"gonna mosey around"

That's what Cats mom used to say.
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So we decided to take a walk. Down to the post office, on down the street to the corner. Crossed the road, went into the bank. Back up the road into the "bling" store and as we started to enter another shop and do some more local yakking....I saw him. A solitary soul standing under the canopy, behind the hearse, holding a flag. ?????

I told him I checked the web often and had seen nothing, but "you see the backend of that silver sporttrac there? I just live right there, be right back." And that's what I did. Went and got the bike and a few other things, sunblock, bottle of water and back to the funeral home. A PGR ride in my own town and I knew nothing of it.

He says his wife had gone back to their house to pick up a few things and would be back soon. It was a last minute posting and he was a new ride captain and wished for some others to show and for a little experience to show and things would be fine.

Never happened, oh his wife did come back.

So it was us three. So be it. Airman First Class James Leo Stowers would get the sendoff his family desired.

It was a little different, as usual. Three bikes followed by a hearse. Heading through the Oklahoma countryside out toward the National Cemetery on Mr. Stowers' last ride. Four ways flashing. No law enforcement, no long procession, just us. It's just what the family ordered. New ride captain up front with that big flag whipping in the wind, might as well been a hundred of us.

We did what we do at the cemetery. Stood quietly in our short flag line as our hero was honored for his service both in and out of the military. Our new captain went about the business of making the presentation in the behalf of the Patriot Guard Riders and did a fine job, especially for a first time.

Once it was all said and done, the preacher said it was concluded and all could visit with the family, we were about to excuse ourselves when this little girl, hair of gold and small bottom lip protruded, walked up to that beautiful spray of eye-popping red roses and plucked one and walked over to reach high up and lay it on top of that casket, thus truly concluding the service with her last goodbye to her paw paw.

We walked away from the family and went over to the bikes to chat a bit before we went our separate ways. The hero's daughter walked up and took my hand and told us how much he would have appreciated what we had done and while she was talking, that little girl walked up behind my motorcycle. She never said anything, just stood there with her mom and looked up with those sad little eyes wrapped with that sweet cherubic face. Made me realize that I will continue to do this as long as I can.

As I was looking at that adorable child, her mom mentioned that she needed a ride to Rush Springs. The moment was broken when I told mom, "I'll drop her off at the post office." And that little girl threw up her hands and made a sound that told me it WAS NOT GONNA HAPPEN !

Always different, always the same.