Farewell Grumpy

[YFOPOS1]

I had posted this little story over on THB site back on Aug 3rd.

I'm sure alot here have met and know what a great person Grumpy is.
I've never met him , but have traded several posts back and forth on topics.

A little back ground story...

About 8-10 years ago somebody had a post about music and I had posted that I always wanted to ride some nice back road with Free Bird blasting away on the stereo, well at the time I had a FB and of coarse no fairing/stereo.
I had also mentioned that I liked the Confederate Flag  and was looking for one.
Well Grumpy posted and said he had one and that if I gave him my address he's send it.
A week or so later I get this package in the mail, kinda forgot about our posts and to my surprise when I opened the package , there was this Confederate Flag folded up with a note.
I have since moved a few times and have misplaced the note, but each time I moved I hung the flag up on the wall.
The note was telling me how he got the flag. I'm sure when he reads this he will straighten the story out.. lol
It went something like this ;
He was sitting one morning at a cafe eating breakfast and started up a conversation with some guy at the counter.
The guy was telling Grumpy about having to move but noway of moving his stuff.
Grumpy mentioned he had an El Camino at the time and told the guy he could help him move, so they loaded his stuff up and Grumpy drove him up to where he needed to go. Grumpy wouldn't except any money from the guy , but did except the Flag.
I can't recall the story how the guy got it , but Grumpy passed it on to me in the note as well.
To this day I have it hung up out in the garage and each day when I go out there I pass the Flag, I stop for a few seconds , think of Grumpy and say a little prayer for a speedy recovery for him.

I sold that FB , bought an older RK and finally saved up enough and bought a fairing for it with a stereo , I finally got that ride in on that back road with Free Bird blasting away.
When ever we are out on the bike and either the song comes on the radio or I play it on the flash drive I crank it up and think of Grumpy and that Flag.
I wish I could make it out to Florida to meet Grumpy , maybe some day I can.
Until then Grumpy , you are in my thoughts and prayers my friend , my fellow Rebel Brother in the wind...



Well today we went for a ride, close to 2:30  started flipping through the songs on the flash drive and found Free Bird , played it loud and just cruised on this back road once again thinking about Grumpy and that Rebel flag !
I can't post pics here , but would somebody be kind enough PM me with their cell # and I can send them the pic of the flag , I'd like to get it posted on this thread.. 
Thanks

[YFOPOS1]

Thank you Preacher Son
I sent you a couple pics of the flag 

[preacher son]

I had posted this little story over on THB site back on Aug 3rd.

I'm sure alot here have met and know what a great person Grumpy is.
I've never met him , but have traded several posts back and forth on topics.

A little back ground story...

About 8-10 years ago somebody had a post about music and I had posted that I always wanted to ride some nice back road with Free Bird blasting away on the stereo, well at the time I had a FB and of coarse no fairing/stereo.
I had also mentioned that I liked the Confederate Flag  and was looking for one.
Well Grumpy posted and said he had one and that if I gave him my address he's send it.
A week or so later I get this package in the mail, kinda forgot about our posts and to my surprise when I opened the package , there was this Confederate Flag folded up with a note.
I have since moved a few times and have misplaced the note, but each time I moved I hung the flag up on the wall.
The note was telling me how he got the flag. I'm sure when he reads this he will straighten the story out.. lol
It went something like this ;
He was sitting one morning at a cafe eating breakfast and started up a conversation with some guy at the counter.
The guy was telling Grumpy about having to move but noway of moving his stuff.
Grumpy mentioned he had an El Camino at the time and told the guy he could help him move, so they loaded his stuff up and Grumpy drove him up to where he needed to go. Grumpy wouldn't except any money from the guy , but did except the Flag.
I can't recall the story how the guy got it , but Grumpy passed it on to me in the note as well.
To this day I have it hung up out in the garage and each day when I go out there I pass the Flag, I stop for a few seconds , think of Grumpy and say a little prayer for a speedy recovery for him.

I sold that FB , bought an older RK and finally saved up enough and bought a fairing for it with a stereo , I finally got that ride in on that back road with Free Bird blasting away.
When ever we are out on the bike and either the song comes on the radio or I play it on the flash drive I crank it up and think of Grumpy and that Flag.
I wish I could make it out to Florida to meet Grumpy , maybe some day I can.
Until then Grumpy , you are in my thoughts and prayers my friend , my fellow Rebel Brother in the wind...



Well today we went for a ride, close to 2:30  started flipping through the songs on the flash drive and found Free Bird , played it loud and just cruised on this back road once again thinking about Grumpy and that Rebel flag !
I can't post pics here , but would somebody be kind enough PM me with their cell # and I can send them the pic of the flag , I'd like to get it posted on this thread.. 
Thanks

[YFOPOS1]

 

[rhino]

I was working on the bike yesterday and paused at 2:30 to say a prayer for Grumpy. He will be missed but not forgotten.

[boooby1744]

It's gonna be a long cold lonely winter..........R.I.P. Grumpy.

[dakota224]

   we will miss him  big time..

[mrmike]

Yeah winters are going to be tough.

If the measure of a man is the size of the void in peoples lives he leaves when he's gone, then G was one hell of a guy.

Godspeed

Mike

[DARSEN]

R.I.P.  YOU WILL BE MISSED

[the original Breeze]

Last week was a blow to many of us, especially those of us that go back to the original HTT and OFOPOS waaaaay back when on MSN Groups.  The news broker that we had lost the official Ambassador of those groups Bruce John's aka Grumpy needless to say, as soon as I got the news I rearranged my schedule and made plans to head for Fla once the arrangements were known.  While I do not claim to have the same wit, or picture taking abilities that our beloved ambassador had, in his honor I am posting this as a ride I was able to take in his honor and memory on the loop that we rode together so many times....

Saturday 8/23

Started out interesting, I had gotten the bike packed the night before and got up ready to roll nice and early... a light breakfast and a double strong cup of coffee and I was ready to go... NOT!! Pulled out the driveway and the clutch started slipping!!! Make a quick u-turn, into the garage and break out the wrenches to do some adjusting, hoping I am not going to have to make a screaming trip down the road to the Harley dealer to get a clutch set.... a few minutes later and a quick test ride to confirm and yep, all it needed was an adjustment and I am back on the road. Weather forecast is for "BLOODY FREAKING HOT!!" so I grabbed a couple bottles of water and thrown them in the front and rear cupholders and I am on the way!! (Yes, I have gone to the dark side, while I still have the trusty ol' Shovel, I have also added an 08 Ultra to the garage also!) A couple hours later I jump onto the interstate just west of Savannah and make a quick run over to 95 and then it's southward bound. Stop at Richmond Hill and top off the fuel and drop the gas cap... SPROING!!! Out come the innards for the vent!  Snap it all back together and back on the road, did I mention it was HOT?!?!? and now I have the joyous smell of gas fumes as the cap is not venting right. Oh well, I'll deal with it when I get to Ormond. On the brightside, the new amp on the Alpine is working like a top, and I can cruise at 85-90 and still jam to the stereo, so at least that's good. Get into Ormond, get checked in and unpack and get ready for tomorrow.

Sunday 8/24

Get up and get ready to head for the Iron Horse... make sure the camera has batteries and head that way... please don't expect Grumpy's wit and observations on these pics, as his outlook on life was definitely unique and one of a kind, not to mention, he was a heckuva lot better at shooting pics while riding than I am!!



Sitting at the stoplight waiting for it to turn.... nope, they still haven't fixed the sensitivity of the trigger and you have to get it juuuuust right to get it to change!


Headed down US1 to the Horse


The Horse.... as I am pulling in, I notice a familiar white pickup sitting there...


Steve has driven Grumpy's truck up to start the day, I grab a couple things off the bike and get ready to go inside....


This is one of the things I brought down for the service... I called the local FastSigns up on Thursday and told them what I was wanting/needing a memorial banner, and that he loved riding his Roadglide and taking pictures... and oh, I need it by tomorrow too... they said "no problem, we'll get it done"... this is what they came up with.... I think they succeeded!


Once inside, the obligatory Bloody Mary's were ordered... one for me, and one in honor placed in front of the seat he would use when it was part of the Sunday routine I used to do with Grumpy.


Steve and Randy, right after we lifted a toast to his memory...


While he wasn't there in person, he was definitely there in spirit.... another "in memory of pic added to the wall.


and the signing of the wall..... In memory of Grumpy



And I would be remiss if I didn't post this!!!

The obligatory Lisa pic!!


A bit later we went out front to the picnic table where he would sit and catch comings and goings... outside there was already a group sharing "Grumpy" stories....


His spot at the table.... Bloody Mary and a camera ready to go.... it seemed as if any minute he would walk back out from going inside to use the head


Randy, Breeze, and Steve, with the Bloody Mary and camera ready, holding a place for him at the table in his memory.


My 08 Ultra holding his parking spot for him...


At this point, I will simply share some pics, as I don't have the words to caption these pictures the way he would.... so just some pics from the Horse...











Finally it was time to head inside, hit the head and ride the loop... one last look inside the bar and let Lisa know I was heading out....


I then headed back up US1 to the loop that we rode so often together.... once again, while there may be some comments... mainly memories of when we did this ride on a regular basis... its going to be mostly pics as I could never do the commentary on it that he could... one thing I found interesting, there was very little traffic on the loop. Only passed a couple bikes and cars on it.... I kept looking back expecting to see him rolling along behind me busily snapping pictures.















One of only a couple bikes I passed on the loop...










This is the swampy area where he managed to take pics of birds so very often....




I remember one time, Grumpy shared some history on this house with me, whether it was how old it was, some claim to fame or what I can't remember now I do know that we both liked it for it's seclusion and the peacefulness of it's location....


When it says 10mph, it means 10mph!! Overshoot this one and you're going to have a wet bad day!


Whats waiting for you if you overshoot that curve


And the infamous drawbridge... no boats coming up the waterway tho...




Then a quick left on A1A and up to Finnegans....


We stopped in this place once after I first moved to Florida... the food wasn't too bad as I recall...


Looking at the front deck from the table we used to sit at...


and the obligatory beach shot....


I ordered the lunch we always used to get... fish and chips... they always had, and still have some of the best fish and chips in the area as far as I'm concerned.... I remember one of the things he always liked about them was they served two HUGE pieces of fish, and he would eat one and most of the fries and take the other home for dinner....


and the lovely waitress that served it.... (no, I didnt get her name)


The waitresses at Finnegans


Didn't really see many classic cars or bikes or even bikinis running around, altho there was this 1970 F-series pickup...


and at least the lifeguards were in bikinis...


Looking back down the bar towards the table that we occupied so many Sundays...


I took one last look around remembering all the time we had spent together up on the deck.... taking JohnFatBoy and Stacy there for lunch...  the bartender that got mad when he took a pic of her tattoo... the jokes, laughs, memories and stories we had shared over the years and then it was time to head back for the memorial service.


The obligatory bike pic from the upper deck...



I got back to Ormond and hooked up with Sheri, Annie, Randy, and Steve to get ready to head up to the memorial service....

Annie getting ready to go


Grumpy's bike loaded and ready to go...


The tag we always looked forward to seeing.....


At that point, I put on the flashers and took point to escort his bike to the horse... One last ride together....




As I was escorting Grumpy's bike up US1, a lone WWII fighter made a low slow pass overhead...


Once we got to the Horse we unloaded the bike... Steve had graciously offered to open up the back, and even had one of the gals start moving chairs down from the upper decks to the stage area for seating...


Grumpy's bike on the stage area...






Memorial board for Grumpy...


Grumpy's bike...


Getting ready for the service.... thankful that the chairs were on the stage in the shade, as it was HOT!! As I mentioned on FB, kind of like it was Grumpy's way of saying, "don't drag this out too long, its getting late and I'm ready to call it quits for the day!"


I'm also thankful I was able to get in touch with Mikey... those of you who followed Grumpy's posts over the years know that Mikey was one of the regulars from way back when... he also had dropped out of sight for a while after his health got way worse.... when I saw him today, he looked the best I had probably ever seen him.


The Chaplain presiding over the service


This is where it get's difficult... Nice does not do justice as a word to describe the service. It was more than just nice.... moving, comforting, sad, and funny are all words that come to mind as the Chaplain talked about a man who had touched so many lives... the emotion that was there and that was felt was deep and real! When Sheri and Grumpy's grandson spoke, the pain they felt, we all felt. I think the best word is love! That is the only word that can come close to describing the feelings that those of us there, as well as those that were there in spirit from all across the world that took time to honor his memory that afternoon felt.... love.... 

Reading the Proclamation honoring Grumpy


Preparing to do the tolling of the ships bell....


The Honor Guard firing the salute


and the Bugler rendering Taps...


The presenting of the Flag to the family...


After that, we moved up to the front of the Horse where the story telling began in earnest, most everyone of them beginning with some version of "I remember the time Grumpy..." and then another warm and heartfelt memory would be shared!


At 3:30, we all bowed our heads in silent prayer to honor and remember a man who had meant so much to so many, and then a final toast was raised "TO GRUMPY!" that had the whole front porch raising a toast to his memory.

Afterwards, I left and joined Mikey at the Pigstand up by Destination Daytona, which was the other place Bruce and I would go eat at (sorry, no pics) where we ordered babyback ribs (no sauce) and reminisced some more about Grumpy.

Monday 8/25

I got up early and checked out of the motel, hit 95 and started heading north, knowing it was going to be another hot day.... right before dawn I pulled off into a rest area to watch the sunrise... the weather was so-so... scattered storms up by Jacksonville, and patches of clouds and humid... end result, it wasn't a blazing ball of fire, but more an extreme palette of colors... reds, yellows, oranges, purples, and rose hues as the sun rose... right when the colors maxed out, it started to mist rain.....


From the Memorial Card at the service:

I'm Free

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free
I'm following the path God laid for me.
I took His hand when I heard him call;
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way;
I found that place at the close of day.
If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared a laugh, a kiss;
Ah yes, these things, I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored much;
Good friends, good times, a loved ones touch.
Perhaps my time seems all to brief;
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me,
God wanted me now, He set me free.

In loving memory of Bruce "Grumpy" Johns
Born
Sept. 29 1946
Kittanning, Pennsylvania


Died
August 19, 2014
Daytona Beach, Florida

Ride free my friend.... until we meet again on the other side and can ride together again. RIP.

~Breeze

[FXDBI]

Thanks for posting this rest in peace Grumpy and may peace be with you all. Bob

[dwl]

Thank you for the pictures and commentary.

[HV]

Thank You Breeze ....well done     

[Trucky911]

Thank you Breeze, Grumpy's pics got me through the last 3 Michigan winters. I'm gonna miss them. RIP Grumpy....

Trucky911

[mayor]

thank you breeze.  I think Grumpy would have been proud of your photo thread.   

[gOOseman]

 

[lonerider2]

 

[Dennis The Menace]

Breeze, you did Bruce proud....great job.  He is smiling on ya, brother.  But, he did want more bikini butt shots, I'm pretty sure. 

Bruce, we will all ride with you some day.