Blessing Pictures

Blessing Pics

Blessing Pictures

Below are some photos of our 31st Annual Blessing of the Bikes on May 6, 2007:

To start the story, it was a cold, dismal day, only barely hitting 40F first thing in the morning, with heavy clouds bringing a few rain showers through. Regardless, the bikes started filtering through the gate at 9:38 AM. This looks like Al & Vera Watson of VT-1 checking in:

New member (last year) Karl Von Hone learns the ropes at his first Blessing:

That gal has to be pretty petite to be balancing on the back of that bike. Members Doug Bohannon, Al Tobey & Charlie Jones-Henry look on:

New member (last year) Dan Brakeville looks on as Doug Bohannon & Al Tobey take the cash & hand out stickers:

The bikes continue to filter in and, slowly but surely, the parking lot starts to fill:

We don't discriminate - ALL bikes are allowed to ride in. Debbie DeMello & Members Ron Demello & Al Carr look on:

Long time Member Bob Marceline guards the exit gate:

President Mike Gratis with PIXY 103 DJ Suzanne Tonaire:

And the bikes continue to filter in, with Members Karl Von Hone, Dan Brakeville & Al Tobey monitoring things:

We finally get a look at Dan doing some work:

As the saying goes, don't try this at home! Quickly followed by the comment, "I didn't see nuthin'!" With the older child on the back, the younger child sits on Dad's lap and holds onto the front fairing, while Mom pays the bill to Member Nappy Alves. Rest assured, they were going VERY slow and the kid was sitting VERY still:

Chapter Chaplin Dave Akin arrived on his bike (in the background) and chatted with Joan & Hunter Tobey:

Did I mention that we allow ALL kinds of bikes? This kid rode in just before the Blessing started:

A shot from the gate area looking back towards the entrance on the left and the exit going past the fire engine on the right, with the vendors & snack bar to the rear. The Blessing "Chariot of Honor" is that large Ford truck. Can you pick out Mike Gratis's bike? :-)

From the same vantage point, looking down the beach:

And at High Noon we started the Blessing. Doesn't Chaplin Dave clean-up nicely? ;-)

No lie - As Dave blessed the bikes, the skies started to clear and the sun eventually came out!

Here we are down at the far end turning around to bless the other half of the bikes. Notice the fire engine flag in the far distance:

This gal made the mistake of saying, "You missed me!" About a second later, before I could reset the camera, she got walloped with a face full:

A little story here.... The Jap bikes in the middle on the left hand side had been doing burnouts while making that oh-so-annoying high pitch whine. I watched the guy on the Harley to the right shake his head, say something to his passenger, who got off the bike, and with a roar of thunder he started to put on a smoke show that would have been right in place at any drag strip! The whole crowd cheered & clapped, even the guys on the Jap bikes, and they didn't do any more burnouts. ;-)

At this point we're heading to the exit gate and the bikes are filing in behind us:

There's Al & Vera Watson of VT-1 leaving, with Chapter Vice President & Blessing Chairman Neil Nolan in the background:

And there they go, past the fire engine and out the gate:

PIXY 103 DJ Suzanne Tonaire claps and gives us the thumbs up as we ride by her:

A final shot of Chapter Chaplin Dave Akin doing the honors - And note the clouds parting above him. Gotta love it! ;-)