Ride to Everglades City

Sam & Joanne Hall from McClure, Pa came down to visit Cora with their daughter Shelly. They flew into Tampa and rented a Pt Cruiser to drive down to Ft Myers Beach. They got here on Tuesday evening. After supper Kandi, the boys and I left to go to our home. I got on my Harley and rode down to show Sam and Shelly. Sam rides a Honda back in Pa. They liked the bike and I asked Shelly if she wanted to go for a ride. I took her through Ft Myers Beach and pass Lovers Key State Park and turned around at Bonita Springs. She said she liked the ride and it was her first ride on a big V-Twin motorcycle let alone her first on a Harley-Davidson.

Sam told us that AAA had him traveling to Miami via I-75. He said he wanted to see the Everglades and I told him that on I-75 he wouldn't beable to. I told him to take route 41. Sam and them were going to Miami on Wednesday and spend the night there and then drive down to Key West on Thursday and on Friday come back to Cora's at Ft Myers Beach.

Wednesday morning I went on my Harley and they in their rental car and I guided Sam, Joanne and Shelly to the 'Glades. I took them down through Ft Myers Beach, Lovers Key, Bonita Springs and on to Route 41. Route 41 took us through Naples and down towards the Everglades. Riding along route 41 which is also known as The Tamiami Trail (Tampa to Miami) we saw a few 'Gators along side the road. We stopped for a photo shoot and back on the way. I stopped at Wootens for them to ride the air boat. I told them that they just follow Tamiami trail the whole way to Miami and everything would be fine. They got on the airboat and I took off. I rode down to the very small town of Ochopee, Fl. In this town you don't hardly see any homes but you do see Indian huts every where. Also in the town of Ochopee is the United States smallest Post Office. I had to take another picture of it along side of my bike. Then I headed back down for photos of the sign "Now entering Everglades National Park" and also by the "Welcome to Everglades City" sign. All for HOG's ABC's of Touring for 2007. I got a quick start on it this year.

Sam said they loved the ride through the 'Glades the best. I am glad. On the way home I started to get light headed. The reason was low "Blood Sugar!" I didn't have any money with me because Kandi only gave me $8.00 and I used that for gas and it didn't fill the tank up. I wanted to stop at the Naples HD Dealership and see if they had free soda and snacks like Ft Myers HD does. Both are owned by the same person. I didn't find the dealership and headed 30+ miles to Ft Myers. I thought I would stop at the Ft Myers HD Dealership and get some snacks and soda there for free and then continue my ride home. Well, I was riding back on Rt 41 and the exit for me to go home was way before the Dealership exit. So I headed home on a gas tank guage that was blinking for low fuel. Here's me with no money for fuel or eats and with out a cell phone!

I hit every red light coming home and it was all I could do to keep the bike from falling over when I came to a stop. I made it home but didn't put the bike where I normally do. I reached into my pocket and discovered that I didn't have my house keys with me and Kandi, Cora and the boys were out shopping some where! I went to my neighbor's and no one was home. I wanted to ask someone for some juice so I wouldn't completly have a low blood sugar attack!

Finally, Rowland my next door neighbor came home. I asked for some juice and told him why. They gave me a glass of cranberry juice and an apple. After awhile my hands quit shaking and Kandi pulled into the yard. She was mad at me for taking her parking place. She sent Jordan over to tell me "Move it or LOOSE IT!" So I had the strength this time to pick it up and move the bike. I helped her in with her packages. She told me it was my fault for having a low sugar attack and that I shouldn't have went on the ride. Oh well, maybe I shouldn't have but she always has low blood sugar and has passed out many times. Over 100 maybe over 300 in the 12 years we been married. Just yesterday she went to get a cap put on her tooth. She said she was having low blood sugar so she stopped to eat. Me on the other had I don't get money when I'm by myself or even with the boys to eat. Enough said about that.

Saturday I took Sam and my boys fishing over on Sanibel. I had to first buy hooks, sinkers, swivels etc along with 3 dozen frozen shrimp for bait. The tide wasn't in and was not moving too much. Only little fish were biting. We kept having our bait stolen by the little fish. Then after 3 hours the tide changed and I saw "SNOOK" everywhere. It was great seeing such big fish. I hooked a few but lost them. Sam hooked a big fish and it took him under the pier and snapped his line. Then after he retied he hooked a really nice size fish. We were fishing from the Sanibel Island Pier and then everyone came over to look. I sent Jordan running to go get our camera out of the car. People were yelling at Sam to keep the fish from under the pier. Sam yelled back, "I'm trying to. I'm trying!" Since we all had lite tackle and not that strong of pound test line, Sam was scared that he might loose the fish since it was stripping line out. The line was almost gone when Sam turned the fish around towards us. The fight would be over soon! Another fisherman at the pier came over with a big net and a extra long handle to net the fish. They brought it up on the dock and everyone was so happy and taking pictures. You would have thought they were the ones who caught the fish. lol. I was and still am happy for Sam for catching his first SNOOK and it was a good size too. Since Snook season isn't in we threw it back into the water and watched this great God's Creature swim off only to be caught some other day.