Pen in Hand: A Wedding bike ride through Cummings Valley
Pen in Hand: A Wedding bike ride through Cummings Valley
By: Jon Hammond
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Posted by editor Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:27:35 PDT
Viewed 717 times
1 response 0 comments Last week an unusual procession wound its way through the fertile farmlands of Cummings Valley enroute to Stallion Springs Lodge: a wedding party on motorcycles.
The October 17 Harley-Davidson-themed wedding renewed the vows of Reese and Rachel Timonen at The Living Room church, located on Cummings Valley Road at the junction of Brite and Cummings Valleys, with minister Scott Roberts officiating.
Reflecting the couple’s passion for motorcycles (especially those bearing the Harley-Davidson emblem) the entire wedding party wore black leather vests, with groomsmen in black shirts and bridesmaids in orange. After a brief ceremony, the wedding party climbed aboard their bikes and rode out in procession to the reception at Stallion Springs Lodge.
These were not outlaw bikers, however — most of them are the law. Both of the Timonens and most of those present are correctional officers at the California Correctional Institution in Cummings Valley, and they share a common love of riding motorcycles.
It was only natural that Reese took to riding Harleys. When his mother Dusty Bingham was ready to deliver her first child in Idaho, her water broke and she was in hard labor without a car to take her to the hospital, so she rode behind Reese’s father on a 1948 Panhead Harley for the 37-mile ride to the hospital. With her big full-term baby belly she couldn’t wrap her arms around Reese’s father, so she just grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt and hung on. Reese was born 45 minutes after their arrival at the hospital.
Tuesday’s ride through Cummings Valley was stately and beautiful, with bright blue October skies and a scattering of fluffy clouds. The bikes were followed by a motorcade of wedding attendees in four-wheeled vehicles.
After arriving at the Lodge, guests enjoyed a catered dinner and music provided by Fatt Cat and the Von Zippers, a tight and talented rock-a-billy and fifties music band that often plays at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield.
Cummings Valley has seen many unusual sights in its long history — last week’s biker wedding was one more interesting procession.
Have a good week.
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