Motorcycle Views

Wild Motorcycle Tales

Here's a great story from Jim. Got your own story? Send it to me.

Where There's Smoke

Returning home from a first ride of the long awaited spring time here in New Hampshire, I spotted something alarming in the open bed of a parked truck. The truck was in a driveway with the driver's door open. Now there is nothing unusual about that, but what was strange was the small column of smoke rising from the bed of the truck.

I wondered if my wife saw the same thing but I couldn't confirm this as she was riding behind me on her bike. Not wanting to make any sudden moves, I rode on until I came to a safe spot to pull over.

I stopped and she pulled up next to me and I flipped open my helmet and asked if she had seen the smoke rising out of that truck? She said no but asked if we should go back? Whether it was curiosity or the good Samaritan in me, I thought we should.

Turning around, we returned and pulled up to the driveway finding a safe place in front of the house to park. Honking our horns, we hoped to alert the owner to our presence and the fire in the back of their truck.

Now most of the time when you see smoke, it's coming from an appropriate place such as a chimney, campfire, etc., but not the back of a truck. After dismounting and taking off my helmet, I called out repeatedly, "Anyone there? Hello." No answer.

The truck was parked in front of an open garage just far enough away that I still can't see what's burning inside the truck's bed. But that column of smoke continued its steady rise into the air above.

I imagine the owner, getting close to home, taking the final drag on a cigarette and tossing it out the window not realizing the butt had reached the bed of the truck and not the ground and has now ignited some straw. This might be the worst day of his life with this careless cigarette destroying at least the truck and possibly his garage and home.

Without receiving any answers to my call, I run up the driveway to the side of the truck. Peering in, I see the cause of the smoke. Not what I expected. No flames but the same size column of smoke. Now that I think about it, the size and amount has not increased the whole time.

The source of the smoke was a Smudge pot. I had never even seen one before. I found out later that it was getting ready to subdue bee's in the farmer's hives.

The man finally appeared at his door with a puzzled look on his face. Who were these nitwits in his yard and what do they want? After we explained ourselves, he thanked us for our concern and told us he lit the pot and put it in the bed of the truck and went to use his bathroom before walking to the field, never thinking about how the smoke looked coming up from the truck.

We had a good laugh and he gave us a small jar of honey for our troubles.

To make a long story short, where there's smoke, there isn't always fire, just more smoke and some calm bees making honey. -- Jim

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