Rolling Thunder

Papa’s World – Time in pictures!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Just outside of Mount Jewett, PA. –

Where Sherry grew up –

Is the Kinzua State Park Bridge!

Built in the 1800s –
It was at the time the highest railroad bridge in the country.

Stretching a mile across the Kinzua valley ( This was home to the Seneca Indian Tribe)

And over three hundred feet high-

It was a major route for coal from Erie to Pittsburgh.

Many times during her youth, she walked across this trestle.

Her father rode a snowmobile across it.

Then, it was only used as a tourist train that would bring folks across it.

I remember while on the golf course in Kane-

A train would come past with smoke bellowing from the smokestack and a whistle blowing!

Then, many years ago –

A tornado tore up the valley and took half the structure down.

Today, it has been refurbished on the half that still stands.

It sits today as a state park.

You can walk all the way out to the end,

And a structural glass floor allows you to gaze over 300 feet straight down!

I am the only member of our family who does not venture out there! LOL

In this picture are our friends,

The McBrides,

Who also grew up in the area just across the NYS border!

This is at the top of the structure but below the entranceway.

You can see straight through the bridge to the end where the viewing platform is!

Thus producing for the four of us –

TIME IN PICTURE!

A little smile for the day!

We lived in NVA – about twenty miles from Washington, DC.

Every year, we would take the Metro into the city –

During the ROLLING THUNDER –

To see the endless Sea of motorcycles.

This picture is but one of the many fields of parked bikes.

For almost seven years from 1974 until 1981-

I rode a motorcycle.

I never was in DC, but many times I rode to Wheeling, W.V.

I was a fan of the Grand Old Opera there!

I had an accident –

A new driver –

Just got her license –

I was behind her at a red light.

Up in Amherst, N.Y., on my way to Cedar Point in Ohio.

The light went green, and she started out as I did-

But she stalled the VW and never stepped on the brake.

The only thing I could do was lay the bike on its side.

I ended up almost under her bumper-

But that made me feel that it was only a matter of time-

So I sold it and never rode again.

You always had to watch the other person.

We loved going to see the motorcycles in D.C.

Thus, this creates –

TIME IN PICTURE!

The Jefferson Memorial is on the basin in D.C.

This is looking across to the memorial from the Martin Luther King Memorial.

At the time, it was being repaired.

Many times, we would just take the Metro or drive in.

D.C. is the only city where I do not feel closed in.

It has restrictions on how tall buildings can be.

It is also spread out with huge open spaces.

My favorite city to visit –

And walk around.

This is another TIME IN PICTURE!

On one of many paths we had to walk in Brambleton, VA.

We miss those walks!

Thanks for reading –

PAPA’S WORLD-

MY SITE: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

Aging as healthily as we can in our senior years for over twenty years!

http://www.sfitzsimmons.juiceplus.com

Papa’s World – 1999 – we first saw it – 2019 – the last one “ROLLING THUNDER”

/ Tom / Leave a comment
MIA – POW – AMERICAN FLAG

Memorial Day weekend – 1999 –

e had just agreed to a transfer to work in NVA –

the Three of us – Sherry – myself and our youngest daughter Tammy –

Had just come up on the street in D.C. at Foggy Bottom –

George Washington University –

we were going to tour Washington – when we heard the ROAR !

MOTOR CYCLES – a lot of motor cycles – what was going on ?

Thousands of Motorcycles

There were bikes everywhere – parked – every place you could fit one –

and flags – black leather – tattoo’s – noise – vendors –

As we walked down hill and closer to Constitution Avenue – the crowds were huge !

Our grand daughters – Ella and Maddy

2019 – Memorial Day weekend – 20 years to the day later –

we retraced those steps –

this time with our two oldest grand daughters – Ella & Maddy Myers.

Just across the 14 th. street bridge the Pentagon parking lot.

They had come to stay with us for a couple days –

these two laugh and giggle all the time –

but across the bridge – from the Pentagon – came the noise

The ROAR – thousands and thousands of bikes – riders – flags on the rear –

And lining the street – sometimes 10 deep –

the whole of Constitution Avenue – Tens of thousands of people !

We met up with family

We met up with part of our family who had come from afar – Pa. & N.C.-Va.

To see what is to be the LAST RIDE of

” ROLLING THUNDER ” !

It has gotten too costly – and I guess some ill will from the Pentagon –

Too bad as they are riding for our VETS – POW’S and MIA’S !

Ella- Sherry – Maddy and me

What we first saw 20 years ago – we were able to share with these two.

A beautiful day to walk around –

see DC as you never see it with Bikes everywhere !

And to share this with family !

Nathan – Mr. “B” – Lindsey from Pa.

Kristy & Casey from N.C.
Mia & Olivia from NC

We spent the day watching the ” ROAR” which went from Noon –

and was still going at 4:00 PM.

Cousins – with the Balsis and Jones family

Kyle and Bethany from Manassas Va. – their five children and a guest .

Casey and Tom- PICK A PAIR ! LOL
The RIDE
They parked everywhere they could find a space
Ella – Maddy and Sherry
Our oldest grand daughter Maddy – a American Elm tree planted in 1850
The Capital from the Mall

My happy place when we visit and walk DC – THE MALL !

It says it all

20 years we have been doing this –

bringing family – friends and sometimes just ourselves –

riding in on the Metro or driving in –

Wishing everyone a great Memorial day –

” ALL GAVE SOME – SOME GAVE ALL “

WHY WE ARE FREE

The “ROARING THUNDER ” was established for the VETS of the Vietnam War.

Today – it is a symbol for ALL VETS –

let us not forget those Vets –

And each day forward –

let us remember the NAM vets in a war no one wanted –

but they served –

They were not welcomed home –

politics has a way of doing that –

” ROLLING THUNDER ” was for them –

and my memories go back to that day in 1999 –

I am forever grateful for them –

for by the grace of God – it could of been me.

Sherry & Tom

I hope you enjoyed our little trip down memory lane –

many times we have stood right here.

Thank you –

#livinglifetotheplus #homeagain

http://www.sf.juiceplus.com

fitztdf@aol.com

ssherrylynn49@aol.com

livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

Papa’s World – Early evening on the beach when storms collide!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Sitting on Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. – it is after 7:00 pm. – the sun is slowly sinking in the West –

and clouds are forming in the East and the West!

Storms are going to collide – rain – thunder and lightning and wind.

Looking S.W. – in the distance faint flashes of lightning! Wind picking up – it is getting dark on the horizon!

And from the S.E. – another front is moving in – in the distance lightning flashes – storm brewing!

The front approaches from the S.E. – punching toward the S.W. – soon they will collide –

we must decide to stay or leave!

Time to leave – get the grandkids off the beach – we can hear thunder from the S.E. and from the S.W.!

We made it back to our car and almost home some 5 miles away and it hit!

Strong winds – rain – lightning and wind. THUNDER as I pulled the car into the garage.

Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

PAPA’S WORLD – EARLY EVENING ON THE BEACH WHEN STORMS COLLIDE!

Papa’s World – Touring Washington DC.

/ Tom / Leave a comment
GOOD MORNING !

The Silver line Metro – in one years time –

The new last stop will be 4 miles from our house

but until then – we must drive to Reston Va.

With no traffic – a twenty minute drive.

Before that – it was Falls Church being the closest stop.

Jo and Paul

This day our objective were to arrive in Foggy Bottom

In the midst of Geaorgetown University

Then walk down the hill to the Lincoln Memorial

It turned into a beautiful day –

Cloud cover – slight breeze – not too hot – a pleasant walk.

Sherry Jo Paul
walking Georgetown University
to the Lincoln Memorial
Paul Jo Sherry
almost to the
Lincoln Memorial

In the twenty years we have lived here

we have made that walk a dozen times or more

The first time was with our daughter Tammy

We had come down to Va. from N.Y.S.

For the job interview for Sherry and myself

as we were transferring with in the company.

We wanted to move South and I had had it with my job

While walking this very same route

We were in the midst of thousands of motorcycles

Every square inch of green space were parked bikes of all kinds.

As we got closer we could hear THE ROAR !

We had by chance encountered our very first

” ROLLING THUNDER”

250,000 Motorcycles –

coming across the 14 th. street bridge

and right down Constitution Avenue !

With the Lincoln Memorial right there !

The Lincoln Memorial

Let Freedom Ring – Ride – ROAR !

That crossed my mind as we made our way to the steps

We have been doing this for twenty years –

we are blessed !

Sherry Jo Paul
The Reflecting pool and the
Washington Monument
Paul and Jo

This was a first for Paul and Jo

never had they been here

Jo had fallen six months ago ( playing basketball with Paul )

and had broken her hip

Paul has been having problems with his disks in his back

from all those years of long distance running

They were suppose to visit last April

when all this happened

So we were not sure just how much or far they could walk

BUT THEY DID IT !

A view from with in to
the Washington Monument
FREEDOM TO FREEDOM
PHOTO BOMB ! LOL

Thank you for reading Papa’s World

livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

email fitztdf@aol.com

Our adventure continues

onto the ” WALL ” where we all have classmates names.

Sherry – CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH
http://www.sf.juiceplus.com
email ssherrylynn49@aol.com

Welcome to Papa’s World

where friends meet family

Sherry and Tom

Next on Papa’s World

The Vietnam Memorial

” THE WALL “