Trans-America Trail Week 3

Nothern California

Well, I have to be honest that Jay's name has been synonymous with dirt this past week. I had two glaze firings, Allison's chorus concert, two end-of-year award ceremonies (one of which I could not attend), and all the yard work and clean up leading up to the Studio Tour. I wasn't too happy at having to handle all of it alone, but my Mom raised me to be a capable girl. I pulled it off, and the kids really came through though, too, opting to complete the long list of indoor chores while I weeded the garden. Smart kids.

Camp Somewhere

So now that the Tour is over, sales were down 40% from last year, unless you consider that I sold two pieces out of the Tour exhibit, and this is the first year I am represented in several galleries in the area. Those checks will start rolling in in a few weeks, and I will stop wondering if potential customers drove by my place, overgrown with weeds as it is...

I wish I had more information on my travelling husband. However, he has been without a cell signal most of the time. I do know that they had a terrible time getting through some of the NV desert and were forced to turn back on countless passages through the mountains of NV getting into CA. A waitress along the way informed Jay and Bruce that she doesn't usually see TAT riders until sometime in July. Timing is everything. I thought it was location, location, location.

Denied

When we spoke on Saturday, Jay told me he is dirty, sore, and tired. His GPS quit working a few days ago (Bruce's quit back in OK), so they must rely on maps and the roll chart that they didn't put together (remember that this is a trail with no roads...). And he and Bruce are quibbling a little bit. And he's nearly out of money. Good thing he's already bought his ticket home, although I'm not sure he sounded as if he wants to come home yet. He did express his desire to drive his car once he's home. Usually the motorcycle is a gas-saver in the summer. Perhaps this year not so much.

By now, I suppose Jay is somewhere in OR. The trail ends in Coos Bay (I think). He's taking the red-eye out of Portland Friday night. And from here on out, he needs his own blog. Stay tuned.

Trans-America Trail Week 2

Bruce in the Colorado Snow

We last left our adventurers in Colorado. It took a surprising long time to get out of Colorado. Towards the end of last week, they were turned around at two mountain passes due to snow. They ended up taking a (yikes!) paved road for 20 miles or so to get into Utah.

Jay in Arches



Jay in the lower left, Northwindow

They spent two day in Moab, UT, doing some hiking in Arches National Park. Then they moved on to Canyonlands for a couple of nights. Somewhere along the way Bruce's brakepads wore out as well as one of his tires.

Highway 279, Canyonlands

I got a call from Jay Thursday night asking me to look online for a bike shop in or near Salina UT. His rear brake pads were shot, and he couldn't get the bike to go faster than about 45 mph. I found a shop for him, but they didn't have the brake pads he needed, so they spent the better part of yesterday travelling to a town 100 miles away to get them, going 45 mph on a highway with a 75 mph speed limit! As it turns out, his air filter was clogged with sand after 30 miles of desert riding.

They've been in a motel for the past two days, so they should be well rested for the next leg of the journey: into the desert of Nevada.

Trans-America Trail Update

Leg One of the trip was from our house to Jay's folks' house in TN. They loaded the bike in the back of Don's truck and headed for OK. They met up with Bruce around noon Sunday and started on their way. I joked with my MIL that it was every mother's dream to leave their kid by the side of a dirt road and drive off. She said they did stop the truck and take the time to say goodbye.

They set up camp Sunday night at the north end of Oologah Lake, OK.


Monday night, the guys made it to Alabaster Caverns State Park, OK. Jay ended up spending 2 hours in the campground bathroom due to a tornado warning in the county.

New Mexico State Line

By Tuesday, they blew through the OK panhandle, cut the corner of NM and made it to Trinidad, CO for the night. Lots sand in OK, and NM was "most amazing". Jay blew a fuse, didn't have a replacement, and had to bump start for half the day until they found a town. He called me at 1 am eastern and talked to me for half an hour. Even though he was exhausted (and a bit drunk), I could hear the exhiliration in his voice.

Colorado, Day 4

Wednesday was a short day. They got off the road a little after noon mountain time and camped in Lathrop State Park. The cell signal was good, so the kids and I got to talk with Jay for a while.

From here on out, it will be a toss of the dice if he'll be able to call when they stop for the day. He'll send text messages along the way to our home email. I send a text every time I go into town (no cell signal at the house). Allison is getting practice as I drive her to school. I bought a new Tracfone with a camera so I can send photos, but haven't figured out how to activate it yet.

Ben really misses his Dad, but he's got a sleepover with a friend this weekend to help distract him. I'm not making any new work until after the Studio Tour, so I'll have more time for the kids. Jay's only been gone a week. We have 3 to go.

Jay Needs a Blog Title Please...

Heading off May 2008

Some of you know that my husband is an adventure motorcyclist. He and a friend rode part of the Trans-America Trail in 2008. They started in Jellico, TN and made it just over the Oklahoma border. We had just moved, and Jay's job did not afford him enough time off to go any further.

Home after 2 weeks away

Last summer, he was put in charge of a pretty big project which involved him being away from home for some time as well as working lots of long hours. He was rewarded with an extra week of vacation as well as some comp time. So he and his riding buddy have been contemplating finishing up the trail. They would take up where they left off and ride to the coast of Oregon.

In no way do we feel the need to ask each other for permission to do the things we want, but he did me the courtesy of explaining that if he were to go, he would be gone for 4 weeks, from the last week of May through the third week of June. That means, he'd be gone for all the end-of-year school programs. And he'll be gone for the TRAC Studio Tour and the frenzied couple of weeks leading up to the Tour. I'm a capable woman. I can do it alone. I might need a mini-vacation afterwards.

I told him to go for it. On one condition. He must blog about the trip. He's all for it. He appreciates the community of artists that I have found through blogging. Although we know it's not a requirement, he is a good writer, and he is passionate about riding. He's so excited that it's going to be 50 degrees on Friday so he can ride his motorcycle to work, no matter that the day will start in the 20's.

The KLR's winter home

He needs a blog title. Any ideas?