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TPW-JAN16

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by Mongo SACRAMENTO, CALIF., OCT. 3—Latrodectus mactans a.k.a. black widow, North America's deadliest spider, given that ominous moniker because it is said she eats her breeding partner almost every time; in reality, the black widow rarely makes a meal out of her mate. She is actually in a suspended state of bliss for a few moments after sex. The smaller, faster male will take this opportunity to jump out the window, sneak past the dog, or whatever the arachnid equivalent is to escape intact. Either way, the black widow conjures up fear and it's the last thing you would want around any child. That is unless you are talking about the children being treated at the Shriners Hospital in Sacramento, California. The spiders come in the form of motorcycle-mounted, leath- er-sporting bikers, the Black Widows MC from the capital city. Once again yours truly answers the call and will endure a day of riding with friends, going from one estab- lishment to the next where good food and libation can be found, this time through perhaps a lesser-known but no less historic scenery and challenge to one's navigation skills, a run along the Sacramento Delta. Even though California is in the grip of a severe drought, this tributary still provides the lifeblood for agriculture, fi shing and shipping to many cities up and down the state. It also is a favorite of many sport fi shermen and others who make the river their playground, but on this day it's where we seek our entertain- ment. Our run, or bar hopping if you will, is along these historic banks. The Black Widows—the two- wheeled kind, not eight-legged—are no less busy than their namesake. They work at organizing the poker run all year long with the single intent of raising money for the children's hos- pital. Signed up, primed, and ready to go on Black Widows president Jamey Dobbs' word, we roll out to our fi rst stop. Only a half-mile away from our starting point is the Shriner's Hospital, and Jamey tells the riders to rev-up their engines because the sound makes the little ones smile. With bikes rum- bling into the parking in front of the hospital and the adjacent streets I was hoping for lots of smiles inside. This is where I met Associate Director of Development Melissa Wood. She was at the card-draw sta- tion and seemed to know a lot of the bikers. Calling them by name and hugging each of them, truly happy to be surrounded by beards and black leather, I literally had to drag her away from the front of the line to talk to her. Melissa told how much she, along with the entire hospital, appreciates what the Black Widows and all the bikers do for the hospital. She went on to say the kids love to see the riders that come to visit and, just as Jamey had said, the sound of a Harley can lift their spirits. It's funny how that sound works for a lot of us. The Black Widows handed Melissa a check for over $44,000 that day. Also receiving recognition was Vic Merolla who was awarded a collector belt buckle for being the Shriner who had volunteered the most time, approximately 400 hours. We left the hospital with engines blazing and headed southwest out of town toward the Delta, picking up Highway 160 off I-5 where our next stop was the Freeport Inn. It was easy to spot with the parking lot full of bikes and riders milling around out front. Despite the crowd lines for cards and refreshments, things moved quickly. Since we were following along the river visiting places that have been there almost as long as the Delta itself, the two-lane blacktop meant there was no reason to hurry. Rich in a variety of fl ora and fauna, all your senses are enticed. You can experience the smell of wildfl owers so intense it almost tastes like fruit-stripe gum against the not-so-pleasant scent of fi sh being harvested from the river as you round the next turn. Watching a fl ock of ducks take off as they run and fl ap their way to fl ight, or a river otter opening a clam, is just a glimpse into life along the Delta. We continued to follow the twist- ing river as we made our way down- stream. With over a thousand miles of waterway there are endless routes, and seemingly as many places to stop. As the run progressed we found our- selves at the J-Mack ferry, considered an extension of Highway 220, and it would ferry us across Steamboat Slough. The J-Mack is a 92-foot long by 32-foot wide cable-drawn ferry, and has a claimed cargo rating of six vehicles, though today it has about 20 Harleys on it. The Real McCoy II han- dled our next water crossing. This boat is powered by a hydraulic propulsion system with 360-degree maneuvering jets. Both ferries operate 24/7, and are free of charge. After debarking from the ferry we stopped in Rio Vista for a quick beer. From there it was a short hop to nearby Isleton for dinner at Diamond Jim's steak house. With the place fi lled to capacity, the staff had their hands full taking care of all the hungry riders but came through with fl ying colors. With a choice of chicken or prime rib, I went for the beef. The drinks fl owed and in no time my plate arrived piled with meat and fi xin's including some of the best-tasting corn I've ever had. The prime rib was cooked to perfection and had none of that girly-man horseradish that takes your breath away. It was about this time that Jamey stood up and, after gaining the house's attention, thanked everyone and raised his glass to all. The Black Widows put on a top- notch run and all the stops were spon- sors. They operate under the 501(c)(3) designation which is totally nonprofi t. In addition to all the money raised the hospital has a "wish list" of equipment that the Widows will purchase for them. To learn more, or to fi nd out when the next run takes place, you can check them out online. I know I'll be looking forward to the next one. (blackwidowspokerrun.org) 4 22 nJanuary 2016n www.thunderpress.net BLACK WIDOWS RUN TOURING THE DELTA FOR A CAUSE Raising spirits by raising money The Black Widows present their check to the Shriners hospital; (l.–r.) Jeff Johnson, Vic Merolla, Melissa Wood, Jamey Dobbs, and Ed Horn Th Bl k Wid t th i h k t th Sh i h it l (l ) J ff J h Riders line up to board the J-Mack ferry

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