Brian A. Hopkins
Adventure Stylin' Made Easy

Oklahoma Dualsport Rally
12 - 15 Oct 2006

-- Old Friends and New --

Danny had reserved a cabin for the night (Kim, his wife, would arrive with their camper on Friday), so while he went to the park office to get checked in, I helped Connie unload all her junk. Looked like Connie was moving in for about a month. After unloading her stuff, I rode her little Sherpa around for a few minutes, just farting around. (I would actually wind up spending most of the weekend riding bikes other than my own.) Connie's Sherpa felt an awful lot like riding my little CRF -- nothing at all like being astride the 425 pound Dakar. Eventually, Danny came back with a key to Cabin Numero Uno. (Connie was just down the way in Number 3.) We unloaded Danny's junk. (My stuff was coming with my buddy Rich.) 

The cabins were pretty nice: heat and a/c, indoor plumbing and a hot shower, etc. Bring your own bedding and towels, though. The next morning, because I'd left my towel down the hill with Rich, Danny shared his towel with me. This probably violates some man-law or other, but what the hell. What are they gonna do, kick me outta the club? I'd rather hang out with the ladies anyway. LOL.

We walked down to the main campsite area to hang out, bum brewskies, and welcome other riders as they arrived.

It wasn't long before Chris Marlow arrived with his DR-Z400 strapped to a trailer. How embarrassing for the poor thing!

Just moments behind him came Rich ... with his DR-Z also lashed to a trailer.  I ain't picking on Rich, though, because (a) he hauled all my camping gear and junk so that I wouldn't have to carry it on my bike and (b) his wonderful wife Ashley had agreed to feed me for the entire weekend. Though I tried to pay her, she wouldn't even take my moola. Ashley's the greatest!

We spent the rest of the evening setting up camp, visiting, and just enjoying the campground and lakeshore. Even though I was going to sleep in the cabin Thursday night with Danny (there were, after all, two beds), I went ahead and set up my tent, so that I wouldn't have to mess with it on Friday. Friday's for riding! I placed my tent close to Rich and Ashley's, explaining to Ashley that I wanted to be able to not only smell breakfast when it was ready in the morning, but be able to stick my head out of the tent and bug her about making coffee. Heh heh.

We had a visitor or two, such as this duck. Ashley got out her art supplies and did some sketching and painting (Ashley's a very talented artiste).

We watched some fishermen on the lake.  (James Pratt's dog Levi was particularly interested in whether they had anything good to eat. Being a Lab, he was more than willing to swim on out there just in case.)

Ashley made a big pot of mucho delicioso chili. "Ashley," I said, batting my best puppy dog eyes, "is it okay if my friend stays for dinner?" So Danny got chili, too. (To be honest, Ashley had already invited him, unbeknownst to me.) In fact there was even enough chili for Connie to come mooching.

Rich, Connie, our wonderful chef Ashley, Danny, and I chow down on chili. (Chris is just barely visible in the shadows behind Danny.) Danny appears to be making some important observation about politics or the weather or the best way to diffuse James Pratt's remote flash with a paper towel, while all I care about is eating. (Photo courtesy of James Pratt.)

Darkness ultimately found Danny and I hiking back up the hill and crawling into our sleeping bags in the cabin.

"Love you, man."

"Love you, too. Give us a big wet one, eh?"

"Piss off!"

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...