All right! I know you're sick of my computer troubles by now, and I won't bore you with details. Just know that the dam finally burst; the hard drive went spinning off into the unknown, and the memory board got Alzheimer's.

I had to get it completely rebuilt!

But the fun part was that after I got the computer into the shop I was free to hop on the old motorcycle and head off to the great Southwest.

By the time a week was done, me and my compadres had covered over 3000 miles through Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada (including Las Vegas).

I am happy to report that the old guys (me and my bike) came through with flying colors.

We sizzled through the heat of Needles, CA., had a celebration waiting for us at a VFW hall in AZ., Met the Navajos at Window Rock and had a feast, Lost Willy's Mercedes (he was following us in a car) in Gallop, Met George from Okalahoma, and Jack from Bear Mountain who both rode with us up to Angel Fire NM, where we visited a Vietnam Veteran's memorial (George broke down in tears and had to leave). We then (3 of us) traveled to the mini Grand Canyon, on through Taos, Four Corners, hit a horrible dust and sand storm with 50 mile per hour winds all the way up into Page AZ. We camped in KOA campgrounds where the ground was so hard that I bent all my tent stakes trying to put it up. Finally trashed it and bought a stakeless tent.

Me dressed for the desert

Came across a wonderous dam in AZ which I can't remember the name of right now. Here we were flocked with tourists, French and German, who all wanted to get their pictures taken with mean old American bikers.

Also, quite by accident, we stopped in a Burger King in AZ  where they had set up an exhibit of The Navajo wind talkers. The Navajos that were used as radiomen on the battlefields of Asia. The Japanese were never able to break the code of the Navajo language. It was no suprize when a bus pulled up and let off a couple of dozen Japanese tourists to visit this museum IN A BURGER KING!!

We skirted Death Valley on entering California for a hot, miserable straight line drive that seemed to go on forever.

I was bone tired, had a bad case of Monkey Butt, and was dehydrated the entire trip. But you know what? I'm ready to go again. I have never seen such beautiful country. We stood amongst giant sandstone mountains that had been carved by the artistry on wind and rain for more thousands of years that I can contemplate. It was breathtaking and wonderous, vast and wild, and I loved every beautiful moment of it.

Anybody want to go? I'm ready for a rematch.