Howdy all!! Another month closer to blast off. The month of March has flown by.

Our spring break trip, meant to be a test run, was pretty much a flop. The day of departure turned wet. So, we delayed leaving a day. The next day dawned even wetter than the previous, another day delay. A look a the weather forcast for the rest of the week would give one day of nice weather, then a cold front(probably the last of the year) would make for a very cool ride. The outlook was grim, but on Monday, March 20, we decided to give it a try.

It was immediately obvious that the previous two days of rain would make following my self-made roll charts almost impossible. Most low spots were either covered in standing water or raging torrents. We spend most of the day backtracking around water. Plus a very strong west wind was constantly pushing us backward.

We stopped in the community of Mertens to take a break from the wind and discovered that the right saddlebag on Meredith's bike was pushing the plastic side panel into the muffler, therefore melting the plastic. Another 10 miles would've ruined the saddlebag. We were lucky.

After we took the saddlebags apart and strapped one to the back of my bike and the other to the back of Meredith's, we were moving again towards Hillsboro. When we arrived in Hillsboro late in the day, we weren't sure how far the next town with a motel was. We decided to call it a day.

The next morning a new wind direction would make the day cold. We made it as far as Whitney and I finally decided, with no chance of the week getting warmer, that I wanted to turn around. Meredith didn't object. Five hours later we were back home.

The trip wasn't a complete bust. We learned that the saddlebag issue will have to be fixed. Also, Meredith's front brake needs some work. It's not as responsive as it needs to be. Good stuff to learn before we're gone.

Looking back over our list of purchased items, we didn't purchase any big items. But our costs for this month remained as if we had purchased a big item. Nickel and diming is just as costly as making large purchases on single items.

Chains, sprockets, goggles, another tool wrap, another fender bag, extra tubes, extra fuel line, and air filter cleaner and oil were just a few of the "small" things that were needed.

I guess a large purchase was made during the month. Over the past few months I have been debating on the best plans for having a towing service if a bike breaks down to the point of needing a mechanic. I had several options open.

The American Motorcyclists Association(AMA) offers a towing service with its annual membership. The mileage is fairly limited is its downfall.

The American Automobile Association(AAA) has three levels of coverage: Premium, Plus, and Regular. The regular coverage doesn't cover motorcycles. However, the Plus and Premium does. The difference being the Premium has a higher limit on mileage in the event of a vehicle is being towed. The Plus coverage will cover a tow up to 200 miles. There are very few instances when we won't be within 200 miles of a dealership.

Also, our membership will cover both of us in any vehicle we ride in, or on, whether we own it or not, an aspect the AMA didn't have. An annual membership for the Plus coverage in the AAA is $138. It seemed a bit steep until I looked at all of the benefits. There are many more than just towing. Also, one tow would cost more than $138 if its any sizable distance. And peace of mind is priceless.

Well, that pretty much sums it up for March. As spring is dawning, weather patterns are looking like they will allow us to leave in early June, unless weather patterns change.

See you down the trail.

May