Well RFTW 24 is over, and even as this being written plans for 25 are being made.

There are so many things I could write here, and most of them would not be understood.  I could not do any part of the Run this year, but in a way I did my part.  My job had me driving the route of both Runs days before the bikes did it.  Southern Route was not under much construction (at least the parts I drove on weren't), but the Central Route had a lot.  I let  folks know what they were riding into.  I tried to get home to ride to Goodland KS and do two days, but it did not happen.  I tried to get at least to Mt Vernon, IL and salute the pack in, but I got there a day late.  I met a few folks that were headed the same way, and stated that they were going to go next year.  I made sure they had the web page information and told them that if they had any questions they could post them on the forum. 

For me not doing the Run actually hurts.  I do not know why but it does.  Then today I got (well it could have been here a while because I have intentionally not been here to write cause it really does hurt) a comment from the very nice lady that rides a Vespa Scooter, she made me realize why it hurts so not to do the Run.  The people that do it, and support it, and the real reason it is done is why it hurts not to do it.

In the Past I have ridden for Matt Maupen, Wizard's Brother, Chuck Huskey a friend of mine from Basic Training who died during the cold war while supporting a weapons movement in South Dakota, and many many others.  I wrote a little while ago about driving from Ludlow, CA to Needles, CA and how special that route is to me.  But in truth the Run has changed my outlook on life, caused me to write here (some say that is not good because I tend to rant and ramble) and I have one of the largest extended families ever.  That family is sometimes dysfunctional, but it is still family, and I would pity anyone who decided to pick on any member of that family. 
I have ridden all the way or participated in 6 runs, and supported the last 8.  I once told Bones that I would do this until I could not climb onto a bike anymore, and if at that point there were still folks that had not been brought home I would ride in a cage, or a bus or whatever it took to get there and remind the people in power that at least I still care.
Some times I wonder if they even notice us, but then again I remember that even 15 years ago   POW MIA flags were not up on state capitals, or rest areas, or any where else, they are now.  So people notice.
I want to thank each and every rider this year and tell them they did a good job. I pray that the few that got hurt in KS heal fast.  I also want to thank every trucker that encountered the Run on either route this year, and thank them for allowing us to use roads that they pay for, and for having the patience to let them do what has to be done.  This mission will end someday, but it might take a line of bikes that starts in LA and ends in DC to do it. But then that would really be cool, 3200 miles of bikes,  that would mean that every bike that ends up in DC would have to get to LA and that it would take a lot more than ten days to get it done, but it would be noticed.
To those that complain about the traffic tie ups, and slow downs that the Run causes, keep complaining, but when you do tell your politician that if he or she did their job those bikes would not have to do what they do.
OK that is enough for one post.  Thanks all, especially Karen the scooter lady.  Clyde still thinks that little red Vespa is cute, and he has not gotten over being passed uphill in Arizona by it either.

Bounce