Friday, June 15, 2012

A Busy Weekend

This weekend at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds our Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club is joining forces with the Viking Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America for their annual Bike Show.  I've got the little 1962 Honda C105 55cc trailbike loaded and will be at the fairgrounds tomorrow, hoping for a chance to win "Oldest Bike" at the VJMC judging Saturday afternoon.  There are older Japanese bikes around but not that many.  Of course the Antique Club has machines that go back decades older.  We're all counting on great attendance and a huge number of bikes to be on display.

Tomorrow evening our son is coming home for a couple weeks on Leave from his home base of Camp LeJeune.  In early July he's being deployed to Africa and naturallly we're very anxious to see him and do all we can to maximize our time together before he heads off to foreign soil.  His presence at home is going to be all the Father's Day giving that I need.

Last night's 4" rainfall was more than our driveway slab could handle.  The slab's condition has been deteriorating over time, in place since the early 50's when my uncles poured it across the dry run our driveway crosses.  I knew we were in for trouble last night when I looked out and saw the ponds that were forming in our very sloped fields and my concern was enough to prevent a good night's sleep.  We've wondered before but this time I just knew deep inside that this morning would present a very unpleasant picture and it did.

Due to schedules and vehicles needed by the rest of the family, I intended to ride one of the bikes to work today.  Hopping on the TranZalp this morning, it was the bike with tires able to cope with the 6" of lovely loam that was on the driveway and that should have STAYed on the cornfield.  We were fortunate to avoid the drift-logs that so often have accompanied our valley's floods but I'd have taken the logs in preference to the broken up, displaced and upended chunks of slab that I encountered.  I navigated through the mess, then turned around to help Peg navigate her way through so that at least she could go to work.  There was barely room for a single vehicle to slowly ease through the deep muck and still avoid the huge holes but we got through it.  I drove up to the road, Peg took over and headed to Minneapolis.

I walked back and started the tractor (still had the winter plowing snowchains on) so that I could attempt to move one huge chunk of slab so the girls would be able to get out this afternoon.  I did nothing with the mud, deciding that getting it dried out would only be a good thing.  Since it had been months since our non-snow winter demanded the tractor's running, I was relieved that the tractor started so easily.  Bouncing down to the ditch with the chains on and then quickly getting the slab moved enough to provide a pathway out went reasonably well.  Back up the driveway, off the tractor, got myself suited up again for the bike ride in and still made Minneapolis by 7AM.

So, a relatively big issue to deal with but for the time being, this weekend at least, it's more motorcycles, time with our Marine and Father's Day.

Inside the Pavillion with mostly Viking Chapter Antique Club bikes.  For the most part, the VJMC machines were outside, some under the tent while many were out in the parking lot.


Our driveway under rushing water, just over 9" in 7 days.....




1 comment:

  1. I just watched the driveway video. Wow, that's a lot of water!!

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