THE CLOSEST I EVER CAME TO BEING KILLED

I REVERT BACK TO MY MOTORCYCLE TRIP IN AUG OF 58. THAT SUMMER CHANGED ME IN MANY WAYS.  I WAS LEAVING BOISE AND HEADING TOWARDS YELLOWSTONE.  THE SKY WAS BLACK AND LIGHTNING STRIKING WHICH STARTED A NUMBER OF RANGE FIRES.  THEN, THE RAIN.  I DID NOT DRIVE IN RAIN AND A GAS STATION WITH A NUMBER OF SMALL SHACKS ...'''' PLACES TO SHOWER AND SLEEP.  I STOPPED AND RENTED A SHACK.  IT WAS SMALL, BUT ADEQUATE.  I SWITCHED THE WIRES ON MY BIKE SO NO ONE COULD STEAL IT.  (I FORGOT THAT THE NEXT MORNING AND FRETTED AS TO WHY MY BIKE WOULD NOT START.)   IT WAS DARK, AND I TOOK OFF MY BOOTS AND ABOUT EVERY THING ELSE...AND STRETCHED OUT MY LEGS ON A BLOND WOOD COFFEE TABLE, WHICH HAD TWO BIG DECALS ON IT....LUCKY STRIKES AND PALL MALLS.  THERE WAS A SMALL TABLE MODEL RADIO AND I TURNED IT ON.   THE RECEPTION WAS FUZZY SO I TOOK THE FIVE FEET OF SKINNY AERIAL WIRE AND RAN IT TO MY BIG TOE.  EXCELLENT RECEPTION.  I LISTENED TO KGEM, BOISE....I HEARD LITTLE STAR"BY THE ELEGANTS, 26 MILES BY SOMEBODY,  AND THE TUNES OF THE DAY..GREAT YEAR FOR MUSIC.  THERE WAS A SIGN ON BATHROOM WALL..."THIS WATER WAS PUMPED SIXTY FEET UP, USE WATER SPARINGLY.  I WAS SO DIRTY, I SENT THE WATER TABLE DOWN ANOTHER SIXTY FEET. AS I INDICATED, I SPENT TWENTY MINUTES TRYING TO START THE BIKE....THEN....IT STARTED VIA FIXING THE WIRES BACK.  ON THE ROAD AGAIN. I HAD TIED MY DUFFEL BAG ON THE BACK AND I FOUND THAT I COULD LEAN BACK ON IT AND STEER WITH MY FEET!  I HAD A THUMB SCREW ON THROTTLE AND I FASTENED IT DOWN AT ABOUT 70 MPH.  SO, I WAS IN AN EASY CHAIR SHOOTING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND CAUGHT LOTS OF ATTENTION. THEN....THEN...THEN..THE FRONT TIRE BLEW.  THE BIKE INSTANTLY CROSSED INTO THE ONCOMING LANE AND I WAS SCRAMBLING TO GET MY HANDS ON THE BARS AND MY FEET ON THE PEGS.  OH MY GOD.....CARS PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND I RECALL LOOKING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF AN ONCOMING CAR AND THE HORROR ON THE DRIVERS FACE.  I GOT IT STOPPED, AND TRAFFIC (NOT MUCH) HAD COME TO A STOP IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.  I PUSHED THE BIKE OFF THE ROAD AND PARKED IT UNDER A BIG TREE,  I WAS SHAKING LIKE A 7 POINT QUAKE..OH GOD...OH GOD..SO THAT IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO APPROACH DEATH.  NOT BEING OUTWARDLY RELIGIOUS, I GOT ON MY KNEES AND THANKED GOD FOR SAVING MY LIFE.  I WANT TO LEAVE THIS SERIOUS PART WITH SOMETHING LIGHTER....I DID MAKE IT TO YELLOWSTONE, AND I SAW A U.S. FOREST SIGN THAT SAID "TARGHEE NAT'L FOREST"  I STARTED SAYING TARGHEE OUT LOUD AND IT SOUNDED SO FUNNY, I GOT THE GIGGLES...B