Rally bound....

Howdy All:
We are headed out tomorrow for Cut-n-Shoot, Texas and the Hellalujah Rally March 1-3. Billy Gray planning to blaze over on his Charro for the weekend. Bob the Dog is under the weather - we are waiting on test results for Addison's Disease - a sorta gland problem that is manageable with meds once we know.  Vet cleared her for the thoroughfare but not gyros and biscuits and gravy - gotta stick to a certain meal plan. Enough said...spread the word where we will be and tell rider buddies to stop in and visit.
Cheers.....the four of us

Bob the Dog

Tasty

DATELINE GRAY COMPOUND, HONDO, TEXAS --- This place delivers the majestic sunsets as regularly and near-perfectly as General Gray throws down on sumptuous, flavor-filled meals.

During one of our regular, well-deserved and relaxing garage happy hours this past week, I mentioned to Chief (Bill Gray) that I was going to buy a mess of Texas BBQ from a local shack to serve my Mom when she reached Hondo Saturday night. NOT! said the Charro pimp-eh-knee-sta. I will BBQ, he declaired. Shop, prep and get the hell out of they way, he demanded! Man, it drives me nuts he's right so often.

Wonderful BBQ pork ribs with a pot of beans soaked in ham hocks, tater salad and slaw - we guilded the lily with mini pecan pies and Girl Scout cookies (I'm a sucker on scout stuff; it's the only time I can honestly claim my 'medal' stack has ever been larger than Ding's Marine stack).

My Mom had a wonderful time - we all did. She's here for a couple days. Business is very steady so we're takin a couple days off to do the Alamo, Riverwalk and some more great food. Next rally is Cut-n-Shoot March 1.

Bob has a problem washing her feet in every water bowl on the compound. We think Thumper wrestled with the cat - scratched lower eye area. Otherwise, they play, eat and sleep, in abundance. We are guessing they miss the thoroughfare, which Bob actually told Don yesterday. You know you're getting old when....

The Crew

p.s. Ding got the second of a few 50th birthday gifts (March 8) First was a "man plant" from my Mom and next was a cow bell from me that say's "Ring 4 Ding." We needed a customer door bell, why not, eh?

p.p.s. My Uncle sent a good one....A small card that has Calamity Jane on front from Deadwood that states "Everyday takes figuring out all over again how to fucking live."

Hill Country Heaven



Finally, the four of us take a putt on President's Day. From left to right, Blaze, Ding, Hol, Bill, Deb and Charro. Outside of a pit stop in Bandera, Texas - beautiful hill country and we had absolutely perfect weather.

DATELINE GRAY COMPOUND, HONDO, TEXAS --- How many people can say their holiday weekend consisted of a surprise makeover, cooking bear roast for dinner, adding a world-class African safari guide to the list of service clients, and taking a zen motorcycle ride with good friends in the most glorious of sunny, warm hill countries? Moi, said Miss Piggy.

After spending what really was the first ever stretch of "gal time" with Deb on Saturday - think garage, rock and roll blaring and a great meatloaf comfort dinner, we whizzed out in her little SUV to her son and daughter-in-law's place in the deeper country. What I thought was going to be a quick cut to kill the dead ends (trying to clean up before my Ma comes to Texas this weekend) turned into "let's pretend Holly is Barbie." Apparently, I had become a bit too long-in-the-tooth, as they say. A sparky, opinionated, wandering cosmetologist named Anita snipped and dried and ironed, and put makeup on a face that hasn't received war paint in, ahem, probably 20 years. The mirror "reveal" was actually rather remarkable. Suffice to say, Don asked me on a date later that evening. Enough said,

The bear was a present from a buddy in Northern Colorado. I slow cooked with veggies and it came out tasty. While many a Smokey can be overly fatty, this roast was good. I won't lie, I was glad we had gravy and vegetables. Hey, I even got the Gray grand-kiddos to try a bite, which I foisted on them after a plate of oven-warm cookies.

That interesting couple we met at the Massacre who run African safaris, as well as an exotic game ranch here in Hondo, have become clients and, I hope, riding pals and friends soon. Ding and Billy are working on the husband's custom Jesse James motorcycle here at the compound and I will detail it later this week. We also finished the work on Mr. Mumme's (pronounced Mummy) bike and visited with his great wife Becky recently.

Last but truly the best was Monday's ride. We set out after 1 p.m. and stopped at the local DQ for a snack. Then it was off to the hills. From Hondo, we rode through Tarpley, and then on to Medina, Bandera, Kerville and back. We passed beautiful, giant ranches with names like Circle M and Running R and flying this and lazy that. The oak-lined roads curved and pitched and the entire run was sun-soaked with occasional cool breezes. It felt like a late summer evening in southern Arizona or a fall sunset in Botswana.

It was Texas Hill Country and it was perfect.

More soon....
Hol, Ding, Thumper and Bob 

  

Massacre ends....



Rob Buvinghausen's ride. Rob owns Jackwagon Powder Coating in Hondo, Texas. That's powder coating folks. Check out his badass work out at www.jackwagoncoating.com

DATELINE GRAY COMPOUND, HONDO, TEXAS --- We have returned to the compound after four days of vending at the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Hondo, Texas - hosted by Alamo City Gypsy Motorcycle Club and held at the Medina County Fairgrounds, just a few clicks from where we currently live. There are a few takeaways to share:

1. As a former crime reporter of more than 15 years who penned pieces on motorcycle clubs in Southern California, it was a heckuva lesson in how brothers roll in Texas. This state is Bandido territory through and through, which, if my research is accurate, means certain folks wearing "patches" or "colors" from other state groups must have an "OK" or some recognized, legitimate relationship with the Bandidos for things to be cool. So wandering the thoroughfare at this rally were guys who are full-blown Bandidos, or those in clubs sporting patches that have the acronym SYLB, Support Your Local Bandidos, or others with patches that state AMA, American Motorcycle Association, also recognized as "friendlies." Being part of a confederation of clubs also appears to be acceptable. Every customer we served, regardless of affiliation, was friendly and patient. All riders at some point need tires and oil and service - hopefully not the recovery trailer too often.

2. Just as it is in Colorado and Wyoming, wait a few minutes in Texas and the weather can change dramatically. Predicted sunny and 70 degrees for this year's Valentine's Massacre in Hondo, Texas was instead rainy, cold, foggy and just plain blah all day Saturday, the main day of the three-day event. That said, we changed a couple tires, serviced several other bikes, sold a few T-shirts and handed out a LOT OF quotes on our new bad-ass black shiny business cards.

3. Saw a couple vendors we met last season - Larry the pinstriper and our leather pal Earl from Ignacio, Colorado. Had the pleasure of meeting a nice local couple whose main business is running safaris in Africa; another gal who does amazing bike painting (full-time job is as a San Antonio city firefighter); Rob the powder coating genius; a former heavy load, over-size trucker chick who creates art pieces from railroad and ranching leftovers; and, so thanfulfully, Bill and Deb Gray were there to keep us upright and sorta sane.

4.   The dogs worked the thoroughfare well. We had excellent brisket tacos, shrimp po boys and gyros. The Christians kept us in hot coffee and others made meat and veggie soup. One couple brought us homemade gumbo.

Stay posted....more of Texas on the way....
Hol, Ding, Thumper, Bob, Army Blue Armadillo, four pink flamingos, Bonzi the tree and the Algona fly

Billy Gray, on right, working at camp.

More great powder coating.

  

The Season STARTS Now!

Paint job below is the great work of Kris Dean of Hondo. Call her anytime at 210-831-8747 or email at kriscustompaint@yahoo.com 

Jimmy Dixon's Ultra Classic with very new, very nice paint job!



Howdy folks....
I file from the thoroughfare at the St. Valentine's Massacre in Hondo, Texas. Rally starts Friday and it looks to be a good roll with attendance, weather and a BFT set-up that has us running tighter and smarter. The Gray compound where we "live" is only a few clicks down the road; they have been invaluable with help and tasty viddles (and a good hug or laugh at the best time); tires and a new blinking obnoxious "Open" sign land tomorrow; and there's no doubt we are ready for first "full" season to start. I will work at posting more often from here on and landing some better pics on website and facebook. Rally stops for 2013 are listed below and are LOCKED and LOADED, unless otherwise indicated - those that aren't inked in are still in negotiations (and I gotta rob a bank in between tire changes this weekend). Thanks again for all the kind words and cheer.
Take care...
Hol, Ding, Thumper and Bob

Ding's Custom Cycle, 2013 Rally Schedule
See website for updates

February 8-10: St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Hondo, Texas

March 1-3: Hellelujah Rally Cut-N-Shoot, Cut-N-Shoot, Texas

March 15-17: Thunder on the Colorado, Smithville, Texas

March 22-24: 2nd Annual Route 49 Biker Rally, Jefferson, Texas

April 4-7: Thunder in the Hill Country 2013, Bandera, Texas

April 19-21: 5th Annual OTT Rally & BBQ, Nacogdoches, Texas

April 24-28: Hawgs of Texas Rally, Columbus, Texas

(not firm) May 3-5: Vets and Hawgs Rally, Cleveland, Texas

May 16-19: Rally in the Crater Spring Biker Rally, Mt. Enterprise, Texas

June 1-9: Warrensburg Bike Rally, Warrensburg, New York

June 10-16: Laconia Bike Week, Laconia, New Hampshire

July 4-6: ABATE of Iowa Freedom Rally, Algona, Iowa

August 5-11: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Belle Fourche, South Dakota

(not firm) Sept. 5-8: Copperhead Run Rally, Spavinaw, Oklahoma

(not firm) Sept. 18-21: Bikes, Blues & BBQ, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Oct. 11-13: Boo Benefit, Jefferson, Texas

Nov. 1-4: Lone Star Rally, Galveston, Texas

Nov. 8-11: River Rock Rally, Concan, Tex