By
the time we got there, we got on the line about hmmm 4th line?
But the place was already getting packed let me tell you. So we hop,
*well, I don't hop... I sorta fall off* the bike and start
walking around,  looking
of course at the other bikes, shaking hands with people Bat knows, and
believe me, Bat knows everyone in MS it seems. If he didn't go to
school with them, he worked with them or arrested them, or is kin to
them.
As the sun got higher and
higher, more and more went into the Mall to wait till time for the
ride to begin. Oh my God, it was HOT. Everyone was heading in for
water, or just to sit in the nice cool air-conditioned mall. It was
funny, I mean, we weren't the only ones seeking AC!!
We headed back out about
11:15, for the Prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance. We all headed
then to the bikes, OMG, the sound as ALL of these people were cranking
up!!! We had people from Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Arizona,
Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri,
and Michigan. We had a police escort from Biloxi, Ocean
Springs, Gautier, and Pascagoula. I of course wasn't able to count all
these bikes, but I'd say, 1000? More? or Less? I have no idea, all I
know is that there were A LOT of Bikes. It sounded like the worst
Thunderstorm of the times when everyone cranked up! Awesome I am
tellin' ya, just awesome!
We stopped in front of the
Grand Casino in Biloxi, so that everyone had a chance to line up,
which for me was good, because riding is hard on my legs. So finally
everyone is out of the mall, and lined up, We start over the new
Biloxi/Ocean Springs bridge, people are blowing their horns, waving,
standing on the side of the road with flags, it was great. We had a
clear shot from Biloxi to Pascagoula. We past by the Vietnam Memorial
in Ocean Springs MS., and the WWII Memorial in Gautier MS.
We were close to the front
of the pack, when we got to Northrup Grumman, and we had to pull out
for me  to
get off and stand a few minutes, to get the circulation back into me
wee legs!! There were so many bikes! I mean, I saw them all parked at
the Mall right, but to watch them passing by and all, was just as
cool! We got back in the pack about the middle/end of it, and finished
out the ride to Market Street in Pascagoula.
They closed out the street
from Sonic down to the Water on one side for the event and they had
live bands featuring Left Broken and 13th Hour, someone was grilling
food, a few vendors along the street, and Thunders Tavern from 11:00
a.m. until whenever. *I used to hang out at Thunders, long before Bat
and I got hitched, kinda my watering hole!!* At 4:00 we had a police
escort to the Beach Park, where they had the fireworks display aftert
dark. Beautiful, just beautiful, and I haven't sat and watched
fireworks in a long time.
(cont.)
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