An Ode To: The Wise Old Man - Woody Graham, Bicycle Bum
71
The Wise Old Man
"Come ride with me", said the wise old man.
I'll show you things that no-one else can.
I'll show you sun-ups, sun-sets, and the noon-day sun.
And all the while, we'll be having fun!
I'll teach you to fly, together we'll soar.
We'll fly as high as birds and sometimes more.
We'll see plants and animals and scenes sublime.
I'm quite certain we'll lose all sense of time.
I can't say it will increase your wealth,
But what do you have, if you don't have health?
His friend said, "No, but you do as you like.
I'm not inclined to ride a bike."
"You think I've got time to pedal around?
Besides, my favorite ball-club is coming to town.
And what about all this pollution today?
Do you know I was stuck in traffic, by the way?"
"But you know, I can't get our kids to do a thing with me?
They spend all their time just watching TV!
Buy them a bike? You must be kidding?
I'd rather just have them around, just sitting."
"I'd have to be a millionaire, to buy one of those!
By the way, how do you like my new clothes?
But how can you ride on the road anyway?
You know, I saw a cyclist today! In MY WAY!"
"To impede my progress is really absurd!
I blew my horn! I shot him the bird!
But not the toot nor the Rockefeller salute,
Could sway this stubborn brute!"
"This guy certainly must have been from Mars!
Doesn't he know the roads are for cars?!?
I cursed him with all the words I could say!
I was in a hurry, to get to church, to pray!"
The Wise Old Man said, "Come with me.
We'll go for a ride, and you will see,
Talking to God is not so rare.
You can talk to God, anywhere"
Woody has done so many bike rides that we would need Woody here to tell of them all.
Paris-Brest-Paris (750 miles), Boston-Montreal-Boston (750 miles), Pac Tours,
He's ridden all over and logged in hundreds of thousands of miles.
He's won mileage records for years. These actual records require documentation.
He's ridden most of the classic bike rides that long distance cyclists are aware of.
He's ridden across France, Australia, America.
The pics above pertain to Woody Graham, Randoneur Extraordinair!
The links below take to various awards to Woody Graham.
One award is named the Woody Graham Olympic Goal Trophy.
This trophy is given by a Canadian but named after Woody.
Woody was winning it every year back in the day.
BC Randonneurs Cycling Club's year round "mileage champions".
- Year-Round Cycling - Eric Fergusson
BC Randonneurs Cycling Club's year round "mileage champions". Affiliated with the Ultra Marathon Cycling Assn., documented mileage records.
Pac Tours- HALL OF FAME -Woody Graham
Woody Graham International Olympic Goal Trophy
The above trophy is named after Woody Graham.
He won the trophy so much that it was finally named after Woody.
The bike ride below is typical of many rides I have taken with Woody.
We often rode a northern Orangeburg, SC area ride.
The ride below is a popular southern Orangeburg, SC area bike ride.
I liked making the distance about 86 miles or so.
Woody always likes 100 miles.
These pictures were taken 12-08-08.
We leave Orangeburg County for Bamberg County and Hunters Chapel Road.
We leave Hunters Chapel Road and now ride west and into the wind toward Ehrhardt, SC.
You can expect Woody to have a great bike ride and expect him to find some food along the way. Woody has been known to leave a 100 mile bicycle course to check out a restaurant in another town out of the way. On this day in Ehrhardt, SC, Woody found some ladies frying up some chicken. I can't eat this on any day and I sure can't ride on it. Woody has no problem!
Olar, SC
It's a typical beautiful ride with Woody Graham,
Randonneur Cyclist Extraordinaire!
I always enjoy spending a day and a bike ride with Woody.
I know of no people who have enjoyed cycling more than Woody.
Woody Enjoys riding without a helmet.
If it's just Woody and I, I go helmet-less too.
Most accidents are caused by other cyclists.
There is more keeping us here than helmets.
It's the way we were.
Woody knows "flight"!
The man knows his purpose!
He's the same kind man every day.
He's the same "Woody" every day!
Woody is the holder of many distance awards.
Nick is chasing MD for Assaults On Mount Mitchell..
You know- I've not appreciated this picture much.
It is a little crooked. I put the camera on the ground and let it be.
So I looked at it and thought I could give it a little something.
So I straightened it and added a little sign.
I just saw a different "background" than we were feeling that. day.
It wasn't euphoria, as we were tired. Maybe a little at ease at the "oasis"!
More poems by Micky Dee
An Ode To Three Possums In The Middle Of The Road
A Tale Of Two Idiots-A Poem By 50 Caliber & Micky Dee
A Poem of Cycling-What Can I Say?
My Love Loves A Man Who Snores! An Ode To A Snore
I'm A Hypochondriac- With The Wrong Placebos!
Breaking The Wind In A Pace-Line
When a Cyclist’s Chamois Freezes
What Makes My Saddle Sore, Poem & Tarwheels Union Groove To Eflin 5-19-10
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Thank you Creativeone! Woody is a fine fellow.
Good it's working now, this is such a cool hub, love it so much. My bike is ready to go forward and fly, I want to sit on a cloud just like you...rate up, love darski
Yo yo yo! You like my fun with photos! Cool beans! That's a picture of why we bike- it feels so good to stop! God bless Darski!
Here's to Woody.. and to Micky Dee!! great pics!!!
Thank you Carolina Muscle! God bless Sir!
Little Brother, your gonna be somebody one day. An exceptional Ode to a friend it made me think, deep, I thought of this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5E1b5Lo0rU
the photo's excellently done, I give all buttons up high. I rode with a woody once, got caught in the steering wheel,
crashed..... Much Peace and Love, Dusty
Haha good one Micky as always. Loved all the pix, but those last ones were the best ever.
I loved it Michy, esp. you and Woody in the cloud, how do you do that?
God,s Speed
Woody sounds extraordinary. I really, really loved the pictures and reading the captions explaining what they were. Cloud sitting picture was perfect too.
You both amaze me. And the photos are beautiful! Love the cloud sitting, too :)
God bless you 50 Caliber. I went to youtube and spent a little time there with those "old friends". I wrote a poem called "Give Me Old Friends". Thank you Sir. That was great inspiration. thank you Bro. And- yep - I've ridden with a bunch of woodies!
Yo Ralwus I'm glad you liked those Brother Man!
Hi Always! I do most work like this with microsoft image composer. I find it easy enough. Time consuming work. I thought this might be easier than it was. I thought I'd find a nice pic with great clouds to blend into that white wall behind us. But, I take part of a picture and image composer allows me to place that pic on another. The picture, like Woody and me, was of course cropped really close to either side of us. Once I put that image on the new, I save it, close it out, and bring the new image (saved under a different name-always do this) back up into image composer or another "paint" program.
Then I'm able to "smear" or smudge with a brush stroke the colors that are on the old photo onto the new part of the old photo.
It's tedious work and you make the brush very small when you get close to say Woody or me as we are in that pic. Okay! Clear as mud? I guess the real deal is the program. But I'm so thick I need a tutor. I'll help any way I can. Thank you Ma'am!
Hey Bobbi! I've known Frank "Woody" Graham since the middle 70s. He hasn't changed at all.
Howdy SilverGenes!! I'm glad you had fun with the pictures too.
Hello Micky Dee, your poem was lovely and quite a tribute to your friend... the pictures are priceless, so glad you shared.
You still owe me a poem about the mountain-biker, old goat...
thumbs up, awesome and excellent!
Oh KKalmes! I'll see what flows into the ole brain. God bless you Girl!
Thank you for sharing the inspiration that is your friend. The poem rocked sox too, not to mention the pics... you really do go all out Micky :)!
vote up and awesome! You are so blessed to have learned the pleasure of bike riding......and your joy of photography comes through too. Everytime I see someone on a bike in biking gear now, I think, "there goes Micky Dee! I know him!" Oh, and I love SC but have never seen her in the fall/winter. Great hub Micky Dee - a real pleasure to peruse.
Hey poetvix! Thank you my Dear- so much. You always give me some love. God bless!
Kim!!! You are so funny and delightful! SC is a great state for riding. The winters are mild enough to give a great deal of biking during the cold part of the year. Thank you Kim!
Well done and so many gorgeous pics!
God bless akirchner!
Nice hub! To be honest I don't know how to ride bicycles. But this inspires me.
Nice tribute to the marvelous man, You really work hard for your hub Mick, nice pics and foliage there, Maita
Hi nicole.reilly! Just got back from 50 plus awhile ago. It feels really good when you stop! Thank you Ma'am!
Hi again Maita!!! God bless you Girl!
Fantastic pics Micky, what a wonderful tribute to a cyclist like Woody. Value your friendships and times together they are pure Golden moments. I loved the added picture of you both riding cloud nine. How appropriate. I loved this hub, you did an excellent job, cheers to Micky and Woody, may you prosper and cycle past 100 yrs of age. Peace bro
Hey Saddlerider! There aren't enough great times like "we didn't know we were having". Peace Brother Man!
Hi, Great hub micky, and I love the pictures, I wish I had a bike again, fell of it!, i need to catch up with you with the exercise! great stuff, cheers nell
Oh Nell Rose I do love to see you! Thank you Dear! I bet you could out walk me. Thank you Dear!
Micky Dee: beautiful hub (as always), loved what you did with the photo in the clouds. Excellence once again my friend. Peace to you
Thank you Pmccray! I love to see you! I'm be over to your place soon my Dear!
Enjoyed the pictures and the poetry! Proud to be Woody Graham's daughter.
Flo! I have not seen you since you won the South Carolina State Championship - 1979-80. God bless you Florence. When I saw the name Florence I knew! God bless Woody!
woody is a 100 miler- its the only way to go. I am on the way to do another 25 days of hundred miles(godwilling) in jan. i will be keeping this fella and Mickey Dee in my thoughts. Its the only way i can find to stay sane and be greatful for what weve been given for free. I will toast this chappie with a cold beer en route. Iachi - da! (cheers)
God bless Woody! God bless nomoretrucks! Be careful BrotherMan!
I've always wanted to sit up on a cloud - I'm rather envious of you and Woody sitting up there like that!
He must be a wonderful companion on a bike ride, and anywhere else too, I guess.
Thanks for sharing these awesome moments.
Love and peace
Tony
Yo brotherman Tony! I'm always sitting on a cloud when I see your avatar! Let's get some coffee and sit up there awhile. God bless you Tony!
Here is to you and your buddy Woody. Loved the one with the 2 of you sitting on that cloud in the sky.
Question...how do you get all those other pictures to line up in a collage like appearance? Would love to learn how to do that. Any special program needed?
Happy Easter, Micky!
Hi Peggy dear. Peggy I use "image composer" that is Microsoft - I think. I usually try to make a "page" of about 800 pixels so I may reduce all the pictures with the program, irfanview. So I'll make a collage of pictures that are 2 across that are 400 pixels each. So I can put a bunch of pics together with that "image composer". I'm not aware of another program that does that. There should be though.
But the program will allow you to post the pics up into a frame and then "freeze it all" so to speak. I'll try to think of a way to explain better. God bless you dear Peggy.
Thanks Micky,
Will bookmark this and come back and try it out when I have time. I really like the effects. Thanks!
Hey Micky Dee- i enjoyed this poem- your camera work and work with photo apps is great. woody seems quite a guy- when we surround ourselves with gentle souls this life doesn't seem so tiresome.
i just minutes ago left Dusty's site...I read his tribute to you which drove me here. glad i took the trip.
peace my friend-
greg
Hi gg.zaino. You are so right. We need to surround ourselves with gentle souls. God bless.
I love this hub, and the photos are out of this world - thanks
Thank you John. God bless!
creativeone59 Level 4 Commenter 21 months ago
Thank you Micky for an awesome and spledidly written hub, I enjoyed reading it.hanmk you for sharingit. Godspeed.creativeone59