Donna, bless her, gave me a GoPro camera for Christmas. Naturally, I checked it out that very day, so I’d know how to work it on New Year’s Eve, the day my son and I planned to ride to Globe, Arizona. Here’s a short clip from the New Year’s Eve ride: it shows Greg and I pulling out of a gas station in Winkleman and starting to ride up the Gila River Canyon (he’s on the Harley; I’m following on my Goldwing).
About the ride: I rented the Harley from a local motorcycle rental business, after first making sure the owner didn’t mind coming in early on New Year’s Day so we could turn the bike in. The price was right and the bike was cool, and we’ll probably rent from him again.
It was plenty cold the morning of the ride, just above freezing in fact, but by the time Greg and I stopped for breakfast north of Tucson we were ready to peel off our sweaters and switch to lighter gloves. Later, once we got up in the hills, the temperature dropped and we suited back up after lunch. From Globe, rather than retrace our route back, we looped through copper mining country and the little company towns of Miami, Superior, and Kearney. We were home with a little daylight remaining, and Greg took Beth and Quentin for rides on the Harley—but not before Schatzi got her turn!
It was great having our whole family together again—all of us, that is, except our granddaughter Taylor, who is 21 and had to stay in Las Vegas to work. Our last photo op was this morning, just before the Las Vegas Woodfords headed back home in their new Mercedes.
Polly, me, Donna, Quentin, Beth, and GregoryOh, did I mention the Mercedes? Talk about being one-upped by your own progeny!
Well, it’s just us and Polly again. We’re taking the tree and outdoor lights down tomorrow, and then we’ll be back to normal, ready to get on to 2016.
There are more video clips to come, and photos too, so do check back. I promised to start working on a book this year, so I may not blog as much as I have been, but by no means am I giving up on Paul’s Thing.
Happy New Year, everyone!