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