I would like to know what you folks think of this. Today my dog Laddy gave me the somebody is here bark and I went out expecting to greet egg customers, I heard someone say whoa, because Laddy was barking pretty forcefully and I gave Lad my, thats enough boy. Then I walked through the hedge and there were two Harly guys complete with black leather, bandanas,chains and such. My first reaction was to remember that the previous owner had had a brother who rode a bike and I wondered if one of them was him coming to see the old home place where he had grown up or something. After greeting them they asked me if we needed our barn or house painted. I told them No, Jim takes care of all that himself. Jim came around from the barn at this time and they left. It was just too weird , if they were looking for painting jobs out in the country, would they really come to peoples houses on bikes? Most people in the country are a little leary of bikers, don't you think. Seems if they wanted to paint houses they would come in overhalls and a pickup truck . Of course I have heard of the scams where guys come and collect money from people to paint their houses , take the money and run. But surely those scammers try to look their part dont they? What were they up to? Were they up to something else and just used the paint question for a cover? Am I too suspicious?

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001

Answers

PS. Thank God they didn't have a forign accent or I would be freaked!

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001

Trennie: I live in a spot thats just loaded with bikers. Some are just looking to make a little money so they can move along. Odd jobs. I'd just take em at their word. however be very cautious because some crooks like to take a look see at a place to see if they want to come back later to steal. Just keep your eyes open for a while....Kirk

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001

It couldn't hurt to make your local law officials aware of this incident. They could keep their eyes open just in case.

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001

Tren, as mean and nasty as the Harley riders looked, they are most likely completely harmless, and quite possibly were either the brother that grew up there, or their friends.

My husband and I ride and own Harleys, and when we ride, we wear all the leather and boots, etc., that go with riding a motorcycle on the highways, it's for protection against suddenly having an "unexpected meeting" with the pavement!!! We don't smoke anything or drink anymore, but I suppose we are still "bikers" or look like it anyway. But we, and 98% of the other motorcycle riders we have met, are some of the nicest and most helpful folks around, the kind that would stop to help you in the worst of circumstances, when every one else just goes on by.

It is the image that is frightening, not the people under the black leather. After all, we ride the bikes because it gives us that unmatchable sense of freedom that is so hard to achieve in this modern world, a sense of true destiny, of flying as high as the eagle on the mountain summit. You got to ride a bike to know that feeling, but riding a horse at top speed down the mountain, aka, "Snowy River" is close to it, I have done both, and it's a close match of pure adrenaline rush that no drug can match.

Anyway, I don't think those guys had any bad intentions towards you, but had to come up with an excuse for being there in a hurry, and the "odd jobs" thing is sure appropriate in todays uncertain job market of "here today, gone tommorrow" of even having a job.

Come over and visit sometime, and I'll teach you how to ride a Heritage Softail Classic, and how to shoot as well. We'll call it "Annie Oakley Weekend"!!!

-- Anonymous, September 15, 2001

Keep your eyes open like you already do. Anyone who saw a dog, etc. now know you aren't an easy mark and if that is what they were after, they won't be back.

I'm with Annie--I have yet to meet a cruel biker. I'll admit that I am like most people and looks can scare me at times. I gave the very rough looking biker who built our addition free reign at the house alone and also permission to charge whatever he wanted on our credit card at the local lumber store. No advantage was taken. Oh, and not only could he debate world events and quote the bible (though non-religious) but he definitely imbibed in alcohol off hours and was still a good worker.

Tren, can you tell me why a foreign accent would have freaked you out?

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2001

Whoa, if this forum has accomplished anything within me it has been to point out to myself that I am indeed prejudice. When I came to this forum with the rest of you I assumed that I had a pretty open mind.

Now I am beginning to realize that any prejudice is inspired by fear. Now if a couple of amish boys had trotted into my driveway and inquired the same questions as the bikers, I wouldn't have thought a thing about it. The bikers scared me because I felt vunerable .

I think I spent the first part of my life being pretty trusting of people as I lived in small town Mo. where the majority of the people I saw ,I knew. But as life goes on, I am learning not to be as open and friendly,

I am becoming more reserved with people. Last year at the fair, after filming our blue ribbons and entries and the girls in the bumber cars with the cam corder, we sat down to eat , drink and rest on a bench. Some ole guy sat down on my left on the bench and started yacking, I really didn't feel like talking to him, he was kind of ratty looking but I tried not to be rude to him and I listened and sympathized as I listened to his sad stroy. I told myself that he was one of Gods creatures too.

Then a women who looked like she was with him was standing in front of me a little to my right, I was wondering why she was just standing there looking at us, and wondered if she thought that I was flirting with her old man, I also noticed that a boy in a booth was staring at us, and I looked at my Bre and wondered if he was staring at her, then the lady came forward , I smiled at her and I looked to my left and the ole man was gone, and I started looking for my camcorder that I had sat beside me, wondered if I had put it in my bag instead , and then it dawned on my what the old man had done and I looked up and the women and the booth boy were both gone. I realize that I made myself too vunerable with that one.

but I am wondering now if I do that everyday by living on the road. The only thing that I have to predict people with in this modern world is their looks. I feel like I need to be more aware and less innocent. I feel that if it hadn't been for my dog and my husband and those boys were up to something then I would have walkied blindly into a trap again as I was innocently expecting egg customers.

Anne, the reason that I would have freaked out if the bikers had had a forien accent is because the terrorists have that. Now you know that I have a mind that can imagine too much, and I would start to imagine that the terrorists were widespread and amoungst us. Waiting to pounce.

Now Annie, I have ridden bikes and I too loved it. I used to date a guy who had a Harley and how I loved riding on summer evenings when the honeysuckle filled the dips of the hills with purfume.

Also have friends who ride, and I think I would get along with most of them, but you won't see me getting ANY tattoo's anywhere ! But having them suddenly manifest on MY TErritory, just surprized me! I did try to learn how to handle a harley once and I don't think that is for me, but climbing unto the back of one behind a nice strong man, OK!

Jimmy and I talk about getting one sometime maybe and driving down country roads, Actually sometimes I feel a little jealous when a herd of riders go by on a beautiful day, the low rumble of the bikes humming, hair flying, sharing comradship.

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2001

Annie, Annie Oakly weekend, that's too funny. Thanks for the smile.

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2001

PS. Annie, I could care less what a person smokes or drinks, I care more of what they speak and think.

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

Hey Tren. if you all get a Harley, we could meet and go ride together, we know the most beautiful places to ride in southern Ohio and West By God Virginia :-) !

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001