The season is winding down....

and I hate this time of year. They days are rapidly getting shorter and the temperatures are plummeting. Soon the snow will fly and the bikes will go in the garage for a long winter's nap. Most of the leaves are down now, but a few maples and oaks refuse to let go of their foliage.

Last weekend brought some nice rides, one with the Triumph group, and one alone. It was a little chilly, in the 40s on Saturday and mid 50s on Sunday.  Not a challenge on the Trophy with all of it wind protection and heated grips. Douglas was chilly, so we stopped for warmth at Rosie's Diner in Winterport. Damn they make big pancakes, and good too.

I discovered Monroe Road, a county road between Hamden and Monroe. It's a little travel, well-maintained road through woods and farmland. There are hills and valleys but nothing too technical to ride. Just fun cruising at 50 mph. On my own I stopped at the Monroe cemetery. It was quite well-maintained. Most of the graves were old, some dating to the 1820s. There was a monument dedicated to the "defenders of the Union" and indicated those boys from Monroe that fell at various battles including Gettysburg and several others.

There's a plan to head down that way on Saturday. If the weather holds and the ride comes to fruition we'll go to Morse's for sauerkraut and bratwurst. Duane, aka Frank Scheppelgrubber, wants to visit Metcalf's for submarine sandwiches. It's reputed to be one of the best sub shops in the state. I'll report back if this comes off.

I'm a delinquent blogger

Much has happened since my last blog. The BLOBs have become the TROMs (Triumph Riders of Maine) and we've gone on two weekend rides to New Hampshire.

The big news is that the Honda NT700V is no longer in the stable. That ole mare has been replaces with a young stallion.

The wife rode pillion on one of the New Hampshire rides. This was prior to the switch in the stable. We found the NT adequate but realized that something a little bigger, with a little more power would make for more comfortable 2-up riding.

When it comes to motorcycles, I've had a bit of a wandering eye. Prior to that ride I'd been to a central Maine Triumph dealership and enquired about a possible trade in for a Trophy. The deal was sweet and the trip to the Granite State illustrated the short comings of the NT. When the opportunity arose I was ready to make the deal.

I picked up the Trophy SE 1200 three weeks ago. One sweet ride. It meets all of our needs.