For those who might be interested, I'll try to keep this area current with what my near future rides are and other such trivia. If I'm going to be in your area, drop me an e-mail at UnclePhilus@hotmail.com and if possible we can grab a bite to eat. Hope to see you on the road!
Planned Rides And Such
1. My knees are doing just fine and I can honestly say that I would not know that I had a replacement if it were not for the scars and some activities that I avoid to prolong the life of the implants. Currently I am walking three miles a day.
2. On November 8th, 2021 I started another orthopedic 'adventure'. Unfortunately, arthritis is a constant companion for me, but not a pleasant one. Both of my shoulders had no cartilage left in them, so I had a complete replacement on the left one. I was able to progress enough that I could get my right shoulder replaced on January 31st, 2022. The shoulders are coming along nicely but I am still struggling to regain my upper body strength that I once had.
3. I had another aneurysm repair in my right leg which reduced some circulation. The left leg is at about 60 percent blood flow but it is working and that's what matters most. The right one is not as bad but I do have to deal with the pain from lack of circulation when I do my morning walks. But I can still ride and for that I am very thankful.
4. The 23rd Blue Ridge Gathering was held in Hot Springs, NC at the Hot Springs Campground and Resort. Nothing formal, just some folks meeting up to ride and eat, and eat and ride. As it turned out, we got caught in a 'once in a lifetime flood' and had to evacuate after a couple of days. We are looking forward to having it there again in 2025 (assuming it recovers from the catastrophic flooding) as it provides facilities for campers, cabins, RVers and motelers plus there are 3 restaurants in walking distance from the campgrounds.
5. While on a ride down south RedBird was severely damaged after 179,000+ miles of faithful service in a traffic accident. I suffered four broken ribs on my right side - 3, 4, 5 and 6 after suffering two broken ribs (5 and 6) on my left side back in my July ride to Alaska. I have now finished the process of repairing and converting her to an ABS model like the other three ST1100s I own. Read about her test ride here.
6. I completed the write-up of my trip out West to ride all of Highway 93. You can see it here.
7. I just crossed the half million mile mark on just my four ST1100s. You can read about it here.
8. Read about my first ride of 2025 here.
9. Here's the story of a little day ride that I took.
10. Much to my dismay, a deer hit BlueBelle on I86 while I was at highway speed. I was returning from a ride to Vermont on the evening of June 1. I survived with some damage but BlueBelle is a twisted pile of metal laying on a pallet right now. Due to my injuries I will not be able to ride for a while. My left hand, knees and ankles are the biggest casualty with some minor fractures. And rib #7 on the right side is fractured. But my gear - including the Hit Air Vest - kept me from becoming another highway statistic. I stayed conscious for the whole deal and was wondering when I was going to stop body surfing the asphalt.
11. Here's the tale of my first ride since my 'deer' encounter. Hope you enjoy it!
12. In my first year of retirement - 2023, I was able to ride almost 36,000 miles. In 2024 I crossed the 31,000 mile mark for which I am thankful. To be able to still ride as I get older is a real blessing. It is so nice now not to have to ride long days because I am trying to conserve vacation days. When you are retired, you get six Saturdays and one Sunday!
Keep tuned in, cause you just never know where I might show up ....
