Mayor honors Cavaliers on second anniversary

Mayor Ray Nagin honored the Cavaliers with a proclamation from the City of New Orleans on the club's second anniversary, October 23. It reads:

BE IT KNOWN THAT
C. RAY NAGIN, MAYOR
OF THE
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
HAS THIS DAY PROCLAIMED

A Special Day of Honor to
The Cavaliers Motorcycle Club
As the City of New Orleans congratulates you on your 2nd Anniversary

ATTESTED TO THIS

Twenty-Third day of October
Two Thousand and Four

Signed
C. RAY NAGIN, MAYOR

Larry Bagneris of the mayor's gay advisory committee presented the mayor's proclamation to Cavaliers president David Lester at the club's anniversary awards banquet at Bywater BBQ on October 23.

The honor culminated a weekend of anniversary events, including a Friday beer bust, a Saturday poker run, the Saturday evening awards banquet, a Sunday anniversary ride, and our traditional annual Bike Christening on Bourbon Street in front of Lafitte's. The weekend's events were captured by Cavaliers president David Lester:

A hearty thank you from the members of the Cavaliers Motorcycle Club for making our second anniversary
weekend celebration such a success!

We had a great turnout for our beer bust at Lafitte's on Friday!

Our friends from the Bears, NOBLE, Lords, Knights, and Outlaws did an incredible job on our first poker run
Saturday afternoon!

We had an awesome banquet Saturday night with so many of our members and friends in attendance! Thank you
all!

We had a wonderful anniversary ride Sunday morning up River Road to a fabulous lunch at Mike Anderson's
restaurant in Gonzalez. We then had an incredible ride up Hwy. 22 to Hammond for ice cream at TCBY! Special
thanks to Darrin, Don, and Holly who joined us for their first ride with the Cavaliers!

And thank you to everyone who participated at the champagne motorcycle christening at Lafitte's on Sunday
evening! It was a wonderful close to a full weekend celebration.

And a special welcome to our newest Cavaliers members, Diane and Julie, who bring our club roster to 16 full
members!

It would be very hard to pick out one moment that stood out during the entire weekend, but there's one
that particularly comes to mind as a shining moment in the history of the Cavaliers: Many thanks to Larry
Bagneris for presenting the our young club with a proclamation from New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (gold
seal and all!) in honor of the Cavaliers' second anniversary. Few things leave me speechless, but this
moment certainly did.

A warm and genuine thank you from the Cavaliers to everyone who participated this weekend! We love you
ALL!

Cavaliers cavort after dark at gay pride parade

The Cavaliers dazzled as the leaders of the New Orleans gay pride parade on Sunday, October 10. The after-dark extravaganza paraded through the streets of the French Quarter to cheering and sometimes mystified throngs. The Cavaliers featured seven bikes, with members and friends decked out in tulle skirts in pride colors. Thanks to Doug, Guy, Doc, Diane, Dave, and our newest friend Ken for joining us for the festive ride.

Cavaliers go back to prison

The Cavaliers rode to visit the annual Angola Prison Rodeo on Sunday, October 3. The riders included Doc, Guy, Diane, Julie, Poncho, Doug, and David, with Michael H., Juliette, and the other Julie along as buddy riders. The group took a beautiful ride up through St. Francisville to the prison, toured the prison crafts exhibit, then came home via Hwy. 10.

Cavaliers have a blast at The New Bar

The Cavaliers rode to the wilds of Metairie for their monthly bike night. The September 24 event was held at The New Bar, and the place may never bee the same after we left! A warm welcome to our new friend Holly on her sporty Honda Hawk. Thanks to everyone who attended, but especially to Doc for making the arrangements and Doug for making the Jello shots!

Our rendezvous was at Lafitte's, and we had a whole bunch of bikes parked in front of the Clover Grill.

We were pleased to have Holly and her sporty Honda Hawk join us for her first Cavaliers event. We hope she'll join us again soon! Darryl showed up on his new Kawasaki sport bike. Doug made the Jello shots and was a cheerful hostess, too. Poncho showed off his expert Jello shot technique. Michael had LOTS of Jello shots! Susan and Doc passed the Jello shots around.

Michael W. pointed out that the New Bar promoted the bike night for the "Cav-e-liers Riding Club." We didn't want the party to end, so we headed back to Lafitte's. Michael D. and Poncho relaxed in front of the Clover, while Doc, Michael D., and Dave D. yuk it up on Bourbon Street.

Cavaliers host Decadence beer bust at Rawhide

The Cavaliers hosted an enormously successful Southern Decadence beer bust at the Rawhide on Thursday, September 2. The Cavaliers sold three kegs of beer to thirsty Decadence revelers. The Cavaliers had a good time pouring beer for the thirsty throngs during the Cavaliers' Southern Decadence beer bust at the Rawhide. Thanks to Rawhide manager Michael and Cavaliers special events coordinator Doug for arranging the successful Decadence beer bust at the Rawhide.

Diane and Julie braved the Decadence crowds to join us for our beer bust at the Rawhide. Mike D. was also able to join the Cavaliers for the Decadence beer bust following his successful hysterectomy. John from the Knights stopped by to say hello to Michael W. and the Cavaliers, and our friends from the Bears stopped by too.

Too hung over for Hangover Ride?

Paul was one of three riders who made it for our traditional Labor Day Southern Decadence Hangover ride on Monday, September 6. Also on the ride was Dave D., David, and Michael W. Everyone else must have been too hung over for the hangover ride. The group rode to Biloxi for a great buffet brunch at the Boomtown Casino. Photo by David.

Guy rides proud at close of Southern Decadence

Guy closed down Southern Decadence by parading around the French Quarter in his own unique style. He amused patrons of Lafitte's with what became his own personal pride parade to mark the close of Southern Decadence.

Cavaliers prowl Mobile for bear contest

The Cavaliers spent a wonderful weekend of August 20-22 in Mobile, Ala. Eight riders made the trip, and the group spent their evenings at B-Bob's. Friday night was leather and uniform night, Saturday night was the Gulf Coast Bear contest. David was selected as a judge for the bear contest.

The Cavaliers had a wonderful weekend in Mobile! Seven riders braved the trip, despite the stormy weather on Friday. Guy and Lance left at 3 to try to beat the rain. They wound up arriving in Mobile after Doc, Diane, Julie and David and Michael, who left New Orleans a full hour later.

Friday night, after another rain delay, the group of seven went out for a lovely dinner at Loretta's, only a half a block from B-Bob's. Loretta's turned out to be a charming white tablecloth restaurant with excellent cuisine. We started our meal with a spectacular vegetable soup. I had a delicious fricassee with ham, mushrooms, and scallops baked in grits with a topping of browned breadcrumbs. Very mild and subtle flavor, and just delicious. Several others had blackend prime rib which was great. The chef came to our table and we complimented him on the fine dining experience. It was a memorable meal. The Cavaliers know how to eat well.

Congratulations to Dave D. on the purchase of his new 2001 Yamaha Road Star! Dave showed up a day late in Mobile, but taking his new toy on its virgin road trip made it all worthwhile.

Friday night was leather and uniform night at B-Bob's and the Cavaliers were out in force as well as many from the New Orleans Bears. Our friends Bubba and Eric generously supplied us with 300 jello shots to sell and Lance and Michael made out like bandits selling them to the crowd at B-Bob's.

Saturday we had brunch at the charming Spot of Tea restaurant on Cathedral Square, then saddled up for a short day ride to Dauphin Island. We stopped and had cold drinks at the Mobile Bay Estuarium, and just as we were getting ready to depart, up rode Paul, vice president of the Gulf Coast Bears, on his bike. He made the trip back to Mobile with us, and we invited him to come to New Orleans to ride with us sometime.

Saturday evening Paul led us to La Pizzaria, where the meet and greet for the contestants was held in the lovely garden and home behind the restaurant. We had a great meal of gourmet pizza and other delicacies. Then we went back to the hotel to rest before the contest.

David was invited to be one of the five judges for the Gulf Coast Bear contest, which was held at B-Bob's Saturday night. Once again their emcee was a local radio personality who's very funny and very quick with his wit. It kept the contest light and moving along. The theme was "Firemen Bears" and the stage was decorated with a big cardboard fire engine, a fire pole, and other great props. They keps us laughing for over two hours, until the winner, from Biloxi, Miss., was announced.

On Sunday, several in our group left early to beat the rain. David D., who came down on Saturday on his brand new 2001 Yamaha Road Star, followed Michael and David back to the city.

It was a great weekend of fun and friendship. It's great to see that our club has reached the level that we can do weekend events like this. We have two more overnighters planned in the coming months, including Festivals Acadiens in Lafayette in September, and the Christmas Festival in Natchitoches in December. Make plans to join us!

Many thanks to our friends Bubba and Eric, who generously made all those hundreds of Jello shots for us to sell!

And thanks to everyone who came along this weekend. It was your participation that made it all so much fun!

August sunset dinner ride to West End

Michael W. judges Marigny Leather contest

Cavaliers member Michael W. was among the distinguished panel of judges for the fourth annual Marigny Leather contest on August 1. The Marigny Leather contest is a charity benefit produced annually by local leather legend Wally Sherwood.

Cavaliers join B.L.O.C.K. at Cowpokes

The Cavaliers were among the six clubs represented at the fifth Friday B.L.O.C.K. beer bust on July 30. From left: David of the Cavaliers, Kent of the Knights, Kevin of the Outlaws, Mike of the Bears, Timm of the Lords, and Alan of NOBLE. The event is a great opportunity for members of the various clubs to socailize. The event raised nearly $300 for Belle Reve. Doc and Michael W. were among the Cavaliers on hand for the B.L.O.C.K. event. Timm from the Lords and Alan from NOBLE (and the Lords, and the Cavaliers) get friendly at the B.L.O.C.K event. The event brought out a hot crowd. And Julie even showed up with her brand new 2005 Harley-Davidson.

Cavaliers celebrate first traveling bike night

Michael G. and Doc celebrated with the Cavaliers at their first traveling beer bust and bike night at the Rawhide in July. The Cavaliers plan a bike night at a different venue each month. Michael W. and Michael H. enjoyed the event, while Hanley and John, friends of the Cavaliers, joined in the fun.

Cavaliers join Dining for Life at Fellini's Cafe

The Cavaliers participated in the annual Dining For Life event on July 15 to raise funds for the NO/AIDS project. We had a great meal at Fellini's in Mid City, then stopped at Angelo Brocato's for Italian ice cream.

Cavaliers visit Michael D.'s mom

The Cavaliers took a ride in July to Krotz Springs and visited Michael D's mom at the family homestead. Riders included Doc, Dave, Doug, Michael D., Diane, Juliette, Michael W. and David. The Cavaliers stopped to eat lunch at Pat's in Henderson on the way to Krotz Springs and got a table with a view.

We had a great ride today, with Doc, Michael and Doug, Diane and Juliette, Dave D., joining Michael and me.

Our destination was Pat's Fisherman's Wharf restaurant in tiny Henderson. We had a great meal overlooking the water. It gave us plenty of time to dry off after a heavy shower dumped on us just as we came off the Atchafalaya basin bridge.

Mike D. then led us through the thriving metropolis of Arnaudville, on our way to his hometown of Krotz Springs. We got a tour of the WHOLE TOWN, and even got to meet his mom. Awww! We then headed home to New Orleans, dodging a few showers along the way.

We rode 290 miles today, putting the Cav-o-meter at 19,895 for the year. That puts us over last year's 18,620, and we still have three more months to go!

Between this ride and yesterday's ride to Point a la Hache, Mike and Doug moved ahead of Poncho, Doc moved ahead of Lance, and Diane, Dave D., Bubba and Eric all moved up in the standings.

Cavaliers sell beer to thirsty tourists

Doug and Lance sold beer at the Cavaliers beer bust at Lafitte's on July 3. The event was a very successful fundraiser for our club. Bubba, Doug, Lance, Michael W. and Eric and David also joined in the fun.

Cavaliers eat at Joe's

The Cavaliers were honored to have Michael W.'s mom, Susan, join us for our monthly dinner ride in June. The group rode to the lakefront and ate a fine meal at Joe's Crab Shack, overlooking the marina. Riders included Diane, Michael H., Juliette, Poncho, Michael D., Lance, Michael W., Susan, Doug, Kevin. and David.

The Cavaliers arrived at Joe's Crab Shack at twilight and dined on the deck at Joe's Crab Shack, overlooking the New Orleans marina. Michael's mom rode to the restaurant and back on the back of David's Gold Wing.

Cavaliers taste a bit o' Abita

The June 12 ride was jinxed from the start. We were supposed to have a picnic and splash in the river at Mike M.'s place in Mississippi. But Mike got sick and we had to choose another destination. So we headed for Red Bluff Road in Columbia, MS. A late start and a mechanical delay in Slidell made that destination unrealistic. So after touring most of suburban Slidell and paying a visit to the Northshore Harley dealer, we set our compass for Abita Springs, where we had a dandy lunch at the Abita Brew Pub. We missed not having Doc along with us. She's been after us to ride to Abita for a while, but she wasn't with us four our impromptu ride.

Cavaliers show off their biker tans

The Cavaliers took a Memorial Weekend ride to the northshore town of Franklinton. Riders included Doc, Poncho, Lance, Michael D., Doug, David and Michael W. The day was hot and overcast, but the riders still got a pretty good biker's tan.

Cavaliers turn around at Thibodaux

The Cavaliers set out for Morgan City on the back roads through Kramer on Sunday, May 16, but wound up turning around at Thibodaux because of threatening weather. Poncho led the ride, with Mike H. as his buddy rider, and Alan, Lance, Mike D. and Doug along for the ride. Here's Alan's ride report:

It was a good ride ... started out sunny then got cloudy as we went south and west, finally blue black skies over Morgan City made Thibodeaux seem like a good destination. We shared the Western Sizzler with a large bike club from Marrero which arrived about fifteen minutes after we did. A winding backroads route through cane fields and bayous plus dodging the rain gave the ride an adventurous quality, and Poncho kept us moving ... the River Road on the westbank from Vacherie to the 310 bridge is one of the better rides around here if you like twisties, so I had no objections to that as a return route.

And, oh yes, the swamp! The narrow, winding road through the swamp near Kramer is literally right at water level with overhanging trees and all kinds of wildlife from ground level up. On that stretch I saw white herons, a blue heron, turtles and a four foot alligator which dove into the water from the edge of the road as I came up on it.

Re: snakes ... there were more squashed snakes in the road than I've seen in a long time. If you think of pigeons in New Orleans, you get the idea how common snakes are down there. :-)

And, Lance unquestionably got the coolest souvenir of the day at Zam's Swamp Tours gift shop ... a genuine coonskin cap.

Alan

Cavaliers make news in Lafayette

The weather was wet but the smiles were just as wide as the Cavaliers returned home in the rain from Lafayette after an overnight ride to the Festival International de Louisiane on April 24-25. The event was attended by members and friends of the Cavaliers, as well as several members of the New Orleans Bears and Bear Trappers Social club.

Cavaliers President David Lester and New Orleans Bears member Michael Hummel were both interviewed at the festival's main stage by a reporter from KLFY-TV Channel 10. The segment ran on the station's 6 pm newscast.

The ride began Saturday morning at the Phoenix, with seven bikes carrying 10 riders and buddies. Cavaliers member Michael D. led the ride to Lafayette, along with Cavaliers members Doug, Poncho, and David. Diane and Julie came along on their first Cavaliers ride. Susan, Michael H., and Michael W. were buddy riders along with Doc, Poncho, and David. While there they also ran into Adam, Dale, and Dave from the New Orleans Bears.

The group made quick time along I-10 to Lafayette on Saturday under sunny skies, crossing the Bonnet Carre Spillway, zipping through Baton Rouge, and flying across the Atchafalaya Basin bridge. After a quick hotel check-in the group headed to the festival.

Festival International turned out to be a true delight, spread across the charming downtown section of Lafayette, featuring the food, langauge, and music of French culture in South Louisiana and around the world. The festival is anchored by two main stages at either end of downtown, with several smaller stages scattered throughout. Along the way were dozens of food booths and art and craft vendors. While the festival attracted large numbers of people, the attractions were spread over a large enough area to avoid overcrowding. Best of all, there is no entry fee to enter the festival, and city parking garages were free. There even was a special parking lot designated for motorcycles.

The music was wonderful, with artists representing South Louisiana as well as more than a dozen countries, with most performances in French or English. Even more diverse was the absolutely awesome food, with vendors presenting a vast array of tasty dishes. The Cavaliers sampled more than a dozen dishes and none disappointed. The best among them were the crab cakes and the fried catfish topped with a spicy seafood etouffe.

Many in the Cavaliers group felt Festival International was among the best festivals they'd attended, with great food, great music, plenty of room to wander around, and no admission fee. Some compared it favorably with the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz Fest. Some even felt it exceeded these events.

The group spent Saturday afternoon wandering the festival grounds, eating themselves silly. After a while they tired out and headed back to the hotel for a siesta, making it just in time before a heavy rain washed over the Lafayette area. The storm passed by early evening, letting them head out again to the festival refreshed and ready for more delicasies. They spent the next several hours listening to great music and eating great food, before settling in to visit Lafayette's downtown gay bars, which were right in the middle of all the festival action.

Their first stop was Jules Downtown. It was a bit early and a bit quiet for a Saturday night, but they grabbed a few drinks and settled themselves at a few tables in the main bar. As the time passed the crowd began growing steadily. Jules attracts a younger crowd of gay men and lesbians, and has a nice dance floor in the rear.

After a while they made a change of pace and walked a few blocks down the street to the Sound Factory. They settled into the comfortable armchairs in the quiet bar on one side of this large establishment, which caters to a slightly more mature crowd of mostly gay men. As the evening wore on, it was time to head back to the hotel.

The group rose early Sunday and had breakfast at the hotel breakfast buffet. It was a great time to relive the previous day's experiences at the festival and talk about motorcycles and plans for future rides. By the time the group was ready to leave Lafayette, there was a steady rain which followed the group much of the way back to New Orleans. After a gas stop in Prairieville, the group made it only a few miles further before the rain grew heavier. They pulled in to the next rest area to wait out the passing shower in a picnic shelter, only to find the benches and tables crawling with venomous buckmoth caterpillars. The group made it safely back to New Orleans by mid afternoon Sunday.

Cavaliers spend "A Night in Black Leather"

The Cavaliers returned to Mobile for "A Night in Black Leather" at B-Bob's Downtown on April 17. The event was hosted by the Gulf Coast Bear and Leather Association. Michael D. and Doug headed out from The Phoenix about 10:30 Saturday morning, with Poncho and Lance L. heading over about 6:30 Saturday evening.

A quick ride along I-10 got Michael and Doug in Mobile in plenty of time for Bubba and Eric's wedding reception. Bubba and Eric are the first legally married same sex couple in Alabama as they traveled to San Francisco in February for a ceremony at City Hall there.

Poncho and Lance arrived about 9:30 after a slight delay due to an accident on I-10. All of us went to B-Bob's and were welcomed by Jerry and the GCBLA members. The Cavaliers had a great time partying late into the night before retiring to the Lafayette Plaza Hotel.

Another quick trip along I-10 brought us home with a stop in Slidell at the Harley dealer to make sure Lance's tire was OK after he found a nail in the tread -- luckily it didn't go thru the tire and there is no apparent leak.

"It was not our butchest moment"

The Cavaliers led the New Orleans Gay Easter Parade in grand style.

"I've never seen so many cameras in my life!"

That was the reaction of many Cavaliers after leading the New Orleans Gay Easter Parade in grand style through the streets of the French Quarter on Sunday, April 11.

The Cavaliers presented 12 bikes in the parade, including Poncho, Doug, Michael D., Lance, Bubba, Eric, Julie, Diane, Doc and Susan, George, Lynn, and David and Michael W.

We were resplendent in our Easter bonnets and our gaily decorated bikes, roaring through the streets of the French Quarter to the cheers of the crowds along the parade route.

Cavaliers host the Satyrs MC of Los Angeles

The Cavaliers held a dinner at Bywater BBQ on April 3 in honor of the Satyrs MC of Los Angeles. The Satyrs are the country's oldest gay motorcycle club, celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2004. Four of their members were in New Orleans as part of the Leather Leadership Conference.

Cavaliers spring to Bellingrath Gardens

The Cavaliers turned a day ride into an overnighter to tour Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile. It was planned as a day ride to Mobile to visit Bellingrath Gardens in all its spring glory. It quickly turned into a full weekend of fun.

We started things off with our monthly beer bust at the Phoenix. Poncho blew out the candles on his birthday cake, and the club presented him with his new road captain's vest, complete with the club colors on the back and his name and title badges on the front.

During the beer bust, Mike D. suggested we change the Mobile ride from a day ride on Sunday to an overnighter, leaving late Saturday afternoon. I was a little concerned that someone might show up on Sunday morning, but we put out a few emails and got no response, so we decided to leave on Saturday.

Six of us made the ride, including Poncho, Mike D., Doug, Lance L., Michael W., and me. Lance was on his new HD Sportster 1200, and Mike and Doug were on their new matching Honda VTX 1300s.

Michael W. and I had a small mishap on I-10 heading out of town when one of the side compartments flew open while on the road. We stopped to shut it, and miraculously none of the contents had fallen out.

We got to Mobile and checked in at the Lafayette Plaza Hotel in downtown Mobile, where we entertained the desk clerk. He was beside himself when he realized that this group of six bikers were in town to have brunch at the Spot of Tea restaurant and then ride down to Bellingrath Gardens to see the azaleas in bloom.

We headed to Charlene's restaurant for dinner, and got there just after the kitchen had closed, but used our charm to persuade them to re-open just for us. We like the good food at Charlene's but the real treat is the building it's in: an old pharmacy dating to 1900. It's an architectural gem.

After dinner we headed out for a little nightlife, and discovered there isn't much. We were greeted warmly by Jerry at B-Bob's and spent most of our time there. We stopped upstairs briefly and caught part of the drag show. At the intermission the emcee asked if anyone was celebrating a birthday, and we got him to drag Poncho up on stage. Poncho got a free shot of Jagermeister for his trouble.

Sunday morning we headed across Cathedral Square for brunch at a Spot of Tea restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious, and even Mike D. was satisfied with the generous portions. We were all quite amused to be seated in the frou-frou dining room, surrounded by all the good church-going folk in their Sunday best.

After brunch we took the short ride outside of Mobile to Bellingrath Gardens. It was 60 spectacular acres of springtime glory. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with more than 250,000 azaleas and other flowering plants. It was well worth the trip. Of course the Cavaliers had a pretty good time cutting up and scaring the tourists while we were there.

After the tour we headed home, first on I-10, and then over to US Hwy. 90 from Ocean Springs through Biloxi and Gulfport. We stopped for ice cream along the way. We really couldn't have had a more beautiful day for a ride, with temperatures in the upper 70s and sunny skies.

Once back in the city we made our ritual visit to Lafitte's on Bourbon Street, where we christened the new Cavaliers trash can table top, courtesy of Lafitte's manager Joey.

At Lafitte's we also ran into Ron, who had gotten up early Sunday morning to ride to New Orleans to meet us for the ride to Mobile. Unfortunately Ron hadn't gotten word of our last-minute change of plans. We felt really, really bad about it, but Ron had a good sense of humor about it. We just kept reminding him it was all Mike D.'s fault.

Cavaliers host "Blessing of the Bikes"

The Cavaliers kicked off their 2004 riding season with the Blessing of the Bikes on Sunday, March 14 at Armstrong Park.

Rev. Dexter Brecht of the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater New Orleans conducted the blessing. The ceremony began with an opening prayer, followed by the annointing of each rider and each motorcycle with sacred oil.

The event attracted a dozen riders and many friends of the Cavaliers, including club members Poncho, Doc, Doug, Mike D., Darryl, Jeff, and David. We also saw several new faces, including Lance, Lynn, Doug, Jack, and Kathleen. Our friend Brian even brought along his Audi TT sports car to be blessed, too.

We were also pleased to have many of our friends show up just to wish us well, including Kevin, Michael H., Michael W., Carl, and Lance. Doc's dad, who is a detective with the NOPD, covered the security detail for us.

Club members passed out small angel pins to each of the participants after the ceremony, and newcomers received the official Cavaliers friendship pins as well.

Following the ceremony Road Captain Poncho led the riders off on a ride to Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, with a police escort from Armstrong Park to the on-ramp of I-10. Seven members made the trip, with our friend Brian in his Audi TT following along.

We took the old Chef Menteur Highway east into Mississippi, and followed US Hwy 90 to Bay St. Louis. Poncho led us right into the casino's designated "Motorcycle Parking Only" section.

Once inside, we ate ourselves silly at the buffet brunch, going back for course after course until we could hardly walk. The food was very good, with a wide variety and lots of it.

After brunch a few of the riders tried their hands at a few slot machines or a few hands of blackjack, while the rest of us let our enormous meal settle. Soon we headed out to the bikes, saddled up, and headed back home, just in time to beat the rain.

Thanks go out to Doc for her work coordinating the bike blessing, especially for arranging for the preacher and the security. Thanks also to our friend Wally Sherwood for helping with the publicity on the event.

This certainly turned out to be a very successful event, and seemed like a great way for some new riders to get introduced to our club.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr.....

Four brave bikers headed out for Abita Springs from the Phoenix in 40 degree weather on Sunday, February 8. The heavy overcast kept the temperatures from rising at all. We got as far as Slidell and had to defrost in a convenience store. Alan decided to continue, but Doc, her friend Charles, and David all decided to head back to New Orleans. We had lunch at La Peniche and warmed up again. We'll make it to Abita Springs someday.