Jesus Loves Biker Chicks, Too!

Bikers Dancing!

2008-07-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Autism and Michael Savage

2008-07-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

I am not only a biker, but I'm a Mom with kids with autism. My bike brings me a lot of peace in a chaotic world, and I am blessed when I can ride and eschange the burden of autism for the freedom of the road. I am one of the really fortunate ones. Too many parents are alone in their struggle. Were it not for a loving husband and my friends at church, I wouldn't know the peace of the road.

Below is a blog post I wrote on my other blog after I hard the inane remarks made by Michael Savage. You can view the original posting at http://homeschoolblogger.com/KarlaKAkins/563970/

If you think this post might help other people understand autism better, please pass it on.

Thanks.

Jul. 21, 2008
Michael Savage, Glenn Beck and Autism
"Brats," "idiots," and "morons." These are a few of the words that WOR New York Radio commentator Michael Savage used to describe children with Autism. He also called Autism a "fraud and a racket." (See Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,387662,00.html).

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Michael Savage doesn't have a child with Autism or have an intimate relationship with anyone living with it. If he did, he would have weighed his words much more carefully. (He is now backpedaling and saying that kids who are misdiagnosed with autism are the "brats, morons and idiots." But I object to calling any child such vile things.)

Here is his retraction:

"My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as "autistic." Just as some drug companies have overdiagnosed "ADD" and "ADHD" to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by overdiagnosing "autism" for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis!"

Really?

Obviously, he has no idea how difficult it is to obtain a diagnosis of Autism. He has no idea the pain we went through for four years trying to get doctors to listen to us and notice the self-injury our twin sons were doing to themselves when they banged their heads on concrete sidewalks and bore scars of bite marks they gave to themselves and each other.

He is going to awaken us to a misdiagnosis? Uhm, when my children were screaming nonstop from the time they woke up in the morning until they fell asleep exhausted at night, I had a little bit of a clue that something wasn't right about my children. I didn't need to be awakened. I didn't even really need a diagnosis to know that something was wrong. I needed the diagnosis to be able to help them appropriately.

It's the medical community that needs to be awakened. There's a generation of kids whose nervous systems are wrong and families who are drowning just trying to survive the next five minutes. We want to know why.

I challenge Michael Savage to come spend a day with a child with Autism and then tell me who the moron is. Come tell a mother of a child who bangs his head and bites himself and screams everytime something is out of place that the diagnosis of Autism is just a racket for her to get some money. What money? I want to know where the money is! If it's a scam and a racket -- why aren't families with Autism rolling in the dough? Why are their houses mortgaged three times to pay for therapy? WHERE IS THAT MONEY?

If Michael Savage has true answers to the Autism thing, then I welcome it! I want it! Because Autism has stolen much from me, my family, my marriage, my other children, and my children with Autism. I want to recoup that loss. I want to look into my handsome boys' faces and know they are going to grow up and fulfill all their dreams. I want to see them behind those blank looks, looking back at me with their presence, not their emptiness.

It must make Michael Savage feel mighty important to pick on people who can't speak for themselves. I didn't hear my boys speak for eight years. It was eight years before they could say Mama. It was eight years before they were out of diapers. It was eight years of cleaning feces off the walls, and facing urine soaked pajamas and beds every single morning. Wake me up? How much more awake do I need to be to deal with such things?

Tonight on the Larry King Live show, Glenn Beck was the host (filling in for Larry). I'm not a Larry King fan, but I am a regular Glenn Beck watcher, and I usually agree with much of what he says. But tonight it was clear to me that the public has a misconception about how medication helps children with severe neurological disabilities.

Risperdal gave us our life back.

Glenn Beck purports that medication will change their personality. On the contrary, medication gave my sons the ability to stop screaming and begin living. I am thankful every single day for that medication. Without it, they would not have made the progress they have made. Without it, they would not have been able to be themselves at all. They'd still be sitting in a corner rocking, screaming, biting and hitting their head against the wall. My boys are two of the blessed ones. Many, many children with autism have no positive results from medication at all. I thank God everyday for the people who invented Risperdal.

I have friends who never go out to eat or participate in extended family holidays because their children with Autism can't eat flour or milk products. They spend a fortune on gluten-free food to help their children. A racket so parents can get into special programs? Who would want to have to live like this? And trust me, no one is paying for these kids' special diets except the parents. There aren't any programs for that. Insurance won't pay for it.

I have another friend who is always trying new protocols to help her children with autism. It is grueling and demanding to measure this and measure that and give this supplement and not that one. She is an amazing woman with five children, two of them infants -- and she fights everyday to help her children with autism through diet and supplements and schooling them at home. She is constantly saying "no" to her children: "no" to ice cream; "no" to dessert; "no" to a slice of bread. But according to Michael Savage, we all just need to be better disciplinarians. He has no idea how many times parents of children with Autism have to say "no" to their children! "No" is a constant mantra!

And who is rolling in the dough in these family's houses? Who is doing all the hard work? Not the government. Not the medical community. How can it be a scam when we are all so alone in our fight?

Who is cheering on these moms and dads fighting for their children's lives, hoping against hope that they will find a cure, a breakthrough, a way to reach their disappearing children?

Not Michael Savage.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health the cost of caring for a person with autism for their lifetime can be as high as $3.5 million. Oh yeah, some racket us parents are involved in.

Guess what I get paid to homeschool my children with Autism?

$0.00

And have my boys with Autism made progress?

You better believe it. They have made so much progress that people who knew them before I pulled them out of the public school program they were in (another article for another time) that people don't even recognize them. They have made so much progress that people who watch TV programs on Autism tell me "how lucky" I am that they aren't as severe.

Luck had nothing to do with.

God's grace, and hard work -- without government money to pay for their education, mind you -- has allowed my boys to at least be able to go into a restaurant and blend in with other people there, to attend church, to go on field trips like other kids. Yes, they used to have severe autistic behaviors. But they aren't as severe anymore. My boys are making progress. They are joining me in my world more and more every single day.

Do we still have meltdowns? Yep. Do we still have self-injurious, aggressive behavior? Oh yeah. But it's so much better now. We have a long way to go, but we've come a long way, too.

We don't live in a perfect world, and I know that it is possible some children are misdiagnosed and may even be overmedicated. But just because a few children are doesn't mean all of them are. In fact, it just proves how ignorant people really are about disabilities, and how important it is for people to have a better awareness of what families living with disabilities are dealing with.

I am regularly overwhelmed with daily survival. My children require 24-7 supervision. I can't be spontaneous, have company over to my house, or even CLEAN my house because I have to watch my boys. I can't just decide to run to the store to get lettuce without making elaborate arrangements for their supervision.

How on earth can a lifestyle like this possibly considered a racket? (Unless of course it's the sound of the twins tearing the drywall off the walls. . .)

Michael Savage, my house bears the scars of raising these children. If I am involved in some kind of racket, please explain the holes in the walls, the ripped up linoleum, the stained carpets, and the freshly "painted" doors in my house.

At first, I was so angry at Michael Savage, I wanted to call him the same names he called my children. But then I realized, he is just ignorant. He is unaware. He simply has no clue what it means to live with Autism. I have to believe that because I can't embrace the idea that someone who really knows what this condition is like could possibly say the things he did.

So, I forgive him.

But I won't forget.

This has shown me that somehow, someway, we parents and caregivers in the trenches have to find a way to be heard. I am hoping that God will use this to bring the truth to light about this disease. We have to educate people about the truth of Autism, so that people don't embarrass themselves with their blatant ignorance of this overwhelming disorder.

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Genesis 50:20

I Conquered the Dragon!

2008-07-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

I did it! 318 curves in 11 miles. And I was smiling the entire time. Here's a slide show of my trip to Deal's Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. Hiway 129. It was so beautiful there and SO MUCH FUN! I highly recommend anyone who dreams of going to go. The roads in that area are the most fun motorcycle roads I've ever ridden. Even really experienced riders will tell you that!

Back from Camp and Leaving for the Mountains!

2008-06-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had an AWESOME time at camp! Thank-you, Women Who Ride! I will be posting a bunch of pictures and telling you all about it as soon as I get back from my trip in the Smokey Mountains! I just got home yesterday, and today am washing clothes and packing to leave again tomorrow!

I will be riding 1200 miles round trip with my biker chick girlfriends, Susan and Melinda.

We will be going town to Deal's Gap to ride the dragon!

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/maps_dragon_road.html

I'm nervous and excited and everything in between. It will be a milestone in my biking career!

Check back next week for lots of pictures and stories!

Thank-you, Women Who Ride!

2008-05-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

I have some amazing friends on the Delphi Forum page of Women Who Ride. These folks raised $1500 to send my twin sons (who have autism) to Joni and Friends Family Retreat camp. Our pictures from last year can be found here:

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/KarlaKAkins/349738/

It was such an amazing experience, but so expensive, I wasn't sure we would get to go again this year. (Last year we sold homemade cookies to raise money to go!) My faith shouldn't have been so small.

Much to my surprise the owner of the Women Who Ride Forum, "Donna the Doc" (who is wife of Motorman of Ride Like a Pro fame) did a fund raising drive and people on that forum donated the money for my family to go again this summer! Just goes to show what great, generous, warm, caring people bikers are.

Here's a picture of the boys being presented with the check and being told they get to go back to camp. We presented it to them at church and the people standing with them are bikers in the church who stood in for the WWR folks. My husband is that cute preacher on the end of the row on the right. The two wee ones are my granddaughters. I think you can tell who the twins are!

Thank-you WOMEN WHO RIDE! And thank-you Donna and Motorman! I am more grateful than words can begin to express.

Stay tuned for pictures of retreat! We go in June! We can hardly wait!

How Many People with My Name?

2008-05-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
5
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

A New Season and a New Camera!

2008-05-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited. My husband ordered me a new camera for Mother's Day! I will have a fresh new camera to take pictures with this riding season!

My plans for this season include riding with some girlfriends on our motorcycles to Deal's Gap to slay The Dragaon! Read about it here:

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/maps_dragon_road.html

I'm a little nervous about 318 curves in 11 miles, but if I can ride all the way up to Mackinac Island, I can do this! It is a rite of passage for all bikers. You ain't a real biker until you've done the dragon! (Or so they tell me.)

My husband and I are going to ride north again to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Leave me a comment if you have a suggestion on where to go and what to see up there!

Vrrroooom!!!

My Son's Bike

2007-08-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

My son built and painted this bike. He taught himself how to do it. That's typical of homeschoolers, you know! He's considering selling it.

I did it!!!!

2007-08-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd just pop in and let you all know that I survived my 1000 mile trip to Mackinac Island and back on my motorcycle! I will post a full report as soon as I have time, or I just might do it in sections. There is so much to share and tell!

Here is my bike on the shore of Lake Huron -- is that AWESOME or WHAT???

I also crossed the Mackinac Bridge -- that's five miles of bridge over the Great Lake -- and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. It was soooooo beautiful that day! I loved it. I just wish there would have been a way for me to take a picture of what I saw while on the bridge. It was awesome. But here's a picture of the bridge:

Who would have ever thought a year ago I'd be doing THAT? Not me!! I loved it. I absolutely love riding my motorcycle with my husband! God provided us with beautiful weather and little traffic. He gave me such peace. He is so good!

On another note, I think you'll get a kick of how I've modified my iBook. I'd love a new macbook, but since I don't have the extra $$ right now, this will just have to do:

I love pink! (Can you tell? LOL.)

If you look really close to the right you can see my Rottie girl, Gretchen snoozing next to me on the couch. (Notice I have the remote handy, too, so I can record Little House on the Prairie and my favorite news shows!)

I'll post more as I have time! Hugs to all!

My Motorcycle Trip to Kentucky and Ohio from Indiana

2007-06-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our Motorcycle Trip down to the brand new Creation Museum located in Petersburg, Kentucky near Cincinnati! It was 490 miles round trip and we made it!

Creation Museum Lobby

Pteradactyl
A fierce fellow over the bookstore entrance -- he moves!

You can read more about the Creation Museum (if you're at all interested) at my other blog: http://homeschoolblogger.com/karlakakins.

I have to admit, I didn't enjoy my trip on my motorcycle on the way down as much as I did on the way home. On the trip to the museum, we took mostly interstates and we got a late start, so we really didn't get to enjoy anything because part of our trip was made in the dark.

But on the way home, my husband agreed to go on backroads, and we had such fun!

Here are some pictures of our trip home on our motorcycles:

My honey and our bikes
Just across the KY border -- my husband's bike on the left, mine on the right. That's my cute husband, Eddie in the middle.

Yummy diner! I love eating in these little mom and pop places! We had chicken fried steak -- one of my favorites!

This is the inside of the diner. Isn't it cute?

After our hearty meal, we headed north and got caught in a thunderstorm. I had already wet my shirt down at the diner to keep cool in the sun, so when it rained on us, I froze! We stopped for a few minutes in a Wal-mart parking lot then headed out again. After about an hour the rain stopped and we reached one of my favorite spots in Indiana: the home of Gene Stratton Porter where she wrote the books Freckles and The Girl of the Limberlost. I grew up reading her books, so she is pretty special to me! I love her books and doing unit studies with them. I have written unit studies for a few of her books that I hope to make available soon.

Gene Stratton Porter Site

Eddie enjoyed taking pictures there, so that gave me some time to take off my soggy boots and sit on her porch. I like sitting there imagining her sitting there. I took my kids there once and read a chapter of Limberlost to them on that porch. I love that house.

Since the Limberlost is so near and dear to my heart, I just had to get my husband to take a picture of my bike in front of the convenience store sign. If you're wondering why I'm not in it -- remember -- I was drenched and not looking too glamorous.

My Bike

We made it home safe and sound, and our puppies were glad we were home, too! We put them in a kennel for the first time in our lives (and theirs!). They were so exhausted from being at the kennel (I can just imagine they barked their fool heads off for days) that they immediately went to sleep snoring loudly! Here are Frankie and Oskar, my constant companions on the couch when I'm on the laptop:

Oskar and Frankie

Next week we'll be going to Joni and Friends Family Retreat. I will post pictures of that when we get back!

You Didn't See Me

2007-03-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Amish Country

2006-10-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

I rode a few miles out of town and visited my Amish neighbors today. My picture taking didn't go as well as I would have liked it to, but I did get a few fun shots.

These pumpkins make a cheerful greeting along the driveway. The food stand was full of honey, tomatoes, and other colorful vegetables. Check out the squash posing as snakes at the edges of the roof of the stand!

More pumpkins

Another view of the produce stand.

The lady laughed when I asked if I could take pictures of her laundry.

These socks all lined up like soldiers amused me.

Something tells me the women in this house are outnumbered.

Along the road are a lot of farms with lots of different kinds of horses. Here is a pony that caught my eye because he is tied on the outside of the pasture away from the other horses. I'm not sure if he is a pony or if he is a baby. I know absolutely nothing about horses so forgive my ignorance.

He was a little afraid of my motorcycle, but I was able to calm him down enough to snap this photo. What a beautiful beast that work horse on the other side of the fence is! I have always wanted to know more about horses and learn to ride them. But, guess I'm destined to ride my iron steed instead! :-)

I think they were as curious about me as I was about them. I must have looked very different to them -- pink helmet and all!

The middle horse looks like he's ready to ask me a question, doesn't he? I wish I would have had some carrots with me! I could have made some friends, I think!

Naturally, Tin Man had to get in on the action today. What a difference a few months makes in the color of the corn!

Symptoms of Motorcycle Addiction

2006-09-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

Is there a doctor in the house? I think I have a problem!

Motorcycle Addiction

Even more serious than the notoriously widespread chocoholic mania, is the growing epidemic of a condition known as Motorcycle Addiction or MA. Don't laugh because you might be it's next victim. Better check yourself:

How many of these apply to you?

1. I have gone riding when I was depressed, or to cheer myself up.
2. I have gone on riding binges of several tanks of gas or more in one day.
3. I ride rapidly, often 'gulping' roads.
4. I have sometimes ridden early in the morning or before work.
5. I have hidden bikes in different places to sneak a ride in without being seen.
6. Sometimes I avoid friends or family obligations in order to ride motorcycles.
7. Sometimes I find myself analyzing sections of roads as if I was riding even while in a car.
8. I am unable to enjoy myself with others unless there is a bike nearby.
9. At a boring party, I will often slip off unnoticed to go riding.
10. Riding has made me seek haunts and companions which I would otherwise avoid.
11. I have neglected personal hygiene or household chores until I have finished a ride.
12. I have spent money meant for necessities on accessories instead.
13. I have attempted to complete an Iron Butt ride.
14. Most of my friends are also heavy motorcycle riders.
15. I have sometimes passed out from a night of heavy riding.
16. I have suffered helmet hair or farmer�s tan from a bout of riding.
17. I have wept, become angry or irrational because of a road I have ridden.
18. I have sometimes dressed my infant child in a T-shirt that says �My mommy is faster than yours�.
19. My family thinks my riding is out of control.

If you answered 'yes' to three or more of these questions, you may be suffering from Motorcycling Addition. Affirmative responses to ten or more indicates a serious condition. Once a relatively rare disorder among women, MA, has risen to new record levels due in part to an increased supply of dealerships addressing the needs of a women riders.

Social costs of Motorcycle Addiction
Women may fantasize and dream, creating alternative worlds to ride through, to the neglect of friends and family. Their decorating styles change, pictures of velvet vintage Vincents adorn the walls. Crochet afghans in the shape of V-twins are strewn over couches and out-dated Shoei helmets pose as lampshades.

Physical costs of MA
Physically it can take a toll on the body as well, in severe cases they develop bad posture from riding in awkward positions or carrying heavy tool bags. Wrists develop throttle twitches and feet get the clutch jimmies. In the worst instances, they become cranky bike mechanics with a lot of cats living in small towns.

Heredity
Recent MMI studies have established that heredity plays a considerable role in determining whether a person will become a rider of motorcycles. Most riders have at least one parent who suffered from MA, often beginning at an early age and progressing into adulthood. Other predisposing factors indicate mothers who are road race fans, collectors of rally T-shirts, or heavy leather wearers during pregnancy are more likely to pass on this condition in utero than non. Highly transmittable from one peer to another, many sisters and friends of an addict become motorcycle addicts themselves.

Prevention/Treatment
There is no known cure or prevention for Motorcycle Addiction. Women with MA go on to live happy, healthy fulfilled lives, much to the chagrin of some folks.

~source unknown and slightly tweaked by KA for your amusement

I Passed Motorcycle Safety Class!

2006-08-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

I passed my motorcycle safety class! :-) It's official now -- I'm a licensed motorcyclist!

Click Pics to Enlarge

2006-08-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

I have ridden on the back of a Harley but I've never operated one. Tonight my husband "let me" drive his Harley. I had a BLAST. He was so nervous -- his bike has never been dropped, so I knew it was a gesture of love for him to let me ride it! It is so different than riding on my Suzuki! I was in a total state of euphoria riding it! I've never had so much fun!

The white bike is my husband's Sporster -- I think it would look great with pink saddle bags, don't you??

This is a picture of my bike and the Sporster. I've named my bike "Tin Man."

On tonight's trip I found a mansion in a farm field. It seemed very out of place to me, but it was beautiful, too.

I have had my mind a lot on what is going on in the MIddle East. I am not afraid, but I am concerned that what is going on there will affect us here. When I read Ezekiel in the Bible, especially chapters 35 to the end, it sure seems like what is happening right now with Iran is prophesied there. While I'm not worried, I am wondering -- how long will we be able to have the freedom to ride like we do? What will happen to gasoline prices, to our way of life, and is Jesus coming soon?

Riding gets my mind off of the cares of this world -- but I know that some day, I will have my own mansion in heaven, and the cares of this world will not even be remembered.

In the meantime, I hope that all my loved ones will know Jesus. He is the only God Who makes sense. He is love, pure and virtuous. And while His followers fail Him, and do not live as they should, and so many times have the wrong idea about what is right in this world, Jesus doesn't. If only I could get my friends to read His Words, compare them with all the other religions in the world, and have their eyes opened to the truth. THAT would be pure euphoria -- even more than riding a Harley!

I really believe that Jesus is coming soon -- that what is going on in the Middle East has been prophesied by Ezekiel, Daniel and in the book of Revelation. Time is short. I want to be ready!

Happy Birthday, Darling Husband! (Click Photos to Enlarge!)

2006-08-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today was my husband's 47th Birthday so we rode our motorcycles out to Wabash for dinner and then out to Salamonie State Park/Lake/Forest. Here are some pictures I took. The good looking guy on the Harley is my husband.

These photos were taken at the entrance to Salamonie State Forest.

That little dot waaaaay off in the distance is my husband on his Harley:

This funky tree fascinates me. I think a sketch artist could make a beautiful picture of it.

I will take pictures in the fall, too. The foliage in this entrance way is so pretty and romantic.

The sun was setting as we left the forest. My husband had a happy birthday and it was fun to get to enjoy it with him. Life is good because God is good.

Perfect Day to Ride!

2006-08-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

I rode my bike today and it was perfect weather for it. It's been so hot I hadn't ridden in a week! But today I couldn't stand it one minute longer and I just HAD to ride! Here are some pictures I took today -- I got lost! I love getting lost! There are so many new things to see! (As long as I have a full tank of gas!)

Here is a picture of my bike with some Sunflowers. They reminded me of my childhood home in Kansas. The ones in Kansas grow MUCH taller -- but I liked these anyway.

While lost, I came across this little house that had bikes for sale. That little dog just barked and barked and barked at me!

I love the blue in this picture. It's at the same house. Look towards the back of the picture and you can see all the bikes for sale! I love the little red bird sitting on top of the post. This is true country art, don't you think?

Who says elephants don't live in Indiana?

No matter how much I honked or yelled these horses would NOT look at me!

Well, okay, ONE of them did -- briefly! I think she was thinking, "excuse me? Can't you see we are BUSY?" I want to learn to ride a horse. Hey, I've conquered riding a motorcycle -- surely riding a horse can't be any harder!

I really liked the color of the red buildings/barns against this emerald green soybean field. Look in my rear view mirror and you can see how looooong the the field is, and how on the other side of the road is corn!

I love old schoolhouses. Someone lives in this one. My husband thinks it might be apartments. The mature trees around it are just beautiful. If it IS an apartment building, I am going to go back and take better pictures. I thought it was a private residence and really didn't think I should walk up into the yard.

I have never in my life seen such tall beans. Look how huge they are next to my bike!

Today was the first time I got smiles from people when they realized I was a woman. I also think people think it's funny that I stop and take pictures of beans. There is beauty everywhere if you will only look!

Indiana Green--Click on Pics to Enlarge

2006-07-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

I live in Indiana. It is green here. It is green here because we have gotten plenty of rain. Some parts of Indiana have gotten more than others, and some places have gotten too much, but in Wabash/Kosciusko County we have gotten just the right amount of rain to allow the corn to stretch tall into gray-blue Hoosier skies.

I love nature and I love recording it. Here are some pictures of a ride I took today. It was the first time I encountered deer on the road while riding my motorcycle. Scary. No, I didn't get pictures of deer -- they are too fast and the corn and foliage is too tall.
The above picture is my bike in front of a corn field at the corner of a farmer's driveway.

Below is the same driveway -- just the other side of it. Waaaaaay back behind the corn is the farm house. I love Indiana's long rambling roads and even more I love long driveways that stretch back into the hearts of forests, meadows and pastures, inviting the tired farmer home.

Below is a meadow I came to that I had not noticed before. I was appreciating it's beauty when I realized

There was a sign posted on it:

And it reads: "Classified Wildlife Habitat." No wonder it was so beautiful and so many deer were jumping in and out of it! There were a lot of little bunny families there, too.

Here's a picture of an Indiana soybean field. Look waaaaaay back into the picture -- it stretches on and on -- just like the country road in my rearview mirror.

These animals in this green pasture appealed to me. The bull on the right never took his eyes off me. I didn't realize, though, when I snapped the picture (I was melting from the heat in my full-faced helmet) that we had a "German Shorthair Pointer Cow " in the left side of the photo.

If you look very closely on the second electric pole you will see a hawk perched atop. I snapped it for the hawk, but when I got home, I realized it was also a great shot of an Indiana country road, nestled between two soybean fields.

Today when I rode three vultures/hawks (some sorts of birds of prey) flew right above me in a beautiful formation a little in front of my bike. I could have reached out and touched them. This is the second time hawks have accompanied me on my travels. I'm beginning to wonder if it's some sort of sign, or if I look like a good meal, or if they think I'm a hawk. . .not sure. Any ideas?

The picture below is so awesome because this corn is SO TALL. I was also impressed with this farmer's well manicured lawn in front of it! Talk about curb appeal!

Below is a pic of the same farm, same corn, but I wanted you to see the house beyond it and this huge beautifully manicured lawn in front of it! This is in the middle of virtually nowhere-land -- but it's just beautiful. It says a lot about a person's character when they keep their farm so tidy, don't you think?

I love my bike. I love being a Hoosier. I love that God created so much green for me to enjoy when I ride.

First Solo Ride

2006-07-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

I did a solo ride today without my riding buddy husband, and I enjoyed it SO MUCH. I have enough confidence now to know I can handle sticky situations! :-) I fish tailed in an uphill driveway and made it. Whew. I thought the house was abandoned. It had a for sale sign on it -- well, got to the back yard and it wasn't abandoned! Hah! I bet the folks living there wondered if I was a burglar or something. Anyway, I have been looking for a house in the country, and that's why I checked it out. I'm so glad I didn't peek in the windows!

I also managed a U-turn (to the left) in the middle of the road. I rode in some rain, and I got lost and rode on a big highway with semis. LOL. I made it home just fine, though.

I also "tested" my throttle to see just how much pick up she had. Oh, found out, she can GO. LOL. I'm such a weenie, I hadn't wanted to try that yet. It's way too fun. I'm afraid I might be a speed freak after all.

It's so nice to just go and ride on instinct. For the first time today I wasn't worried about a deer jumping out or some critter running in my path -- I was just enjoying the journey and it felt great. I only wish I would have taken my camera.

There was one great moment when I was riding in a grove of trees, and a vulture/hawk (some huge big bird of prey) was flying straight toward me on the road. It was so awesome! He didn't veer off until I got right up to him. At first I thought it was a bald eagle (we have a lot of those around here) but darn, it wasn't. Still, it was an awesome sight. Also got to see a huge Blue Heron take flight as I rode by a creek.

This is riding at its best, I think -- enjoying nature. I'm a nature nut anyway. I keep a nature journal and teach my students to hike and study it. (http://libertyscholars.com) I love critters and plants. (Just another reason I want a house in the country!)

I do know already I want a bigger bike. Maybe next summer. When I go by those semis the bike just scoots across the road. I hate that. Would a bigger windshield help with that or not?

Oh, another question: the choke. I accidentally left it open. It makes me so mad that I forget to shut it. That, and remembering to turn off my turn signal, are two things I'm still working on!

Just wanted to share with my buddies how much fun I'm having!

A Night of Firsts

2006-07-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my first out-of-town trip. Okay, we only went 55 miles round trip, but it was a big deal to me! I did a lot of things I had never done before!

My first really BIG thing was to ride my bike at 65 MPH. I have never ridden that fast before tonight. It was also the first time I had ridden on a 4-lane highway. What a blast! I do look forward to the day, though, when I have a bigger windshield -- and when I win the lottery -- a big touring bike! That wind is merciless. But at least now I know I CAN DO IT!

We went from North Manchester, Indiana to Salamonie Lake Dam. There are a lot of great twists and turns on that ride once you're off the 4-laner. I wish I would have stopped and taken some pictures of the roads we were on -- you'd love all the twisties!

I did take some pictures of our destination spot.

Here is a picture of the lake. We stopped our bike on top of the dam. I thought it would bother me to be up high like that but it didn't bother me at all!

This is a picture of my riding buddy, my husband of 23+ years, Eddie. It's all his fault I ride now! He is sitting on his 2004 Harley Sportster 1200. Aren't his little short legs too cute?

This is a picture of me taken today by my riding buddy. I don't have my own helmet yet, and I don't have my own jacket yet, either. I am wearing my husband's denim shirt. We are getting my gear one little thing at a time. :-) My first gear purchase was my Harley Boots (not shown in this pic!). I love my boots! The sticker on my helmt says, "Hairdo by Helmet." I love it. A wonderful biker chick friend sent it to me. I met her on the "Women Who Ride" forum at Delphi Forums. When I finally get my own gear, I want it to be pink: pink helmet, pink jacket, pink gloves -- everything pink! I would love some pink flames on my bike, too, but can't convince my honey to let me do that. I want people to know I'm a GIRL when I ride!

This is Salamonie Lake. Lots of good fishing here! It is one of my favorite places to take my kids camping.

Another picture of the dam.

Just another pretty picture of the lake. I never thought I'd enjoy riding a motorcycle so much! But everytime we pull in the drive, I wish we could ride some more!

No Longer a Cager-Only

2006-07-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

I have begun biking this summer. I have my learner's permit and I have been practicing all summer so that when I take the MSF course in August I won't look like an idiot! I will be using this space to post pictures and stories of my bike journeys and my journeys with Jesus, too!

My husband bought my first bike 4 weeks ago. It is a 2003 Suzuki Intruder VS800. I would love to have a touring bike someday and be able to take long trips! But for now, this has been an awesome bike to learn on.