Saturday morning, while this sleepy community of mobile homes was mostly still in bed, we quietly idled out and onto the streets.. There were four of us and there was no destination in mind for the day.. We rumbled into the parking lot of Joe's Coffee Shop and ordered breakfast while the waitress was still trying to get her tables set up and ready for business.. No one was real talkative this morning and we just ate and enjoyed .. After eating, we eased out again and this time, there was a kind of determined direction.. Highway 183 was still relatively quiet and we made our way toward Loop 820 headed south.. Then it was across I-20.. again to the west and south toward IH-35.. There we transitioned to the south again.. Hillsoboro was still sleepy when we blazed through and the normal spastic traffice hadn't made 35 the usual nightmare.. We topped off the tanks just to the south of Waco and cut back toward the west and Crawford.. Without a spoken word between us, we'd chosen our destination.. There were several points of activities in the little crossroads town and Prairie Chapel Road seemed to be the focal point.. That's where we ran into our first obstacle or road block, if you will.. We pulled up to the checkpoint and talked to the local cops, there.. as well as to some of the Secret Service guys with their shades and little thingy's in their ears.. Whew.. what an ordeal.. They finally agreed to allow us to enter the small road that goes past the Western White House.. Just a short way down Prairie Chapel, we ran into a couple of nice ladies who were carrying some water and snack type supplies to the encampment that we were looking for.. We loaded them on our motorcycles and proceeded almost to the tents that were stretched down the ditch right of way.. That's where we were stopped again and advised that we couldn't proceed furthur .. Some music was playing somewhere and we felt the heat of the day beginning to beat down on us.. Although the lady that had brought this group of people together was not in the camp.. she'd left to be with her stricken mother, in California.. everyone was animated and planning the activities for the day.. Joanie Baez was expected to appear.. as well as several other well known celebrity types.. Furthur down the road, we could see other motorcycles and were told that Rolling Thunder riders had come in a day or two past.. They'd been camping and were there in support of the president.. Our little group of four managed to make our way down to visit with them for a bit.. Seems they'd come in to support our troops, and not so much to support George Bush.. Who the hell could argue with that logic.. Bottom line is.. everyone gathered in that place, was of the same mind, when it come down to it.. About three o'clock in the afternoon.. the four of us commenced getting rounded up to leave.. Quite a few were asking us to stay and offering accomodations for the night.. Lot's of pictures had been taken throughout the day and we'd talked to quite a few of the media people that were covering this event.. The heat had become miserable and we'd already accomplished some kind of purpose, if only in our own minds.. So.. we shook hands, hugged and assured all.. that we'd be returning .. The ride out was a pretty somber and sobering experience.. All of us had the feeling that we were leaving something undone and unfinished.. We made our way up through the back highways and toward Gatesville, where we met up with another old friend, who was expecting us.. He and his gracious wife had a sandwich type dinner prepared with lots of iced tea.. His lovely daughter and her husband were there and we enjoyed their company till about eight o'clock in the evening.. All of us mounted up again and with three additional bikes with us rode out toward Cleburne.. Kermit and his family turned back toward home and we four, continued our own ride home.. About eleven PM, we were sitting on the famous front porch and the mexican was busily making sure that everyone had fresh lemonade and iced tea.. That was some group of somber faces, gathered there.. All of us were impacted by what we'd seen and heard that day.. Whether you agree with Cindy Sheehan or not.. she has created attention to some questions that need to be asked and answered.. One thing that we all agreed on, was the fact that our little ride was necessary to us, if not to anyone else.. The day was something that we'd needed to do, for our own conscience.. The ones that we'd talked to, had all impressed us with a serious and genuine concern for our country, leaders and the men and women who serve.. This is America, people.. and it belongs to each one of us.. This is our government and we are each one of us, responsible for it.. Those are our sons and daughters in that desert called Iraq.. We sent them there, to live, die or return to us, in bodies that have been torn apart .. That is a grave and sobering responsibility that is on the shoulders of each one of us, as Americans.. It was a good day.. I'll remember this one for a long, long time.. Some of the faces that I saw, will long be remembered.. Your Friend in Irving Bill Walker
