Home, at last...
October 4th, 2005
Home, at last…
It seems a little anticlimactic from here. What could I possibly impart to you that remotely comes close to what we have shared these past 17 days?
Rod had come to Portland Saturday, bringing a trailer and tie downs should I want to trailer “Paladin” for the final 300 miles home. The weather over the weekend in Portland had been dreadful – pouring rain and cold which was one of the reasons I came into Portland a day earlier than originally planned. And there, but for the Grace of God…
On Friday, less than 15 hours after my arrival on the same stretch of I5 I had come in on, there was a horrific wreck. It appears that the driver of a semi fell asleep and crossed the median taking out 2 other semis as well as 3 vehicles. I5 was closed for hours and a total mess with traffic the remainder of the day. I felt very fortunate indeed to be safe and warm in the comfort of my cousin’s home.
We were up at 5:00 a.m. after a very short and restless night. It was 40F (5C) with a light rain falling. Rod had the bike on the trailer and snugged down. I thought that if the weather cleared I could always “offload” him and ride him over the border. Enjoyed the time “catching up” on the trip home and I decided to leave “Paladin” on the trailer and made ready all the required documentation for both the U.S. and Canadian customs.
All went extremely well at the border. No problems bringing “Paladin” into his new country of residence. I just hope he’ll adapt to the difference in temperature… (me too).
Today, at 8:00 a.m., Jordan Guest of Coastal Pacific Detailing Co will arrive at the house to give “Paladin” a thorough clean up and make him pretty again for his first Cable TV showing and newspaper interview. He is sporting a large amount of road grime and oversize “Texas” bugs.
I thank each and every one of you that shared this trip with me and held me in your thoughts and prayers. I feel with absolute certainty that it made a difference. I am left with so many memories of a wonderful adventure and I hope you have enjoyed being “along for the ride”.
How much did we make on the fundraiser? I probably won’t have all the numbers in until next week so be sure to check back and I’ll let you know. Thank you to all who have made contributions – know they are going to a very worthy cause to help bring us closer to our dream of building a much needed Hospice Residence. We will continue to keep the campaign active until the end of October so if you would still like an opportunity to pledge “Linda Sue’s Motorcycle Diaries) please either log on to http://www.deltahospice.org/ or call the hospice care centre at 604-948-0660.
Home, at last…
It seems a little anticlimactic from here. What could I possibly impart to you that remotely comes close to what we have shared these past 17 days? Rod had come to Portland Saturday, bringing a trailer and tie downs should I want to trailer “Paladin” for the final 300 miles home. The weather over the weekend in Portland had been dreadful – pouring rain and cold which was one of the reasons I came into Portland a day earlier than originally planned. And there, but for the Grace of God…
On Friday, less than 15 hours after my arrival on the same stretch of I5 I had come in on, there was a horrific wreck. It appears that the driver of a semi fell asleep and crossed the median taking out 2 other semis as well as 3 vehicles. I5 was closed for hours and a total mess with traffic the remainder of the day. I felt very fortunate indeed to be safe and warm in the comfort of my cousin’s home.
We were up at 5:00 a.m. after a very short and restless night. It was 40F (5C) with a light rain falling. Rod had the bike on the trailer and snugged down. I thought that if the weather cleared I could always “offload” him and ride him over the border. Enjoyed the time “catching up” on the trip home and I decided to leave “Paladin” on the trailer and made ready all the required documentation for both the U.S. and Canadian customs.
All went extremely well at the border. No problems bringing “Paladin” into his new country of residence. I just hope he’ll adapt to the difference in temperature… (me too). 
Today, at 8:00 a.m., Jordan Guest of Coastal Pacific Detailing Co will arrive at the house to give “Paladin” a thorough clean up and make him pretty again for his first Cable TV showing and newspaper interview. He is sporting a large amount of road grime and oversize “Texas” bugs. I thank each and every one of you that shared this trip with me and held me in your thoughts and prayers. I feel with absolute certainty that it made a difference. I am left with so many memories of a wonderful adventure and I hope you have enjoyed being “along for the ride”.
How much did we make on the fundraiser? I probably won’t have all the numbers in until next week so be sure to check back and I’ll let you know. Thank you to all who have made contributions – know they are going to a very worthy cause to help bring us closer to our dream of building a much needed Hospice Residence. We will continue to keep the campaign active until the end of October so if you would still like an opportunity to pledge “Linda Sue’s Motorcycle Diaries) please either log on to http://www.deltahospice.org/ or call the hospice care centre at 604-948-0660.
posted by Linda Sue | Tuesday, October 04, 2005
2 Comments:
Welcome home there Linda Sue.. I prefer to see you on Paladin on the road then in that "Civil" trailer..either way you look happy on him.. Rod is so on the ball bringing that trailer down..that worked out real well.amazing how Paladin has developed a personality !..Your m/c diaries were so well written , it was easy to imagine the ride with you..and so glad it all went safe for you.. and hope the fund raising response was successful , too..see you after Holland.. Love Bernie
ps.. being an amateur blog responder.. what is the word verification game about when I click " anonymous".??
Oct 13 already and this is the day my motorcycle plate expires. It's OK cuz it's raining in Kelowna.
Glad to see you got home safely, my friend. I can just picture the reunion with Rod and Tobi. Who was MORE excited?? I'm making a donation today and look forward to see the total results. Vicki
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