Website: Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. is a private company servicing its customers around the world with performance-proven, quality products and systems that are adaptable to the changing demands of the water and wastewater treatment industry. Our markets range from small to medium sized municipalities to large metro areas around the world, including both domestic and industrial waste streams.
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| Baillie at bat. |
A guzzi friend from Florida, Bill was camping there, so we took him to the Attica Hotel for a fish fry.
Saturday morning I went with Joe, Michele and Baillie to Attica School for Baillie's softball game. It was cold and misty rain and windy! Not the most comfortable few hours but we enjoyed the game and Baillie played well.
Jim bought a 1976 moto guzzi convert three years ago on Craigslist for $850 and has been working on it and another 'bargain' convert each time we are at Joe and Michele's. He wanted to have the silver one running and take it to the Western New York Moto Guzzi rally the following weekend.
Monday we delivered the water filters to Kraft Foods, Inc. in Campbell, New York at the Polly-O Factory.
Internet: One of the USA's largest producers of Italian cheeses, offering a full line of premium Italian cheeses and snacks. Making almost 100 million pounds of premium Italian cheese each year, POLLY-O® still makes cheese with the classic Italian techniques mastered by Giuseppe Pollio a century ago.
The water filters we had are used for water treatment, like the ones in the photo. That afternoon Jim took the truck (prime mover) to Franks Garage in Akron, to have the fuel gauge and air conditioner repaired during the week.
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| The 'Silver Bullet': 1976 Moto Guzzi convert (automatic). |
Jim cleaned the starter and carbies, rebuilt all the brakes and master cylinders, a new headlight, and we had the borrowed seat of Dale‘s.
We took it for a test ride on Thursday afternoon - and got to the end of the driveway. It cut out and lost all electricity. Jim checked it over, took off the seat, tank, side covers and after 20 minutes we pushed it back to the garage. Then it didn't take long to discover a connector had pulled out as he turned the handlebars to go on to the road. Just required more cord and adjust the tank (and add a zip tie!).
Jimmy got in Wednesday afternoon and he and Bill left for the rally, Jimmy borrowed one of Joe's guzzi's. Joe followed in the pick up truck and trailer. He had to set up. Michele took camping gear and our belongings as she had to take the car loaded with more rally supplies on Friday. Jim and I left on the 'silver bullet' late Friday morning. When we stopped for lunch, there was a puddle of oil under the bike. We were undecided as to turn around and get the le mans, but decided to continue. (Turned out Jim had just overfilled it.)
Jim and I got to Westfield KOA campgrounds mid afternoon and set up the tent. Then we were ready for the Guzzi Rally in the Vineyard! About forty people were already there (some arrive as early as Tuesday!).
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| Friday evening sunset at the campgrounds. |
Wikipedia: The origin and history of the beef on weck sandwich is not well established. It is believed that a German baker named William Wahr, who is thought to have emigrated from the Black Forest region of Germany, created the kimmelweck roll while living in Buffalo, New York. A local pub owner is said to have used the roll to create the beef on weck, with the thought that the salty top of the roll would make his patrons purchase more drinks.
Frank and Penny donated (and Frank cooked) Buffalo style chicken wings. Everyone was well fed with good food.
Some people went to the cliffs along Lake Erie to enjoy the sunset, but I was not organized in time, so took some sunset photos from the campgrounds.
Saturday morning breakfast was sausage gravy on biscuits (scones) - not a Buffalo specialty, but tasty and filling.
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| L to R: Jimmy, Pat and Jim. |
They rented a car from Buffalo and arrived at the rally mid morning on Saturday. They followed Jim and I, Terry and Maggie, and Art on bikes to some Chautauqua Lake Wineries. First, one we had not been to before - Nobel Winery. Very nice setting overlooking the vineyard and Lake Erie.
Website: Noble Winery is situated within a 189-acre grape farm which has been owned and operated since 1979. Offering a spectacular view of the vineyards and Lake Erie, Noble Winery is the center of America's Grape Country's grape belt.
Next winery was Schloss Doepken.
Website: The property in Ripley, NY set out the first viniferous wine in 1974, pioneering the production of wine grapes in the area when wine making was in its infancy in this part of the world.
Set in a 100 year old farm house, the tasting room and gift shoppe offer an old world charm.
We all had a nice lunch in Ripley, then saved our favourite winery for on the way back to the campground, Johnson Estate. The Moto Guzzi Club spends a lot of time and money there and they are always welcoming and donate door prizes for the rally. A few years the taste hostesses have joined in the rally and campfire Saturday evenings.
From their Website: The "Chateau" or Estate Tradition: Wines can be no better than the grapes from which they are made. An estate or farm winery uses grapes grown from its own adjacent vineyards. The entire vinification process, including crushing, pressing, fermentation, aging, and bottling occurs on site. Since grapes ripen at different times from vineyard to vineyard, and estate winery is better able to harvest the grapes at their perfect ripeness. Grapes start to deteriorate the moment they are picked, and the farther they must be transported and the longer the time until they are crushed, the more their quality is affected.
Grapes have been grown at Johnson Estate for well over a century. The winery, established in 1961, is the oldest estate winery in New York State. All the grapes are grown within 3000 feet of the winery.
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| L to R: Belinda, Jim, Bob, Pat, Art, Ann Marie and bbq dinners. |
A group of us enjoyed the sunset from the cliffs overlooking Lake Erie - always spectacular.
People started leaving early Sunday morning, lots of people helped clean up and take down the rally tent and pack up. Jim and I and Jimmy headed back towards Buffalo, we had a family get together at Jim’s Aunt Marg's to coincide with Pat and Belinda‘s visit to the area. Joe, Michele and Baillie took the rally stuff back to their house, so got there a bit later.
We had a lovely afternoon with the Donovans. Aunt Marg, 87, loves a party, and enjoys being with family. A few people there we hadn't seen for many years. Cousins 'Rite and Maryanne provided great snacks and an early dinner. Lots of laughter and stories.
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| L to R: Jimmy, Joe, Jim and Mat Hawley at Aunt Marg's. |
Loaded at McCloskey International - Petersborough is their headquarters. They manufacture mobile crushing, screening and stockpiling products for mines. RGN trailers (floats) loaded the machines, they are too high and wide to go on our step deck trailer. Our load was the attachments and parts to the machines, took up the whole trailer, but was low and light. We delivered on Friday morning to a McCloskey facility in La Grange, Texas (between Houston and Austin). Next load didn't load until Saturday and it was hot, we didn't want to sit in the truck all afternoon so we got a motel outside Houston and relaxed - a very nice Mexican Restaurant nearby, too.
The shipment was still being prepared, so we ended up sitting at GE Energy for three hours. The load was two plastic bins, less than 1 metre cube and an auger Jim could push the bins around on the trailer. We tarped it and headed north. A near empty trailer - great fuel economy, light and not much wind drag.
An easy drive north, though we experienced some storms and hot weather, and delivered Monday morning in Alexandria, Minnesota at Magellan.
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| McCloskey Internation at Petersborough, Ontario. |
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| Magellan shipment loading in Houston, TX. |
Our next load was in Pepin, Wisconsin, a small town beside the Mississippi River. A beautiful drive along the River and old towns. Our address was in a street we thought no big trucks should go. We could not see the loading dock, so Jim had to go in and ask. It was that gravel track that continues past the end of the bitumen.
The loading dock was intimidating at first, - it was probably built for horse drawn flat beds! A modern addition is the remote controlled crane. An easy load - light and low again. These are the ladders that attach to the side of farm silos and tanks. Our load was for an electrical supply company and I am imagining them attaching to poles or towers.
Delivered in Houston on Thursday, then to Port of Galveston to load. We had not been to there before, but we like the smaller Ports, easier to navigate and communication is more friendly.
Loaded at Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. The shipment cleared Customs on 15 June (a week ago) - the big orange RoRo ship was not there. We loaded a small CAT bulldozer D6K. Jim’s first time driving a bulldozer, was a bit nervous at first but by the time he drove it around the dock area he quite enjoyed it. Only had 10cm (4 inches) spare on each side when on the trailer, so there was not much room for error. The blade was a separate piece. The new machine came in from Europe. Jim said the controls were very easy, lots of buttons, a joystick control, and the 'accelerator' was a dial with a turtle one side and a hare the other. Self explanatory in all languages apparently.
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| Load of hardwood flooring Arkansas to Virginia. |
Delivered at a large equipment sales facility in Little Rock, Arkansas on Friday morning and south to Hamburg, Arkansas to load lumber.
Our string of easy loads was over - a near maximum weight load of lumber, and required the big tarps. Finished wood flooring. Our tarps are in good shape, but are not totally waterproof and are dirty from being used on machinery and steel. Jim covered the load in plastic first, then we tarped. Took several hours, hot and dusty work. Just 1500 kms to do over the weekend, so a no pressure, easy run. We delivered Monday morning in Waynesboro, Virginia to a flooring company.
The Moto Guzzi National Owners Club's National Rally was in Buena Vista, Virginia this year from Thursday 28 June to Sunday 1 July. Waynesboro is only 50 miles (85 kms) from the rally site. When the load came up, we decided to not look for another load and take the rest of the week off from Monday afternoon. The rally was held at Glen Maury Park, a large camping area - there was plenty of room for our whole rig and being only one tent and two recreational vehicles there, we had no problem getting around and finding somewhere to park.
Jim decided on parking along side the fence, it had no shade but was out of the way. With the beautiful Paxton House in the background, it was a lovely spot.
Paxton House is designated as one of Virginia's Historic Landmarks. Built between 1830 and 1835. Elisha Franklin Paxton (March 4, 1828 – May 3, 1863) was a lawyer and soldier who served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and died in combat.
We unloaded the le mans and Jim checked it over, and washed it!!? Took it for a short ride on local roads and to the town of Lexington where we found a lovely bar and restaurant in historic downtown Lexington, "The Palms" and ate there several times during the week.
That evening, we socialized with the people already camped, some we had met before and some we had not. Watched deer come down to the field at dusk to feed.
Jim and I left late morning on Tuesday to explore the Shenandoah Valley and went north to Staunton. This area is known for its twisty roads - mountain ranges, valleys, rivers, fabulous motorcycling roads in all directions.
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| Warm Springs Bath House. |
The Shenandoah Valley stretches 200 miles across the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains. It's been nicknamed "The Big Valley" and immortalized in song, dance, film and television.
Staunton appears at number 10 on the Smithsonian Magazine's "The 20 Best Small Towns in America" published in the May 2012 issue.
Staunton is also home to the Statler Brothers, country music legends. Statler Brothers members Don Reid, Harold Reid, and Phil Balsley grew up and still reside in the city.
Headed south on a different road and stopped in Warm Springs, it was unique place. Famous for its mineral springs.
Website: Built in 1761, believed to be one of the oldest bath structures still in use in the United States. The building are believed to have been designed by Thomas Jefferson. The Jefferson pools have attracted visitors to the area for more than 200 years to take advantage of the soothing 98 degree mineral water, also known as "the cure".
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| Tim and Helena on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia. |
Wednesday we went for a ride with Tim and Helena north from Buena Vista along the Blue Ridge Parkway to where it met Skyline Drive and the Shenandoah National Park.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles (755 km), mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains.
Four times we experienced deer on the road, otherwise a fun day on the bike and with Tim and Helena. The weather was getting warmer each day - cool temperatures in the mountains, we started out with extra clothing on, but it became hot and humid once off the ridge. Eventually found a restaurant for food and refreshments then back to the campground. More people had arrived, so had a fun evening.
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| John Henry, Jim and Tom Au at Seneca Rocks, WV. |
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| Riding to Buena Vista. |
Then it was Rally time - 41st Annual MGNOC National Rally and 30th Annual Virginia Rally. We got back in time to register and have dinner. Lots more people there now.
Friday a group went to two Breweries and one Winery - Devils Backbone Brewery, Wild Wolf Brewery and Wintergreen Winery all located on Hwy 151:
Located at the base of the Blue Ridge, Route 151 is Main Street for the Rockfish Valley. This northern part of Nelson County is home to 7 wineries, 3 breweries, cozy Bed & Breakfasts, friendly farmers, spectacular views, and so much more.
It was a fun day, even though it was HOT! Though we got back to the truck too late to line up a load for Monday.That night was the storm that created havoc along a lot of the east coast.
Everyone in the campgrounds were warned to prepare for a storm. We watched as a line of clouds came over the ridge above the campground - then there was the roar and stuff started flying within seconds! Most people headed to the pavilion while the tornado sirens started. The storm only lasted about 30 minutes, mostly winds - some 80 mile an hour! (130 kms), but very little rain. It was a microburst that involves straight line winds (a tornado without the rotation). The electricity went out and did not come on again the rest of the weekend. Most of the towns were out, only a few restaurants had electricity and they were packed! Also, cold showers at the campgrounds - ugh! Trees and electricity poles were down, an enormous amount of branches and leaves littered every road and closed many.
On Saturday morning Joe, Frank, Jim and I went for a short ride to Natural Bridge, but no electricity there so we didn't go in. Then to Foamhenge - Stonehenge made out of styrofoam, I read that it is to exact scale of the original in England. We had fun there taking photos.
Jimmy had loaded in Houston, Texas and stopped at the rally on his way to New York, also a trucker/biker friend with him, Shane. They left their loaded trailers in town and took their prime movers to the rally. They stayed the one night and caught up with everyone.
Luckily the caterers for Saturday night's dinner had electricity!
316 guzzi enthusiasts attended which is a low number for a National on the East Coast. Forecasts of heat wave conditions put many people off. Night temperatures were OK, we had the fan on for Saturday night.
Very early Sunday morning, 1 July the bikes started leaving. Many had long distances to go and problems with availability of petrol because of widespread power outages. We left Glen Maury Park around noon and stopped at truckstops until we found one with electricity, and it was BUSY! Cars lines stretching down the highway because there were very few places open. We wanted warm showers and I had to do laundry, ready for the next week's work.
