UMCI Rally John Day, Oregon

On Sunday July 17 I headed out early for Rathdrum, Idaho where I was to meet up with friends and continue on to John Day the next day. Billie and Dave welcomed everyone and had a great BBQ that evening. Everyone pitched in and we had a wonderful time. The next morning we met our fearless leader Scotty 84 years young at a restaurant in Post Falls Idaho. There were 9 motorcycles in all with 6 being bikes and sidecars. We traveled south without mishap except Scotty made a wrong turn in the Tri Cities area which is not hard to do and we all had a much welcomed rest in a park along the river. Ann Odell said once we left Rathdrum it would be baldheaded prairie all the way...Except once we turned off the Interstate on 395 we went over 5 mountain pases with twists and turns galore...Some bald headed prairie!

Beautiful little town. No wonder so many motorcycle rallies are held here. We had 147 in attendance with the furthest away being from Portland, Ontario. I was delegated to do 1/2 hour of jokes at the banquet as entertainment. It is so good to enjoy the camadarie of all ones friends. There were several rides but the only one I took was to the John Day Fossil Beds and museum. What a diverse region and so different from our Drumheller. In my quest to find someone to share my retirement gift with I was bugging Ron Pratt from La Ronge if he was ready for his audition yet. Finally at the banquet he said he was ready but I would need 4 cotton balls..I finally asked what for? He responded 2 for my nose and 2 for my ears. I can't stand the smell of burning rubber or screaming women. And on that note I left on Friday AM to head out for Republic Washington to the BMW rally there! ALONE! I negotiated all the twists and turns heading the opposite direction on 395. No problem but I only met about 6 cars in 150 miles til I reached the Interstate. I was a little freaked out by the mention of the tight turns on Hwy 21 down to the Keller ferry. Your traveling along in this flat farmland and then all of a sudden the bottom drops out and you wind your way down to the ferry, Again I was all alone but I managed just fine and arrived in John Day early Friday afternoon.