The unveiling of CG1

Such a day of highs and lows. You will have to bear with me a bit as the day was extremely emotional at times. We got a bit of a late start this morning. Things did not start down at the festival area until 11 so no hurry. Once we arrived we got set up in the bike tent and set up the few things we needed for the presentation. At that point I went across the street to what is called thunder alley. This is the vendor area for leather goods,patches,pins,food,tee shirts and any thing else biker related that people think might sell. Made the trip up and down the rows 3 times looking for a certain sticker. Did not find it so will have to order on line. Did find a couple of patches to sew on my leather rolling thunder shirt so that was cool. Also got my honey a very cool shirt. She loves presents but that is another story. Had a pork sandwich for lunch and then heard the lieutenant dan band so sat by the stage to listen. The day was warm and humid so lots of water was the order of the day. The band was actually quite good as evidenced by the folks dancing and having fun. People watching has been fantastic here and it is one of my favorite pass times. as the set wore on the songs began to get more theme oriented and less entertaining in nature. Folks began listening to the lyrics more than dancing. There were a lot of small circles with hand holding the order of the day. As I listened and watched more and more people crowded the venue. I notcied many vets both men and women crowding the stage area. As I turned around to survey the rest of the crowd I noticed two young men in their 20's. Actually it was hard not to notice them. The setting was poignant and mind blowing at the same time. The band began playing a song titled HEROES. As the sound waves wafted over the heads of the crowd and crashed against the gently stirring elm trees, these men were oblivious to everything but the beat of the music. I however was mesmerized by them and what I saw. Before me were two true heroes who had fought to preserve the very scene we enjoyed. One of them had no legs and a prosthetic arm. A service dog sat in his lap to help him with his needs. The other had no legs AND no arms. His left arm was a stump that he used to push a lever on his wheel chair and move forward. At his side was his wife gently caressing his neck as he swayed to the music. The impact of their sacrifice on our behalf was too much for me. As the song progressed and filled the air my tears would not stop. I could not imagine what I had to done to deserve their bravery. As I watched this unfold before me, person after person came to them and hugged each in turn. I could not turn away and was not ashamed to share their pain for a moment. As the song ended they blended in to the crowd and were swept along with the throngs. Multiple bands played throughout the afternoon to keep the crowd entertained. As we sat patiently waiting for the unveiling to occur several folks we had met since we got to town stopped by to chat. Vicki Golding,who I wrote about a couple of days ago, stopped to say hello. I was happy to see her as I had looked at a you tube clip of her singing the national anthem prior to a redskins/ cowboys football game a couple of years ago. It was magnificent. We wish her good luck in her budding singing career. At 4 pm the bikes were each brought on the stage one at a time. Jay Allen ,formerly of the broken spoke saloon in sturgis ,was the MC for the program. He did a terrific job. This is obviously not his first rodeo. The bikes were started prior to entering the stage so the crowd could listen to the rumble of the pipes. Each builder told the story of their bike with all of the unique history involved in the theme. Kiwi rode his bike on the stage! Why not since he rode it 4133 miles to get here. He told the story of the journey and read a piece he and I had written while sitting in a golf cart at Charlotte speed way. It was interesting to see the emotion from kiwi while talking about his citizenship and this bike. You could tell this country and what it stands for as well as this bike are near and dear to him. He is going to have a hard time giving this bike up tomorrow and will welcome it back to the stable with open arms in a year. The bike will have many more stories to tell since it is traveling the U.S. To visit vet hospitals and bases. There is also talk of the bikes going to visit the troops overseas. Noble ventures to say the least. Once the presentation was done the bikes were wheeled out to the field in front of the stage for viewing by all. Lots of folks took pics and even sat on the bikes. It was very fun for the builders to see the thrill folks were getting being so close to these very cool machines. We left about 7. Went to the Irish place for dinner again. This is the third night in a row but it is so darn good why not? Almost forgot one of the highlights of the day. As I was sitting in a chair I noticed a very tiny lady talking animatedly about riding and motorcycles. I had no idea who she was so an inquiring mind had to ask. Her name is Gloria Struck. She is the cutest little button of a lady you have ever seen. Being from new York she talks quickly and with her hands. Her is her story in a nutshell. She is 86 years old. NOT A TYPO. eighty freakin' six! She told me she does not do anything but long distance riding any more. I asked her the definition of long distance. She said she and her daughter would routinely ride 700 miles in a day. Apparently her dauhter only gets limited time off from her job so when they go on a trip they need to make tracks fast. They ride to daytona,sturgis and the motor maids conventions each year. Mind you this is from new York where it is cold during Daytona. We had a delightful conversation. I could have talked to her for hours. Google her and read about her induction into the sturgis hall of fame as well as other stories that have been written about her. She is truly a motorcycle treasure. Tomorrow is the run to the wall. This is the reason we are here. I am told it is mind boggling. I am ready for the rest of my mind to be boggled. By the time I leave here I should be a total mess. Ha ha.