More Memories From Past Beginnings
(Wednesday February 18, 2009)
Hi Bonnie and Mel,
Don't know if you remember me or even if Mel does but I remember both of you with fond memories. My name is Kenneth Kinder and the last time I recall being with you guys was back in I believe it was 1955 and we took a motorcycle ride together. Dick Moores (not sure about spelling Dicks last name) just purchased a Norton bike the day prior to our ride. It was Mel on his Harley? Johnny Smithson, Myself and Bub Skeahan on a Norton 500 twin and it seems like there might have been one other in the group. We rode up 49 through N. San Juan crossed over Bullard's Bar on down through Browns Valley and caught 20 on back to Nevada City. Had a couple of crashes that day. Me on the Norton going back to see what happened to Dick on his new bike and found him in a ditch with a broken wrist and damaged bike. We got his wrist taped up tight, straightened the handle bars a bit and got on home.
I drove lumber and logging trucks for quite a few years myself and reading some of your memories brings back some sweet memories of my own. I double shifted Dodges truck with Jim Maloney for a few months before getting a new 1955 Kenworth turbo to drive for Hedlund lumber sales out of Sacramento.
I dated you sister Kathy for a short time after I moved up to Grass Valley in 1949.
Don Wirta called me tonight to wish me a happy birthday (78) and told me about your web page. Very nice I might say and glad you have taken the time to memorialize some of your history. Does Mel still own and ride a bike? I still have a few bikes and ride about 12,000 miles a year with a bunch that we call the Old farts.
Wishing you and Mel all the best........Ken Kinder
