Day Two in the Books

Today we departed Williams Arizona for Gallup New Mexico.  (some of you already know it snowed a little before we arrived at Williams, then after everyone was safely in for the night it snowed a lot).  Last night I missed dinner in order to go out with one of the chase trucks to pick up a bike (actually a home made Trike with a VW engine- very heavy and very low ground clearance) off the highway.  He actually gave the chase folks a thumbs up so they went on, then he broke down.  But we got to him before he got too cold.  Once there we found that we could not get his trike on the trailer.  So we called AAA to come get him.  Any way I did not get back to Clyde until way after midnight, and he was buried under over 6 inches of very wet snow, we could not have gotten him on the trailer either so I left him to guard the street in front of the VFW.

This morning by the time we departed (1 hour delay) all the snow was melted.  I was going to have the trailer tow me out to cleaner streets, but by the time I got back to Clyde, the sun and 40 degree air temps had done the job I could not do at 0500. 
We added about 100 riders today and almost all of them are FNG's and some are younger vets too.  This is good the future of this run is in their hands, all of us are getting older.


The ride to day was OK.  There are a few glitches with the Platoons, but fine tuning should solve them, and tomorrow I really do not have a job, we will be under Police Escort for the next two days. 
We arrived at Holbrook AZ about an hour late, but lunch was great, as were the young Marines that entertained us with a sort of shouting match.  They took turns telling us who was the loudest, and they were pretty good too.  Then of course the usual hand out of plaques took place, and everyone was talking, Dave Gladwell stood up and shouted "At Ease", and turned the heads of all those young Marines who had just told us they were the loudest....Well they are in Holbrook, cause Dave only visits there once a year.

Gallup was wonderful, as usual the New Mexico State Police started their escort 25 or so miles inside of Arizona, and Jackie Mckinney, the Mayor of Gallup introduced my brother Shore Party and his wife of 35 years Sage Owl, and then they redid their original wedding vows... I have pictures and will try to get them posted here and on face book either in the morning or tomorrow night.  We also heard a speech from a WWII MOH recipient, and from one of four surviving Navajo Code Talkers.   Jackie announced that Dinner would not be much, the best he could do was steak.   It was great, we love Gallup and Gallup loves the run.
I met two Airmen today in the laundry mat, well a Chief Master Sgt and a MSgt that were doing their laundry, and also to recently honorably discharged Army guys that are on the run with us.  They are so young, and have seen so much.  One has a purple heart, a bronze star, and has been in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  They are enjoying the run immensely, and will be back again.

I know this post is long, but a lot has happened to old Clyde and me in the last two days, and 700 miles.  He is running great, the CB is working awesome, the truckers for the most part have been very supportive, and I have taken their concerns on bumper diving, and lane changing to the leadership, and they will be addressed before we roll in the morning.

Pictures tomorrow, it has been a long day and I am tired.  Thanks for reading this, and be sure to look at Jen's blog and Spidey's too.  They write much better than I do, and they have pictures too cause they unlike me are computer savvy and not lazy either.

Bounce