Vol 4 Issue 7 by storiesfromtheroad

Letter from Rick

My wife, Susan, passed on, on May 9th 2020. I'm still getting adjusted to life without her. My sister Vickie is an RV'er in Florida and spends her time volunteering for the Florida state park system. I applied to volunteer for them too and was excepted.

Stories From the Road will be in Florida performing volunteer work for the Florida State Parks system. My first stop is Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. I want to give back wherever and whenever I can. This is a good opportunity to do just that. I'll still be creating my magazine and posting stuff here, it might just be a little twist to it. Hey, this is about my travels, right?

I’ll also be posting comments and some of my activities on my FB blog, so be sure to watch for those.

Check out the link below and see how awesome my first stop on the Florida State Parks systems will be!

https://www.stateparks.com/kissimmee_prairie_preserve.html

I’m looking for your story! If you have a story you’d like to share in my magazine, contact me via my email. I’d be glad to check it out and use it!

On the Cover

Tim Shealy Jr - Tim is sitting on his dad’s Street Glide that he obtained in 2017. His father had died in 2016 and Tim kept the bike in the family. He tore it down to the engine in the frame and restored it himself . Good job Tim!

Ride Safe

Well,it’ssummertimeandbikesareout! Everyonebutmeanyway.Iboughta2017 FrostedIceStreetGlide,andI’mwaitingfor thetitletocomein.Also,myFatboyLo(aka BJ)isoveratAJ’sgettingsomeworkdone, soI’m‘BikelessinLexington.’ Butnottobebored,I’mleavingforFlorida toperformsomevolunteerworkatKissimmeePrairiePreserveStateParkfora fewweeks.So,I’mgoingtoentertainyou withsomevideosfromDanDantheFireman.Hisstuffisprettycool.Bikers,mainly ofthesportbikevariety,sendhimvideosof crashestheyhaverecorded.Hethenplays themexplainingwhatwentwrongalongthe wayandgavesuggestionsonhowthey couldhavebeenprevented.Anyway,I thoughtthesevideoswouldbeinformative andsomewhatentertaining.

Sositbackandclickonanyoneoftheicons andenjoyit.

Pleaseridesafelyandresponsibly!

Cheeseburger House

Greenwood, SC

Ifyoufollowmytravelsregularly,you knowIliketostopat‘MomandPop’ restaurantstosupporthomegrown businesses.WhileridingfromNinety SixtoGreenwoodonhwy96,InoticedthislittledinercalledCheeseburgerHouse.I’velearnedthatarestaurantoranyotherbusiness’spopularityisusuallybestdeterminedby

‘WordofMouth’suggestionsorbythe numberofcarsparkedoutsidetheestablishment.Althoughtheparkinglot wassmall,itwaspackedaroundthe building.Imadea‘U-turn’andparked mybiketogoinside.Therewasa counterwithstoolstositandeat,or youcouldchooseoneofthebooths thatlinedthewalltotheright.Ifthat didn’tsuityou,therewasadiningareafurthertowardstherearwithtablesaroundtheroom.Thisroomis evenmoreenjoyablewithvariouspicturesofpresidentsonthewall.

Thisplacewasfullofcharacterand interestingthingstolookatwhile waitingforyourordertocomeout. Nottomentionthefriendlywaitstaff. Ihaven’tbeentheresinceCOVID19, butIknowtheyareopenandmake everyefforttoprovideyouwithasafe andenjoyableenvironment.

Cheeseburger House is located at: 512 Ninety Six Hwy Greenwood, SC

Tim Shealy Jr.

A couple of years ago, I was riding with some friends around Lexington, SC. It was not unusual for new riders to join us on any given Sunday, but little did I know that this couple would go on to become friends. Since then we have shared the joys, tragedies, and renewal that life brings us.

I remember the day very well. A couple, riding what I considered one of the prettiest Street Glides I had seen in a while, pulled up to join our group. The couple introduced themselves as Tim and Kristy Shealy. Immediately I felt at ease around this couple and welcomed them in. Both were smiling as we stood around sharing riding stories, but Kristy’s smile was infectious. Her smile, bright and from ear to ear, was the type that you couldn’t help but be drawn to. She was genuinely interested in what everyone had to say, and you could walk away feeling as if you had known her all your life. I don’t remember where we rode in particular, but I was happy that I had made friends with Tim and Kristy and was looking forward to sharing good times with them.

Tim, Kristy, yours truly and Shelby

Tim’s bike is a 2008 Street Glide that his step-father bought brand new. In 2016, Tim’s step-father passed away and he acquired the bike the following year. He decided he wanted to make some changes to the bike and tore it down to the engine in the frame. Tim’s pretty good at doing most anything himself and took on the task of painting the bike. A very good job if you ask me.

Like any friendship, it would grow over time. As I got to know these two better, I later met their daughter, Shelby. Then I found out she was an aspiring singer working towards a career in country music with Kristy as her manager. I first heard Shelby at a H.O.G. Christmas party and was impressed by her even then.

I tried to follow Shelby when she was singing locally. One such time was at the Casual Pint in Lexington, SC where friends and I would go there to watch her sing. I was never disappointed with her show. However, during one of her shows, Shelby and Tim’s life would be changed forever.

Tragedy

Tim and Kristy met in 1992 and dated each other until 1999 when they got married. Tim and Kristy had been together for a total of 27 years when a tragedy would change Tim’s life forever.

During a show on October 5, 2018 at ’The Dock’ on Lake Greenwood, Kristy suffered a heart attack. She would not recover. We were all devasted upon hearing the news. Life came to a stand-still for the Shealy family, as they were trying to wrap their minds around what had happened.

Over time, Tim and Shelby would begin to carry on with their lives without Kristy. However, as I recently found out with the loss of my wife, Susan, the pain never really

goes away. It just gets easier to remember her without an emotional break-down.

Renewal

Over time, Tim met Amy Marie and would

take motorcycle rides together, soon becoming a couple. I remained friends with Tim and Amy and occasionally met them at Shelby’s concerts or a night out on the bikes with friends.

I’ve shared my account of meeting Tim and Kristy and later Amy. As I have found out, life can come at you fast, and we are not promised tomorrow. That said, live for the day. Tell your loved ones how much you love them and often.

Wishing the two of you much happiness and good days to come.

Congratulations to Tim (Tim Jr’s son) and his fiancée on their recent engagement!

I’ll see ya on the road!

Congratulations to Tim Mishou (Tim Jr’s son) and his fiancée Taylor Morin on their recent engagement!

Tim Mishou

Tim Shealy

Taylor Morin

Amy Marie

Reflections

Florida Panama City Beach

After Susan died, I couldn’t sit around in an empty house with my mind running 100 MPH. Night’s were especially bad because I would second guess everything I had done or not done during the last year or so of our marriage. So I decided I would hop on the bike and head south to Panama City Beach and spend a week with a friend. It rained on me during the entire trip through Georgia but ended when I entered Florida.

On the following pages, I’ve placed some of my favorite pics of my time in Florida and North CarolinaI hope you enjoy them!