Growing A Hobby Into Professional Results

Posted on by

When my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2020, he knew his life would be shorter than we anticipated. Actually, he thought he would die much sooner than I did. Unfortunately, he was right — six months after diagnosis, surgery, and failed chemo treatments, he died.

Knowing I should have a hobby to concentrate on and enjoy, for my last birthday (I do not have birthdays any more) in August 2020, he bought me one of the best digital SLR cameras available on the market. He knew I had creative talent, but I was so focused on my career which was highly technical and scientific, I did not use the creative side of my brain (much.)

In my new life after my husband died, I took a year to grieve. The year of 2021 was a fog. But when I look back at what I did that year, I was …
Continue reading →

Boots and Suits, 2024 Update

Posted on by

I realized I posted in 2023 about wearing boots with suits. This choice of clothing is a preferred choice often for me.

Some style queens you find on the internet write reviews that are not accepting that some of us prefer to wear boots with suits and good-looking dress cowboy boots can make a man stand out from the crowd of dress shoe wearing suited men.

Don’t misunderstand, I like dress shoes too, and wear them with my suits as well.

But… being a Bootman from way back, I enjoy…
Continue reading →

Decisions, Changes

Posted on by

My Booted Harleydude website has been around since 2005. The screen name was selected because:

a) I own and wear a lot of boots. This website was created primarily to catalog my extensive collection of cowboy, dress, motorcycle, and work boots.

b) I was (note past tense) a biker and owned and rode a Harley. I am also an old-school gay Leatherman, so I cataloged my motorcycle gear and fetish leather gear. Over time, I built quite the collection.

Well, come March 2024, I have made a hard decision to sell my Harley, hang up my helmet, and stop riding motorcycles. Long ago, I decided not to attend any Gay Leather events. I don’t have the interest, stamina, or desire to attend those types of events.

Why?
Continue reading →

Where I Have Been

Posted on by

This blogger has taken a break. A much-needed break from a busy 2023.

During 2023, I logged over 1,000 hours of volunteering in service to my community.

I racked up 15,000 air miles on travels within the U.S. and Canada.

And yeah, I am retired and lovin’ the freedom to do what I want to do, and when and where I live to enjoy a full life.

So where have I been this winter?
Continue reading →

Leather Weather

Posted on by

This time of year, I am enjoying cooler weather with cool and comfortably dry, non-humid days and evenings.

Being an “old-school” leather guy from way back, I am enjoying wearing my boots and leathers again.

For more than 40 years now, I have had a regular wardrobe of good quality leather garments. I like the appearance, comfort, durability, style, and (when it is cold), warmth. Also, leather is much easier to maintain by keeping it clean and conditioned at home. (Further, by wearing leather more often, then I have much less laundry to do!)

I do not go out much, but when I do, such as grocery shopping, one may see me …
Continue reading →

Musings of Autumn

Posted on by

I have not written very much for this blog, but it does not mean that I am laying on a hammock, sipping lemonade, and watching the leaves fall.

A few months ago, I added an email subscription widget. I am notified when a new subscriber is added to the list. However, some of the new subscribers may be “bots” that signed up for my email list. I am strongly thinking of removing …
Continue reading →

Big Motorcycle Ride Complete

Posted on by

I have been lax in updating this blog. Sorry about that… I have been really busy since I returned home on 20 September.

I described in my previous post that I flew from my home in the Eastern Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Maryland to Phoenix, Arizona. That is about 2,500 miles away. Due to self-imposed limitations, I can only ride about 200 miles maximum per day, so if I rode my own Harley, it would take me about two weeks to get there, one-way, and two weeks to return. That is not feasible, safe, or reasonable.

When I have done these big rides in the Western U.S., I fly to a destination, then rent a Harley suitable for long-distance touring with a more comfortable seat and storage for my gear. My personal motorcycle is no longer a touring model (it is a small cruiser with no storage), so that is another reason why I would not ride my own bike.

Where I left off…
Continue reading →

Mid-Big Ride Update

Posted on by

Greetings from the middle-of-nowhere, Arizona. Day 4 of our “Crazy-Awesome Motorcycle Adventure III” is complete.

We picked up our rental bikes on Tuesday September 12. Unfortunately, they did not have the Harley model I reserved (a Street Glide) and gave me a similar model — a Road Glide. I don’t like it; it does not fit me well. But I will manage.

Our first day out found us riding on poorly-maintained roads, but not terrible. We made it to our destination safely.

However, the next two days of this ride have not been so awesome.
Continue reading →

Next Big Motorcycle Ride

Posted on by

Readers of this blog know that I am an avid touring class motorcycle rider and enjoy opportunities to ride in scenic places in the United States.

A long, long, LONG time ago, when I was on a first-name basis with Julius Caesar, I rode a cousin’s Ducati from Rome, Italy, to Naples, then on to Sorrento, then on the most iconic (and frightening) ride to Salerno along the Amalfi Coast (dodging sheep, goats, and trucks on very narrow, curvy roads.)

However, that was NOT the most adventurous ride I had ever done. A few months later, I found myself in Anchorage, Alaska. I rented a bike especially built for off-road motorcycling. Together with three buddies, we rode the Alaska Highway through mud, snow, rivers, and a million mosquitos to arrive in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. Two weeks, 2,000 miles, 20 million bugs removed from my teeth later, we arrived.

Ah man, what great experiences to have had. These days, there is no way I could endure or want to take such rides. Honestly, I do not know how I survived those two awesome adventures on a motorcycle. (Age of being “invincible,” I guess.)

Then I went to work; real work; real job; didn’t leave much time for motorcycling except for commuting and weekends around home.

I renewed my interest in adventure riding back in …
Continue reading →

Cowboy Boots on a Motorcycle

Posted on by

Over the years, I have written posts on this blog expressing my opinion about wearing cowboy boots while operating a motorcycle.

Like other guys, I like to wear cowboy boots. I began wearing them at age 10 and didn’t stop. Over many years, I developed quite a large cowboy boot collection.

Most traditional, dress western, and older cowboy boots have smooth leather soles. Such soles are a bad choice to wear while riding a motorcycle because the soles provide no traction at all. The slightest amount of water or oil on the road makes these boots slide on those soles.

Back in 2013 or so, more boot manufacturers began applying rubber soles, Vibram soles, and/or lug soles on cowboy boots. I bought my first pair of Chippewa cowboy boots with a Vibram sole that were perfect for using on my Harley.

Nowadays, many boot manufacturers offer a cowboy boot / work boot with rugged rubber soles.

As an experienced rider, I choose …
Continue reading →