The Adventures of Goldwing Bravo

In his book, "Walden" [1], Henry David Thoreau wrote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." I've been there... Haven't you?  I mean, how much of our lives do we spend wasting time on trivial, meaningless things? I s'pose in the big picture we could argue that it's all meaningless, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring and trite.  

This is the quintessential reason I ride... I just didn't want my life to pass sitting on the couch watching TV.  

Live a life worth remembering, my friends. Smile. Eat the cake. Ride the rollercoaster. Live. Laugh. Love.   

[1] Thoreau, H. D. (1854). Walden; or, Life in the Woods. Boston, MA: Ticknor and Fields.

Five stops. A whole lot of Florida backroad. One very sobering reminder that, in the end, we all wind up in the same place.

From the old Chiefland Jail and Bo Diddley’s gravesite to Tom Petty’s childhood home, Tom Petty Park, and the glorious roadside chaos of Satchel’s Pizza—here’s Gainesville and back in 58 seconds.

While riding the Okeechobee Loop, I stopped at the Pahokee Marina and met Megan and her crew just after they came in from an alligator hunt. 

Their catch? An 11-foot Florida gator.

Well, obviously I had questions.

Megan walked me through how the hunt works — the hooks, the ropes, the bang stick, the permit lottery, and what happens after you successfully haul a prehistoric reptile out of the water.

She also explained what she planned to do with the gator, including keeping the head, processing the meat, and using the hide for leather goods.

It was one of those unexpected roadside encounters that turns a good ride into a great story.

Every road has a story. Sometimes that story has teeth.

 This week, I pointed the nose toward Hillsborough River State Park—only about 13 miles from home—for a little motorcycle therapy followed by a proper photo walk. 

Armed with my Nikon Zf, a 105mm macro lens, and a GoPro Mission One Pro, I wandered just over two and a half miles of trail looking for wildlife, interesting textures, and anything else Mother Nature felt like putting in front of the camera.  I heard a wild boar. Never saw him.  A turtle saw me and immediately left.  A bright red wasp, however, decided to cooperate.  

Otherwise - butkis on the wildlife. Oh well... but the scenery was wonderful.  

I'll be back ;o)

Let's have a look at what our Deputy Assistant Regional Supervising Acting Senior Field Liaison is doing... 

In this educational film, I demonstrate the ancient and highly technical art of dropping your bike at approximately 0.3 MPH. 

Watch closely as years of riding experience are instantly defeated by three powerful forces of nature:  

☀️ The sun in my eyes. 

🛣️ A sneaky drainage slope. 

🤦 A momentary lapse in brain function.  

Using a carefully choreographed sequence of poor decisions, questionable lane positioning, and impeccable timing, I transform a perfectly upright motorcycle into a gravity-assisted parking ornament.  

This groundbreaking instructional video proves that you don't need speed, danger, or excitement to embarrass yourself. Sometimes all you need is a slight incline and the confidence of a man who thinks he's paying attention.  

Special thanks to Sir Isaac Newton for his continued contributions to motorcycle education.  Warning: This stunt was performed by a certified professional doofus. Please do not attempt to recreate these results. Most riders spend years developing this level of expertise.  

The good news? No injuries. No damage. And Little Al the stuffed elephant survived the incident without so much as a wrinkle.  

Watch and learn, my friends. I work hard to achieve this level of dooficity.