RIDE TO SWEETIE PIE'S IN DECATUR TEXAS 3-27-10

Today, Saturday, 3-27-10, there was a ride down to Decatur Texas to Sweetie Pie's Ribeye's Restaurant. The Blue Knights TX XX was in attendance as well as members from H.O.G. and a bunch of our friends. Janice even took me and we followed the 20 bikes and 30 folks to Decatur Texas in the car. Those actually in attendance today were: Russ (Road Captain), Curtis, Kyle, Amy, Tim & Tammy, Larry, Laura, Charlie & Brenda, Steve & Vanessa, Tyler, Steve & Connie, Gary & Jean Ann, Joe & Sherri, Nubbin & Angela, Sissy, Myra & Russell, Dennis & Moe, Jimmy, Janis & Robert and Janice & me. So scroll on down and join us for today's ride and REMEMBER: IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE PICTURE BIGGER, JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE...

We left the house at 9:15 a.m. to gas up and then went to the Wal-Mart on Southwest Parkway for the staging time of 9:30 a.m. Janice got this pic of me sitting on my Harley in the garage. Unfortunately, I still have a few months left to heal before I can ride her. I am reduced to using the knee walker (to my right) and the car.

We get to the staging area and Russ comes over to see what's up. Here is Russ grinning while looking thru the drivers window.

Janice got the knee walker out of the trunk and Russ came over and gave me a set of Harley Davidson Suspenders. I have been losing a lot of weight and am going thru smaller pants. Until the next smaller pair, Russ said he was tired of seeing plumbers crack, hence the suspenders. Here I am with my new suspenders. Thanks Russ. Glad I was able to "crack" this smile for ya..

Folks were arriving and some already there. This is Sissy, Tammy & Moe

Here are Dennis & Curtis. The weather today was partly cloudy, 64 degrees and winds out of the West 25-30 mph with gusts to 50 mph..

Gary & Jean Ann arrive

Janice, Joe & Sherri at the staging area in Wichita Falls Texas.

Left to right: Moe, Janice, Sissy, Sherri, Jean Ann, Tammy & Amy

Left to right: Tim, Russ, Larry, Curtis, Joe, Gary, me and Kyle

Jimmy arrives at Wal-Mart

Russ & Kyle standing in the rising sun

Riders standing around talking as we await our KSU time of 9:50 a.m.

Dennis & Moe's Harley at the staging area

Getting ready for the safety briefing

Curtis, our Chaplain, gives the ride prayer prior to us departing

Sissy's Harley Trike as she walks to it

Jimmy prepares to mount up for departure

Janice looks out at everyone. This was my first ride where I would be taking pics from a car...

Left to right: Tim, Larry, Russ, Curtis, Joe, Gary, me, Kyle & Dennis at the staging area

Larry's new 2010 Harley Ultra Classic Limited Edition

Larry's new Harley. Larry was appointed today's ride tail gunner. He would keep in touch with the leader, Russ, by radio. We would ride behind Larry. We would be stopping in Windthorst Texas and pic up Nubbin & Angela & Charlie & Brenda. We would also stop in Chico Texas and pick up Laura

Here is Amy, all smiles as usual.. I have never seen her frown...

Sissy is ready to go

Tim is patiently waiting to depart

Russ starts the ride briefing as Tyler, Connie, Steve, Gary and Sissy listen up

Russ passes on route info and formation info during the briefing

Janice listens in on the briefing. As we were follow up cage, we doubled as the support vehicle..

Larry & Russell at the staging area briefing

Russ giving the briefing and Sissy listening in

Russ's colors with his nickname

We start out Southbound on US 281 enroute to Windthorst Texas. There was a strong crosswind during most of the ride today

A view of the bikes in front of us as we continue Southbound. You can see some of them leaning into the West wind to keep from being blown around. I know we were being blown around in Janice's little Ford Focus..

There were a lot of hills and curves in today's ride. Here are the bikes going up a small rise. Larry is in the back with Dennis & Moe up front to his left..I can't tell who's who with the rest of the bikes from back here

The bikes in front of us as we near Windthorst

These flags were sticking straight out from the strong wind and can attest to the West crosswind we were experiencing

The bikes start to stretch out a little. With the strong winds, we were trying to keep the bikes 3 seconds apart

One of the many stop signs out in the country we came to on today's ride

Going down a hill and into a series of curves.

We come out of the curve and start down again. The bikes were getting farther apart but still in a good formation at this point. In front of Larry is Charlie & Brenda, Angela on the yellow trike and Nubbin on the OD green Harley Trike. We are now enroute to Chico Texas to pick up Laura. Laura drove there from Bowie Texas to meet us. Was closer for her than to have ridden up to Wchita Falls to the staging area.

Here are the bikes heading East to Chico..

going up another rise

Small hills, large hills and a lot of curves made this a great ride. I even had fun taking pics from the car

Closing back up as we near Chico Texas

Another stop sign as we roll up on TX 59. We turn South again on Tx 59

These trees weren't budding yet. Many others along the way, were..

We enter Chico Texas and head up over the railroad tracks

As we headed thru Chico, there was blowing dirt every where

The group in Chico Texas

We stop for a break in Chico as we pick up Laura. You can see her just ahead, sitting on her bike just off the shoulder

This is Laura as she comes over to the car and says hi

Dennis looks on as Charlie waves as he walks to the service station

Charlie & Brenda as they walk past the car

Nubbin comes over and shows me a patch he had made up to honor his son, USMC Sgt. Gary Johnston, who was killed in the Anbar province, Iraq in 2007

A close up of Nubbin's patch.

Angela & Jean Ann in Chico Texas

When we left here, we were going to head South on TX 101

The back of Nubbin's vest

The bikes in Chico Texas

Laura taking some pics prior to our departure from Chico, enroute to Decatur Texas

Russ gets everyone ready prior to departure

Angela is in an exceptionally good mood today

Joe & Sherri are geared up and ready to go

Here I am, in the car, in Chico Texas

Riders getting ready for the 10 minute or so ride to Decatur Texas

Laura is ready to go

We start forward and wait for traffic to clear on TX 101

We pull out and start thru some more curves

Good looking formation as we head East to Decatur Texas and lunch at Sweetie Pie's Ribeye's

One of the Decatur Texas Landmark Water towers as we enter Decatur

Here we near US 287 and we turn South

We exit US 287 on the off ramp to Main Street, where we would turn East (left) and head to the Restaurant

Heading East thru Decatur Texas to the downtown ara

We stop as everyone parks. Sweetie Pie's is up on the right at the intersection on the end of that building. Janice and I parked in the parking lot where the white car is, up on the right

Angela backs her trike into a parking space

There wasn't enough room for all the bikes in front of Sweetie Pie's. Several had to park their bikes up on the left, across the intersection at the Courthouse

The bikes looking back from the entrance to Sweetie Pie's.

Here is Jimmy, inside Sweetie Pie's Ribeye's

Angela & Nubbin inside Sweetie Pie's. We sat at the table with them. They are great folks and good friends!

The sign over the door at Sweetie Pie's Ribeye's Restaurant in Decatur Texas For more on Sweetie Pie's Ribeye's Restaurant, see this link: http://www.sweetiepiesribeyes.com/

This is our waitress, Tabatha. She was hard working and good at it. Kept us supplied in Tea, bread and whatever else we needed. Definitely a great asset for the Restaurant

We ended up with 6 tables. Here are a couple tables with our group, in Sweetie Pie's

Kyle, our Vice President & Curtis, our Chaplain inside Sweetie Pie's

Our table: Amy, Nubbin, me & Janice. Angela had wandered off, so Amy sat in for her..

These are Angela & Nubbin's daughters, who drove in from Rhome Texas to join us. This is Sabrina (gray shirt) and Holly (maroon shirt)

This is Angela and her granddaughter, Harlee

This is Angela's grandson, Ethan, and Angela is holding granddaughter, Harlee

Here is Dennis in Sweetie Pies

Janice ordered a chicken fried ribeye & a squash casserole

I ordered a tea and well done french fries

Amy is one happy lady!! She enjoyed the ride down

This is Myra, who is supporting the MSU Mustang basketball team. MSU is Midwestern State University located in Wichita Falls Texas

We finish eating and everyone heads to the bikes before heading over to the Courthouse for group pictures

Brenda & Charlie outside of the Restaurant in Decatur Texas

This is Tim and Robert. The courthouse is across the street behind them

Sweetie Pie's Restaurant as seen from the Courthouse

The Sweetie Pies Ribeyes Neon oudoor sign

Some of the bikes that parked by the court house

the group photo: Bottom Left to right: Larry, Laura, Charlie, Brenda, Russ, Janice, me, Amy & Kyle. 2nd row: Dennis, Moe Russell, Myra, Sherri, Jean Ann, Tammy & Tim. 3rd Row: Vanessa, Tyler, Sissy, Janis, Robert, Curtis. 4th row: Steve, Steve, Connie, Jimmy & Angela. Top row: Joe, Gary & Nubbin

The group picture for the HOG magazine. (same lineup). Decatur Texas

Kyle & Amy. Decatur Texas

Tammy & Tim in Decatur Texas

Myra having a great time in Decatur Texas

Larry & Janice in Decatur Texas

This is Gary & Jean Ann and Sherri & Joe. Decatur Texas

Nubbin taking pics down in Decatur Texas

Everyone heads back to the bikes to prepare to leave

While we were preparing to go, Curtis noticed these folks looking at the bikes. The little boy wanted to sit on Curtis's bike, so Curtis obliged the young man. Here is Layton. sitting on a big Harley Davidson, with mom, Kristen and Erien

Everyone was ready to go, but traffic caused the group to be in several smaller groups. You can see where several bikes in the center have already left while others were still getting ready

Nubbin is on his Harley trike and ready to go

Nubbin's gas tank & the Harley Davidson emblem

By the time we got around the corner, there were 4 bikes in front of us. Gary & Jean Ann were stopped at the sign. Some bikes had turned left, others turned right and we followed three bikes that went straight. When they turned into a housing area and started looking around, we knew they were seperated from the main pack. Janice & I contunued straight ahead until we hit US 287 where we turned North & headed home. We never did see another motorcycle for the 75 mile drive home

As we got close to home, Janice picked up the camera and got a picture of her happy passenger. I was in a good mood and had a great time today

Janice gives me a hint of a smile. Her back was really bothering her and she couldn''t wait to get home and get some Sombra rubbed on it

Here is a pic taken in the rear view mirror of Janice's car. I took most of the pics hanging out the window of her car today. Well, those of the riders & bikes rolling down the different highways & byways

As we turn on our street, Janice opens the garage door and I see my two bikes waiting for our return. That tree budding out front is a non-fruit bearing pear tree. It was there when we bought the house.

This will conclude this post. Thank you Janice for getting me out of the house today. I had a great time with friends and it was good to meet Steve & Vanessa, Steve & Connie and their son, Tyler.

Please continue to pray for all our troops, those in harm's way and those not. Please pray for Patti (in Korea) and my niece Steffanie (in the Iraqi Theatre). Thanks

Scroll WAY down for more rides, events & runs and don't forget to click on the 'OLDER POSTS' links at the bottom of EACH page for more of the same.

You can access the other North Texas Bikers (I & II) at the following links: North Texas Bikers (I) http://www.jjskewlstuff.blogspot.com/ and North Texas Bikers II at: http://www.jjskewlstuffii.blogspot.com/ .

Until next post, ya'll be careful out there. Keep your head on a swivel, keep the rubber on the road and most of all: RIDE SAFE.................................JOHN