A lifetime of love

Recently my Wifes Mother would die, only a short two weeks after my Gurls arrival in the states.
She handled it well, better than I would have being so far from home. I cannot imagine, even with my travel background having something like that on my mind.

She of course misses her mom, as it is hard to not just pick up the phone and call her any longer, but she is not alone.
Despite leaving four boys and a daughter behind, Pedrina also left someone who was always in her heart, her husband.

Filipina are loving caring woman who often cater to their man, every day without fail she would cook a meal for her family, while this may not seem like such a big deal to us westerners, in a country where most people fail to eat a full meal every day, this indeed is a grand thing.

She was also a consummate worrier, wanting the best for her children and with a nice guiding hand she would try to push her children forward to the happiest of lives. She would stay up late and fret over that which she had no control "why is my son dating this girl, and why are they not doing this"

She would guide my gurl to me, telling her to put aside petty anger as it is short lived, but love is long.

Unfortunately she also left behind her Husband Gorge. A bit wild, he likes to gamble and drink but has always provided for his family, again something which is lost upon us in the west.

Since she has moved on, he is left alone, his close by sisters quick to take up the role and make sure he is fed and cared for, but it has not been the same.

Since his soul mate has left him, he has quit drinking, and for the past three months since she left this earth, he has spent every morning, and evening at her grave, gently talking to his wife, his words lost upon the wind.

I think we all can learn from that, and all can dream of such a marriage. It truly is a lesson that despite our shortfalls, there is always someone who is there for us, day in and day out, accepting us for who we are, often those people are someone we look past until they are gone, then the heavy loneliness sinks in upon us.

I do believe in next lives, and with a love as strong as they, I believe they will meet again in the next life, for how can they not? Two souls intertwined in destiny, surely they shall be guided to each other once again.

Motorcycle Trip to West Yellowstone

Recently finding out the wife is going to calve, I decided it was time to take our honeymoon while we are still "newly weds".

I was a bit worried about this as she is a bit temperature sensitive, so I stressed about taking her on the motorbike, but she was insistent since this was our last big hurrah before the baby was born. I warned her about Montana weather, how it can change in an instant, and how riding a motorcycle in September in Montana is often a bad Idea. Yea well it was her desire, and we all know how good life goes when you challenge a woman.
After spending two hours deciding on which way to drive thru Yellowstone, you know, this is a problem for a world traveler in his own backyard, I mean god forbid If I just took off like I do my grand adventures. ANYHOW after stressing we were off at a late 2pm.

The weather was wonderful and the road felt good.
I kept checking in the mirror with the "thumbs up" but she insisted she was fine, I was not, i was cold the entire way down, at 65 degrees I was not sure why.
We would arrive at the hotel in the evening having reservations at the Days Inn. Reviews for the hotel were mixed, it would prove to be clean which is the number one thing I am looking for and well located. If you are looking for nice amenities, stay elsewhere.

The morning was cold and my windscreen was iced, it was also covered with bugs so a wet towel in the sunlight would help make the bugs wipe right off.


I had thought the hotel across the street looked nice, but every car in the parking lot would have a tire slashed in the morning.

I also would find out as I went to put my jacket on, why I was cold all day yesterday, I had a hole in my jacket where the seam is so air was blowing in and circulating around, brrr, we would sew it and move on.
Seems like everywhere I go, there is a pass named after me

Traffic was normal and our first animal sighted would be a crow, a crow let me just say that again, a crow. The second animal we would see would fortunately be what we came for, a Buffalo, always big and intimidating I did not want to sit around to long since we lacked any protection with a motorcycle.

Next up was old Faithful, always spectacular


We would come back to the bike to find my tank bag partially opened with my map chewed up, my first aid kit which carries some aspirin empty of aspirin, and the bag of peanuts which my gurl had left in the tank bag, all gone. A crow flew over, undoubtedly the thief!

We had intended to ride around Yellowstone lake up to Yellowstone falls, but the bridge was out so we would have to backtrack, we saw a few more Buffalo but not the huge herds I had hoped for.
Waterfalls are always amazing, and these are not to be outdone, especially being twice the height of Niagara falls!

In the parking lot I would end up in an argument with a woman who felt I needed to move my bike, so she could park her RV, really lady? She was not nice about it either, and neither was I, she would leave.
We would find the last room within 200 miles in Gardnier montana, very fortunate or I would have had to deal with an angry sleep deprived pregnant woman!
In the morning we would venture back into Mammoth Hot springs to see that magnificent place and hope for more of Yellowstone wonder, I hoped to see more animals but it was not to be.


From Mammoth we would head back north as south thru the park had road construction, nothing either of us wanted to deal with.
Three days long It would prove to be a Wonderful trip, glad we had it, sad she will be unable to accompany me for the next few years as our child enters this world.