Drive Report: Thumper Bash August 2018

[Crossed-up]

Lekker report Ri, as I've come to expect. 

As they say, plus one!

 

[Ri]

Thanks guys  :biggrin:

Later that evening the cold tried to freeze us, but we hit the antifreeze hard and beat it back.

I don't know whether this rider was coming or going

Lekker bike talk flowing

Patient steeds at rest

Andy660's looooong suffering XT

Henry (DRme)'s neat DR650

More gratuitous bike photo's to taunt you stay-at-homes

This flash is great  :biggrin:

Now why would you visit in the dark when there's a nice fire going in the fire pit?  ???

Friendly bunch

Cheers!

 

[Ri]

As has become a recent habit, I handed the camera over to Andre 660 to lend his unique view and perspective. He usually takes interesting photo's and I enjoy seeing what catches his eye. But in a very short time the camera was back in my hands via another guest - a not-so-subtle hint that if he wanted to take photo's he would've brought his own camera. I took up the lens again, and hunted for further victims subjects.


Drawn to the fire.

This flash is bright!

Keeping the cold at bay

 

[Ri]

Before we could braai the excellent, and very substantial, braai packs Veldtie had organised for us, it was time for the lucky draw. There were many many great prizes, like branded shirts, LED lights for the motorbikes, Bead Breakers, vouchers and a nice set of tools to be won. Sadly I didn't win anything this time. Just as well, since I still haven't redeemed last year's prize of a Country Trax Beginners Course, which in light of my recent injury was a really silly of me.

Other Dogs however walked away with big smiles.

Sean first asked me to help with the draw, then decided that Berty's lovely wife should do the honours. I'm assured it was because I had to take photo's, rather than that she's cute as a button and hotazel... :

First showing off all the nice prizes

Avid and hopeful spectators

First winner of the lekker backpack is Boere

"Mine!"

Auditing the winning number  :deal:

Very happy with his voucher to XT-fy his Flying Custard BMW

Kai scores some great LEDs

Something for Operator

Nice jacket for Bradley, Boere's "Babes"  :lol8:

Pick and choose

Happy with his voucher

Dexter very excited to have his number called

What to choose, what to choose...

 

[Ri]

André scores a lovely set of tools

Deon's number is called

Yamaha shirt for the owner of an XR and a DR-Z 400  :lol8:

Johannes also wins a nice set of LED lights

Now which number... turns out someone had left their bag on the table, and it was almost handed out as a prize :imaposer:

Chuffed with his prize :biggrin:

Oilspill's wife wins him a lekker prize

More winners!

Duncan is the next lucky winner

"Pick one"

Jimmy also gets something to take home

... pickings have slimmed down by now

Next up Alan's number is drawn

Surveying the spoils

 

[Ri]

After the grand prize draw, the hungry hordes swarmed the cool boxes and jostled for space around the fire, eager for boeries, steak and tjops and those divine roosterkoeke, complemented with jam and salads :drif: :drif:

Some of us stood around the bonfire, warming up while waiting for our turn at the braai fires. "Is jy die tannie wat die offisiële Wild Dog foto's neem?" Dexter asked suddenly. The men around me laughed uproariously at the "tannie", saw the look on my face, and started to shuffle away carefully. I looked askance at Dexter, knowing he was also in his 40's, and merely answered that I wasn't official but enjoyed taking photo's and writing ride reports. Maybe he was thinking of Rynet?

The braai packs were VERY substantial, and next Thumper Bash I think I'd rather share, as the Dwarsbar dogs got the lion's share of my meat. And then there was pudding - malva pudding with ice cream and custard. And there was enough for seconds...  :drif: :drif: :drif:

Sated and sluggish, we sat around the fire, licking out our pudding bowls. Dexter again loudly bemoaned the fact that he couldn't get a girlfriend, a complaint he'd made a few times already over the weekend. He then expanded on his passions - his Dakkie and his dog, a Jack Russell who rode with him on his bike - and I remarked that a girlfriend seemed low on his list of priorities. He was determined not to reprioritise though: the riding came first - she had to ride with him, or ideally on her own bike. I looked at him through the smoke of the gently burning bridge he had set alight a short while ago, and wished him well in his quest. He did manage to extract a promise that when I was able to ride again, I would invite him along.


Tannie Footless

The fires started to burn low and I headed to my bedroom, grateful I wasn't stuck in a tent this time. A bath plug had been organised, so I had the prospect of a warm bath to look forward to too. It was warmer tonight than it had been on the first night, and I slept like a baby. Early the next morning I heard the riders starting to warm up their engines, and forced myself out of bed to grab breakfast.

The weekend had been a jol, but now people were in a hurry to get home. In a roar of exhaust and a plume of dust, they took off in little groups of two or more, and headed for the hills.

Tony with his Lady in Red

Kai looking serious for once

Saying fond good byes to the Koedoeskloof Crowd

Kai and Joy - a cute, happy couple

Oilspill and his lovely wife

Stragglers browsing over breakfast

 

[Ri]

Maeve and I boarded the Mahindra and headed down the R62 at a leisurely pace. It was a beautiful sunny day, holding the prospect of an excellent milkshake at Diesel and Créme.

Maeve had told me of the Magpie in Barrydale, run by a family friend, where trash was turned into arty items that had even reached the White House during the Obama era. We found the shop and stopped for a look around, pleasantly surprised to see that it was open on a Sunday morning. The proprietor remembered Maeve and we spent an interesting time browsing through the shop and chatting.


Candelabra, made by design

Projects in progress

The art collective behind Magpie

Plastic milk bottles turned into articulated doves - a specific Magpie project called peace doves

Peace dove

After our divine milkshakes, we headed home, arriving in pouring rain to find Oilspill waiting on the stoep already. They fed me a warming cup of tea, and we said our goodbyes. The Thumper Bash is always a highlight, this time enjoyed by some lovely company on the road too.

See y'all again next year  :thumleft: (but feel free to visit Veldbrand and Veldblom in the meantime :3some

 

[XTJoe]

Thanks Ri- glad to have you do this - just to much potting at the time plus you  write well.  :thumleft:

 

[Ri]

Thanks Ri- glad to have you do this - just to much potting at the time plus you  write well.  :thumleft:

Thanks! Thumper Bash is a great event, and you make an effort to make it happen, so this is the least I can do. Also flattery is :thumleft: :biggrin: