Alleghany for lunch.

[Virago 700]

Alleghany was just what the doctor ordered! Beautiful country side.

[me_nmyshadow]

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

It might surprise you to know that at one time Tricky Dick was my hero, but not anymore. He is getting to be a grumpy old man with more issues than a mad dog.

Maybe so, but ain't he as refreshing as a paper pine tree car freshener just after running over a skunk?

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

Follow the motto of living life as if it is your last day and you will be fine. Smell the flowers daily.

Easy for you to say, as you know who not to stand by or walk behind whenever we take a break.

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

Mama says, they was magic shoes. They could take me anywhere and she was right because my shoes have left footprints in so many places. Places that have left indelible impressions in my memory that I can picture in my minds eye.

That is exactly what my cousin said about, "TheKillerTomato" that convinced me to buy it.

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

You know it's funny what a young man recollects? Don't stop listening because those voices will be there till you die........if you listen.

As loud as the ringing is in my head, I can still hear many voices telling me, if I do that I am going to get a whoopin.

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

when the game is over the King and the Pawn go back into the same box

I might have this tattooed on my forehead.

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

I just don't know how to start this post. We are going to Alleghany for lunch and I googled a map for directions, not that I haven't been there before but as a guide to show the folly of following Sir Charles on a ride. The Yahoo map said it was 96.06 miles

Ah ha! No wonder I only burned up 5.5 gallons of fuel. Somehow I feel like we cheated the oil companies out of their just due's. I guess we might make up for it if we ride to Lassen volcanic national park.

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

west towards Marysville on 20 this time cross the Southfork of the Yuba River to pull into a really nice park (Hammon Grove) to take our first break. Good thing cause Frank was about to burst.

I'll have you know I could have gone until cowboy run out of gas.

Right up until We rode thru "Oregon House, Dobbins and across Bullards Bar to climb up to 49 then we cut off at Walker Mill rd. to Celestial Valley" I knew where we was at. As I installed a handicap ramp somewhere near Oregon House.

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

Over the years, I have ridden all over this country in logging and lumber trucks plus all kinds of motorcycles and have more than a fond affection for this neck of the woods.

And y'all wonder why I take the abuse you's dish out.

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

Alleghany is a small mountain community in the Sierra Nevada. The one reason that this town came into being, survived, and it's future, (still to be determined), is GOLD. The total production from this area is estimated at 50-75 million dollars. That's when gold was $35 or less per troy ounce. At the current price of gold it would be closer to 2 billion dollars.

The last time you guys were here and wrote about it is when I thought to myself, I wanna go there!

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

Man has always turned to gold mining when times were tough or the value of gold made mining a better way to make a living, or a get rich quick plan for some. Some people get rich from mining. Most do it for a paycheck. And a few do it for recreation. All of them will tell you that it's the hardest work that you'll ever want to do.

Obviously, none of them have ever carried HOT TAR for a roofing company.
I have panned for gold, and it is back breaking and I was excited as all get out to see all the black sand left in my pan. But I have never gone back to do it again. I did carry tar for a week, but I am here to tell you I will pan for gold again, long before I will ever carry tar again.
BTW, I was a hod carrier for a masonry company for 7 years.

Originally Posted by Papa-Ken

We always hold court in Casey's place a bar that was founded in the late 1800 hundreds and it looks like it might never have seen a coat of paint.

If I can remember how to get back,(HINT) I might just take my visiting cousin up thar for lunch. He is going to be camped at Emigrant gap next week. I invited him and his 3 wheeled HD riding buddy to go with us to Lassen.
I hope Launie and (Dave?) go with us. Be kinda neat to have 3 3wheelers tagalong.

Papa Ken, you out done your self with the photo's this week, but mostly cuz of that beautiful Illusion Red GL1800 in front of you
Is it Wednesday yet?

Side note;

Originally Posted by Virago 700

Alleghany was just what the doctor ordered! Beautiful country side.

Howard, you woulda been happy with a ride to the Waffle House Ok, maybe not.

[Papa-Ken]

This is a reply from my wife's classmate Wayne Brooks who lived, went to school and worked in Alleghany prior to going to Grass Valley Union High School class of 1955.

Hi Ken, interesting story. I assume you were referring to me below. The Alleghany Reunion is held at Plum Valley in July each year for the old timers and their descendents. You passed it on the way up and down. There is a ball park set up there. The road in your pictures is like a picture book in my mind. I know every sq. foot of that road. At Casey's Place, when you were on the deck eating lunch, if you looked across the canyon you would see the last house Rich and I lived in as kids. Me, as late as 1956 when I worked in the mine. I buried both my dad and step mom in the local cemetery and also made the tombstone. My dad, Dick Brooks was the resident deputy sheriff there for 15 years, as well as having worked in the local mines both in Forest City and Alleghany. I worked underground at the 16 to 1 in 1956 between my college days. As a Freshman in H.S. in Alleghany I earned a couple bucks a week cutting kindling in the basement of Casey's Place. Etta Casey would pay me in Silver Dollars and that is what paid for the letterman sweater that both Rich and I wore when we went down to Nevada Union H.S. (See attached photo of me in 1952 at a place above Alleghany we called "The Ranch". Note my left thumb all bandaged up) I almost cut that thumb off cutting Etta's kindling and my dad bandaged it up as Alleghany was snowed in at the time and even the mail and grocery truck could not get in. Well, I better stop here as Alleghany has many stories that could be told. P.S. this photo will be in the DVD that I put together for our Derby/Social being held next week.

Wayne

[Ally House]

Some good thoughts to ponder of a Sunday morning there, Papa Ken. We're still in Juneuary up here, so not much riding going on, gotta get my ride fixes through you guys.