Frank: Yesterday we rode the bike down
to the center of Buffalo to the town baseball park where the concourse bike
exhibit was taking place. The club
opened the show up to the local townsfolk the local car clubs and about 10 very
nice (and one very “Rat”) cars showed up.
I expect that the show being held on a Wednesday cut down on the number
of cars that were able to show up.
My favorite car was the “Rat.” The guy had taken a hulk out of a field and
grafted a whole front end from another car on it, jammed a 400 cubic inch
engine in it, cut 12 inches out of the middle to shorten it, made all of the
systems work so it is street legal, and left everything else just as he found
it. He parks it outside, even in the
winter, just to improve the patina. I
love it! It must drive the local law
enforcement nuts!
We had almost 300 Nortons and other Brit-Bikes on
display. It was a really nice turn
out. As it worked out there were only
two bikes in the “Custom Café” category so I guess he and I will split 1st
and 2nd places.
There was no shade in the field and it was sunny and hot so
Cheryl walked downtown and explored the local shops while I sweltered,
socialized, and answered a lot of questions from the local residents. It was fun.
Ride On!
Frank
Cheryl: Buffalo’s
small town shops, while quite limited, offer some interesting window shopping.
A couple antique stores, a few small cafes, a gallery, a western shop, and an
upscale resale store. I wandered into the resale shop just to browse and left
with a great bargain in a leather Mondani of New York purse in perfect
condition for a mere $12. It’s just the right size to throw over my shoulder
and tuck under my arm for safe-keeping while riding passenger on the bike.
By the time I covered most of the shops on one side of the
main drag and sat down at a convenient table and chairs in the shade next to a
street corner park, I couldn’t believe 5:00 p.m. had rolled around, meaning the
concourse had ended. I scurried on over to the fairgrounds, bypassing the craft
fair with a live band I had intended to check out again, to find Frank still
out in the field answering questions about his bike.
Most of the participant bikes departing in waves didn’t
convince Frank time to leave had arrived, so I wandered across the street and
sat by Clear Creek to watch a couple of young boys playing in a small waterfall
in the middle of the creek. Soon Frank called on the cell and I “scrambled?” up
the bank to join him. I don’t think scrambled really applies when you consider
it took me some time to even get upright after sitting on the ground with my
back up against a rock.
I took a short nap before dinner of burgers, chips, beans,
slaw and a cookie down at the main rally tent where they handed out the awards
for the field events and bestowed some door prizes on lucky wrist-band number winners.
The bike awards for the concourse show will be this evening at the banquet. Friday
will merely be coffee and goodbyes in the a.m. We’re staying a few more days
here in this lovely RV spot at the top of the hill because our friends Jeremy
and Leigh arrive on Friday. We’re thinking of visiting some historic spots a
ways north in the little town of Sheridan with them.
I just found out that Greg Brown performs on July 25 at the WYO
Theater in Sheridan. I’m hoping Frank will want to stay a couple of days longer
up there so we can see the show. He’s one of the folk artists whose music my
son-in-law John Gallagher introduced to me some time ago. I’d love to see him
perform in person. He’s quite the showman. If we decide to do that, we’ll start
out for Montana on July 26.
Sending love
to you from the Bozeman Trail,
Buffalo
Bill, Clamity Jane, Big Nose Kate, and Doc Holliday
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