Hello everyone!

I’ve just added a new page which introduces my two-wheeled friends, who are the real stars of the blog!

Just click on “Meet The Team” in the black bar above.

I’d love to know what you think.

Thanks in advance.

Dookes

I’ve just started another on-line blogging course and whilst preparing for the first assignment I came across a post from Michelle W. at WordPress.com; her challenging question was simply “Why do you blog?”

This got me musing about my own reasons and more specifically how it all began.

I can honestly say that I can pin-point the exact moment that I decided to dive into the world of blogging.

I was in France, staying in a Logis Hotel just outside Thiers on the northern edge of the Massif Central. As usual for me it was a motorcycle road-trip by myself. Harls and I had “enjoyed” a rather eventful day that had started with torrential rain and concluded with the gear shift peg disappearing into the darkening October evening about five miles from our hotel!

Whilst enjoying dinner that night I was busy pinging off emails about my travels to various friends via my new Android phone. It was great, but I knew that there had to be a much better way to both share my feelings adventures and photographs. More importantly I wanted to capture my own emotions, so that I build an archive that I could revisit in future.

I held the moment and did the old-fashioned thing for the rest of the trip and committed some of my thinking to paper. As the days passed by I found myself enjoying the whole experience more, because I suddenly had a “responsibility” to record the moment and emotion for others to read. It wasn’t good enough just to grab a quick tourist type photograph, each picture had to tell a story and each had to be special!

Mountains and water, always a source of inspiration!

When I got home I discussed my thoughts with nephew Darrell. Now that young man was just the person I needed, you know the sort, fully knowledgeable about all modern technology and more importantly which bit of kit to buy. Especially as it was his uncle’s money that he was able to spend!

That’s how I ended up with an iPhone, iPad and Macbook Pro, and oooh yes, a big hole in my bank account!

The rest, as is often said, is history. Three and a half years later and I’m still at it, pumping out stories of my Harley adventures into the ether of the internet and blog-land! To those of you who have been with me all the way, I extend my heartfelt thanks and to those of you who are newer Blogonaughts, I am equally grateful! I really appreciate and value your comments, feedback and emails.

Looking back to that first post, click here, both the blog, Harls and I have come a long way.

It all started out as just a record of my travels on two wheels, but now seems to have become something more and you know, I quite happy about that.

I now blog to capture the emotion of the moment and if it’s on two wheels, then so much the better!

Stick around, it’s still fun!

“I hear you talking when I’m on the street.”

Dookes

I don’t often get melancholy, but the other day I was sitting in a rather beautiful spot on the Cornish coast just taking in the atmosphere and I sort of came over a bit “Strange.”

Sure, I was happy enough in myself and my life is pretty cool. . .

I am rich in many, many, ways, though I’m not super-wealthy cash-wise, anyway who really needs loads of surplus money?!?!

We live in a beautiful part of the country, in a wonderfully historic house. I’m married to a fantastic lady who totally understands and supports my need to travel. I lead an interesting life that at times gets punctuated with outlandish adventures, some of which I relate here. I think that I’m pretty healthy too. In other words, I’m very happy and content.

So, why have I been feeling a bit melancholy of late?

Well, the truth is that it’s all about the one thing that we all have no control over in life, you know, time.

I’m lucky that I have a cadre of close friends. Most of whom I’ve known for many years and like old wine we have aged well together.

We laugh and joke about how we have changed over the years. We compare wrinkles, laughter lines, hair loss and wonder at how hair that you couldn’t believe could turn grey actually does!

The sad inevitability of time is that none of us can, or will, last forever and just to underscore that one of my friends, if I can put it this way “checked out,” recently.

From diagnosis to “Adios,” took Dave only five weeks, two of which he was in a coma. Bummer!

He was a good pal and we had many excellent times together. We had a common love of steam locomotives and helped to maintain one historic engine in mainline running order. Dave helped me keep my own steam roller on the road as well, I still have the whistle he gave me for it. We worked together when we secured a contract to provide engineering support services for a Cross-Chanel ferry company back in the ‘90s. Most of all we enjoyed each other’s company immensely, sharing a common offbeat sense of humour that often culminated in our infamous double act of the two “Hicks” who used to talk to the trees! Happy and good times indeed, memories that I will treasure for as long as I’m around.

Then there’s my mate G, who regulars to this blog will know is currently undergoing chemo-therapy for leukaemia. He’s doing OK, has ups and downs, but is hanging in there. I’ve got us tickets for one of the Rugby Six Nations games at Cardiff next Spring, so he’d better get himself well by then or there will be trouble!

All this reinforces that the 18-year-old, who many years ago thought himself invincible, actually isn’t that at all!

Around two thousand five hundred years ago the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Everything flows, but nothing abides.” I think he was a pretty on the mark when he established that change was central to the workings of the Universe. What really underscores that, is the growing list of parts of my body that ache every day, but hey if it ain’t worn out it ain’t been used, eh?

Autumn is truly setting in here now, the leaves are falling fast and the first dreary days of the season have set in, which is only to be expected for the time of year. Soon the vibrant colours of the falling leaves will be gone, but like the memories of departed loved ones they will remain etched in our consciousness, bright golden and glowing. That way they never really die, it’s not all bad.

Today dawned dry, cold and bright; time to ride and put things back into perspective.

Of course it was Harls who I rolled out of the workshop. . .

Simple really, start her up, warm the engine, engage first gear, then find a nice twisty road and ride!

Sixty head clearing and spirit lifting miles later, we paused on the edge of Dartmoor to drink in the morning, check the scenery and monitor the life perspective. Yep, everything had been reset nicely!
Riding home was sublime and when I switched off the engine back at H.Q., Mrs Dookes was waiting. “You needed that,” she smiled and knew I was back in a better place. Like I said earlier, she’s a fantastic lady!

. . . and everything else? As the song says:

“It’s better to have loved and lost, than never have loved at all.”

Catch you all soon and thanks for your support.

Dookes

The last warmth of summer is still kissing Europe and before everything descends into the gloom and damp of winter it seems a good idea to grab a few days holiday with Mrs Dookes in France.

Sadly, I am forbidden from taking either of my beloved Harleys, but really that’s no such a bad idea as we can fit far more shopping into the car!

Our friends Château in mid-Brittany makes a luxurious and perfect base for enjoying the local countryside and small towns. Yesterday, Saturday, we popped into Josselin to enjoy the atmosphere of the street market and also because it’s a really nice town, if a tad over-run at times by tourists! Bear with me if you have seen photo’s of the imposing Château before, but it’s so iconic it deserves another look.
The market was in full flow and a real treat for the senses with the smell of cooking food, fresh vegetables, herbs and bread alongside stalls selling everything from shoes, carpets and clothes. There was even one vendor selling old vinyl LP’s, magic!We bought a selection of Saucisson Sec, a variety of olives and a tress of delicious smoked garlic which has now wonderfully infused the car with its heady aroma, happy days indeed!

After a full day shopping and just touring around, we enjoyed a leisurely swim in the pool back at the Château before indulging in our hosts splendid cooking over dinner.
It’s really not a bad way to spend an early autumn day.
Catch you all soon.
Dookes (& Mrs D)