The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation had their local fund raiser called "Waves to Wine". It's a multi-day bicycle ride at different levels of endurance. The longest being a 100 mile day that starts from San Francisco and ending in the Petaluma/Santa Rosa area. Volunteer motorcycle teams were needed to man stations along the route to insure that the cyclists don't miss their turn and to be of general assistance.
There were quite a few volunteers from the local GWRRA Chapters including our own. Shirley and I were paired with Tom Kessler who rides a BMW cruiser. We were at our station somewhere on Hicks Valley Road at an inersection next to a cow pasture early Saturday morning. Two weeks before when we had our volunteer meeting to go over our duties, we were prepared to sit in the hot sun for up to six hours. It was suggested that we not only have something to sit on but to bring an ice chest full of ice/drinks. Of course, the morning of the first day it was cold, windy and raining. Fog overcast our area for most of our time.
When Shirley and I first arrived at our station and got off the bike we heard gun shot. We assumed it was someone hunting, but we didn't hear it again. Sitting there wasn't really that bad and was kinda fun, but after awhile the odor of the pasture started to wear on you. At first it was kinda neat, but then the manure trucks and a big John Deere dozer came through turning over areas of the pasture and creating a stronger and unpleasant ambience.
Shirley and I only volunteered for the one day of the weekend event, but Steve & Jacque Foster along with Bruce & Susan Howland were in it for the weekend. They were stationed quite a distance from us and didn't actually make contact except early in the morning on our way up to the area. I made the fatal mistake of asking my navigator for direction and actually following through instead of the "tried and true" method of going the other direction. This of course took us forty minutes out of our way and actually met up with the Fosters & Howlands on Hwy 101. I finally came too my senses and reversed course.
I believe this was the first year of this event. Shirley and I did enjoy the experience but are not sure whether we'd do it again next year. Communication or just keeping the volunteers better informed would help prevent frustration and lost of enthusiasm.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
These manue trucks roared by about every half hour. |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
