 Our OH-KY Voyagers had our first Wrench Day this January - with much success. Now, I’ve heard people have said I’m too “wordy” but I still have to start this out saying how helping to start this chapter has not only given Robin and me some great riding partners & new friends – but also friends who keep me motivated to do that maintenance I’ve always wanted and needed to do. Ok, lemme put in a plug here – if there isn’t a chapter in your area you can get to, don’t hesitate to give it a whirl to start your own. The AVA guys & gals will support you in the process, and you’ll surely make some new great friends!
Alright, back to Wrench Day - On that cold January Saturday morning three of us who gathered together in my garage to change the fork oil on my ’03 – I was joined by David Blair from northern Kentucky & Garry Dick from the Ohio/Middeltown area. I’d been putting this off for a year, but with the know-how & joking of these two fine fellas we did the job (a 1st-time effort for me) in about two hours. We didn’t remove the forks, but, following the AVA tech notes, a print-out from the abbikeboard.com, and the trusty shop manual, all went without a single hitch… well, except for...(read the rest of this article in the March/April Voyagers' Voice Magazine!) |
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We
had our annual party this past Saturday. We had 26 members attending
with some very good food and fellowship.
As a chapter we collect small stuffed animals and donate them
to a local fire department, EMT, or hospital to hand out to children
during a time of crisis. In the past this has gone over very well.
This year, Paul & Vicky Taylor, our newest members, had never heard
of such a thing. Nine days before our party, their 61/2 year old
granddaughter, who lives in Seattle, fell while roller skating and
broke her leg. She received a teddy bear from the hospital to
comfort her. The rest of the story is detailed much better below.
There is a photo attached to this.This just shows how we can touch
the lives of little ones we do not even know with such simple acts.
I thought may be you could include this story in an upcoming
newsletter and maybe the idea will catch on.
Bob Decker, President, Wisconsin Badgerland Voyagers From Paul Taylor: For our annual Christmas party all members were asked to bring a teddy bear/stuffed animal, which would be given to a hospital, fire/police department. These stuffed animals would then be handed out to children that were in stressful situations. This became even more meaningful to us when...(read the rest of this article in the March/April Voyagers' Voice Magazine!) 
CASCADE VALLEY VOYAGERS
AWARDS THE 2007
ROad
Hazzard
Non-avoidance
Event
of the
Year
(RONEY) to… Tom Dodson, for a sudden onset of snow blindness. Tom & Cathy, as they have for nearly every one of the last 15 years, represented CVV in the 2007 Christmas Toy Run. Along with approximately 4500 other motorcycles, they ventured out into falling snow to parade 8 miles through Olympia to present toys to the Salvation Army for underprivileged children (upwards of $75,000 worth this year!). Cathy caught the spirit of the event and decorated her full-face helmet with reindeer ears and fuzzy nose. Tom, apparently suffering from the “Harley Gene”, insisted, “I don’t need any stinkin’ face shield”. Together they braved the elements, Cathy in reasonable comfort and Tom with cold wet sticky snow beginning to accumulate on his visor and unshielded face and glasses. Eventually the visor buildup was sufficient to unleash a minor avalanche that cascaded onto his unshielded face obscuring all vision outward and hiding his signature mustache from outside view. At least he wasn’t wearing a traditional Harley “Beenie” helmet in which case he would have suffered snow-down-the-neck syndrome as well as snow blindness.
PALMETTO VOYAGER SOUTH EAST REGIONAL RALLY
In
October 2007, the Palmetto Voyagers hosted their first South East
Regional Rally in Maggie Valley, NC.
In the following article, new Palmetto Voyagers
president, Dave Wirtz, explains just how successful the rally was…
With clear cool weather the Voyagers rolled into Maggie Valley,
North Carolina to gather at Smoky Falls Lodge rally central. Palmetto
Voyagers hosted there first AVA South East Regional Rally the week end of
October 12, 13, & 14. The nights were cool (cold) in the thirty degree range
and the days were sunny and upper sixties to low seventies, warm clothing
made for good riding. Friday started with riders coming in through out the
day but for the ones already there it was a trip to Wheels Through Time
Museum for a guided tour with Dale. Dale owners and operates the museum, and
tales a good story about every motorcycle there, from hill climbing to board
track racing, and lots more to go with it. If you're ever in Maggie Valley
and you like motorcycle history this is the place for you.
The first group ride was an evening ride on the Blue ridge Parkway,
what a sight to look back in one of the long sweeping turns and see a line
of lit up Voyagers.
We had two group rides on Saturday one north on the
parkway to MT. Pisgah for lunch then to Looking Glass Falls with many stops
and a rare sighting of an elk.
The other group ride included a trip up the Blue ridge Parkway which
also include an elk sighting and on to the roads of western North Carolina
and Tennessee.
Saturday night dinner was at the Grizzly Grill for
awards and door prizes.
We would like to extend a special thanks to the AVA, Kawasaki, Carl
Leo, and Robert Shaw for providing the door prizes and rally giveaways.
Everyone got something to take home with them along with there memories.
Our long distance riders were from New Jersey, Milton & Kathleen
Laird double up, and Don Borgese single up, right at the seven hundred mile
mark for both. We also welcomed riders from Virginia, North Carolina,
Georgia, & South Carolina. We thank all that attended and wish we could have
welcomed you. 
ILLINOIS PRAIRIE VOYAGERS
As we
got up this morning at 5 AM to make the drive up to the meeting, we
had time to reflect on what we love about our club. We talked about
all the fun times at get-togethers and the happy campouts. We talked
about the places we had traveled and the sites we have seen. We
talked about the friends that we have made and the new ones that we
will make in the future. We also talked about the sad times that
have happened. Members being hospitalized, facing sickness and life
situations that cause us to pray and weep at times.
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IDAHO’S GEM STATE VOYAGERS
Jerry’s gift
contribution was a “survival kit” replete with everything a motorcycle owner
could need.
Shown below is Gem State Voyagers President, Lonnie Dobyns,
with the ultimate motorcycle survival kit.
As you can see, Lonnie has already donned the
“helmet liner.”
Jerry, there is
no way any of us can beat this wonderful “present.”
Our white elephant gift exchange will never be the same
again!
BE PREPARED!
By Rick
Posted 3/28/08
(Complete Article)
My oldest
son died when he was 15 from 3 ant bites to his wrist & top of his hand.
Now that I have your attention, I will also
tell you that the Lord gave him back to me.
He was at Scout camp serving on staff for
junior leadership training for other scouts.
When he was younger he would get big welts from
mosquito bites the size of silver dollars. The doctor said not to worry,
that’s not all that uncommon in children.
We had it on his
medical records about his allergy but had never experienced anything so
severe.
He made it about 50-75 feet to the camp nurse, told her he’d been bitten.
She turned to get some Benadryl, turn back to him & he was dead on the
floor. His heart stopped, his breathing stopped, gone…. clinically dead.
Scouts being scouts & always prepared, some of them started CPR,
another called for an ambulance.
Camp is about 18
miles south of Amarillo & 15 miles north of Canyon, Texas. Time was
critical. He was loaded up in a pick up & driven towards Canyon. The
ambulance was being led by the Highway Patrol. He expired again in the back
of the truck. They got him going again & met the ambulance, he expired once
more in the ambulance & the medical staff in the ambulance used their “super
charger” and jump-started him.
I made the 80
some-odd mile trip from home to Canyon in about 45 minutes.
When we got there he was sitting up in bed & was his typical 15
years of age, he was hungry & wanted a Double qtr pounder with cheese, super
sized. I was
more than willing to get it for him to say the least.
Why am I telling
this? Well to make a point, to make you think. It was a matter of about 3 to
4 minutes from the time my son was bitten to the time he died. They were 15
miles either direction from emergency medical help. That’s 20 to 30 minutes
round trip for an ambulance to get there, pick him up & return to hospital.
I suspect that there are AVA members out there who are allergic to
wasps, yellow jackets & the sort. So I’d like to pose these questions to you
as “food for thought”
If you are allergic:
1) Do you carry an “epi-pen” or equivalent? 2) Do you carry emergency
medical information (medic alert bracelet or necklace)? 3) If you carry an
epi-pen, does someone with you know where it is kept & how to use it?
I thank the Lord
every day for giving my son back to me. But his mother & I both learned a
very valuable lesson that day that could have ended a lot worse.
The riding season is rapidly approaching for a lot of the country.
If you fall into this category of having an insect allergy, PLEASE make the
necessary arrangements to counter any incident of this nature.
May God bless you, look over you & protect each and every one of you.
