Where the hell is Murph ?....

The 2012 W.T.H.I.M Round the World Ride Sticker is here....

2012-01-27T22:17:00.002-05:00

I just picked these up from the printers today,so they are now available.

I thought long and hard about how to distribute them,so this is what I came up with:
As many of you know,my "give back" organization is Team Red,White and Blue,a non-profit organization set up by Maj.Mike Erwin to help reintegrate returning vets from the war back into "normal' life again through the medium of exercise.I was introduced to them by my friends Mandy Miller,who is heavily active and a huge part of the TeamRWB organization.
She also is the friend responsible for getting me into re-hab 3 yrs ago and helping me to become a sober and productive member of society.

Over the last few days i've been seeing a tremendous amount of support for TeamRWB in many forms,and yesterday I saw the Paula Broadwell Video.
Not only is Paula donating 25% of the proceeds of her new book "ALL IN" to TeamRWB,but Jon Stewart jumped in the fray and donated $20,000 and put a "Donate to TeamRWB" button on the The Daily Show Page.
So I got to thinking about how I could contribute to my cause,TeamRWB,and I decided to donate to them from the proceeds of the sale of my stickers.

So,pictured above is the sticker package that is up on sale.

WHAT YOU GET:you get 1 large 5" wide by 3" tall sticker,1 medium 3" wide by 1 3/4" tall sticker(the one that is blank,not finished printing yet)and a 5" by 1/2 sticker,all mailed TO YOUR DOOR.
You don't even need to get in the car for this one,I mean JUST HOW EASY does it get PEOPLE !!!!.

30% of the proceeds are going to be donated to TeamRWB,and 20% will go to an as yet undecided cause.So basically i'm going to donate 50% of the proceeds of the money I get from the sale of the stickers.
The package is priced at $10,which includes shipping anywhere in CONUS.
My goal is to get TeamRWB at least $1200,and $600 to another cause(as yet to be determined).
Once I get my printing costs covered i'll be happy,if not,i'll still be happy.

I never set out to try to make a profit on these stickers,but now i'd like to try and make a profit to help some others,as there are many many people who make regular donations to help me and continue to be a constant source of support.
I may need to make an extra run of 500 if they take off and sell,I really hope so.
I do intend to make a WTHIM World Ride sticker each year,with just the year on it changing,who knows,they nay become collectible!!!.

So there you have it,I hope that you all find this a worthwhile reason to spend $10.
I have a very limited run of these made,I couldn't afford to get 1000 made,but maybe if this batch all sell,i'll get some more done.

SO C"MON people,show TeamRWB some support.......pretty please.

Murph.

TO PURCHASE STICKER SETS PLEASE GIFT PAYPAL $10 PER SET TO:

WHERESMURPH@GMAIL.COM

Buy as many sets as you can afford please,the more you buy,the more I can give to TeamRWB.

Europe and Points East.........

2012-01-27T01:20:00.000-05:00

I've been treated to some absolutely spectacular sunrises in Boulder,these ones straight out of the camera,no need to mess with these already beautiful colors.

I'm spending a little extra time with me Mum before I leave for Europe and my Round the World trip,to return in 2,maybe 3 years after traversing continents and countries i've yet to see,people i've yet to meet,customs and rituals I have only read about in the journals of other travelers or National Geographic shows i've watched.On the other hand,i've also been thinking that the world has become so small today,as I thought to myself,well,what if something were to happen to Mum,what would I do if i'm in Russia or India or japan or Australia?.
There's not too many places on the planet that aren't accessible by plane anymore.The "far off and remote" areas are not so far off and remote anymore,thanks in part to the fast forward march of technology.

Wanderlust set in at an early age for me,I remember the first time I left home for a trip,I decided to on a backpacking trip to Europe.Earlier that year I had met 3 germans shopping at our local supermarket traveling around Ireland on bicycles,we chatted,they asked for directions,and ended up staying a couple of nights at our house.Naturlich,habe ich nach Deutschland eingeladen,so of course I went.

It was December of '76,2 months shy of turning 15 the following January.
In '79 things were a bit different,there were no computers,no GPS,no cellphones,I think we just got an answering machine at home,and I remember it was the size of a VHS player and it took cassette tapes to ecord the messages.Travel was a little different too.
My old man had a friend who worked for a large department store in the end of things,he knew all the truckers,so he got me a ride on a truck that was passing through Germany en route to Denmark with drill bits that were 6 feet wide,used in the mining industry there.

So off I went in December of 1976 on a truck to Germany.I couldn't speak German,was never there before and didn't have any maps,I just went.

Today,we have the GPS taking the place of the map,which in turn takes the place of the interaction needed when you have to ask a real person for directions.I was reading another motorcycle travelers blog the other day(the name escapes me now)and he mentioned that he makes sure to never turn on the GPS unless absolutely necessary,and on many trips he never brings the GPS at all.
I mean,how did we ever get around before the GPS?.We just did.We asked people for directions.
When I was dropped off in Germany by the truck driver,I had to get to the town of Essen from where I was at.
"Essen" is also the german word for "eat".
It took me all morning to find someone who spoke English to point me in the direction of the town of Essen,and not tell me where to go to eat.

Sometimes,you need to take a step back,sometimes going backwards is a good thing.Sometimes,if you're too close to something,you can't see the whole picture.

I have a ballpark idea of where i'm going,Europe and Asia.That'll do for now until I get there.

Murph

The N.O.R.R.A. Mexican 1000...........in Black & White.

2012-01-13T22:03:00.000-05:00

I recently connected with a few friends I met at the 2011 N.O.R.R.A. Mexican 1000,and while going through the images from that event,I came across quite a number that I never published,so I got nostalgic and decided to put them up.

This years event will be held from April 28th through May 2nd,2012.If you feel up to the challenge,here's the page to figure out which category you fit in,and here's your registration form........your welcome.

Unfortunately,I won't be able to make this years event,as by the end of April,my bike will already be on a ship en route to Rotterdam in the Netherlands for the start of the sidecar conversion and my Round the World trip.Pity,I really loved last years event,and made some great friends as well.I even stripped the bike down by taking off the panniers and excess equipment and ran one of the off-road stages,Day 1 Special Stage 3,a 210 mile stage from San Felipe to Bahia de Los Angeles ,60 miles of which were off-road,starting a few clicks south of Puertecitos to Coco's Corner,then another 12 miles to paved road.That was the stage I crashed twice,got rescued by the Canadians with some tools to bolt some stuff back on that fell off about 45 miles back,and the stage I met the The 10 Jose's.

Bob Land and the crew,who really helped me out a lot last year.I'll miss seeing them this year for sure.

The 10 Jose's,who broke down on Special Stage 3.

Loreto,start of Day 3,Stage 1.

Anyone who's done Baja knows exactly where this is.

And yea,Coco is still there.

I couldn't leave Coco's without getting my tank signed.

So,go rent you an RV and head to Mexicali for April 27th,and drive the 1000 miles over 3 days down the Baja peninsula to La Paz and follow the original desert race that started the whole Baja Desert Racing events that followed.Go find Mike Pearlman and say hi from Murph.

Murph.

THANK YOU ALL FOR 2011 AND BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2012

2011-12-31T18:20:00.002-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

Murph.

To all my friends from all over the world,I would like to wish you a very Happy new Year for 2012,and thank you all for helping make 2011 a very special one for me.
Many many people helped me along the last 3 years,the last 2 of which I have spent on the road,traveling around the country and photographing people,places and events that I encountered along the way.

The most influential and helpful person in my life is my Mother,without her confidence and support in me,it just wouldn't be as rich and full.
Thanks Mom,for everything.

Interestingly enough,many of the positive influences in my life in the last few years have been women,and i'm very thankful for them being there for me.

Mandy Miller,a major major factor in me being here today.
Thanks to Mandy and her friend Michele,they both co-ordinated to get me into re-hab 3 years ago this January 17th,so I could get myself sobered up and become a productive member of society instead of being a drunk.
Thank you Mandy for all your help then,and your continued help and support.

Mandy is responsible for introducing me to Major Mike Erwin and founder of Team Red,White and Blue,a non-profit organization that helps to bring athletes together and try to enrich the lives of wounded veterans and their families.

Because of Mandy introducing me to Maj.Mike and TeamRWB I have found a way to give a little back by volunteering my time and photography to their events.It's not much compared to what the Veterans that TeamRWB helps have done for us and their country,nor compared to what Maj.Mike Erwin has done in setting up the organization to help them,but it's a good start from where I was was three years ago in re-hab in a facility on Davie Rd here in S.Fl.
Maj.Mike and Mandy Miller both continue to influence my life tremendously,both in what they do for others and how they lead by example for me to learn from.
Thank you Major Mike Erwin for everything.

This coming year of 2012 brings with it for me many new and exciting happenings,the biggest of which will be my departure from the US in March 2012,when I ship my motorcycle over to Europe,to the Netherlands to be exact,in order to put a sidecar on the bike after which I will be embarking on a 2 year Round the World ride.
My itinerary will take me through Europe,a place I have not been back to since 1977 when I was 15,and a stop in Zermatt Switzerland,to climb the famous Matterhorn,which I attempted in 1976 when I was there.

At only 4,478 meters/14,687 feet,the matterhorn is not the highest mountain in the Alps,or even the highest peak in Switzerland,but it's four marked ridges and faces give the Matterhorn it's nearly perfect pyramid shape.It's even more beautiful as is stands alone with no other mountain close by to detract from it's majestic pinnacle.

There are a few reasons I want to do this climb as I turn 50.The first is,as George Mallory once said when asked why he would wanted to climb Mount Everest answered "because it's there".
Another reason is this man and fellow climber,the late Dr.Sean Egan,whom I met back in the day and whom I did a post on,and just found his philosophical and basic approach to life one of the keys to happiness that I have no intention of letting pass me by again:

It sounds really simple,right?.
Well then,what are you waiting for?.

I'm a climber,and the Matterhorn is there,I have always been a climber from a young age,it's just in my blood.My God is in the mountains as I discovered at an early age,but along the way I lost the map and nearly drank my way off the mountain and Planet Earth,so I need to go back and finish the job I started 36 years ago.Besides,it's a relatively easy climb and a good way to get in shape for the big one's like K2 or Everest,(oh,did I forget to mention that I wanted to go to Nepal and stop by Everest too?My bad).
I also intend to climb the Matterhorn with TeamRWB as my cause,my way of contributing to them,because i'm just not a runner,never was.I try to keep fit by doing a few miles,but a knee injury makes that very difficult for me,and running just isn't my thing,I don't enjoy it,but climbing,well,put a 40lb pack on my back and a pair of crampons on my boots and I can go all week long up a 40 deg incline in -50 deg temperatures.
So I hope to summit with a TeamRWB banner,since Maj.Mike and all the other athletes make marathons and triathlons as their goal or summit for the TeamRWB organization,the Matterhorn will be my TeamRWB goal/summit to prove to myself and others that any goal is attainable,it just all depends on how much you want it.

In 1977,3 months shy of my 16th birthday,through a friend of my old man's,I bought a pair of the best Alpine climbing boots I could find in Ireland at the time,a pair of all leather Meindl's,made in Bavaria,W.Germany,and I still own them today,35 years later.
Founded in 1928 by Lukas Meindl Sr.,the Meindl shoemaking tradition dates back to 1683,when Petrus Meindl worked as the first shoemaker of the Meindl family in Kirchanschoring.
In 1990,Lukas Meindl Jr. joined the company to bring the 11th generation of Meindl's to the shoemaking family business.

Can YOUR boots do this 35 years later?.

My Meindl Alpine boots still fit me today,and except for the laces and one layer of inner sole,they are all original,including the original Vibram soles.
In the background behind my Meindl boots are my two Alpine Ice Axes from my 1977 trip to the Matterhorn.I left them at Mum's place in Boulder as a keepsake,as they are certainly a great axe,but needed to be retired for newer technology axe's that are half their weight and 50 times stronger.

Bordeax,1977 with my Meindl's en route to Zermatt,CH.
The laces that came with the boots when I purchased them in 1977 were leather laces,and my intention when I get to Austria on my RTW trip is to stop by the Meindl offices and visit with the Meindl family and show them that 37 years later the boot they made for someone in 1976 is still today being used for it's intended purpose and in great condition.Maybe they might have a pair of leather laces for my boots,who knows.

At age 16 in Zermatt,Switzerland,1977,my Meindl Alpine boots playing in the snow while I pose for the camera.

The Matterhorn will not be my only climbing endeavor of my RTW trip,as one of my dreams is of course to get to Mt.Everest in Tibet,not to climb the mountain,as a solo permit is about $25,000,and that's ONLY for the permit to be allowed on the mountain and the certificate from the Nepalese government IF you manage to summit,then of course there's sherpas,oxygen at $300-$400 per bottle(you'll need at least 5 or 6 bottles),and a host of other expenses.
But all I would like to do is at least get to Base Camp,which itself is at an altitude of nearly 18,000 ft.

Base Camp II would be icing on the cake so to speak,but maybe I can trade some high quality pictures in return for hitching a ride.You never know.

Of course there's always K2.

A few have asked am I rich,where am I going to get the money to pay for all this traveling?.

Well,the truth is I have no clue,I just know i'll make it happen somehow.
As many of you know I am an alcoholic and managed to drink my way out of $4 million worth of property and personal money 3 years ago,and nearly drank my way out of life too.I had all the money anyone could ever need back then,but all it got me were ulcers and a near-death experience.
Now,i'm broke,with no income to speak of(picture sales and donations are it basically),living on the last remainders of what I came out of that with,which is not much,maybe enough for another year or two.But the big difference is that I just don't worry about anything anymore,anything material that is.
As Sean Egan said in the above video,80% of what people worry about never happens.I live in the present more now than I ever have,it's like being on an edge for me,but I find it keeps me sharp and out of my comfort zone.I like being in a comfort zone too much given the choice,so forcing myself not to be in that position makes me more mentally creative and active,both keys to staying alive and healthy.

Losing the material comforts that all my money bought was,for me,the best thing that could have happened,especially at my age,as I firmly believe that as people are socially conditioned to slow down coming into their "Golden Years",that very process of "slowing down" is the what will age them quicker than the aging process itself,as Sean Egan and many others like him will attest to.Shutting down the mind by not feeding it with problems that require solutions or activities that require you to be sharp and on the ball will send you to an early grave from sheer boredom and lack of self worth.And i'll bet my BMW Motorcycle that there's a mountain of research out there that backs that up.

Thats my Dad on the far right,me kneeling in front of him.
When I was 12 or 13,my Dad and I,we used to build and fly remote control planes.Well,we flew for a bit,crashed,and then spent the next 4 weeks building another one so as we could crash it again.
We got better quickly.
We had a friend,Tommy Short,that was also an avid and expert RC flyer on the weekends and a Master Mechanic during the week,in charge of the mechanical maintenance division of a large motor fleet,had 20 or so guys he was in charge of.Tommy was an up at 5am everyday person,worked all day,sometimes Saturdays too.
Well,it came time for him to retire,thought he'd have all the time in the world to fly now.
He was dead within 2 years.
The very thing he thought he was retiring from,being in charge of 20 mechanics and a fleet of vehicles was the very thing that kept his mind active and alert,and in turn the process of getting up at 5am to go to work all day to take charge of those men and vehicles was the very thing keeping his body active and the juices flowing.

Me 'n my ole Man,circa 1972-ish.

And in '77 the ole man snapped this one of me working on my Triumph Chopper.I remember I had just got the engine together and was measuring for brackets.

I am at present back in Florida liquidating everything I own in my house that went into foreclosure.I signed off on my bankruptcy paperwork and handed the house back to the bank.I hope to at least get enough from the proceeds of the contents to pay for the sidecar conversion and my passage over to EU.

After that,picture sales and a magazine article or two I will make materialize in the coming year which will help to keep gas in the tank.

There have been a number of followers and contributors to my travels that I would like to acknowledge,some gave money,others gave their friendship and help when I needed it,some gave a set of tires or a few tanks of gas,or in the case of my friends the Anderson's,gave me a welcoming place to stay and fed me throughout the BUB meet this year and last.

Peg Leg Craig Anderson,wife Laura,brother-in-law Alan Sean,sister Felicia and the crew of the "Flying Kiwi",his World Record setting Motorcycle Sidecar.
Thank you guys for all and a Happy New Year to each and everyone.

The always gorgeous and wonderful Erin Hunter.
Executive by day,World Record Holding Land Speed Racer from August through October at the Bonneville Salt Flats and El Mirage in CA,and my most ardent follower and supporter(aside from my Mother of course).

Erin Hunter is one of the women that I spoke about earlier in the post,a tremendously influential person in my life,both in what she does for others,and also for her support of myself,my writings,my photography and my travels since I met her and her partner "Shorty" racing at the 2010 BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at Bonneville,Utah.
She saved my bacon many times with well timed donations,late last year for example when she bought me a set of fresh knobby tires for my November snow ride to Steamboat Springs CO,without which I wouldn't have made it through.
Erin and Shorty will be racing under their new team in 2012,Hunter Sills Racing,and of course I wish them all the best,as I won't be back to Bonneville until 2103 at the earliest.
Just recently Erin,from reading my pre-Arlington post,made a very large donation to me,and as she said in her voicemail she left on my phone,"Murph,i'm not rich by any means,but have been fortunate along the way and like to pass it along when inspired to do so,and inspiration came when reading your blog about Arlington yesterday".

Erin and Shorty,Hunter Sills Racing.
BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials 2011,
Bonneville UT.
Erin,thank you so much for the donation,and especially for the sentiments in the message you left me sharing your thoughts on what inspired you to do so.
I have your voicemail saved on my phone,and it lifts me up and puts a smile on my face when I listen to it.It's a permanent message on my phone.

The Pope,aka Jerry Pope.

Jerry,you're a great friend to have and thanks for all in 2011,meet me in Switzerland in August 2012,we'll ride down to Italy and get some good espresso,need I remind you of the sentiment you wrote to me in the Ed Abby book you gifted to me?.

I better see you in Zermatt Jerry.

"T.R.",don't do it my brother,don't drop anchor !!!!!.
Stay mobile.
All the best for 2012 to you and Rosie.

The people I have mentioned here are but a handful of people helping me make it throughout the course of my life.There are many more that are unmentioned who I will get to eventually,I just can't fit them all in one post.

To all of those,thank you for all you have done and continue to do in support of my travels,from as simple as leaving a comment on one of my posts,a comment on my Facebook Timeline page,giving me a warm bed to sleep in for the night,or a $50 donation here or $100 donation there.

Speaking of which I would like to wish my friend Garth G down in S.Florida my best for his continued support and donations for as he calls it"Entertainment Value".Thanks Garth,you're a Rock Star.
They all mean a lot to me and are greatly appreciated.In the upcoming New Year,I am going to try to link donation I receive to a print copy if at all possible,i'm just not sure how feasible it will be in the middle of Russia or Mongolia,but rest assured,upon docking at a port with all modern conveniences,it will be a priority.

Thanks to my friends Steve Uzzell and Susan Lambert for the outstanding photography they did for me when I visited them in VA while doing the Arlington Cemetery shoot.Both Steve and Susan and the best mentors a guy like me could have,and great friends to boot.And a special thanks to Susan,who gave me an early Christmas present of an Epson 2400 printer that she didn't use much anymore,or thought that I would benefit more from.
Thank you both.

Love and Best Wishes to all for 2012.

Murph

Arlington National Cemetery Wreaths Across America 2011.......Images Pt II.

2011-12-23T20:35:00.000-05:00

As I walked across to the Tomb of The Unknowns,I passed a mother and daughter.I kept walking and didn't pay them much attention but I got a sense to turn around for another look.

These series of images are my most powerful memory of Arlington.

A few camera clicks spoke volumes.

Section 60,the saddest acre in the United States of America,the final resting place for mothers,fathers,sons,daughters,husbands,wives,lovers.
The final resting place for those who took an oath of "Whatever It Takes,Up To And Including My Own Life" to defend and keep the protective umbrella over our heads here on U.S. soil.

"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf". George Orwell.

Murph

Wreaths Across America,Arlington Cemetery 2011...........Images Pt I.

2011-12-16T00:50:00.001-05:00

It was a cold ride in to Arlington National Cemetery from my friends Steve Uzell and Susan Lambert's home near Leesburg,VA.I was up at 4:30am,get the coffee on,try to keep quiet.

Morning temps were only in the 20's,still dark and cold outside.I had my camera gear ready to go,fired up the bike,off I went.

I was pretty much alone on the road until I got to Memorial Drive,a long straightaway that culminates at the Women In Military Service For America Memorial and the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery at the west end of the drive,turn around and look back east,back across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and you look straight at the Lincoln Memorial.

The entrance to the Cemetery was already backed up with traffic back to the Arlington Memorial Bridge,luckily I was on a motorcycle,up the side I went to the top,where I got in line behind the press corp and a CNN crew.

It was my first time coming to Arlington,and I wasn't really sure what to expect.I rode up from Hollywood FL spur of the moment,a last minute decision.I had read about Morrill Worcester and what he had being doing at Arlington for the past 20 years,so it was one of those moments that already decided itself for me,so I left the next morning on the bike.

Members of the Civil Air Patrol Honor Guard at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery,as the convoy of 20 trucks that drove from Maine with the Ceremonial Wreaths pass through the gates to the cemetery.

Morrill Worcester on the left.

I have another post of images yet to come on my visit here,but needless to say,Arlington is a powerful and beautiful place,but it was all the people who came here to be a part of this event that made it for me.It's hard to explain,but it was like one big family coming together to honor their brothers and sisters who paid the ultimate price for their country.

Murph

Arlington Cemetery and Wreaths Across America.

2011-12-06T16:42:00.000-05:00

In 1992 Morrill Worcester,owner of Worcester Wreath in Maine,found himself with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season.

Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington,Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country's Veterans.Arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery which,as the years passed,had been receiving fewer and fewer visitors.

This Saturday will be the Twentieth Year,and as Arlington is a place I have yet to visit,i've decided to ride up from here in Fl where I am at present and spend a little time in Arlington and witness the Wreath Laying Ceremony.

This year Worcester has arranged for up to 100,000 wreaths to be placed on grave sites at the military cemetery on Dec 10th in his biggest wreath-laying undertaking yet.

It's only 1050 miles from Hollywood FL,an easy 2 day ride,so i'll be there on Friday,with a stop off on the way in Virginia with my good friend and Pro-photographer Steve Uzzell and his partner and photographer Susan Lambert.

I'm already getting misty-eyed just thinking of the sheer magnitude of this event,and am hoping that the photographs I take throught the weekend will do it justice.

For more information on this event click here.

If you will be in the Arlington area this weekend,i'll see you there.

And Speaking Of Sidecars............

2011-11-25T13:20:00.000-05:00

......i've been thinking of hacking out(putting a sidecar on) my GS for quite some time now,over a year in fact.

Getting snowed in last November en route to and when finally reaching Steamboat,CO was the episode that pushed me over the edge and made making the decision to going sidecar easy.
While I was stuck there and attempting to ride out,the snow that was falling wasn't really hard heavy snowfall,just consistent,so after half an hour of snowfall it began to get packed tighter,and slicker.Balancing on two wheels now became treacherous,stopping just wasn't going to happen safely.I knew that if I had a sidecar,NONE of these issues would be an issue at all,especially if it were a 2 Wheel Drive outfit.

And so the search began in ernest to transform this.....

...into something like this:

...or this:

...or even this:

....in order to be able to do things like this:

...and this:

The funding for the sidecar conversion will come from the sale of what's left in my house in Florida that is or will be foreclosed upon in the next 3-6 months.Losing,or at least thinking that I lost everything I had due to my alcoholism and continued drinking actually turned out not to be the case,just the opposite in fact.I didn't really lose anything at all,I just got rid of a lot of "stuff" that I didn't really need,and that demanded a lot of physical and emotional maintenance from me.
I still have my FJ 40 up for sale(the pic link is in the sidebar) which I will let go for a ridiculously low price to the first person that comes along with a reasonable offer in order to fund the sidecar.I will also be trying to raise money from the sale of prints available on my SmugMug account.

As the New year of 2012 approaches I will be officially homeless,but I will also be as free and unencumbered as I have been since my teenage years,where I had not a care in the world,when the world was mine to explore at my leisure,and I thought I had forever to explore it too.

This will be my last year in the U.S. for quite a number of years,as i'll be shipping my bike to Rotterdam in the Netherlands in March,immediately following my photoshoot of the TeamRWB Event in Austin TX,Feb 18th to the 20th.
From Austin I ride back to Miami and put the bike in the Schumacher Transport warehouse,where it will wait to be loaded onto a container for Holland.
Once in the EU and after the sidecar conversion is complete,there are a number of winter sidecar rallies I plan to attend,including the famous and longest running UK bike event,The Dragon Rally,held annually in North Wales in February since 1962.
The roots of The Dragon Rally go back to the early sixties when the British motorcycle press carried reports of another famous rally held each winter in Germany,the Elefantreffen or Elephant Rally,famed for the hardships involved in attending.The November 1961 issue of the British magazine "The Motor Cycle" carried an article by George Wilson who asked,"Can such a dream be realized in this country-a rally for super enthusiasts only,and so organized that by it's very nature,only super enthusiasts would want to join in?...but above all it must be held in the dead of winter when only the men who are men would be interested and the softies would stay away".
Well,the article brought a flood of replies and soon another journalist,John Ebrell,was sent to North Wales to seek a camping site,with a view to publishing an article that would draw out potential organizers.As luck would have it,as he was scouting around North Wales,a letter arrived at the magazine from Lawrence Irving of the Conwy Club,offering to organize the rally.The Conwy and District Motorcycle Club has run the rally ever since.
It is usually grouped with the German Elefantreffen and the Norwegian Krystall Rally,both of which I plan to attend.

From Wales in Feb of 2012 i'll head over to Ireland,The Ould Sod where I lived until I was 18,and I still have cousins there and have not been back since 1990,when I returned to bury my father.
From Ireland it's back east to Europe and by which route as yet I do not know,but a Round the World motorcycle sidecar journey has been calling to me for quite some time now,and while I can do it I will.How I am going to fund it,as yet I also don't know,but as has been the theme and spirit of my journey and adventure so far,i'll figure it out as I go along.An odd job here or there to put gas in the tank,some photography print sales and even a published article or two,more than enough to keep me going for a few months.

Thats it for now.I hope that those of you who follow along will continue to do so,and also recommend this place to friends,as it's your support that helps propel me to keep doing what i'm doing.I always appreciate your thoughts either in the comments section of this blog,or jump over to my FaceBook page and leave me a note over there.

Murph

Ken Smith's Original Paint 1916 Indian Powerplus.......and other stuff.

2011-11-16T15:14:00.000-05:00

Ken Smith's secret location somewhere in ...........a secret location.

Ken Smith has some really nice motorcycles and sidecars,but his Original Paint 1916 Indian Powerplus Sidecar outfit is a classic and a little tricky to find these days.

The heart of the 61ci(1000cc) Indian Powerplus,a 42 deg V-twin engine.It had a top speed of 60 mph.

Indian Motorcycles were manufactured from 1910 to 1953 in Springfield,Massachusetts,USA.

Initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company,founded by George Hendee in 1897, it was renamed the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company in 1928.

That box atop the gas tank is not an OEM Indian part,it's where Ken wants his ashes put when he dies.

During the 1910's Indian became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world,including the Scout,made from 1920 to 1946 and the Chief,made from 1922 to 1953.

As the US entered World War 1,Indian unnecessarily sold most of it's Powerplus line in 1917 and 1918 to the United States government,starving it's network of dealers.This blow to domestic availability of the motorcycles led to a loss of dealers Indian never recovered from.

While Indian shared in the business boom of the 1920's,it had lost it's No.1 position in the US market to harley-Davidson.

The Indian Motorcycle Company went bankrupt in 1953,the year the last Indian Motorcycle was made.

A number of successor organizations have perpetuated the name,most believe that the last Indian was made in 1953.

Erwin "cannonball" Baker was best know for his many record setting cross country rides and drives.His first was in 1914,riding coast to coast on an Indian motorcycle in 11 days.A journalist at the time compared him to the "Cannonball Express" train,and the nickname stuck.
He made 143 cross-country motorcycle speed runs before turning his attention to feats performed in cars.

When you really think about it,riding coast to coast today on modern motorcycles that are capable of up to 10,000 miles between services,it's a breeze compared to the days of external valve springs that needed to be lubricated every 20 or 30 miles with little bottles of oil the rider carried with him as part of his kit.
No GPS,no good maps,no roads like we have today with all modern conveniences spaced 10-20 miles apart,no protective gear that was worth a damn in a crash.I think leather helmets were the latest in motorcycle headgear in the 20's,leather!!!.
And all the technology in suspension and fuel control make riding down the highway at 100 mph seem effortless today,unlike top speeds of the 20's being around the 50-60 mph mark,and that was wide open,nothing left.

Thanks to Ken Smith for the hospitality.

MURPH

The 2011 Vincent Owners Club International Rally....Pt II.

2011-11-05T13:36:00.001-04:00

Continuing on with the 2011 Vincent Owners Club International Rally in PA this past October,most of the time was spent with Ken Smith's in Mifflintown.Ken's house and barns complete with his workshop are in a really tranquil part of the country.A stream runs behind the house to complete the picture.
But before ending up at Ken's,the VOC rally had a stop at the Red Caboose,a collection of 46 old railroad cars converted to motel rooms right in the middle of Amish country.It was all part of the final leg of the nearly three week long rally.

The Red Caboose Motel railroad car rooms.

Beautiful sunsets are part of the evening ritual in front of the West facing entrance.

Meanwhile back at Ken's place,we started to bring in the wounded.We had to pick up and trailer Alfred Lloyd's Vincent in the rain that morning after it had an electrical short that burned through the wiring from the battery up to the headlamp.Alfred had to leave it chained to a pole outside a store in the dark the previous evening,so when we went to pick it up with him the next morning,he couldn't remember where he left it,he only had a vague idea that it was over the brow of a hill.............somewhere.............over there..............maybe.

He was a little concerned that it may not be there that morning,but not too many people in the U.S. are aware of the value of well worn and dirty looking 40's and 50's era Vincent motorcycle.We found it safe and sound and put it on the trailer for the trip back to the "O.R." at Ken's just as it started to rain.

Three hours later and all was good again with Alfred's Vinny.

Alfred packed and ready to leave.

L-R,Jacqueline Bickerstaff,Alfred Lloyd,Marcus and Ken Smith.

Before Alfred's Vinny got to Ken's,Chris Kleps Egli-Vincent was already in the E.R. undergoing surgery.

To make a very long story short,(Chris rode the over 3,000 miles of from Oregon to NY on his Vincent to attend the VOC Rally,thats how long),after removing the the timing cover Chris found that the rear cam spindle had come loose in the engine case.In Chris's words "at some point the distance piece and shim had broken up and gone through the timing gears,leaving pieces of shrapnel in the lower pockets of the timing cover and case".
"I figured I was finished,but Dan Smith thought the loose spindle could be fixed.JB weld to glue the the spindle into the case,a steel steady plate, sourced at the swap meet to hold the outer end securely.We ordered a distance piece and a cam-follower from Coventry to be delivered to Ligonier PA".
That's what was supposed to happen,but it's a Vincent,and you're on the road on a long trip,so "Murphy's Law" had other plans for Chris.

A temporary repair finished,Chris starts to button up the Egli.He ran the Vincent for the rest of the rally,then had it shipped back to the engine builder for a complete teardown and repair.That really is a shortened version,Chris emailed me his Ride Report of his trip and i'll include it at the end of this post.It's a great read,including his trip to Bonneville and his stint on the Pit Crew for the "Lambky Liner",Max Lambky's Twin Engine VIncent Streamliner Land Speed Machine.Last year I did a stint on the pit crew for the Lambky Liner,and again it was beset with problems throughout the whole meet.

I did go to the VOC Concours,but i'm not much of a concours fan,i'm more impressed with guys like Chris who ride a 60+ year old bike over 3,000 miles than a perfect restoration,I don't care how rare it is.And don't forget,Chris's Egli-Vincent is not a long distance type of motorcycle,it's essentially a cafe-racer,plus if you break down on a Vincent,forget about going to a dealer for parts,there are no dealers,not since the early fifties.

There are $40k Harleys ridden less in a year than Chris rode on his Egli-Vincent in a month.That's a motorcyclist.

In all fairness,all but one or two of the bikes on display at the VOC Concours were NOT show bikes but well travelled motorcycles,used for their intended purpose,complete with dirty,oil stained engines.Since the Vincent motorcycle has tripled or quadrupled in value in the last 10-20 years there are more collectors now than there used to be,whose main concern is how much it's worth today vs. six months ago.

The "Gunga Din" fell into the "one or two" category.Maybe it's just me and my lack of knowledge of the Vincent,but I wasn't impressed much at all.The owner wasn't too happy with me getting too close to the bike to take pictures,and another Vincent owner was chastised for touching one of the tires on the bike................I mean,really?.
I wasn't too impressed with the owner either.

For me the bike just didn't have any soul,no character or flavor,it's a possession not to be touched,ridden or sat upon,to me the type of possession that owns you,not the other way around.

Meanwhile Eddi and the missus rode their Vincent sidecar outfit from England,well,flew it from England to Canada,then rode down for the rally.

Paul Allen and his Series A Vincent.
Paul was the "Obligatory Irishman" that I seem to bump into all along my trip,we're friggin everywhere.
Paul now lives in Evergreen CO,so a spring/summer ride over to see him is on the cards.

And i'll finish off on a classic here.
The above picture was taken and published in a UK Motorcycle Magazine back in 1963.
Fast forward to 2011,and Dave and Yvonne are at the VOC rally in PA,and while at Ken Smith's Dave had the magazine with him and showed me this pic,so I couldn't resist in re-creating a similar image 48 years later,albeit in one of Ken's motorcycles and sidecar.........

What's a sidecar for but to go motorcycling together in for the rest of your lives,eh?.
It was a pleasure meeting you both and great honor to be able to take this photo of both of you 48 years later.

So to Dave and Yvonne and all of you reading this post.....

Murph

The 2011 Vincent Owners Club International Rally.

2011-10-23T00:07:00.002-04:00

A chance meeting of some 20 or so Vincents in the car park of "Fallingwater" led to me spending 5 days touring with the group and a couple of nights at Ken Smith's house in Mifflintown,PA,sleeping in the barn among some of his rare collection of motorcycles.
"I have a motorcycle for each decade of this century" is how he describes his collection.
And there all running and very rideable,no showbikes here.

R to L,Ken Smith,English Marcus,unknown and Norton Jane,giving Ken a cake for his birthday.Ken's house was a stoping point on Day 4 or 5 of the VOC rally,he had organized an Amish picnic for all who stopped by on the way to the end of the days rides.A fantastic spread of food prepared by Mr and Mrs.Peach.

Left to right,a 1929 Scott TT Replica,1936 Sunbeam Sport,1970 Velocette Thruxton(original paint),an H-D(not Kens) and the tail of Chris Klepps Egli-Vincent.

This is a 1908 Excelsior Belt Drive Single and it's wearing the original paint.1908 was the first year of production if i'm not mistaken.

Tucked away behind the Excelsior is a 49cc,1966 Raleigh RM6 Runabout.
Raleigh began making motorcycles in 1899,but production only lasted until 1906.Raleigh's main business was in the cycle trade,but only after the first world war some serious thought was given to motorcycle production.

A 1947 Indian Chief,restored.

Robert's 1937 Series A,a gorgeous bike that's a rider too.
Bought in the U.S. in parts in plastic storage boxes with another bike for $100,000,fully restored at Bonhams they can fetch over $400,000.

More,much more Vincent images in the next post,plus Jim Moshers Twin Scout,and a few other bits and bob's......

"till then I hope you enjoyed this post,and please leave a comment if you wish.

Murph

My Travels Since Sept 1st.....

2011-10-19T23:46:00.000-04:00

View Larger Map
Until the Vincent Owners Club International Rally pics are posted,I thought i'd put up a map of where i've been since the last week of August,well,i'm actually en route to FL as we speak,but i'll be there in a week.
7,000 miles as the crow flies,but add another 1000 for detours and such and it's comes out to about 8,000 miles travelled in about 2 months.
Way to much mileage really,as I think that to get a sense of a place you really need to slow down,have a coffee,look around,meet the people.
When I meet these "Iron Butt" guys who go from Key West to Alaska in record time,clocking up 900-1,000 miles a day,I have to ask myself did they even see anything?.
I did a 2,000 mile IBA(Iron butt Assn.) ride once and that was enough for me to realize that it's not a fun way to ride,quite pointless actually.Didn't even bother to send in the paperwork afterwards,just tore it up a few days later.
Well,I missed out on bragging rights at the bar,a T-shirt and a license plate holder(which you have to pay for)but I met a bunch of great people,some of whom are now friends I stay with when I pass through their town.
So the Sand Pit is next on the list.........

Coming up next:The VOC Rally.

Murph

Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater".........and a few old Vincent's.

2011-10-14T23:00:00.001-04:00

I was on my way back from New York City toward Shanksville PA after photographing the 9/11 Memorial in NYC,to spend the night in Somerset and the next day go to photograph "Fallingwater",one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous designs,if not the most illustrious of his career.I left NYC early to see if I could stay ahead of the seemingly endless dark gray clouds,but alas,my plan failed miserably.The whole ride over to Somerset it rained,all 270 miles of it.........hard.

I had more rain in that one day of riding than i've had in the last year of riding.Everything got soaked,even the "Waterproof" stuff,gear,tools,feet,hands,everything.I had to stop every 50 miles or so to re-Rain-X my helmet visors it was so bad.

This was the Twister that touched down upon my arrival in Somerset PA,after riding all day from NYC.It didn't last long,i've never been this close to a twister before.Noisy,like a freight train rushing by.

So I caved in to my wet and soggy predicament and got a motel for the night,a rarity for me,as camping is my preferred means of accomodation.Camping is cheaper,simpler and you can stay wherever the hell you want.

But on this wet night,I needed to dry out........

...the heater was on "High" all night long.

Even my tools that were in a "waterproof" bag didn't escape.

So the next morning I made my way to a house I had only read and fantasized about many years ago in a book,thinking what an incredible place to be able to live in,but between one thing and another it slipped my mind to go and visit as I traversed from one side of the country to another.

On the drive down to Fallingwater I ride into the carpark and find a bunch of old motorcycles leaving oil stains all over the asphalt......

BUT,they weren't any old motorcycles,they were old Vincent's......lot's of 'em,and all in one spot too.Oooooh,I nearly fell of the bike looking at them.

Anyway,all these tasty Vinnies and more will be in the next post here on the blog.....

But not today.......

The cantilevered balconies of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

To build today what the Kaufmann family hired architect Frank Lloyd Wright to build back in 1935 would be impossible,mainly due to code restrictions.Fortunately for the Kaufmanns and the leigon of Frank Lloyd Wright followers that come to see this American Architectural Masterpiece today,those codes were not as restrictive back then.

In November 1934,Wright visited Bear Run and asked for a survey of the area around the waterfall.

It took nine months for his ideas to crystallize into a design,and just in time for a visit by Edgar Kaufmann to Taliesin,and it was at that meeting that Edgar Kaufmann found out that Wright intended to build the home on top of the falls rather than below them to afford a view of the cascades as he had expected.

Since it appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in 1938,Fallingwater was the house that captivated a nation.It was hailed as Wright's "most beautiful job" and is listed among Smithsonian's Life List of 28 Places to visit before you die.

Fallingwater,a series of seemingly free-floating platforms precariously perched 30ft over a waterfall and anchored into the rock itself,has to be seen to really and truly appreciate it's beauty.I've owned Frank Lloyd Wright architectural books for many years and have seen other photographers images of Fallingwater,but actually being there and being able to take my own photographs was something I never thought I would be able to do.

Everything about this beautiful house that I have read about was true.It seems to blend in in every way with the nature that surrounds it,in color and form.Wright's passion for Japanese architecture was strongly reflected in the design of Fallingwater,particularly in the importance of interpenetrating exterior and interior spaces and the strong emphasis placed on harmony between man and nature.

Here,a stairway leads down from the cantilevered living room directly to the stream below.

When viewed from inside,the windows have a seamless appearance,and where glass meets stone walls there is no metal frame,the glass and it's horizontal dividers were run into a caulked recess in the stonework so that the stone walls appear uninterrupted by glazing.

Genius.

The extent of Wright's genius in the design of Fallingwater can only be hinted at in photographs,especially mine,since no flash photography was allowed,I had my work cut out for me here on this one.

You need to go to see this house in person,many people go two or three times a year to see it in it's different seasonal colors.

The construction was also plagued with conflicts between Wright,Kaufmann,and the construction contractor.

For some related interesting background,much of Ayn Rands book The Fountainhead was based on Wright and was dedicated to her husband Frank O'Conner and to architecture.

There is much left out of this post because it would take too long to cover the full story of either Fallingwater,Frank Lloyd Wright or the Kaufmann's.The included links are well worth researching,and Fallingwater is well worth a visit,at least once in your lifetime.

Meanwhile,next on wherethehellismurph.com is my happen-chance meeting of the 2011 VOC International Rally,this year held in the U.S.

So until next time......

New York City..............Street Level.

2011-10-10T12:09:00.005-04:00

New York City seems to be a "Love It" or "Hate It" city for a lot of people.Me,I love it.Always have,always will.Even though the changes to the city and lifestyle have been dramatic and extreme since I left there in '97 or '98,and especially since 9/11,it still gets me and draws me in everytime.

It's one of the most functionally dysfunctional places,where a newcomer might look at it as the most chaotic scene they have ever witnessed,but yet it works,it flows smoothly,it manages to absorb all of the blows it has had rained down upon it for a long time now without imploding.

Even after 19 cowards got on 4 planes and tried to kill the soul of New York,it still didn't fall.It may have faltered a bit,but the City of New York,the State and the whole country came together to help keep it up,and they did.Today,it is still a magical place,where people flock to every day of the year just to get a piece of her and the people who make it great.

The FDNY are just some of the many people who help make NYC who she is,and 343 paid with their lives on Sept 11th,2001.

I happened to run into a few of them while I was there on this trip.

Some of the guys of FDNY Hook and Ladder Co.3 and Water Tower No.2 on East 13th Street,NYC.

I stopped by the station while I was next door at Phototech getting a lens repaired.When I lived in Mahattan I knew a few of the firemen at the Great Jones St Firehouse,which houses Ladder 9 and Engine 33 trucks and crew.

Thanks to the guys of Hook & Ladder Co. 3 and Water Tower Co.2 for spending time with me.

Up on 89th Street and Riverside Drive in Manhattan is the Soldiers and Sailors monument,built in the late 1800's and dedicated on Memorial Day 1902 to commerate the Union Army soldiers and sailors who served in the American Civil War.

The Fireman's Monument on 100th street,Riverside Dr.

The origins on the FDNY go all the way back to 1648 when New York was the dutch settlement of New Amsterdam.The organization known as the "Prowlers" but nicknamed "The Rattle Watch"patrolled the streets with buckets,hooks and ladders,hence the term "Hook and Ladder Co." of the FDNY.

Only in Chelsea.

Jersey City as seen from Chelsea Piers.

Cellist Peter Lewy,Washing Square Park Arch,September 2011.

A video of Peter I shot is on my YouTube page here and here.

This could be Italy or Tokyo,but it's on the West Side Hwy.

7th Ave. looking north from 22nd St.

Soho.

Some of the motorcycles in the collection at Kiehl's on 3rd Ave.

Kiehl's,an American cosmetics brand retailer that was founded as a single pharmacy in New York City's East Village in 1851 by John Kiehl,located at 3rd Avenue and 13th street.In 1921,Irving Morse purchased the store and in the 1960,Irvings son Aaron took over the store.It is Aarons motorcycles and planes that are on display at the store,although the planes are no longer displayed there.

"Hmmm,a Flyin Eyeball".....

Jersey City

And as Gotham sleeps,so do I.........

Murph

The 9/11 Memorial New York City NY.

2011-10-06T12:50:00.000-04:00

I had already left NYC and was in Shanksville PA photographing the Flight 93 Memorial,where my friend Mandy Miller had run the week prior.

After making a phone call to the 9/11 Memorial I was fortunate to get in contact with Sarah Lippman,the Communications Manager of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum,who arranged an overnite pass for me,which normally takes a wee bit longer than that to secure.Thank you Sarah,my gratitude,much appreciated.It was well worth the trip back for me for the experience,bittersweet and sad as it was.
So,I rode back in to the city from my campsite in Somerset PA and downtown to Battery Park where I knew I could find a spot to park my bike in an incredibly security conscious and congested part of town.Had I a car and not a motorcycle,finding a free parking spot would have been impossible.
Battery park in the early 90's,back when I lived in Manhattan,was a favorite spot for me,so I was very familiar with the area.In late fall,there were some beautiful sailboats docked out back of the Wintergarden,right on the Hudson,the Staten Island ferry was a great sunset cruise,over and back,a beautiful way to spend an evening.The view of the Twin Towers on the return voyage was always spectacular,a view that upon reflection I took for granted,but now a view that is no more.

Steel beams from the Towers are housed in a building in the Memorial Garden.

Since 2008,the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,which owns the World Trade Center,has released over 1,200 steel artifacts from Hanger 17 at JFK International Airport where they are stored,from the collapsed towers for use in public memorials.
World Trade Center steel is at the heart of monuments in 50 states,several other countries and the USS NEW YORK.
Nearly 7 tons of the steel used in the construction of the USS New York,a San Antonio class Amphibious Transport Dock Ship,came from the rubble of the World Trade Center.It was melted down and poured into moulds to form the ships "Stem Bar",part of the ships bow.
The shipyard workers at Amite Foundry and Machine in Amite,Louisiana reportedly treated it with reverence usually accorded to religious relics,gently touching it as they walked by.One worker delayed his retirement after 40 years to be part of the project.

Steel recovered from the World Trade Center is displayed on board the USS New York.The glass case of the display is etched with the New York City skyline before the Sept 11th terrorist atacks.

As evening sets on Manhattan,downtown the Sept 11th Memorial Garden starts to take on a magical quality,an incredibly tranquil feeling.The sounds of the waterfalls become louder,overwhelm,a calming sound but also a reminder of the sounds the towers must have made as they fell.The souls of the departed inhabit this place for sure,you can feel it in the air.
There's a very eerie calm when the sun sets and the glow of the lights behind the waterfalls turn from white to a golden brown.

The events that occurred in this Memorial Garden 10 years ago has affected everyone in the nation,and most people in the world,and still does to this day.

We don't or can't travel the same way anymore.

For me,being back there under these circumstances brought on a myriad of emotions,anger,sadness,sorrow.

People lost friends,children lost parents.

I'm glad I lived in the city and got to experience New York and downtown Manhattan the way it was before the 19 cowards got on 4 planes and changed our landscape forever.

Murph

New York City & The TeamRWB Sept 11,2011 Memorial Run.....Pt II.

2011-09-26T10:22:00.150-04:00

While the TeamRWB Liberty State Park Memorial run was going on in Jersey City,there were two other TRWB runs occurring in other locations,well,actually there were TRWB runs occurring worldwide,but two were being run by a couple of friends of mine.
The first was the TRWB run in Shanksville PA,organized by my good friend Mandy Miller.
These images were sent to me by Mandy and her crew.
They ended up doing a 9.11 mile run and a 5k.

Mandy Miller,Ultrarunner and Ironwoman.

Penn State ROTC.

Just beyond this wall lies the final resting place of the 40 souls of Flight 93.The spot is marked by a very large boulder and is off limits to all but family members.

I can only imagine how difficult and painful it must be for them each time they come here to visit.

The second run was by my friend Tess Geddes and Zac Addorisio who both ran a 37 km run from Mt.Currie to Whistler in Canada,BC.

Tess Geddes and Zac.

This picture reminds me just how beautiful Canada is,especially around the Whistler area.

Images courtesy of Tess Geddes.

Mandy and Tess did a wonderful job of honoring the memory of Sept 11th and the spirit of TeamRWB and their efforts to raise awareness for their cause.

To get involved just go to the TeamRWB Website.

I stayed on in New York City for another week after the TeamRWB Memorial Run in Liberty State Park.
I had intended to go down to photograph the 9-11 Memorial,but upon trying to make an online reservation to acquire tickets,I came to find out that it was booked up in advance until the end of November.So I was a little disappointed,but soon put it behind me.New York City has too much to offer to be upset for long.
The Manhattan I knew and lived in was calling me,the city I had left 12 years earlier.......

And what trip to NYC would be complete without meeting another Irishman............on a motorcycle.................wearing a kilt.

Paddy Joe with his daughter out for a bike ride in NYC.
Turns out Paddy Joe is another Belfast boy,where I spent a wee bit of time back in the day.

Paddy Joe,great to meet you,and i'll be in touch.

I decided to leave NYC and ride the 270 miles over to Somerset PA and go to Shanksville to photograph the Flight 93 Memorial,the memorial that Mandy Miller had put on the TeamRWB run the previous weekend.So Monday,Sept 18th,I headed west out of NYC toward the PA Turnpike.Clouds and thunderstorms hovered over me ALL day,the whole 270 miles out to Somerset,but no rain.

The boulder beyond the gate is the final resting place of the 40 souls aboard Flight 93.

It was a dull and overcast day for photography,but to me it seemed it was fitting for what had happened here 10 years ago.It's had to imagine this place being one of joy.Tranquil maybe,but not a happy place.

It was only after I got to Shanksville that I decided to make a phone call to the 9-11 Memorial Press Office and was able to secure an overnight Press Pass to visit the 9-11 Memorial.

So after spending a few days in Shanksville,I rode the 270 miles back east into New York City,happened to meet another friend from Florida who was attending a computer course there,and had a place to stay for the night after my day downtown photographing the 9-11 Memorial.

The images of the 9-11 Memorial will be in my next post.

It will also include my photographic tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous house he built for the Kuafmann family in 1935,Falling Water,and my chance meeting while at Falling Water of the Vincent Owners Club 2011 International Rally.This is a rally held every 4 years in different parts of the world.In 2007 it was in Australia,and for 2015 Italy may be the destination.This group are real motorcyclists,some of them riding Vincents or HRD's worth upward of $300,000.....

Roberts absolutly stunning '37 HRD Series A being one of those.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and thank you for following along.....

Murph

New York & The TeamRWB Sept 11,2011 Memorial Run.

2011-09-15T15:49:00.001-04:00

The drive to NYC from Boulder CO was fraught with danger,really.People in cages trying to kill me,run me aground.
The 2,300 miles from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover UT to NYC took a wee bit longer than anticipated due to a massive storm front on the east coast.PA was getting hammered,upstate NY flooded out.But before I got to NYC ,the drivers in Indiana and Ohio were doing their best to run me off the road,not because they wanted to(although at times I wondered),but because they just weren't paying attention.The complacency that seems to take over people's senses while driving in a car is just astounding.The false sense of security that driving in their cage gives them while they text,check email,eat,check email AND eat,and their total disregard for the lack of protection that motorcyclists have is scary,really really scary.Motorcyclists are a dying breed,thanks in part to the myriad of distractions that car drivers are getting into while they are supposed to be paying attention to driving the damn car.

HANG UP THE PHONE AND DRIVE PEOPLE.

I've been a motorcyclist since I was 12,my first bike was a Bultaco 250 Pursang,a trials/enduro bike on which I learned and mastered the necessary skills of motorcycling.Most of my teenage motorcycling was off-road,an ISDE,a season as a sidecar monkey,and 1 or 2 Enduros a month back in Ireland,England and Scotland gave me a love of motorcycling and a knowledge of how to ride and control a motorcycle on and off road.Fortunatly,this is a big reason i'm alive today,I learned the necessary skills early on to do battle on the roads today,especially as I headed east into the battleground of NYC,which in reality is a great place to drive,if you know how.

I had to drive late into the evenings to try to make up time,the bad weather and distracted drivers didn't help.
No pictures either,I didn't stop to take out the camera to get a few images of a rainstorm.Suffice it to say,crappy and dangerous motorcycling weather.

Interestingly enough,in the nearly 2 years i've been on the road,i've only encountered about 3 bad rainstorms,this one being #3.
#2 was last year coming across Oklahoma on I-40 near the Texas border,a rain storm that as I continued riding west turned to hail in a matter of minutes that pelted the hell out of me,I actually thought it was going to crack the windshield.
The first one was when I left Fl early last year,up around Ocala somewhere,a torrential downpour that came and went within a 20 minute period.
Other than that,I seem to have been lucky enough to have eluded most of the precipitation that I see on the weather reports,Luck 'O the Irish I guess,given the milage and distance I cover.

So I made it to NYC safely and thanks to a long time friend,Donna Distefano,who is now a famous jewelry designer here in New York City,am staying in a wonderful studio apartment on 20th & 7th in Chelsea.It's a perfect location for me to be in,Chelsea Piers and the West Side Hwy a few blocks away with it's fabulous sunsets.
It really feels great to be back in the city again,it only took me a day to get back in the swing of things here,and except for all the Bloomburg cleansing and re-gentrification of places like Alphabet City,I feel like I just got back here after a long vacation.

Looking north over the top of Union Square.

I'm still editing the pictures of the TeamRWB Memorial Run from Westpoint Cemetery to Liberty State Park in Jersey City,NJ,but I have some done that are already up on my Facebook page,alternatively,you can go to the TeamRWB Facebook Page and see more images there.

Having arrived at the Erwin home in Westpoint on Saturday night,Sept 10th,I got to witness an Ultra Run first hand and follow it most of the way.

The first part of the run from Westpoint Cemetery to Liberty State park in Jersey City NJ,a distance of approximatly 58 miles,started around 8pm with a stop at Empire Hook and Ladder Fire Station in Nyack,NY,the 26 mile mark,at around 1:30am,Sunday morning.

The group of eight stopped at Empire Hook and Ladder No.1 to pay respects to Welles Crowther,who lost his life in the Twin Towers on 9-11 while saving lives in the line of duty.
The group left their prayers,thoughts,memories and their red TeamRWB bandanas that they wore from Westpoint,now wet with the sweat of their run.A touching tribute to Welles,and only about halfway to Liberty State Park.At this point I left the group and headed down to Liberty State Park to await their arrival.I had intended to crash camp in the park for a few hours,but given the fact that it was 9-11,I figured that park Rangers would be out in full force that night making sure there were no unexpected surprises the next morning at any of the "Families and Victims" ceremonies taking place.So I rode back in to NYC to the apt on 20th and managed to get 3 hrs sleep until I got up at 5am and headed back out to meet the group at the park.

This was 7:45am,Mike Erwin takes stock of the damage,his heavily blistered feet,with the knowledge that he still had a full day,another 9 hours of running left to do.Remember,this is after running TWO full Marathons and a few more miles.
Serious respect for this group.

Ready to run for the rest of the day with smiles on their faces.

No one who ran that evening or the next day had to do it,they just wanted to,in their own way,show that they cared.All the teams that showed up on September 11th,2011 at Liberty State Park in support of TeamRWB and those who lost their lives on the same day 10 years ago are some of the most selfless people I met.
It's very difficult to put into words how much respect I have for all of these people.Having followed most of it on my motorcycle,not engaging in any running,most of the people I met all thanked me for being there and photographing the event.Thanked ME??
These were the people who ran all night and all the next day,not me,but here they were thanking ME?.

There were a few Special Forces guys there who ran WITH full gear on,like a 40lb pack and fatigues,and as I was leaving I passed one of the guys in his truck and he rolls down the window,waves to me and shouts "Thanks very much Murph for photographing the event".
These are very big people in my book.

Thank you guys,thank you very much.

Murph.

2011 BUB MOTORCYCLE SPEED TRIALS..........reflections.

2011-09-04T13:44:00.000-04:00

Over for another successful year,the 2011 Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB was a tremendous event,made possible by many people,volunteers,staff,BUB officials,the brainchild of BUB himself,Dennis Manning,and the racers who come from far and wide to pay the entry fee for the privilege of running their motorcycles on the Bonneville Salt Flats,a dry lake bed from thousands of years ago,as fast as they possibly can.

I ride out for New York City tomorrow(Monday 5th Sept)in order to photograph Team Red,White and Blue's NYC Memorial Run.

So before I go,I wanted to put up some more images of the BUB event for those who may not have seen them,or who were not lucky enough to be there in person.

Rex,Tower Control.

Tom Burkland,Tower Control.

"TR",Keeper of The Salt.

There were two bikes that for me were my favorites of the 2011 BUB meet this year.Jim Moshers twin engine Indian is one.
This bike has to be seen in person to fully appreciate the quality of construction and design that went into producing it.

And for that "awwww" moment,this is Jims dog "Scout" when she was a pup.

This was the other bike,which was the #1 bike of the meet for me.
Sgt.Robert. M. Bennett,A Company,3rd Battalion,39th Infantry,9th Infantry Div, built this bike to commemorate and memorialize the men of his company who never made it back home.

The names of the soldiers who didn't make it back will go along with Sgt.Bennett when he get's to run at 200mph,the goal of the bike.

It's a very powerful piece,made all the more intense in the interview I did with him when we sat down to talk about the bike.Due to this fact,I have decided not to post up the video just yet until Sgt.Bennett sees it and agrees to let it be published.It is without doubt an incredibly personal interview,a look inside a mans soul of the pain and grief that he and many like him still carry to this day,many years later,and to whom we all owe a great debt of gratitude to.

Set-up for the 2011 BUB.

Dave,James and I went up to one of the peaks overlooking the course to set up the repeaters for the radio communications.

For those who have never been to a Land Speed event out here on the Bonneville Salt Flats,this is a Drag,towed behind a vehicle and used to "drag" or "smooth" the salt or course that the racers race on.It's basically 5 I-beams welded together,and when dragged along will either cut or smooth out the rough course.

I'm signing out now,I have some packing to do for NYC.

Thank you to all for the continued support,especially to Joe Amo and Garth Graham for their generous contributions for,as they both put it the same way,"Blog and Facebook coverage and entertainment".

Joe Amo used to own Landracing.com,so he knows how much work goes into event coverage like this.

For those wishing to buy prints,I will have my SmugMug account straightened out for this shortly.

My next blog/Facebook update will be en-route to NYC.

Until then......

Murph.

2011 BUB MOTORCYCLE SPEED TRIALS,BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS,UTAH.

2011-08-24T00:05:00.000-04:00

I was supposed to be at the Bonneville Salt Flats by now,but I decided to hold off going to Speedweek in favor of spending a little extra time with Mum in her new apartment to make sure she was settled ok.A new apartment in a new state in a new town,always a difficult transition for anybody.

So I should be there by Wednesday afternoon,i'll stop by and say hi to Marcello and George at the Salt Flats Cafe where early every morning during all 5 speed events at Bonneville,you'll find a motley crew of racers,pit crew,just a buncha speed freaks really.You could write a book about the goings on in that Cafe.............hmmmm.

So i'll see youse all on the Salt..........

Murph.

Team Red White and Blue,9-11 Memorial Run Update.

2011-08-21T15:15:00.001-04:00

Initially I was supposed to ride to Shanksville after the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials in Bonneville to photograph one of 3 Team Red,White and Blue's 9-11 Memorial Run,but after discussion with Mandy Miller(event coordinator) and Mike Erwin it now turns out i'll be photographing the TRWB run at Liberty State Park in Jersey City,NJ.

Starting Saturday evening,Sept 10th,Mike Irwin and 9 other runners will be leaving the West Point Cemetery,running through the night and arriving at Liberty State Park at 8am,Sept 11th.

More information on this event here.

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Next Saturday August 27th,TRWB's event coordinator Mandy Miller is hosting a benefit at The Parrot in on Fort Lauderdale beach.
From the TRWB letter:

Team Red, White and Blue is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization whose mission is to support the reintegration of wounded veterans following their medical retirement from the military. We are a grass roots organization that believes wounded veteran reintegration will only occur on a large scale when the American people support wounded veterans and their families in a personal way---right in the communities where they live. Team RWB is devoted to providing hands’ on care and advocacy for our returning wounded veterans and their families to make sure their needs do not slip through the cracks after their active service to our country is over. Team RWB members are both military and civilian, professional athletes and weekend warriors, who use their feet to spread the word – we use ultrarunning as a way to raise awareness of Team TRW’s work.

On September 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of 9-11, Team RWB is staging 3 simultaneous ultra runs and relays to mark the day and honor the fallen. I am the race director for the event in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the site for the downing of Flight 93. Team RWB members and citizens will run or walk in memory of the 40 lost souls on Flight 93. 40 kilometers for 40 heroes, or 40 steps, the distance is not the point, the respect that must be shown for those who fought back. Lost they were but their efforts averted further disaster and in doing so they launched the first counter attack on terrorism and extremism.

On August 27, 2011, Team RWB is hosting a benefit at the world famous Parrot on Fort Lauderdale Beach to raise funds for team RWB’s work. We would be honored if you would consider sponsoring us with either a financial contribution or an item for our raffle. 100% of all net proceeds raised will go towards helping wounded military personnel and their families.

This is an important event,for TRWB,Mandy and also myself as I am now the official TRWB photographer for the New York run,and if I could be at the fundraiser,I would,so i'm asking that all my Florida friends reading this will attend and show their support for TRWB,Mandy and all her efforts and the people that these events are made to honor.
So please,please please show your support and show up and/or donate,I would really appreciate it and consider it a personal favor.
This TRWB event and photoshoot is an entirely volunteer position for me,Mandy and TRWB asked and I accepted,I could not be more honored to be part of this.
But it's going to cost me a set of tires($425)and approx. $500 in gas money there and back,(approx 5000 miles round trip).If Mandy has some left over money from the fundraiser,she has offered to try to offset my costs by donating a set of tires or some gas money,so by showing up and supporting the TRWB fundraiser,you will also be helping me out big time.

Since I lived in NYC for 12 years when I first came over from Ireland in the late 70's,it has a very personal meaning for me too.

It's been a while since I went down to Chinatown,hung out at CBGB's(no more)bought fish at Fulton Fish Markets,my weekend job at the flea market beside Tower Records on Broadway selling leather belts,many many memories,all good.I worked on the USS Intrepid for a few years back in the days when I had my Longshoreman's card.

I had a great apartment on the third floor on the corner of Houston and Mott,original wood floors,right around the corner from Dean & Deluca.

I loved New York then,and I still love it now.I don't think I could live there now that i've been out of it for so long,but it still a great town to visit.

The gym I worked at on the corner of Broadway and Houston in the Cable Building,so called as thats where they used to repair the old cable cars in the city,is now a Crate & Barrel.

See you in a few weeks New York,keep a light on for me.

I leave you with some stunning skyscapes I shot over the last three days here in Boulder CO.

Looking west toward Chautauqua and the Flatirons.
Nikon D3s,24-70 @ 70mm,ISO 280,f/9,1/8000 sec.

6:45am,looking east toward Denver.

Nikon D3s,24-70 2.8 @ 40mm,ISO 250,f/9,1/500.

7:30am,looking NW of Denver.
Nikon D3s,24-70 2.8 @ 40mm,ISO 250,f/9,1/500.

.....Murph.

Out 'n about in Boulder.........then it's time for BUB.

2011-08-16T21:16:00.005-04:00

So while Mum adjusts to her new surroundings,climate and upcoming seasons(what a novelty),i'm getting ready to head over to Wendover UT for the 2011 BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials.

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Last years BUB was hot,very hot,but a great event nonetheless,and I have a suspicion that this year there'll be quite a few Motorcycle World Land Speed records broken.
Rocky Robinson and the Ack Attack team couldn't reach the 400mph mark,even though the Ack Attack Streamliner did take the world record from Dennis Manning,and could have easily made it,it was geared for over 400mph according to Rocky,but he couldn't get it out of 4th gear and into 5th or 6th.So thats one record that whoever gets it will be the first to do so.I'll be arriving at Bonneville Speedway next Monday or Tuesday,get my campspot set up,then out to see old friends and set up.
I've got much more gear this year,last year I just had a D90 and a Flip video camera.This year i'm bringing in the heavy artillery....

Meanwhile the road trip was a roaring success,with both of us wishing it didn't have to end.I highly recommend it.
Arriving at Mum's new apartment on the Hill in Boulder was a bit of an anti-climax,soon brushed aside as the unpacking of the container of furniture and assorted items took over.
I think another road trip with Mum is in order soon,she just had waaay to much of a good time,and hey,if you're not going to do it for your Mum,then who,right?.
"If not now,then when,If not me,then who?"......Words to live by.

Mum's Road Trip Stats:

All told we travelled 4,790 miles from Fort Lauderdale FL to Boulder CO in about 10 days,going through:
Florida
Alabama
Mississippi
Louisiana
Texas
New Mexico
Arizona
California(nations worst drivers)
Utah
Colorado

Mum saw more wonderful scenery in the 10 day road trip then she's seen in the last 10 years that she's been in the U.S.
She also to her credit never,never took a nap throughout the whole trip.Riding shotgun is usually boring,but she was so amazed and in awe at what an amazingly beautiful country we have here in the U.S A. that she didn't dare close here eyes(her own words).
It's something I wanted to do for her and was hoping she would like and turns out she loved it.She asked me can she come on my next road trip !!.

And she's already tried to throw her leg up on the bike,it's just a little high for her.I'll figure out something Mum,don't worry.
Next up:Mum's 2012 Motorcycle Road Trip.

Back in Boulder there's a decidedly summer feel to the town,with colorful markets,colorful street fairs and colorful people out in force before the approach of winter.

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So this is the rough route to go east for the TRWB Sept 11th Memorial Run.
As of the writing of this blog entry,I may be shooting in NYC and not Shanksville PA,i'm not sure yet.
From the correspondence i've recieved from Mandy Miller and Mike Erwin,I had no idea that it is so logistically complicated to put an event like this on.The insurance required for the Shanksville run is about $8000.And these runs are being organized by people with full-time careers too.

So while it's being worked out,please go to the TRWB Website and show your appreciation and support of what Mike Erwin and all who are involved in these historic events are doing.

This is a fundraiser that Mandy Miller is putting on at the Parrot Lounge in Fort Lauderdale,a favorite watering hole of mine in my imbibing days.
Tim,the owner is always a good host for all sorts of events there.

I would sincerely request all who can attend to do so and show Mandy and Team Red White and Blue your support.

Murph

MuMs 2011 Road Trip.............The Eagle Has landed.

2011-08-06T11:29:00.000-04:00

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The last leg of Mum's 2011 Road Trip.

Ahhh,Vegas.

Believe it or not,I have never been to Las Vegas.I have always avoided Vegas like the Plague for many reasons,I just never had any desire to go there.I don't gamble and i'm not a fan of big shows,so this first visit for me just reinforced the fact that I didn't miss a thing.

However,since this was really all about Mum's road trip I decided to treat her to a night at the Wynn right down at the end of the strip so she could cross that one off the "Bucket List".Well,we both could.

I mean they say you gotta do Vegas once,right?.

Wrong.

We both agreed that we coulda missed that one,but we never would've known had we not ventured into Sin City.

And here's my "Tip of the Day" when in Vegas,avoid this area of your room at ALL costs,otherwise it WILL cost you.

60 seconds goes very very fast.

I mean,to be fair there are some nice areas in Vegas,you just gotta keep looking UP.Very pretty.

And of course when in Vegas,venturing a few dollars on the famous slots is mandatory.

I must admit though,at the back of my mind I did have a bit of a fantasy of hearing me Mum scream at the top of her lungs as alarm bells went off all over the casino,and a rush of managers and hotel staff ran over to see who just hit the jackpot.

Whoever hit that night,it wasn't us.

But try we did.

Never mind.

Back in the room.

Me:"Hey Mum,wanna go to San Francisco and drive over the Golden Gate Bridge?."

Mum:"Sure,why not."

So the next morning we were San Francisco bound.

There was a bit of a breeze when we got to the Golden Gate Bridge,isn't there always?.

Poor Mum was freezing,as all her clothes were from Fl,shorts 'n flip flops.

Back in the Ford Ma,we'll get you all toasty in no time.

A stop in Chinatown for Dim Sum and hot green tea hit the spot.

Since we came up I-5 to get to San Fran,we decided to head over to Durango and Boulder by a different route,so I picked up 580 to 205 to 120 and the 108 down to Mammoth Lakes,395 down to Big Pine,across the top of Death Valley and picked up Hwy 95 to Beatty NV,Indian Springs and down to Henderson where we spent the night.

Jaguar XKE,a few hundred flies,shot through a Nikon 14-24mm lens.

Gorgeous.

While refueling in a gas station one afternoon,I look across and there's a little gem,a Jaguar XKE convertible with more flies on it than the front of my motorcycle.I grew up with friends who raced XK's back in Ireland and England,so naturally I had to find out a little more.

So out came the Nikon.

Larry was on his way back to LA,another 600 miles or so,he had stopped to plug a charger in to a wall outlet outside the gas station to charge the battery to get back home,as earlier in his trip the Jags generator stopped working,so he was working on total loss.

It's great to meet people like Larry.

Hope you made it back to LA safe and sound.

The next morning we were on our way to see The Pope.

Jerry Pope.

For those who don't know The Pope,here's the page on how we met.
It's a long post,so pour another scotch.

Last time I was at The Popes was April,still cold in Durango,just starting to warm up,but still a freeze or two at night.Patsy Pope,married to His Eminence for 32 years now,God Bless her little heart,has a green thumb like you wouldn't believe.
The Asparagus was just being planted in April,but got hit with a freeze one night,killed them all.
This time around when we pulled into The Popes,the smell just hit you,assaulted you as soon as you got out of the car.

Bizzy az a bee.

Jerry and Patsy have always been great to me,and this time was no different.Jerry is a grill master and a phenomonal chef,having owned two or three restaurants before.This particular evening we had perfectly grilled wild Salmon with grilled peppers and home grown squash and local grown corn.

When staying at The Popes you'll never go hungry,thats a given.I refer you to the link above of how we met.

Again,thank you Jerry and Patsy for the hospitality you gave me Mum and I.Mum had a great time,as I did also.

About 28 miles west of Durango in Mancos resides Harry Hill and Basin Motorcycle Works.I stopped by to say hi and pick up a set of tires that he was holding for me.

Harry has a full service,repair and restoration business and specializes in BMW's.

The location is a great one for motorcycle travellers in the Four Corners area,as you won't find anyone as capable and fully stocked in the area.

Give Harry a call,you'll either get him or you'll talk to Jane.

Tell 'em Murph sent you.

For GS and on/off road riders he also has the new Heidenau Tires in stock.Better mileage than TKC's and a wee bit cheaper too.

So we've arrived in Boulder and are awaiting the arrival of the container with the "stuff".

Untill next time....

Murph.....and Mum.