio wires. MacRocket pointed out that his helmet has all of the electronics packaged inside the shell; he doesn't have to worry about such trifling incidentals. He says it plays music well, but he had never bothered to try and talk to anyone else using it. Back on the road, we meandered through the backroads past the Strawberry fields. From there, we looped back to Holt on some partially shaded and fairly fresh blacktop. I was very happy to avoid as much sunshine as I could on the canopied backroads. We saw lots of families enjoying the holiday weekend. Picnic goers, swimmers, boaters were all enjoying the shade from the trees and the cool water of the river. We rode into downtown Milton and parked all together in front of Boomerang Pizza Kitchen . We went inside and gathered around a dim table in the back. M2 Sensei and I had a brief battle over which lefty got the seat with elbow room. I didn’t try hard because that seat faces backwards… I was taught to respect my elders... …ok, it was because Michael won. Munchkin decided that he was only having dessert. Forever a thoughtful husband, he ordered a to-go dessert for Hellen (who didn’t make it out with us today). JoeJoe might have a picture of Dave eating ice cream in a strange bowl made for traveling. Feel free to ask him about the origins of said ice cream. I split off as the group headed south on 87 . My ride home was uneventful and I somehow managed to sweat out the entire glass of tea I had just enjoyed. I imagine the rest of the group's ride south was the same. I'm betting they had more cars and standstills though. I briefly considered 90, or some long way around route back towards Niceville. I ended up opting for the quickest path; traffic wasn't too bad for I-10 on the weekend before Labor Day. We missed those that couldn’t make it, but were happy to enjoy the day together.

by Greg Lynd Editors Note:  Greg met one of NW Florida's Bambi's. Many times the deer and motorbike rider suffers injury and/or death. Fortunately Greg walked away sore as hell but okay. Greg has done a terrific write-up and we are lucky to share it. Greg has some great points to say about equipment and what saved Greg's hide How many times have you heard that saying? Like me, probably enough to where you roll your eyes when you hear it. Here is my story. On a beautiful Tuesday morning, we left Good Thing Donuts to ride to Nowhere, Alabama. I was just looking to put some miles on the bike before its upcoming service appointment, and to enjoy Fall coming to Florida. Fifty-some miles later, that all changed. I was the trail bike of five. We were on a great back-country road called Old River Road. Just came out of some nice curves and enjoying the cool temps. All the sudden, a flash of brown crosses my vision. My brain screamed DEER, felt a shudder as it hit the fairing and windshield, and next thing I know I’m sliding along the ground on my right side. I come to rest on my back, I look to my right and the bike is in the trees. I look left, and the deer is trying to stand up and looking at me. The thought crosses my mind that I hope he doesn’t charge me, because I don’t think I can get out of the way. His front leg is broken, he falls and doesn’t move anymore. I call everyone on Mesh to let them know I hit a deer, but by this time they are out of range. I lay on my back and starting at my toes try to see if I feel any pain. I get all the way to my head and neck and don’t feel any problems. So, I get up and go check on the deer and start taking pictures. About that time, riders were showing up to see what happened to me. I still have my helmet on walking along taking pictures. Music is still playing on the speakers, and the bike is standing in the trees almost like it is still moving along the road. About this time, I noticed my modular had flipped open but stayed on my head, so I take it off and check it out. Not a scratch but has some deer hair lodged in the chin bar. So now I start trying to recreate what happened after someone mentions it looks like the bike flipped. My mind has gone over this a hundred times in the last few days. As near as I can remember the deer comes from my left side and I think was trying to jump the bike. He hits and rolls over the windshield and since he came from the left, I am knocked off the right side of the bike. As the deer is rolling over the bike, he must have hit my knee, because I have pain on the knee cap, left side of the knee, and left side of the thigh. As I am sliding along the ground on my right side, I think to myself that I’m glad I have my jeans on that have hip and knee armor. (Funny what you think about in an accident). I also have a jacket on that has shoulder and elbow armor. More on this later…. I slide about ten meters.  The bike is another ten meters on my right, the deer is about five meters on my left. As near as I can tell, as soon as the deer hit me and I fell off, all this sliding was in the dirt on the side of the road. There is a huge divot in the dirt where it appears the bike dug in and flipped. I didn’t think at first the the bike flipped, but when I opened the top case everything was upside down. I thank God that the deer knocked me off the bike before it flipped, or my injuries would be much worse. My injuries:  I have a scraped knuckle, a scratch on my right arm, my left knee hurts, the top of my right foot hurts, and my right shoulder and shoulder blade hurt. But NOTHING is broken. I started wearing motorcycle-specific jeans about two years ago after seeing how little protection you get from regular jeans. This particular pair is rated AA and has level one ghost armor in the knees and hips. My jacket also has ghost armor in the shoulders and elbows. And I had a modular helmet, full fingered gloves and boots on. I walked away from this with no serious injury and a couple scratches. I am incredibly blessed and lucky! My wife wanted me to go to the ER to get checked out. I grudgingly went, but I’m glad I did. They took some X-rays and determined that I was okay. I’m glad I didn’t have to take a helicopter ride to the hospital! Bottom line, I am glad I had all my gear on. Without it, this would be an entirely different story!  Also, I was riding with a great group of friends who also happen to be very good riders. Luckily, we spent the morning in the shade on a back country road instead of waiting on Life Flight. Everyone had water, and the locals were incredibly friendly. One rider left to get his trailer, we took the bike to Pensacola and had Bar-B-Q for lunch instead of sausage in Alabama. I still see a flash of Brown crossing my vision when I lay down at night. My mind goes over this time and again. What would I do different?  That’s hard to say.  I had no time to react, I was watching for animals while we were riding (I had already noticed some dogs). The deer came out of nowhere. I will definitely be more vigilant next time I’m on a bike, whenever that will be. I thank the Lord above that my injuries were not as serious as they could have been. Greg Lynd

Well now, let me tell you a tale that would make even the most seasoned rider tip their hat in admiration. Tim W , led on a 200-mile journey on Friday, only to follow it up with a 300-mile adventure on Saturday. The Sandies then saddled up for a 125-mile ride  today, with six of their finest, including the Mileage King himself, JoeJoe . Now, JoeJoe,  bless his heart, clocked in a staggering 700 miles this weekend. That’s the kind of mileage that legends are made of. Not far behind was Bobby B , who racked up a respectable 500 miles. Kasey K joined the fray today, and thanks to Bobby, we discovered a newly paved road that added a dash of excitement to the ride. Lunch was at Basil And Baxter’s try the Hangover Bowel or The GOAT. Today’s weather with its lower humidity, provided the perfect backdrop for these escapades. Speaking of Tim’s Rides, they are of the finest kind. Tim has a knack for finding the newest, smoothest roads, making every ride a delightful adventure. So, if you ever get the chance, don’t miss out on Tim’s Rides. They’re sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a story to tell. A tip of the hat to JoeJoe for capturing those moments in pictures.

I have family coming for a visit Saturday, yes Virginia, I have family. But I can Ride Sunday , if you prefer. Now someone can put a ride together Saturday. Just let me know if your going Saturday. I would put the leave times at 8 am not 7am like I had. Sunday leave GTD at 8 am and ride and be home before the pavement blisters.

Today we had our August Skills, Indoor Class. Michael M a.k.a. Sensei  was gracious  enough to teach this Class. 10 Sandies  took advantage of this opportunity to learn from some super Rider Coach’s. Chris, The Mitchell  , another so very good Rider Coach was on hand to add to the information taught.  Our newest Sandie Kasey K  was there and remarked what a great class it was. The Chief, Dennis O  and Joe W   also took part in the Class .  I don’t know if you have seen Joe   W  in a while but Joe has lost weight quite a lot and it looks good on Joe , keep it up sir. Speaking of Joe’s, JoeJoe  rode his Hayabusa to Class. Have not seen that Ride of Joes in a while,  still looks and sounds great .  I was glad Bobby B  was among us today. In case you haven’t noticed   Bobby has done a tremendous job bringing the Sandies more into the 21st Century.   Bobby  has reorganized and cleaned up a lot of old fluff .   Bobby  is also working on a History of the Sandies.  If you want to help in this project let Bobby  know. 44 years is a lot of history to catch up on.   It wouldn’t be a Sandie Day if something out of the  ordinary didn’t occur. As we got ready to leave for lunch, M2’s  Transalp would not start, Michael  deduced he had left his lights on . Some scrambling around  occurred but we did get the jump, thank you Kasey  and JoeJoe. We then decided on a most inappropriate lunch at Stubbies. We will do the road portion in the fall, be on the look-out for the dates.   Thank you again to The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s   Office  for the invaluable use of the training room. Mostly though to Michael,  you as always teach a great class.

The morning was beautiful as best as I could tell through the helmet. The sun rose against my back while I rode into town. Ok, so it was actually my left side - but I couldn't exactly watch the sunrise and stay on the road. Starting at a donut place, Six Sandies rode to Navarre Beach for breakfast. We ended up riding 159 miles on some of the most iconic scenic roads in the western most end of Florida. To All of the Local Riders Yes, we rode some of the most boring, straight, and traffic ridden roadways in the area. The views were amazing, and it is nice to take a moment to enjoy what others come to visit to see. George and Sam E lead the way to Navarre Beach. George tried everything within the confines of traffic code to shake Munchkin  off the trail but he kept up. Munchkin 's white shirt (with a club patch affixed to the rear) flapping gloriously in the wind. We dodged the legendary potholes of Racetrack, hit the slow sweepers of Martin Luther King Jr BLVD, slalomed through two roundabouts, and descended the trench between Doolittle BLVD and HWY 98. With no sideroads remaining, George headed due west. A few miles down the road, our band of five became six as we heard JoeJoe 's "Howdy" on the open mesh intercom. We stopped at Andy D's and had a pretty good breakfast. Both Munchkin and JoeJoe had the " Kitchen Sink ", which apparently has everything you can think of thrown into it. Munchkin ordered his sans fromage (French for cheese, my words not his). Neither Munchkin NOR JoeJoe were able to finish their plates. It's a rare sight to see JoeJoe , la menace pour la cuisine - the menace of the kitchen, too full to finish his plate. It's the first time I've seen both Munchkin and JoeJoe tap out in the near 12 years that I've been riding with this crazy bunch. As we waited for the checks, George mentions that he and Sam are riding out to Opal Beach , then turning back around and getting out of dodge before the heat index ticks 100. I had no idea where Opal beach was, but I used context clues to determine it was somewhere on shade-less Santa Rosa Island. It helped that he said they were taking a left from the parking lot... So, having consumed my mental faculties deducing the location of the aforementioned Opal Beach, I say that I realized yesterday that I have never ridden the HWY 90 Scenic Bluffs of Pensacola. I think I'll press on a little further and hit the touristy roads people drive down when they visit the area. As we head for the door I overhear George telling folks again that he plans to turn around shortly, but that I had a ride planned if they were interested. Greg L chimes in with if there's a ride, he's down for it. By the time I got out of the restroom it had been decided that I'm leading since I have a ride planned. Me having a ride planed was news to me, but I still walked past the group like I knew what I was doing. I had that sinking feeling like there was a lesson in there somewhere that I should be learning. Instead, I donned helmet and took off. For those not familiar with the Garmin XT2, it is fantastic for displaying and navigating your planed route, it is not fantastic at routing on the fly. We headed west, and rode along the barren land of sun scorched earth known as the Santa Rosa Island. Having avoided this road since the almost a no shirt tri , I did not know that they had recently repaved with the darkest of blacktops. They have also reduced the speed limit for your photographing pleasure... This ensures motorcyclist have the opportunity fully enjoy the day's UV index. Today it was 10.7. Crossing the bridge back into Gulf Breeze, Sam and George say their farewells and turn back east. Greg , Munchkin , JoeJoe and I continue north through Gulf Breeze across the three mile bridge until we see the new exchange that takes us to Graffiti Bridge . JoeJoe notes that the bridge is always more colorful each time he sees it. We head along the Bluffs, and I check this off my list of things I have no intention of ever doing again. Now I find myself on HWY 90, headed into Milton just before noon. I knew there were some roads to the northeast I wanted to check out. I also knew I didn't want to go through Milton. The night before I had mapped out a general route in REVER for a tourist to ride without getting lost. Not knowing I would be leading that ride the next day, I had not uploaded said route to the Garmin. I was left to 'wing it', which I now understand is far less cool when you aren't on an actual gold wing. So I turned left on Chumuckla Hwy just as we reached Pace. I couldn't remember if I wanted to take Berryhill Rd or if I meant to avoid it. When I realized we were about to pass it, I panic turned to keep from missing the opportunity. Nine seconds later I realize this was not the direction I needed to be going as it was leading us straight for Milton. A zigzag of seven later, and I eventually made our way over to 87 to cut further north away from Milton. At this point, JoeJoe and Munchkin knew I was making it up as I went and they cut back towards Milton, Navarre, then their respective homes. Greg either felt sorry for me, was lost in his thoughts, or just wanted to make sure I didn't disappear in Alabama. Either way, I made the Neal Kennington Road turn by dumb luck. I still wasn't 100% sure which way I wanted to go, but I knew I needed to come into Sweet Southern Farms from the north to get where I had intended to go. I touched on the map about where the Farms were, and the Garmin plotted a course for me. Awesome, we are back on track and headed where I had intended to go. Now I only have Greg left to call me out for wandering aimlessly around west-northwest Florida. We finally get to Popular Head Church Road. I'm starting to feel like this might be salvageable. We get a few miles down the road, and I spot our next turn on the map: Lighthouse Church Rd. Just then, Greg comes over the intercom and comments that this is a pretty nice road. He says he's never ridden it before. At this point, I lose the never to take what would likely be another wild goose chase down unfruitful roads. So I call it; we enjoy what was left of Popular and make our way back to 90. The rest of the ride home was pretty standard, and boring for NWFL. However, we are always thankful that it was a safe ride and there were no unplanned stops. Nothing about it was planed, you get the idea.

8 Sandies  took off after the business meeting to hunt for lunch. The hunt ended at Ye Old Brothers Brewery on 87, north of Navarre. Even though it was hot, that caught you by surprise huh ? We did put in over 100 miles  just to do lunch. Food, get it? food lunch, I got a million of them, the adult show is at 10, try the fish.  M2  joined us for lunch, Michael  will be the speaker at our Annual August Inside Skills Cause its Hotter   than Hell  class .  We have done this inside skills for over 25 plus years. Its free, yep free, for paid up members this is normally a $125.00 class. It will be at 9:00 am  on August 18th the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Training Room in Shalimar, Fl. This class entails learning how to read the road ahead of you, what traffic around you is doing, and the signs of what’s going on around you. Many Sandies will testify to how this class was the reason they came home from a ride and not taking a helicopter ride. To sign up please RSVP using this form ; we do need a head count. Bobby was also a participant of the Hot Lunch Ride and will be keeping the headcount for the aforementioned class . Tony G  was with us in a symphony in Orange. I mean orange literally head to toe. You couldn’t miss Tony at midnight in a snowstorm. Kacey K , our newest Sandie was also with us, always a pleasure. Munchkin  was on time and nothing untoward happened, a first. It was just a very nice ride and lunch. This Sunday is a Breakfast Ride , 7 am GTD.  Heading west for those that want to meet on the road. Not sure yet where but we got choices, should be home before melting temps occur. Special Thank you To Joe R for the great Pictures

Breakfast Ride Sunday Sunday is Breakfast Ride since its Breakfast we leave early 7 am . Its not so bad is it Sandy S ? So its 7 am from GTD going West toward Navarre. I held off saying anything cause of the high rain chance but it looks later in the morning. So Sunday at 7 am unless it's pouring down rain, then next week

On a sweltering day, 9 intrepid Sandies took on the heat and embarked on a memorable Skills Sunday. Gathered together were seasoned riders, fresh faces, and a brand-new 2024 Honda TransAlp, lovingly adorned with all the right “farkles” by Michael M, our resident Sensei. Kasey K, our newest Sandie, proved his mettle as a skilled bike handler. JoeJoe, the Asphalt Svengali, meticulously crafted part two of our journey. We encountered wide sweepers, tricky decreasing radius curves, and the full spectrum of real-world scenarios. Skills, after all, is about turning practice into muscle memory. Now, let’s talk about Munchkin. Was David B six months early or an hour late? When Munchkin rolled in at 9 am instead of 8 am, it seemed time itself couldn’t decide. But some things remain constant in this vast world, and Munchkin’s arrival at whatever time is one of them. Tony G showcased his sleek ‘Sea and Sky’ top-trim Spyder—a head-turner, indeed. And then there’s Bobby, fearlessly pushing the limits. When was the last time you heard a big Victory tourer scrape against the asphalt? Watch Bobby tackle part two sometime, and you’ll hear that unmistakable sound—the Sandie’s version of “gettin’ it.” After the ride, we retired to FatBoy’s in Crestview. Good food, attentive service, and blessed air conditioning— Thank you, JoeJoe!  For the lay-out.  Sam and Bobby handled the necessary range housekeeping, ensuring our day ended smoothly. As the sun beat down, we pondered next month’s Skills. Perhaps an indoor class could spare us the heat? Any volunteers?

The Sandies met up this morning on a mix of two and three wheelers, like a vehicular buffet where everyone gets a little bit of everything. We embarked on an early morning adventure. It was a culinary quest that would make any stomach quiver with anticipation. Kasey K, the newest Sandie, astride his Indian steed was the last to arrive at Good Things Donuts. It was a good time to cover the pre-ride brief. Now, let me pause here to clarify something: not all Sandies have a full Happy Meal. Some are missing a few fries, if you catch my drift. Take Sandy S, for instance—certifiable, no doubt. But like circling sharks, the other Sandies can’t wait to hop on the short bus (not the literal one; that’s reserved for field trips). Then there’s Tony G and Bobby B, the dynamic duo of puns. They’re like a comedy routine waiting to happen. Picture this: JoeJoe and George were discussing the new member checklist and Bobby B pops up on the radio, says in deadpan, “I think of Casey Kasem to remember Kasey K.” Now, for those of you who remember the Top 40 Countdown Show hosted by—you guessed it—Casey Kasem. This is pure gold. George barely got out, "Holly Cow, I haven't thought about Casey Kasem in years!" when Tony G chimes in: “So you can say the Sandies made the Top 40.” Cue the silence, broken only by the hum of motors and the gentle swish of tires against asphalt. Now, I’d expect this kind of wordplay from Tommy N,  Bobby, or JoeJoe, but Tony G? Who knew he was harboring a secret stash of puns? It’s like finding a hidden snake in the picnic basket—unexpected and slightly alarming. Hey, we’ve got a whole collection of these punsters in the Sandies. To think Tony G is part of that club—it’s enough to break a Cat Herder’s heart. Speaking of words, during breakfast, I casually dropped “proclivity” into the conversation. You’d think I’d exposed the Sandies to raw uranium. “What did he say?” “Where did that come from?” The expressions ranged from baffled to mildly impressed. But fear not, I’m no sesquipedalian (that’s someone who uses long words just to show off). I’m just a rider with a penchant for vocabulary and apparently self-inflicted linguistic injuries. Mark S, sans Lorna, regaled us with the saga of his quest to corner the Blueberry Crown Royal market. Retirement hobbies, folks—sometimes they involve more than just shuffleboard and early-bird specials. And where did this breakfast adventure unfold? North 85 Diner/Penny's Place, north of Crestview. It’s the official kickoff for the Sandie Breakfast Ride Season. We covered about 125 miles, discovered a freshly paved road, and plotted our next escapade in Okie-Dokie County. Because life’s too short to ride boring roads, my friends. So here’s to the Sandies as we raise our Root Beer high, the puns, the proclivities, and the pursuit of breakfast bliss. May your wheels keep turning, your jokes keep groaning, and your adventures keep rolling down those newly paved highways. When in doubt, remember to clasp that punster snake to your bosom and ride on. A special Thank You to Sandy S and JoeJoe for the excellent pictures ,

Just a heads up Breakfast Ride Sunday, 7 am GTD Remember Dues are now Due