NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE

SUMMER, 1958..LEAVING BOISE ON MY MOTORCYCLE....SKY GETTING BLACK...LIGHTNING STARTING RANGE FIRES..SMOKE..RAIN...GAS STATION WITH THREE SHACKS FOR RENT....YOU ARE ON ! MY SHACK WAS JUST FINE WITH ME.  THERE WAS A COUCH, THERE WAS A SHOWER. THERE WAS A BED.  STORM WINDING DOWN....SMALL RADIO...BAD RECEPTION SO I FASTENED AERIAL WIRE TO BIG TOE....GREAT RECEPTION...I TOOK EVERY THING OFF AND STRETCHED MY LEGS OUT ONTO BLOND WOOD COFFEE TABLE WITH THE TWO BIG DECALS..LUCKY STRIKE AND PALL MALL.  I WAS SO TIRED AND...SWEATY.  THE SIGN  ON WALL SAID:  USE WATER SPARINGLY, IT WAS PUMPED SIXTY FEET UP.   THE WATER WAS HOT AND I TOOK THE WATER TABLE DOWN ANOTHER SIXTY FEET.  NEXT DAY....ON THE ROAD AGAIN....I FOUND THAT MY DUFFEL BAG BEHIND ME WAS A WONDERFUL BACK REST.  THERE WAS A THUMB SCREW ON MY THROTTLE AND SO, I FASTENED MY THROTTLE TO ABOUT 70 MPH AND LEANED BACK AND STEERED WITH MY FEET.  AN EASY CHAIR SAILING DOWN THE HIGH WAY AND DREW LOTS OT ATTENTION (WHICH I DIDN'T MIND)....FRONT TIRE BLEW AND BIKE NOW IN ON COMING LANE....CARS PULLING OFF ROAD...I RECALL ONE FACE THROUGH WINDSHIELD..STARK TERROR.  I GOT IT STOPPED AND IT WAS QUIET..ALL CARS STOPPED...I PUSHED MY BIKE OFF THE ROAD..TREMBLING LIKE A 7 POINT EARTHQUAKE....OH GOD, OH GOD..SO THAT IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO LOOK DEATH IN THE FACE....OH GOD...THANK YOU.....TO LEAVE ON A LIGHTER NOTE, I DID MAKE IT TO YELLOWSTONE...WITH NEW FRONT TIRE..AND I SAW A NAT;L FOREST SERVICE SIGN"  TARGHEE NAT'L FOREST"  I BEGAN TO SAY TARGHEE OVER AND OVER AND IT SOUNDED SO FUNNY TO ME....I GOT THE GIGGLES.......B