A MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURE FOR ONE WEEK!

Our adopted one, Valerie has been visiting for a few weeks and is helping us figure out what in the hell to do with our restaurant since she is the only one experienced in the biz...so her and Allen have been cooking up a storm making Mexican food to die for! Will finished up a construction job and is now learning to cook Val's authenic made from scratch recipes too...so in the front row is Allen, Val, me and Will. The Stranger (Ralph) in the background deserves a little more elaboration....
Beginning in Visalia, Ralph and his wife Devo...boarded his Road King Classic...and modified her Yami Roadstar into a 'trike', added a trailer to it...and headed up the Oregon Coast. They called us from Coos Bay to let us know they would arrive shortly...and because we were so busy...it seemed like only minutes and they were in Toledo! Crazy thing...he accidently ended up at Pat's Dungeon looking for us...and when he asked if they 'knew us' there...he couldn't believe how well we are known there...and that Pat is also a Visalia transplant. Anyway, Allen fetched them out to the ranch...and I met Devo for the first time...although my daughters and son in laws know them from the Star Group in Visalia when they all had Road Stars. I knew Ralph because he was our first computer guru...and was at our home a lot...and then today, found out our son Joey knows him pretty well too due to ministry and other stuff I've drawn a blank on for the moment.
DEVO'S TRIKE is pretty cool because her kit is removable...and becomes a single bike again...pretty easily. Me and Val's trike is permanent and together they make a striking couple, don't you think? Even though our butt is bigger than Devo's...we are all happy riders cause we are the shortest riders I know. I think Devo comes in at about 5 ft. tall compared to me and Val's 5'3"...but without a trike situation...none of us could handle the weight and horsepower of our bikes too well. Devo rode hers all the way from Visalia, so she was the experienced veteran by far, but Val got to break in our trike while she was here so that was a blast for all of them. I was hanging with the Grandson's most of the time, and with my daughter Lindsay...but we did get some visiting in while they were here.
Ralph and Devo at our Restaurant before our "opening" so we were able to sit around and yammer...and look up Oregon real estate...in hopes this may be the little piece of heaven they are looking for in their quest to leave Visalia. We'd sure have a lot of good times ahead if they land near us...
Ean has a "mean face" we were getting him to make...but we missed it on the camera time and time again and finally he was not willing to show us the "mean face" we wanted for his "biker" photo that day...
...but Lindsay showed us the mean face, and since Ean is a "mini Lindsay"...this is what Ean's "mean face" looks like in a bigger version. Ean had some skittles here...so he was totally absorbed in how to get the little bites out of the bag in this photo!
Val wanted to ride her new toy, so Allen, Ralph and Devo shared a few putts with her. Val said in this picture she was wondering when they were going to stop yapping and start riding as it seemed they went a few miles and then yapped for an hour. She had fun...but the ride had already gotten under her skin...so she wanted a different kind of "wind" at that time.
Our pals, Jerome and Clary recently closed escrow on Depoe Bays famous "Sea Hag" restaurant, so we all took a ride to patronize them...the food is a little pricey...but excellent...and Ralph grabbed the check so he'll be indentured a little longer to pay for that tab. Thankfully...none of us drink or it would have been a small ransom I'm sure! It doesn't look like we are having any fun does it?
Lindsay was able to sneak away for a spell from Ean and Ben as we had the teenager babysitters Tom and Jordan take over for this brief respite...and Lindsay ordered the steak and lobster believing I was going to pick up the tab I think...and that meal alone cost more than most places for four people, but she enjoyed it a lot and also the company of 'adults only' for a spell. I think Val just shoved some appetizer into her mouth and then tried to smile.
Here's grand daughter Jordan and her beau, Bryce at the Cheesecake factory near Portland...her first big adventure without parents... Tom drove and Jordan's friend MacKenzie was along too...they had an excellent adventure...although her mother, Wendy was in a dither with worry all day. Does this boy look dangerous to you?

Doesn't Tom look like he is the 'cat's meow' ice skating with this cutie? Fortunately for all...he is wearing the right T Shirt.
Here's my two hot guys as they rolled (literally) into the Eugene airport to visit Grammie, and other assorted family members...such as Papa, Faye Faye, Wendy, Jordan, Will, Jon, Emily and oh yeah...their big brother Tom. The week flew by...with many adventures...and then in a blink of an eye...they rolled out again. I am missing them already...but slept 'ver well' the next morning after they went home...for some strange reason. Ean's T Shirt reads, "My grandparents don't spoil me, they're just very accomodating." and it seems that would be a true statement.

But one look at that Moore charm showing in Ben's eyes is enough to melt even old meanies into butter in their hands...and it doesn't get much sweeter than that! I mean, my husband loves me I'm sure...but how often do you think I get THIS LOOK from him after 18 years of marriage?
Papa's excellent adventure with Ean...was to take him (without Mama or Ben) to the bike Shop...and let him try on several bikes...this one being Uncle Will's. At home...if not watched very carefully...Ean is known to high tail it to his Dad Jim's Heritage Springer whenever he gets a crack in the garage door of opportunity...and once was found next door on a neighbors bike...as Lindsay and Jim discovered he could open the front door. No doubt this little one will one day ride the 'big ones' into the wind. Vroom...Vroom!
Well, I know just how just how Ean feels when you have to wait too long for your food! After only a few bites of his fish and chips...he checked out while everyone had lunch. Wouldn't it just be great to be able to 'be ourselves' like little kids can so easily do...and get away with? Although we felt bad that he was missing his lunch...it did make it possible to actually visit with each other...as when both boys are awake and active, Lindsay usually has two hands and two voices going at all times...one for her conversation with adults or semi adults and another for whatever boy is getting too busy at the moment doing something not quite restaurant protocol.
Well, Oregon offers black berries in abundance, so Will is picking some for Ean and Emily...and I think the kids would eat a whole bucket if it was just sitting there. We keep meaning to pick a bucket again (Will and John picked the last bucket...) so we can have more of that yummy and fresh black berry pie.
Now I have seen some pretty awesome looking chicks posing on motorcycles, especially since Allen subscribes to 'Easy Rider' magazine which has plenty of T and A shots for men who would rather look at the pictures than read the content of the magazines...but when Emily got on the little motorcycle at our Grub and Gear Restaurant...I almost 'gasped'! I think her parents are 'in trouble' for sure...in the not so distant future. She looked like a modeling pro! Wowza!
Getting to know the goats better was a mission Ean found intriguing...almost every day he would request a visit with the goats. It was especially fun when he had something to feed the goats, like a frosted mini shredded wheat (for those, they will follow you over a cliff) so here Ean is showing the goat quite clearly that he has no more "yum yums", but Nanny Jo is looking at him with that questioning look of "are you sure you don't have any in your pocket?"
During Lindsay and the Boys visit, Valerie, Will, Allen and I were able to go to the big annual Oregon Coast Veteran's "Run for the Wind" sponsored by the Chinook Winds casino. Pat's shop (he calls "Pat's Dungeon") was the third Run Stop so we all waited around with other locals for the last rider through and then followed the group up to the Casino. Valerie was so slow that we lost the group almost as soon as we started, as she is just learning to ride the trike well, but we ended up beating them to the Casino because we didn't bother stopping at any of the Run Stops along the way. Sort of like the "Turtle and the Hare" story. Lot's of "Trike Admirers" there and hundreds of bikes, a great show and vendor tent...and lot's of jaw jacking too. Pretty soon...we hit the Casino and right away I hit a jackpot...so was able to 'feed' the rest of them some money...and in just a little while...it was dark and cold, so we played all night and rode home in the morning...bleary eyed to be sure...and I still had a fistful of dollars left...but not enough to count I can tell ya that. We had a great time though...and now plan to go to the last big Run of the Season which is by Coos Bay Harley and sponsored by the Mill Casino there. It's called "the Lighthouse Run" and the Run Stops are at 6 of Oregons most famous lighthouses.

Doesn't Valerie look cute in this picture...she was getting lot's of compliments on her 'trike' and she is turning into a 'biker babe' quite well...we rode again last night...and had dinner at the new Toledo Hotel Restaurant...yipped and yapped with the owner and other locals standing around, and then rode the Bay Front Road at night (something I had never done before) and it was also a beautiful ride with the full moon shimmering on the water and the shadows at play through the trees. We ended up at the Bay Haven on the Newport Historic Bay Front and listened to some awesome old geezers live band (our age) wail out some of those old rock and roll hits we love some much while downing a couple of O'Doules. Some old scruffy looking character took a liking to Val and her bike and wanted a dance...but she refused ten times and he finally realized he would have to admire her from 'afar'. It was worth a few chuckles today...and they went into panic mode when the restaurant got a live 'customer' today I had to go down there and so did Wendy...and it was good I did cause I could tell Val to call her new boyfriend to come over so we can fill at least two tables tomorrow. It was almost as rich as Allen's midget girlfriend...almost.

We're now open from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm for lunch to shake the restaurant out a little before we let everyone know we are really open...so hopefully the troops won't panic when they actually come into the joint...and we have a limited menu going too...but we had Joey and Nicole today for lunch...and Joey said the chili verde was the best he had has had in his life...and some of the 'real customers' practically licked the plate...so it looks like the food is going to be a winner...so now if the staff can match the food...we should be a big success. ha ha

MY SON IN LAW "WILL" ENTERS RECOVERY...

...FROM "RICE"!

Harley Davidson in Coo's Bay is one of the Top Dealers in the Nation.

They sell their bikes at MSRP, everyone who works there rides a Harley...

there's no Sales Tax, and the people are helpful and nice.

It's worth the 100 mile Coast ride to do business with

Highway 101 Harley Davidson in Coo's Bay!

Here Will seals the deal with HD Sales Staff!

Does it look like he'll ever go back to "Rice"?

The 2007 Harley "Road Kings" have a bigger engine than previous models,

the clutch is real easy to grip, the stock pipes are a little louder...and the new color is "Pacific Blue". This is the Road King Classic...and Will wasn't too sure about the color until he went to Pat's Dungeon...and watched some serious slobbering going on by other HD Riders...so now he is memorizing the HD CATALOG...

'RICE NO MORE" ME THINKS!

SURE IS A PRETTY 'BABY' ISN'T IT? AND CHECK OUT THOSE

BABY BLUES!


WHEN WILL'S BUTT FINALLY HIT THE SEAT TO GET READY FOR THE RIDE BACK TO NEWPORT...HE KINDA HAD THAT GOOFY...DAZED LOOK...ANYONE WHO HITS THE LOTTERY GETS...OR AS ANY RIDER WILL ATTEST...THE DAY YOU GET YOUR FIRST HARLEY DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE.



ABOUT A WEEK AND 300 MILES AGO...WILL JOINED THE REST OF THE FAMILY AND TOOK OWNERSHIP OF HIS FIRST HOG...YEAH...HE HAD A NICE MOTORCYCLE BEFORE....A YAMI...AND THEN A DIRT BIKE...(HE SOLD ALMOST AS SOON AS HE GOT IT)...but this time, he's ruined for life.

American Made...grandma and apple pie...he brings the 'blue' to the already red and white Harleys our family rides. Allen and David have the deep red Road Kings...and Jim has the 'white with blue trim' Heritage Springer Classic (they aren't making anymore so it's value is growing more than most models)...and our adopted one, Valerie (I'll try to add a picture of her on it as soon as I can take one) and I just partnered on buying a Red Road King Trike (with a 2006 DFT smoothie trike kit)...so hopefully, the Californians can head up to Oregon in September for the last big Run of the Season..."The Lighthouse Run" out of Coos Bay, Oregon...which hits five of the Oregon Coast's Lighthouses...and we can have a 'big finish' to the season with family and friends!

Check out Val & Mama's Ride below:

TELL THE TRUTH...DO YOU THINK THIS TRIKE WILL MAKE

MY BUTT LOOK BIG?

OK, I CAN DEAL WITH THAT...

CAUSE LOOK AT ALL THAT JUNK

YOU CAN GET IN THIS TRUNK!

AND JUST WAIT TIL ME AND VAL GET OUR

"ETERNAL FLAMES" GOING!

(VROOM VROOM SUCKAS)

HOGFATHER'S 'SMOKIN PIG & THE ADVENTURE RUN 4 KIDS 2006

SNEAK PREVIEW - Here's some shots of the Restaurant so far for all you curious folks who just know we have lost our FREAKING MINDS! and for the nest two blogs there's new stuff on the Adventure Run and how this has all come together in the past THREE WEEKS! There's much more to share...but I've been working on getting this done since the 27th...of July so don't hold your breath OK? Enjoy our latest Ride through life with us for a spell...




BELOW - Here is the office and storage area...not quite as nice as I am used to...but as long as there is a pile of receipts...it will be a happy office. lol The phone and fax lines are up and in but the fax machine is coming soon...



BELOW - This is the prep area, where lots of undercabinet storage is available, and there are other things not seen in these photos such as soup and sauce warmers, smokers, and much more. Actually, this kitchen is larger than many I have seen in much larger restaurants. Including the Gateway Lodge in Three Rivers...and at the Sequoia Cider Mill.

BELOW - From the Prep Area you can see the Second large fridge, and next to it a good sized top and bottom warming unit and beyond that a freezer..what you can't see is a second fridge with icemaker and shelves with lots of warming and serving trays.



BELOW - The deep fryer wasn't cleaned as of this photo, but it makes a good contrast to show what all the equipment looked like before the scrubbing team came in and went to work...mostly Allen and William...and Valerie before she went back to California...but also Ashleigh, Tom and John and Wendy and anyone else we could grab to help get it done before the Adventure Run. There's a large 6 burner gas range, oven, flat grill, second vented grill, commercial microwave, and the salad and condiment server shown as well...not to mention the hood vent etc.
BELOW - Looking through the pass through window (complete with bell) there's a see through fridge in the background, a salad and condiment cooler lower right and a rack of pots and pans.

BELOW - This view is looking from the storage area, and shows the three stainless steel cleaning sinks and the dish sterilizer at the very end. To the right are dishes enough for serving about 200 people although the restaurant area won't serve that many as it is designed now.
BELOW - In the very back of the place is a double door entry and storage area...John doesn't have some of his stuff out yet, but against the wall are two catering warmers we can use if we want to prepare stuff and take it off site.


It will no doubt appear that we have all gone 'bonkers' up here when I tell you that we are opening a restaurant along with everything else we are involved in, so I need to tell you what happened to prompt this sudden leave of our senses and let you decide how crazy we are (or not).

A month or so ago Allen, Will, Tom and John went down to the old Hogfathers to pack up and move all of the Biker inventory we had out of the garage we rented next to Carvers Chevron. For those not close to the issue, we were paying $600. a month plus (very expensive) utilities for a retail store that had no water, restrooms, or heat for the past several years. Several months ago, a heating system was installed but it heated four huge Bays and cost us a fortune to operate. In addition, the 'store' was exposed to considerable road dust which ruined product and we couldn't have any real designated parking or frontage since the Chevron Station had it all.

Allen pretty much gave up on the business when we bought the ranch a year ago...and worked here instead of there as it seemed a better bet, then with the heart problems and lack of income...Pat decided to go on his own as well...so for almost six months, we were paying to store the retail store in that garage until just a month or two ago when everything was boxed up and brought out to the ranch for storage.

It's hard to believe, but Faye and I have been in Oregon now for two full years...while Allen has been here considerably longer. When I came to Oregon...we had some specific plans that got sidetracked to accomodate Allen's dream of owning a "Bike Shop' with Pat. The "problem" became pretty clear to me early on that the 'dream' was not going to turn into a reality because both Pat and Allen have no clue as how to run a business...and I was banned for two years from participating in it because it was 'their business' and they made it pretty clear that they wanted to do things 'their way' and not mine...so the course was set and it just took some patience (and staying away from there) on my part for the inevitable to happen. They made no profit...but it was a hell of a hang out and clubhouse for the local Bikers.

As money continued to be poured into the business...for no return of any significance, there came a point where I had to 'shut off the money' or take an active role in treating the business 'like a business', so finally both Pat and Allen agreed to let me try to turn it around or get it in a position to sell it with a promise that they would do things 'my way' for six months.

That lasted two weeks when Pat decided to do his own thing as a mechanic for our customers...and Allen had his first episode with the 'heart thing'....which pretty much carried on until the last month or so when he was able to recover and get back in the race to try to help make a living for our family.

We had looked at buying the building where the Smokin' Pig was located, but I am very weary of buying commercial property knowing how long it can sit on the market unsold as our commercial building did in Visalia for two years...so another buyer from Modesto came along and purchased the building for far more than we were willing to pay for it under the circumstances.

That was good news for us, and even better, John...who owned the Smokin' Pig was looking to share his space as he was interested in just doing 'catering' rather than running a restaurant anymore. Several weeks went by as the new Owner of the building John was renting closed escrow and got his bearings.

We were going to rent some space from John to try to sell the remainder of our thousands and thousands of dollars of inventory before it was forever lost in the lower barn and forgotten about...so when the new owner came to town...we met with him and John down at the site several weeks ago...and John announced that he wasn't going to be in business anymore...got a job as Chef for the Embarcadero Resort...and would sell all of his kitchen equipment for what he still 'owed' on it.

I know how expensive professional equipment is...and inquired as to what he would charge for it? When he said, "$5,000. for everything", I jumped on it. Even if we were a miserable failure...we could sell the equipment in a heartbeat for twice or even three times that amount...so, being able to rent the Restaurant for $650. a month...complete with two bathrooms...running water...etc. and buy tables, chairs, display counters, credit card machine, signage, Fountain equipment, and a ton of kitchen equipment for $5,000. was an offer we just couldn't refuse.

So, now we have a place to sell the Biker equipment, and establish the Motorcycle, ATV, Scooter and Dirt Bike Dealership for VENTO products...and have a restaurant in one convenient location. I'll share more about the plans for the Restaurant in another Blog...but the big challenge was getting the place clean and ready to host the Adventure Run's final leg...which introduced the Bikers to a place where they can buy Gear and Custom Chrome.

Needless to say, it has been an extraordinarily busy time getting things transferred over, working on getting Food Handlers Licenses, permits etc. but both John and his wife Diane are going to be around to help us get going...and we have Valerie (one of our adopted kids) who ran the restaurant at Sierra View Golf Course in their family business for years...who is coming up soon to help us get going as well. She wants to be in Oregon for the Summers and then parts unknown in the winter months...and it will be the Summer months we will need her the most.

I can't wait to tell you how we are going to structure the Restaurant aspect of the business...but we already have the locals begging us to open soon. There are a few restaurants in Toledo...but most of them are not open after 2:00 p.m. since Sue's Hometown Cafe decided to only do breakfast and lunch recently.

So, opportunity is knocking...and we hope to be able to 'answer it' as soon as we can!

Let me know what you think of the 'Latest Adventure' we've gotten ourselves into?




Leading the Toledo High School Cheerleaders in the Parade is Tom driving the Hummer. The "Boomer" or Beaver on the Top is the School Mascot. Poor Tom had to get up at dark thirty on the day of the parade, get down to the staging point with the Cheerleaders...defend his Grammie's directions that NO PAINT OR TAPE could be put on the paint of the Hummer because of the heat that day...and listen to complaining all the way by the 24 year old Coach.

When driving in the parade...the Coach ordered Tom to 'watch the girls so he could stop when they stopped' and it was almost the last straw Tom was willing to deal with. He replied to the Coach, "I'm driving a VERY expensive car that belongs to my Grandma...and I am going to watch the road and where I am driving...YOU watch the girls and then YOU tell me when to stop." She did, and the Team ended up winning the 'Best Sprit' award in the Parade Competition. I have only shared a fraction of the entrants in the parade that day. It was pretty impressive for a small town activity. Good job Tom and good job cheerleaders. OOOO RAH!