Birmingham Jam

Spencer at the Night Jam

Spencer is the man in the shadows behind a lot of brilliant metalwork that rolls out of Birmingham.  His personal bikes have always inspired me.  

the Greenest

Probably because of my transience in past years, and no winter to speak of, Alabama is an exaggerated green this year.  The storm that just went over my house and the hail that rained on the Dojo also looked dark and strange.  Today a ten story cumulus cloud promised rivers in the city streets and blew trees onto their sides.  Last year Japan looked exaggerated as well.  It seemed I didn't have anything to compare it to.   Everything dripped with thickness.  New paint on thousand year old temples.

In Alabama we have only the more recent history of the last three hundred years, at least of those of us from European backgrounds.  I can pretend though cause I am about and eighth native.  My grandmother still bares some strong physical traits.  My father and I got the high jaw and neither one of us can grow a beard.  That's our claim to the ancient.

Still we wander, with our friends, two lanes to a four way stop town where the board walks are still right up to the lanes of the blacktop (they never moved the buildings to make for parking for four wheeled obstructions).  You go into the only shop in town, which happens to be located on the corner at that same four way stop.  You look at guns, various forms of canned meat, instructions for a bomb shelter, and umbrellas that have been in the same spittoon with the same price on them for 25 years.  You better have cash for that confederate bandana too because the bearded owner on his high stool behind the counter doesn't take new world order.  Lets get back on the road this weekend.

Ai...man

North Country Weekend

I neglected to get any pictures of the brilliant Alabama Swap and Drag that Rick and Michael put on.  Five times the people on their second try.  I stumbled late out of my hammock into a world of vintage parts glory whose dreamy aura was amplified by the haze I was seeing through.  Even with my timely neglect I happened upon parts from choppers' past which must proceed into choppers' future by way of fair trade (thanks for carrying it all home Bowles!) I also neglected to take a picture of the giant swollen lip that a spider must have given me in my hammock the next night at our cliff side camp.  I did however get the camera out for the fishing and some of the ride home.  

Duane and April

Be there or be [ ]

Nick and Laci