| The Journal of Provincial Thought |
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| American Adventures | ||||||||||||
| A Pilgrim & a Fistful of Photos | ||||||||||||
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| Out of the west he rode when the country was past running on the faded fumes of flower power and found itself struggling to achieve a post-Vietnam peace and identity. He found his freedom in the wind, in '55 Chevys and nostalgic rock'n'roll. He introduced this wide-eyed college boy to the world of the biker with all its grit and color, all its intensity and fierce self-determination. I was privileged to ride beside the Pilgrim on a number of occasions, though all too few they were and much too quickly gone. When in time to come I survey the treasures of my life's journal, those proud rushing blinks-of-an-eye will stand prominent. They will be honored.
Time has run a tangled course, days flowing to decades as rivulets mingle and flow to the sea. Easy to believe that the old scenes are forgotten, irretrievable, the old players relegated to a lost world. Easy to wonder if they—if we—were ever real. Now a temporal curtain parts, and from the mundane chaos emerges the old familiar Harley roar. Suddenly there's Pilgrim hailing me spiritedly as though twenty-five years have been collapsed into just a few hours since yesterday afternoon. Still out there. Still riding. Still partying and notching classic runs. I have missed so very much of the exquisite but also, I know, of the tragic and the trying. I parted with my Hog long ago. Pilgrim rolled on, building an odyssey and a legacy to inspire the generations. Now dusty reminiscence we share, you know it; but the old stories can hardly stand any further embellishment, and there is much recent adventure to relate. It's good to see the photographic evidence of Pilgrim's keeping on keeping on, good to hear in his voice and read in his text the fire undiminished. —ed. |
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| Hey Dude!!!!!! I was thinking about you the weekend of September 11th thru the 13th as I was rolling through Knoxville and passed Callahan Drive (exit 110) en route to Cherokee, North Carolina for the fall Cherokee Survivor Run. I meet up every year (for the past three) with some brothers from Churchill, Tenn. We camp down at Mingo Falls which is just outside of Cherokee and party the whole weekend. Good times were had by all. Rode through a bunch of rain this year, enough that I poured water outta my boots and had to wring the water outta my socks. I should be getting too old for this sh*t but haven't come to my senses yet. lol. The rain made me think of the time that you and I met in Knoxville for a weekend. I was riding that Ironhead Sportster and you were on the Wide Glide. I rode through hard rain coming over Jellico Mountain and had sat on my glasses - crushing them. Great memories and good times!!!!!
Thought I'd send a picture of the ole Wide Glide and also one of my Dresser (Road King).
The Black Sportster is what my son (Long Jon) rides and my Road King is the one next to it (in the middle). Note the bobbed front fender and the old school Z bars on the ole shovel. I'm still in the wind, retired, and loving it. Later dude. Pilgrim. [Lower pic snapped at an Easyriders Grand National Chillicothe (Ohio) Labor Day event. —ed.] |
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| Sturgis 2008 [Sturgis Motorcycle Rally ("Black Hills Motor Classic,") Sturgis, South Dakota] | ||||||||||||
| Hey brother!!!!!!
Thought I'd take this opportunity to update you on the latest happenings in my world. Just got back from Sturgis, South Dakota. I rode my Harley Davidson Road King out there with a couple of buddies from down Tennessee way. Tom's from Churchill, Tenn., and Dave's from Gate City, Va. (just over the state line from the Kingsport/Bristol area). Rode 2900 miles in 8 days (not bad for an old fart - too many birthdays to make a habit of doing this kind of thing). Thought I'd send along a few pictures of the event. Picture #70 is of me in the Badlands of South Dakota. #49 is of me in the Blackhills just north of Sturgis and #59 is of me at Mt. Rushmore. #66 is our scooters out on the prairie in South Dakota. It was an awesome experience in the Badlands. Those are truly sacred grounds - probably the closest I'll come to having a religious experience.
#59 #66
Now that I'm retired I have the time for these kinds of things - plus, Patty looks forward to getting rid of me for a few days. Next run, the Cherokee Rally in September in Cherokee, N.C. It'll be good to get back to the Smokies, which are awesome to ride a scooter through. The ole Wide Glide is still doing good (49,000 miles and rolling on). I entered it in a bike show back in May. Got a nice 2nd place trophy in the Antique/Vintage class. My brothers gave me a hard time - said I was a second place antique riding a lst place vintage motorcycle. No respect!!!! ha ha Later Dude.......Pilgrim |
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| Little Sturgis 2009 [Little Sturgis Rally and Races for Charity, Sturgis, Kentucky] | ||||||||||||
| Hey Dude - Thought I'd send a couple pics of the Little Sturgis Run from last year. This is an excellent rally - plenty of [uninhibited damsels —ed.] and good times to be had by all!!!!
002 - Scooters all packed and ready to roll.
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It's a great time. Anyone attending needs to bring ear plugs if they wish to get any sleep. The place rocks all day and night. They slow down around 5 am until roughly 7 am and then it starts all over.....a major party. Sturgis, Ky., is located in the western part of the state - your friend from Owensboro will know I'm sure. Later dude......Pilgrim |
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| Copyright 2010- WJ Schafer & WC Smith - All Rights Reserved | ||||||||||||
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