Talons Tips and Tales from the seat of my motorcycle

Check list for a very good day on the road

Wake up...look out the window of the motel...the sun shining with blue sky
~check
Coffee
~check
Call Nancy
~check
Looks warm out...don't need the long underwear today
~check
Pack the rain gear
~check
Check the cameras, cards, and batteries
~check....double check
Brush my teeth
~check
Load the bike
~check
Check the gas 
~check
Find the local spot for breakfast
~check
Make sure I am still on the route
~check
Roll on the throttle
~check
Stop often to make photos
~check
No Highway Patrol in the area when I accidentally exceed the posted speed limit
~check
Only cross traffic is four legged, runs quickly across the road and is quite small
~check
Sun on my face, wind on my back all day
~check

It was a very good day.  Traveled through the Great Basin area of Oregon today. 

North from Lakeview, OR HWY 395 becomes straight and narrow.  Extends to the horizon as far as the eye can see.

Albert Lake.  Formed over 10,000 years ago.  Glaciers and melting ice formed ancient lakes within the Great Basin.

Massive uplifting of the earth created dramatic cliffs and ridges throughout the area.

Open road reaches to the horizon.  Passed fewer than a dozen cars all day. Sun warmed my bones.

Cliffs and ridges give way to gentle sage covered hills.  Clouds dot the sky as if added with a paint brush.  Each curve in the road carries with it a new view of the landscape.

The largest pine trees in the United States once proudly reached to the sky here.  Unrestrained timber harvesting in the 1920's left few of the remaining giants.

The road carried me across incredible landscape today...a perfect day...

~check

Emails tonight from all my special friends

~check and thank you

What a check list...

~check

Kickstand down tonight John Day, OR

~check

be strong, be safe, Carlan