We had seven riders and two passengers on tonight's ride: Dave & Margo lead the ride followed by Sean, Ernie, myself, Randall, Joe and Lane & Harley took the tail gunner position. We shot down Rt. 85 and took Crossroads over to I95 North over the Gold Star Bridge to Exit 88 in Groton where we took Rt. 117 South. Ending at Rt. 1 we headed East into Mystic which was quite deserted on a Thursday night, late in the tourist season.
We continued on Rt. 1 for a while before I saw Dave signal for a right hand turn onto Greenhaven Road and called for "Single File". This road went down to the Greenhaven Marina on the Pawcatuck River where its name changes to River Road. The view of the marina and the river was tranquil and beautiful under the full moon.
River Road became Mechanic St. before it looped back to Rt. 1 where we headed back West.
We veered right onto Rt. 234 which called for more "Single File" riding in spots. Dave said they saw quite a few deer along this stretch. I didn't see them; although I was watching out for them. Dave said their coats were quite dark. We ended up at Rt. 27 which put us onto Rt. 184 West. At Rt. 117 we turned South to the entrance ramp for I95 South and the Gold Star Bridge.
We exited onto Rt. 32 North and made a left onto Richard Grove Road and right onto Old Norwich Road where we made a pit stop so that Margo could get her car which was filled with stuff that needed to go to the clubhouse. Pulling back onto Old Norwich Road we encountered this:
We followed the motor-home to Old Colchester Road and then onto Moxley Road. I started wondering if he was also going to the clubhouse for the meeting, but he took the first left off Moxley Rd. I then started to wonder if that wasn't Hoss at the wheel of the motor-home, but he was already at the clubhouse.
The clubhouse parking lot was full of bikes and cars. There was very good turn out on this beautiful night.
The coffee was ready and there were still some brownies left. I don't know who made those brownies. Thibs was nowhere in sight. Those brownies were so moist and gooey, with chocolate frosting that I wanted to go back for more. But they were so rich that I worried that I'd go into sugar shock!
Most of the regulars were at the meeting as well as a number of faces I haven't seen in a while. Steve and Joann Natale were probably the most noticeable as one or both of them were at just about every event until Steve started having back trouble. It was good to see them back making the rounds, greeting all of the members with their infectious cheerfulness.
The Treasurer, Paul Neves, noted in his report that we make a donation to three charities every year. The donation to the Covenant Shelter is based upon how well we do at our first major event of the season, the Annual Bike Blessing. The other two charities, the Waterford Country School and the New London County Hog Gift Run both receive $250 each. Please use the following links for more information on each of these organizations.
http://www.covenantshelter.org/
http://www.waterfordcountryschool.org/
http://nlchog.com/
The Honor Guard Captain, Dana McFee, noted that the Montville Holiday Parade was pushed up a week earlier this year due to a conflict with the East Lyme parade. Unfortunately this means that Montville will be holding their parade on the same day as Groton; Saturday, December 7th. There was some discussion about possibly attending both parades on the same day if there was enough time. This is still being looked into. There was also the suggestion that Montville consider pushing their parade "back" a week rather than moving it up a week, but Dana didn't think that idea would be well received. Stay tuned for more information.
OK, these pictures aren't from either of the parades, they're shots I took at the decorative light contest at the 2012 Americade, but you get the idea.
Our Road Captain, Tom Lloret will be working this Sunday, so Road Sergeant Dave Adams has stepped to the plate once more and promises an enjoyable ride within the State, so helmets should not be required. There was discussion of possible rain Sunday morning and it was decided that we should meet at Dunkin Donuts on Rt. 32 in Montville for an 11:00 AM departure, rather than 10:00 AM. However; there are a number of us who have checked various weather forecasts and they all point towards a mostly sunny day with temps in the 60's. I know a number of us will be arriving at the usual time just in case. Even if we don't leave until 11 AM, its always fun to see how many NLMC members we can squeeze into a Dunkin Donuts!
Wells Lippincott generously donated three helmets for the benefit of any club member who needs one. I believe they were all full-face helmets of well known manufacturers.
Craig Knutsen (the challenger) and Steve Natale (the incumbent) answered a number of questions put to them by the Vice President, Dan Dunn. Both men are vying for the position of Second Vice President for the coming year. They are both very good choices for the position and we will all have a hard time making our choice at the November 7th election.
We owe a deep debt of gratitude to all of the members who volunteer their time and energy to serve the club, whether that be on the Executive Board, holding a Standing Committee position, heading up a County Chapter or stepping up to stand in whenever one of these key players is prevented from participating.
These are the people who make everything possible.
Weekly rides
Overnight trips
Major events
Maintenance of the clubhouse and grounds
Food and drinks at all events and meetings
County meetings and events
The Drill Team
Rider Education
Keeping the membership advised of current and upcoming club activities
Etcetera
THANK YOU
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