2 September 2010-A short riding day today, only 284 km, to Port Augusta at the top of Spencer Gulf. Tomorrow we turn west to Perth, unfortunately through a forecast day of rain, but fortunately not nearly as heavy as originally predicted (we hope!) Today we were walking to breakfast and saw a lovely lady in a short pink jacket. Sue said, “That looks like Lyn, but they are in Coober Pedy.” Wrong! Colin didn’t like Coober Pedy so they pressed on, and wound up at Glendamo also. Just right for a pre-breakfast visit. My personal opinion is that Colin had ordered a beautiful two-toned Triumph classic rebuild, only 250 of which were to be built, and only 25 delivered to Oz, it has arrived, and they will keep “pressing on” until he gets home to ride it. A man after my own heart!

1 Sept 2010-Another lovely day, 500 km south to Glendambo. 15C(59F) to start, up to 28C(82F,) back to 22C(70F) to end the day. Blue sky went to high overcast. I think we are back in the chilly, and in for some more wet stuff. Met a nice couple from South Africa on a BMW R1200GS who are just starting their circumnavigation, well-kitted out for camping, but they left their rain gear at home. Hope they don't get too wet. Half a day south tomorrow, then the final turn right for home.

31 August 2010-Today was another especially excellent day on the road - good highway, 12-22C, blue sky, wind tolerable. We went east for 250 km back to the Stuart Highway at Erldunda were we petroled up, ate breakfast, and headed south. We had debated about stopping at Kulgera, the last possible stop in the Northern Territory, because it was only 74 km down the road, but decided to do so because there really was no other roadhouse for the next 180 km after, until we were to stop for the night. While at Kulger we debated the benefits of ice cream but decided it was too close to breakfast, so just took off a layer, remounted, and prepared to take off. As Sue backed out, her way was blocked by a caravan, and a woman jumped out, ran up to her, and shouted, "Sue!" It was Lyn Parish, and the blocking driver was her husband Colin! They are the ones who fixed the electrical problem with my bike 5 weeks ago on the way to Queensland. We had all been trying to arrange a meeting for the last three weeks, via e-mail and telephone, and even our quick trip to Alice Springs last Saturday, but for some reason or the other one of the couples couldn't make it to a prearranged spot. Needless to say we were overjoyed to see them again. We all had a grand gab fest at the roadhouse. They introduced us to Colin's brother Roger, and his wife Dale. It turns out that we were all scheduled to spend the night at Marla, South Australia. Hurrah! So we got together here for dinner, where Colin barbied delicious steak, lamb chops, and snaggers (sausages), and the ladies made scrumptious, tasty salads, and dessert was large chunks of my favorite Ozzie candy - Violet Crumbles - with good coffee. Great fun telling stories and laughing frequently and uproariously went on for hours until our guilty consciences made us stop so the two girls in sleeping bags camped just behind us could get some sleep. See what I mean? It has been a fantastic trip. How else could we have met, and then re-met these wonderfully nice people?

30 August 2010-We spent all day at Uluru - sunrise pictures, walked on a couple of the walks with a Natalie, very good story telling tour guide, had an ice cream, back to the rock for sunset pictures. Now only have to go through the 424 photos and see if any of them are any good. On the road south tomorrow, for three days, then right turn to Perth.

29 August 2010-Today was a very nice day – good road, clear sky, not much wind, 18-20 C, and we ended up at Yulara - Ayers Rock Resort. It has only taken us 24 years to make it here (too long a story to relate) but suffice it to say we are both delighted that we arrived together. And it was definitely worth the effort. The Rock is a beaut. An amazing beaut. We also took a 100 km ride in the park west to the Olgas, a massive rock formation, and marveled even more. Tomorrow it is up at 0:dark30 to get sunrise pictures of “The Rock.” So goodnight.

28 August 2010- My brother emailed me today to tell me that Mother had died in her sleep last evening. Emma Christina Wiedower Howell Hayes (Emma Jo, Gram) was 96. She was born in Haiteville, Arkansas in 1914 to John and Minny Wiedower. Her grandfather, Herman Wiedower, had emigrated from Germany to the Midwest USA when he was six, and eventually moved to Arkansas where he farmed. Her father, John, is still remembered as a successful farmer, but mostly as a kind and generous and god-fearing man. She was the eldest of 10 children, two of whom died in infancy. When she was 14 her family moved to Vinita, Oklahoma, 200 miles away, and she drove her grandfather the entire way in a model A Ford. In those days the roads were dirt, and the highways only two strips on concrete side by side, each just wide enough for a car wheel. She attended school at Sacred Heart Academy in Vinita, Oklahoma, riding her horse the six miles in to school every day, except for the winter months when she boarded over. She was offered a basketball scholarship to Dallas University, but chose to go to work in Little Rock, Arkansas. After three years she married Harold Albert Howell, of Vinita in the late 30’s. I, first, and then my brother, Bill, came along over a four year period during World War II. Mother was the proverbial joiner/organizer whether it be Cub Scouts, PTA, Women of the Moose, or some money collecting charity. The common saying of my school friends, even through high school was, “I just love your mother.” She loved a party, and could dance your legs off. She was a fastidious dresser, who always prided herself on looking as if she had just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. She encouraged sports, friendship, studies, and for years was a frequent, if not daily attendee at daily Catholic mass. She worked as a book-keeper to help me pay for medical school, and Bill for law school. She loved her 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Although her marriage to Harold ended in 1968 she never ceased to love him. She did marry Jose Hayes years later, but wound up leaving him because, “He didn’t know how to treat me with respect.” She moved to The Dalles, Oregon to be near Bill and I, and was independent and happy there for many years. Over the past five years she suffered a gradual deterioration in her mental stability as Alzheimers attacked her with a vengeance. She learned to be happy with what she could do, and remember, and resolved to just not worry about the rest. The last year has seen her become more and more confused, sad, and upset, especially over the past three months in which she could not recognize family members, and always looked very unhappy. She died in her sleep last evening. Bill said that when he saw her after her death she looked absolutely peaceful. She has gone to meet her God, and I am sure he welcomed her with open and loving arms, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” As she herself said, “I tried to do the best I knew how.” And I am sure that is just what He was looking for. Love you, Mother. Rest happy in your new home.

27 August 2010-Okay, this will cover two days. By the time I got yesterday sorted out it was late, and since I had been sitting outside for a good broadband connection, I was too cold to work. Don’t you feel sorry for me…
Yesterday, 26 August, we left Port Augusta after Sue was almost 100% recovered from her viral sinusitis. It was a bit chilly, 12 C (53 F) and rainy off and on. The road was a good one. My partner asked, “Why are we going so slow?” “We Are at our usual 100 km/hr (63 mph), I replied. “Well speed it up!” she said. “This is a good road, and it is just going straight.” So it was up to the speed limit of 110 km/h (69 mph). We made good time, as there is only the road, and the only thing you have to stop for is petrol – and sheep, and cows, and wedge-tail eagles, and emus – haven’t seen any camels yet, although there are estimates of 30,000 of them roaming around. We rode through the Stoney Desert, one of the vast, and continuous series of deserts thru the north and west of South Australia. It is magnificent! Vast, rolling, arid plains alternate with low scrub brush, and occasional pockets of dense small trees. And every now and then you come across a huge dry lake bed. What is most unusual now is that many of these lakes now have water in them, a very rare sight to see. We couldn’t spend much time appreciating the hydrology, as the wind was atrocious! And amazing. When it was just a front left quartering wind it was just battering us around. But our course altered and we were then facing it head on. What a party. When we went through a gully it would press us down onto the seats. When we came out, it would literally lift the helmets up on our heads, and us a bit off the seats. Never enough to worry one, but definitely attention getting.
We made it to Coober Pedy, after 537 kms (336 miles). There is an algebraic equations that goes Coober Pedy/opals=shopping. So what is a girl to do? We went shopping. Even before showering!
While at dinner – lamb gyros and lemonade – we overheard many people talking about the BIG truck gathering in Alice Springs this weekend, and how it was absolutely impossible to get a motel room. I thought, rather smugly, “How glad I am that I got online and got one a couple of days ago, on-line, through hotels.com.” Then the talk ran to how all the motels/hotels/caravan parks in Alice had been booked up for five months! Not so smug now I decided to call the motel to confirm our reservation. And they had never heard of me, had no record of my reservation, never booked through hotels.com, and had indeed been booked up for this weekend since five months ago, as had every motel in the town! Not good!!!
Our plan had been to ride to Alice and visit with Colin and Lyn, the two who came to our rescue in mid-July when I had the electrical problem with my MC. It would have been a 693 km (433 miles) ride. A long ride, but doable, for as I mentioned the road is good, there is very little to slow you down, and what you set the speedo on is what you get for an average velocity. But then to arrive after all day in the saddle, and to find there was no room in the inn – indeed no room in any inn would not have been good. Sue is absolutely the nicest person I have ever know. But by calling I am sure I averted a major geologic implosion in the Red Center of Australia.
So we were lucky enough to get a room at Erldunda, 200 kms south of Alice, at the turnoff to Uluru, where we are headed next. It made for a much shorter ride today, and perhaps we can get into Alice and back tomorrow, and still see our friends. We are about out of chain lube, so must get some soon, and the MC shop there is open until 12:30. Always wanted to go to Alice….
Today, 27 August started of auspiciously. Came out of the underground motel room, looked at the sky, and announced to Sue, “Well, it is overcast, but I don’t think we will need the rain suits.” Turned back around, and noted that it was raining. And it did so, off and on, all day. Then when we rode out I turned right out of the parking lot to get to the Stuart Highway. After about five blocks the street ended in the desert, so I made a U-turn to go the correct way. But after that it was a glorious day of riding. No wind! And even a bit of sun! We were toasty warm, and completely dry, and had good chats with Aussies when we stopped for breakfast, and then for ice cream. I have long noted that Sue never seemed to meet a stranger. Now I see it is a national characteristic.
The desert continued beside us, thrilling in its stark majesty. On..and on…and on….and on….. I do fell blessed to have been here. Especially with my best mate. It is always good to see the broad smile on her face every time she pulls her helmet off.