Muddler's Musings

Some Afterthoughts

2010-06-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

I swear on a stack of bobbles that I speak the truth when I say that after 3980 molls the bike ran well and hit didn't use a drop of awl to boot. As we rode, it was rather unsettling to to see the turkey buzzards in flot overhead as though waiting to see if we had bald sufficiently for them to grab a quick lunch. Furthermore, it wouldn't take a skew teacher to see how relieved we were when we politted our trusty steeds to the cooler climes of Michigan and home.

Ok, ok ... so the paragraph is bad, but after taking the time to identify a few SWD's it only seemed right that I should put them all into a single paragraph. That's my story and I'll stick to it.

Everything that comes to mind regarding a few final comments about our trip seems as though it's been ground well covered in other places. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to repeat because they are still true.

The people that we meet along the way on these trips make me proud to be a part of this country. Oh, there are exceptions (can we all say Leesville), but even there, more people than not tried to be helpful . Looking back there was the waitress at the restaurant on Whitewomans road in Roscoe (part of Coshocton, OH) who was quick to smile and answer any questions 2 geezers had to ask. In Hundred, WV there was the gentleman who told us of his family and how the town was named. There were the bunch of ATV and dirt bike riders who were more than willing to share information about road conditions (they really didn't know the condition of the road ahead). Miss Gertie at the little store in Vesuvius, VA was pleasant as were her patrons ("Miss Gertie, I went to the doctor this morning and he said I had to take these pills for the rest of my life"... Miss Gertie says, "That's not so bad." The guy says, "I suppose not, but he only gave me 3.") The guy on the Blue Ridge Parkway who advised us that we "had to check out Mt. Mitchell, the highest point in the east. (It wasn't all that cool, but it would be difficult to fault the guy's enthusiasm). I won't bore you with any more "people", but the point is folks are pleasant and generally helpful to others.... at least if the others are a couple of ne'er-do-wells traveling on motorcycles. My sense is that while on a motorcycle you are exposed and open and people feel more at ease approaching you; if you are in a car, you're surrounded by steel (that's why they call cars cages and the drivers cagers) and rather untouchable.

The geography of the places we rode were varied and interesting. While our part of the country (that is the Midwest) doesn't have great motorcycle roads, each year I learn to appreciate what it does have (I have to work on remembering this about February). The fact is we saw very few motorcyclists in our travels this year and I believe the simple answer as to "why?" is that it's too darn hot to ride.

The mountains of the east certainly can't compare to the grandeur of the rocky s, but the Appalachians are inviting and have a comfortable feel to them; they also have some of the most amazing motorcycling roads I've ever run across.... hairpin reverses and well banked turns for miles and miles. The Deep South, being flat doesn't offer that kind of road (at least that we could find), but the Natchez Trace proved to be a well groomed highway with slow and lazy turns set off by practically no traffic.

In the sections of Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma where we rode it could have been one state. Once having crossed into western Arkansas and Missouri riding in the Ozarks was also good motorcycling.

Once again thanks for sticking with us for so long. Have a great riding season.

Check in from time to time.... Charlie and I might hop on the machines and find some roads and experiences worth talking about right here in Michigan.

Last Day of the Ride - June23

2010-06-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

Nothing too earth shaking for the last entry of the ride... I guess that's a good thing.

As planned we left southern Illinois this morning and headed for South Haven. After checking most of the weather reports it became pretty obvious that we were going to encounter some nasty weather on this last leg of the trip. As we reached the middle part of IL (and route 24 East) the temperature dropped at least 15 degrees, the sky took on a really odd appearance and the winds kicked up significantly. I was convinced, at the very least, we were going to get drenched and at the worst, sucked off the pavement in a funnel cloud (as interesting as the Emerald City might have been, the thought of such a trip was not at all appealing). After being splattered by a few large rain drops we stopped to don our rain gear. This evidently did the trick because for the remainder of the ride there was no rain at all. We traveled over wet roads and didn't pass a creek or stream that wasn't out of it's banks flooding everything from soccer fields to corn fields, but no rain.

Of course the significance of this is that the curse which has plagued Charlie and me for low these many rides seems to have been lifted. The truth is that the only day out of the entire trip that it rained, was day 1 and even that was nothing to be concerned with. The bottom line is that our future as "rain makers" has been shaken to the core and it is most unlikely that anyone would call on us in the future to relieve drought stricken areas with our presence.

After an uneventful ride across I-94 and 196 we arrived in South Haven about 3:45.

I may still summarize our wanderings over the next few days so if you are interested check in from time to time.

Day 11 - june 22

2010-06-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

We left Branson this morning and traveled east on route 160. I was great riding through the Ozarks and the foothills of Missouri. Because we are visiting Charlie's sister and brother in law we continued on around St. Louis and into southern Illinois, where we're spending the night.

Our travels took us past some of the most renown bass fishing water on the continent. Places like Bull Shoals and Table Rock... even past a town that bills itself as the Bass Record Capitol of the U.S.

Well I'm typing this on Char's computer and don't want to use any more time on it, so that's all for now.

Tomorrow we plan on riding the rest of the way home.... possibly arriving in South Haven sometime around 4:00.

Thanks for sticking with us on the blog and I may put in a follow up just to include a few more random thoughts about the ride.

Day 10 - June,21

2010-06-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

No pix today and not too much on which to report.... however allow me to bid you all a happy Summer Solstice.

We left Mena, Arkansas this morning in cool but humid weather and headed in a northwest direction stopping to have breakfast in Ozark. The road we took out of Ozark was AR 23 aka "Pig Trail Scenic Byway". It was a great motorcycling road with hills and plenty of twists and turns and entered Missouri. We crossed an arm of the reservoir just to the west of Bull Shoals and Bronson. You will notice that I did not mention the name of the body of water; this is due to the fact that I'm an old geezer, and our map doesn't show the name. I did take a picture of the bridge, so maybe I'll include it to see if anyone recognizes it.... so disregard the "No pix" comment above.

We are now in Branson, MO staying at a Baymont Inn & Suites. It's a nice motel, located just outside of town on the main drag. We went to the mall along the river for dinner and ate at Romano's Macaroni Grill.... turned out to be good food and in a pleasant setting. The heat here is as overbearing as it was in Louisiana... you could fry an egg on our helmets.

Branson has the reputation of being a town were the geriatric crowd go to watch the shows that used to be on TV during the 50's and 60's. Just as a casual observation it appeared to me to be populated with young families here to enjoy the usual tourist trap kind of things associated with a resort town like this.

Tomorrow we strike out for Illinois and plan on spending the night in the town were Charlie's sister and brother-in-law live. It looks like we will be ending the ride a little earlier than planned, possibly arriving home on Wednesday.... likely no later than Thursday.

Day 9 - June 20, '10

2010-06-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

This begins the second week of our ride and we are leaving the deep South. While this does not seem like a particularly significant milestone, it is in that it marks the last day of the SWD educational component of the entries. There are two words today, and they are related. The subtleties of there pronunciation are difficult to master so lets waste no more time and get on with it. Word one is.... "flot" and the second is.... "polit". To make this easier, remember that the "o"'s have the same sound as the "o" in "odd". Now that you have this mastered here is a sentence containing both words: "Due to the terrorist on board, the "polit" was forced to end the "flot" by landing in Atlanta."

After the horror of the evening before, Charlie and I set out for Texas. We had breakfast in Louisiana just short of crossing Toledo Bend Reservoir. Once in Texas the riding was fast and enjoyable. The day had not yet warmed up to the point of blistering the skin and the speed limit was 70 mph on the secondary two lanes. We only had one episode to get the old ticker pumped up when we entered a corner a little hot and threatened to launch ourselves into the pucker brush. All's well that ends well.

By the time we made Oklahoma the temperature had risen to about 98 degrees on the banks' signs and we were stopping frequently to replenish our electrolytes... at least that's what Charlie told me. I still don't know what an electrolyte is and why it's so important that I have them.

From Oklahoma we crossed into Arkansas and ended up at a motel in Mena, where we rest now.

Today we logged about 360 miles and took no pictures.... sorry.

Special Edition - June 19, '09 - P.M.

2010-06-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

The last post ended with me bemoaning the fact the the scoot wasn't running well. As it turned out, Charlie's ride wasn't running well either. I went out to check the oil and the machine wouldn't start at all. Conclusion.... bad gas. The tank would have to be syphoned out, and the fuel replaced. In addition, there was the possibility that a jump would be needed because of failed attempts to get ignition.

I should have known better than to buy gas from that particular station. I figure it's never a good idea to buy gas from a station whose pump areas have pot holes of a size of a VW Beetle. It won't happen again.

I walked to another station to see if they had a hunk of tubing or hose..... No. The proprietor said to one of the patrons that I needed some assistance.... the guy said, "He looks like he's doing fine." and walked out. I returned to the motel and asked if there's a towing service I could call... the guy said he only tows wrecks from accidents and then gives me the number of his competitor. The competitor said he's really busy, but may get around to sending someone over in a couple of hours (by this time it's 9:00). Charlie in the meantime managed to get his bike going and headed off to WalMart to buy some tubing; all he could get was a 6 ft. washing machine hose. We are able to syphon about half the tank by running it into a plastic bag lined waste paper basket from the room. I tied up the bag and left it on the lawn (the gas ate through the bag in short order... so much for that grass); I was paranoid for the rest of the night for fear someone would toss a cigarette on the lawn. In the meantime I called: 1. Smitty to have Jon (his son in law who is my insurance agent) give me a call. 2. My insurance company. 3. The AMA (for road assistance) 4. Both State and Local police (Charlie's doing).

At about 11:00 the towing guys showed up with an electrical pump to syphon the tanks... an empty can.... and new gas.

Long story short it worked. Cost: Original bad gas.... $20.00 - Fee from towing service .... $85.00 -Tip for tow guys .... $10.00 - Washing machine hose.... $6.00. Total.......$121.00.
Hearing the damned things running again.... Priceless.

Lessons learned.... 1. never visit a town called Leesville, Louisiana.... 2. Never visit a gas station with pot holes bigger than your vehicle.

Sweet dreams.

Day 8 - June 19

2010-06-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Charlie and I crossed lake Pontchartrain on the causeway (over 20 miles long) this morning and rode into New Orleans. We hadn't talked to anyone nor had we watched the news, thereby limiting our SWD selection. So we will address a word that we have all been talking about these days, namely......"awl", or if you live in the area of New Orleans... "earl". While most of you are already familiar with these pronunciations I will use each in a sentence for clarification. If you live in most of the south you would say, "That awl is really having a terrible impact on the people living along the Gulf." If you lived in New Orleans you would say, "After I voted for that Son of a Gun, Obama isn't doing a darn thing to get rid of the earl that's destroyed Bubba's shrimping business."

Charlie and I wandered around the French Quarter for a few hours this morning. It was too early to savor all it had to offer; but even this early, street musicians were cranking up and all the restaurant and store owners were washing off the sidewalks in front of there businesses. Even though the French heritage is obviously strong in the city, it is still an impressive town and evident that if one were still sampling the fruit of the barley and the corn it would be a fun place to hang out.

We left the city about noon and headed northwest. We rode out on route 10 (a super slab) but at Baton Rouge we switched to secondary roads, which both of us find more enjoyable.

I really hate to complain about the weather, because we've seen no rain during riding hours after leaving Virginia. However (and isn't there always a however?), the heat is brutal. You can simulate these conditions by riding a motorcycle down I-94 and setting it on fire. Getting on down the road at 60 mph is like riding into a blow torch. We stopped frequently to rest and hydrate, but there really isn't any relief.

We ended the day at a motel near Fort Polk, Louisiana. This puts us within easy striking distance of Texas tomorrow morning.

One final aside; the bike (mine that is) gave me some fits today. It stalled once early in the day, then after gassing up in this town, it died again and sounded (and felt) as though it was hitting on just one cylinder. Also, the clutch feels as though the plates are slipping from time to time. I'm hoping it's only temporary (maybe due to the heat) and will have cleared up by tomorrow when things have cooled down a bit.

Day 7 - June 18

2010-06-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand.... SWD! While having breakfast this morning in Meridian, the news was on and it gave us the opportunity to pick up a few new words. For brevity's sake we'll just feature two this evening. The first is "skew" and the other "bobble". In order to clarify lets use both words in a single sentence.... "Now that summer is here, all the kids will be attending bobble skew at the Baptist church."

We left Meridian, AL this morning and headed west. While gassing up we met a guy who suggested we travel some secondary two lanes on our way to the Natchez Trace. The roads turned out to be really enjoyable; not difficult, just some nice roads through some local towns. We entered the Trace just past Jackson, MS.

The Natchez Trace is a beautiful road with a 50 mph speed limit. Our goal was to arrive at the Country Store Restaurant in Lorman, MS when it was open. When we arrived, we were the first patrons of the day and had to wait for the food to be set out, but the food was good and worth the wait. I have included a couple of pictures of Charlie at the place.

From the restaurant we rode to Natchez and got directions to New Orleans. We made it as far as Hammond before the rain started to threaten. We pulled into a Best Western and it rained for a short while but then cleared up. This gave us the opportunity to do our laundry.... Lord how I hate laundromats!... The noise.... the ankle biters.... the unhappy patrons.

In any case, we're back at the motel now and a thunder storm is in progress.... the TV has lost it's satellite and Charlie is moping because we can't watch "Dog the Bounty Hunter".

We don't have today's mileage (because neither of us wants to go out in the rain to look at the odometer), but distance wise it's been a relatively short day.

We're probably an hour north of New Orleans right now, so part of tomorrow we'll spend checking out the city a little.

Day 6 - June 17

2010-06-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

No new SWD today. I'm pretty sure we heard some today but I think we're getting so used to them we no longer recognize them as being particularly "odd". Either that or the heat has caused a breakdown of some the the synapse that still work, causing a complete loss of memory.... I don't remember.

We left Bremen, GA this morning at about 8:00. The only thing that we had planned for the day was to visit the Barber Motorcycle Museum and Track in Leeds Alabama, just out of Birmingham. On our way to the museum we passed the Taledaga Speedway and stopped by to have a look. Of course it was closed, but it was interesting to see and the place is huge. We arrived at the Barber Museum at 9:00 AM. Needless to say the place didn't open until 10:00 so we blew off an hour drinking coffee at the Bass Pro Shop which is just around the corner from the museum.

The museum, grounds and track are spectacular. We were there about 2 hours and didn't scratch the surface. The building is 5 stories high and every bit of it loaded with all manner and size of vintage motorcycle that anyone can imagine. From the inside you can look out over the grounds and watch the people running the track in the driving classes that are offered. I'll try to include a few pictures, but a photo won't be able to do the place justice.

From Birmingham we again headed west. The riding was uneventful except for the heat. Charlie's thermometer read 95 degrees, but it wouldn't supprise me if that was a bit low. It was hot! We're wearing a black helmet and in the heat and sun, I'm pretty sure we both did some serious damage to our brains. While I know this would be hard to prove to anyone who knows us, you just can't put ones brains in a black container in heat like that without breaking something. In any event, we ended the day in Meridian, Mississippi.

Well, that's all for now... we need to cool down a bit. For those interested, we traveled about 270 miles today.

Day 5 - June 16

2010-06-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

There won't be any pictures today... we took a couple but we're staying at a Microtel motel and the connection is tenuous at best, so I'm not going to waste the time to load any photos today.

I will however make time for the new SWD. Today's word is "hit", as in; "Could you please tell me how far Maggie Valley is?" "Why yes, hit's about 10 mols down this here road."

I hope you are all paying attention and taking notes as there will be a test at the end of the ride.

After torrential rain and tornado like winds during the evening we awoke to news reports of downed power lines, mud slides and closed roads. However it was not raining and as the day progressed it became better and better, so that by the end of the day we were riding in 96 degree weather which gave a pretty good simulation of standing in front of the open door of a coal fired blast furnace. To prove this my arms have sustained what appear to be third degree burns.

The GPS consistently sent us on wild goose chases. This I am certain is due to my ineptitude, but the result is that we have pretty much relied on the old fashioned map to help us find our way.

Some of the roads we were on today were as easily as much fun as the Dragon's Tail; Switchbacks, beautifully banked turns and smooth macadam. The traffic on these roads was light to nonexistent. All in all a great day of riding.

We ended the day in Bremen, Georgia, about 10 mols from the Alabama boarder. In the morning it is our intention to ride into Leeds, AL (a suburb of Birmingham) and visit the Barber Museum and motor track. We are told it is quite impressive and I will attempt to take a few pix. By the way, we stopped by the "Wheels of (in?) Time Motorcycle Museum" in Maggie Valley, NC this morning, but they, of course, are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Day 4 - June 15

2010-06-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

Before I tell you about our day, allow me to share with you the Southern Word for the Day (SWD). You will recall that yesterday's word was "bald", as in: Mmm, Mmm, Mmmm that bald egg sure was good. Today's word is "moll", as in: He always goes the extra moll in everything he does. So, for pactice, here are both words in a sentence... I would go 100 molls in order to get a mess of those bald snap beans with some bacon drippin's.

Well, enough of that, I'll give you a short account of our day before calling it quits.... it's been a long day.

Jack met us at the motel at 8:00 and we headed off on some of the roads surrounding Christiansburg. There is some great riding to be had in this area. In fact, I would say that at least one of these roads was comparable to the Tail of the Dragon. Along the way we stopped for breakfast at Tuggle's Restaurant just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is a well known spot particularly among the motorcycling community. Following breakfast we continued to ride a loop to the next entrance to the Parkway; again on some really attractive roads. Here, Jack left us to return home while Charlie and I continued on our way. By the way, the second picture above shows Jack and I in front of Tuggle's Restaurant.

We traveled the Parkway south until the GPS told us to get off. This seemed reasonable because we needed to head a bit west at one time or another. Unfortunately it also returned us to the Blue Ridge Parkway after wasting an hour of our time riding through high population areas and countless traffic lights in the area of Grandpa Mountain. We again headed south on the parkway, but at a maximum of 45 mph, that time lost could not be made up.

Along the way we came across another rider who said that stopping to ride up Mt. Mitchel was a "must" and not to be missed. This is the highest point east of the Rocky Mounts with an elevation of 6584 ft. We did ride to the top, but the experience paled in comparison to riding up Mt. Washington in NH even though it is a couple hundred feet shorter. The first picture above shows Charlie sitting on his bike in the parking lot of the Mt. Mitchel State Park parking lot.

After waiting at a stop for road construction, we began the final part of our day riding into Ashville, SC. Sadly this part of the ride was in some pretty serious rain. We ended up at a Best Western, in Ashville, where I write this.

Day 3 - June 14, '10

2010-06-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Some of the more astute among you may have noticed that we have actually taken some pictures today. In a moment or two I'll share with you what each represent... if I can remember.

We left Fort Royal today at about 8:00. The sky was slightly overcast but otherwise the day was nice. The farther south we rode the more sunny it became; all in all it has been one of the most pleasant riding days we have had on one of our little outings.

The first 110 miles was spent on the Skyline Drive out of Fort Royal. The road was immaculate and the Feds provided well placed gas stations and sundry shops and many turnouts for stretching ones legs and looking at the scenery. The views were many and very appealing. An example of the view from a turnout is the photo above this paragraph. I thought the rays of sunlight through the clouds looked cool, and Charlie took the picture.

Also along this road we saw some of the local wildlife. On four occasions we rode past whitetails either crossing the road of standing along side the road trying to determine whether we were worth fearing... we were. Surprisingly, we also saw two bears. These were not large black bear, but bears they were. To prove this, Charlie actually turned around after we passed one of the beasts to take its picture. The picture of the bear is the one at the top right. Now if you're anything like me you can't see the bear. Do not allow yourself to be too disappointed as Charlie assures me that the bear is the black spot near the center of the photo. We're told that the photo is of the bear's ass and it can be safely assumed that most of us are not all that well versed in that part of the anatomy of a bear and for that reason should not be too upset by any failure to spot the critter.

After about 100 miles the Skyline turns into the Blue Ridge Parkway. This too is a beautiful road, but it lacks the occassional gas station, so one must leave the Parkway and go to a local community to purchase gas. We chose the town of Vesuvius for this purpose (the road there was every bit as entertaining a ride as is the Tail of the Dragon). Unfortunately Vesuvius didn't have a gas station either. It did however have a store and so we stopped to ask the proprietor (one Miss Gertie) The location of the nearest gas supply. While there, we noticed she offered food, so we had lunch and listened to some of the local patrons. This proved to be an educational experience. For example, did you know that if you live in the South and submerse a raw egg in water heated to 320 degrees for about 10 minutes you will have a bald egg which can then be made into egg salad, deviled eggs etc.

We ended the riding day in Christiansburg to visit my cousin Jack. This evening we had dinner with him and tomorrow he will ride with us for part of the day as we contunue south.

Today we rode 300 miles at relatively slow speeds.... it has been a long day so for now, adieu.

Day 2 - June 13, '10

2010-06-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

First, there are no pictures today. This year, Charlie and I both have cameras but neither of us have the sense to use them. Ah well, maybe tomorrow.

We left Coshocton, OH at 8:00 in the morning. It had rained heavily during the evening but the morning was just damp and overcast. The road east out of town was perfect for motorcycling. Not an inch of it was straight and there was hardly any traffic (and no other bikers). Other than the rolling twisting road, the ride was uneventful except for a doe that ran in front of us. She was 20 yards off and alone but close enough to remind us of the wildlife that is evidently common in the area. In fact there were a lot of deer carcasses along the sides of all the roads we traveled... seems odd for this time of year.

I am losing confidence in the little guy in the Garmin box. One of the things I was looking forward to was crossing the Ohio river into West Virginia on a ferry to Sistersville. Well, the little guy took us over a bridge... very disapointing. Trying to salvage an obviously untenable situation we forged on to route 7 in WV and headed east. Once again the road was great. Switchbacks, bends, twists and banks.

Along the way we came to the town of Hundred and had lunch at a little joint called Miss Blue. Well, when you're sitting there in Hundered, the question had to be asked.... how did the town get its name. So we did the only reasonable thing and asked the waitress. She provided us with a mostly reliable explanation and went on her way. In short order an elderly gentleman approached us, having overheard our converstation with the waitress, and introduced himself as the grandson of the man for whom the town was named.

It turns out that in the 1860's an open rail car carried people back and forth between Wheeling and Martinsville. The car traveled by this unnamed place where a man lived who was 109 years old (his wife by the way was 106 and they were married for 82 years). As they passed, the "conductor" would annouce that, "This is where old Hundred lives".... and the name stuck. Also interesting was the fact that the manager of the Miss Blue restaurant worked at both the Cook and Palisades plant and was quite familiar with South Haven.

Soon after exiting route 7 the Garmin guy anounced that we should take a "right" on Little Indian Creek Road and soon after that a turn onto Glorious Barn Road. Should your GPS ever suggest turning onto roads with similar names, immediately throw the device away. These roads began as paved black top with dividing lines and everyting. Soon pot holes began to appear; there numbers and size growing with each revolution of the tires, until we were finally riding a dirt road to nowhere. One might reasonably ask, "Why didn't you just turn around?" A good question indeed. The answer is that the little Garmin guy lulled us into a sense of security by saying, "Only .5 more mile 'til the next turn"... salvation. Visions of mutant canibals lurking in the underbrush of these West Virginia mountains danced in our heads.

As an aside, we stopped to set our destination on a piece of road inhabited by folks living in abodes less than mansions. Charlie had the uncontrollable need to relieve himself at this point. He chose, for this activity, someones yard. I for one was greatly relieved to escape without notice... or gun play.

Ultimately we gave up, punched in Front Royal as our destination, and ended up riding the super slabs the rest of the way to our destination... Fort Royal, Virginia.... the gateway to the Shenandoah Sky Way.

Oh... 390 miles on the old odometer today.

First Day - June 12

2010-06-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem possible that we are on the road again. For the uninitiated among you, one can tell our journey south has begun because of the rain and sodden skies. Actually the weather could have been much worse than is was. We left South Haven with it threatening rain and made it all the way to Route 31 south of Benton Harbor before getting under our first underpass to put on the rain gear. For the rest of the day it spat rain on and off but nothing really serious. It was however warm and quite humid. Enough about the weather!

We did more "highway" travel today than I had hoped for. This, however, allowed us to make good time. For at least part of the day we had no idea of where we were or where we'd end up but we did know that wherever it was we were heading, we were making good time getting there. For a while the little guy in the "Garmin Box" seemed to forsake us, but we ultimately put ourselves in his hands and all worked out well.

Indiana and western Ohio are not the most thrilling locations on the planet, but once we got east of Mt. Vernon, Ohio the roads began to get twisty with a little variation in elevation as well. One of the roads I put on our itinery was a winding two lane ribbon off route 36 along the Walhonding River (strangely enough, near the little burg of Walhonding). When we came to the road there were signs across it saying, "closed due to high water". Well, the road went up hill and everyone knows that there can't be any flooding on a hill... that would be silly. Sooo, there seemed no reason at all not to follow our original plan and run this winding two lane, which we did. Along the way we came upon a group of 6 or 8 off roaders and asked them if they knew of any water across the road ahead. Why "no", they said. Those beggars are no doubt still snickering. In any case we forged ahead gaining more confidence with each bend in the road. This was the place of course that the mighty Walhonding wended its way lazily across the road to an unkown depth. I, being the first to encounter the water barrier, began applying the binders as vigorously as I dared. Through the headset I heard Charlie uttering a few words of encouragement; something like, "Aw shit!" Suffice it to say, both machines were brought to a safe stop without so much as a drop of water being displaced by our tires. With that diversion behind us we returned to route 36 and an uneventful ride into Coshocton, Oh where we are now settled in and spending the night.

It turns out that Coshocton and its neighboring community are steeped in history; most of it related to a canal system dating back to the 1800's. It also hosts a balloon festival on this weekend in June. We later found out that it "always rains during the balloon festival. Only through a stroke of good fortune were we able to get a room at the Village Inn & Suites. We both look forward to a good night's sleep.

Alas, no pictures today. Regretably we were so relieved to escape the flood waters were forgot to get the camera in gear. Oh, as an afterthought, in case anyone is keeping score, today we logged in 361 miles.

A warning

2010-04-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is just to warn anyone who cares, that I plan on blogging our way through this year's ride. Due to the cool wet conditions we experienced during last summer's outing we are opting to head south this year. That way we will be riding in hot wet conditions. We'll also be leaving earlier than the past two rides.

The plan is to leave on June 12 and be gone for two weeks. The goal along the way will be 2 fold. First it's our intention to avoid the super slabs and ride through some small towns and second will be to stop at some Ma and Pa eateries. We'll travel southeast through Indiana and Ohio and cross the Ohio river into West Virginia at a place called Sistersville. For the past 2 years we have boarded a ferry someplace along the way and this is the place this year. We'll then hit the tip of western Maryland (not far from the hound's birth place) and on to Front Royal, Virginia. This is the beginning of the Shenandoah Skyway which hooks up with the Blue Ridge Parkway.... 2 roads we've been wanting to ride. Riding the BRP south, we'll make a side trip to Christiansville, Virginia, the home of my cousin Jack and hopefully get a little riding in through his neck of the woods. We've been "talking" via e-mail over the past few weeks and he pointed out that it's been 45 years since we've seen one another.... time flies when your having fun. Heading into North Carolina we'll swing by Deal's Gap on the way to the Cherohala Skyway in Tennessee. We've been on that road before, but it's worth doing again. Out of Tennessee we continue southwest through Alabama and stop near Birmingham to see the Barber Motorcycle and Car Museum. From Alabama we'll pick up the Natchez Trace and stop for a while in Vicksburg to check out some of the history of the area (there's supposed to be a pretty nice civil war military park in that town). From there we'll continue south on the Trace and follow the smell of Cajun cooking to New Orleans, so at least I can say I've been there (Charlie has been there before). From Louisiana we'll head into East Texas and start north. At Broken Bow, Oklahoma we'll turn right into Arkansas and north to Missouri (probably stopping at Branson and a few other spots), then east into Illinois (at Springfield) then through Indiana and home. Best guess is we'll cover about 4,000 miles, but nothing is etched in stone so any of this could change depending on our mood, the weather, and whether or not we're ready to kill each other after that much time together.

In any event, we're still a little over a month away so I'm sure there will be some discussions that will modify some of the itinerary.... we'll see.

Day Twelve - Webster to South Haven

2009-08-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

This is the last entry for the trip. I'm guessing it will be pretty short (if I don't get rambling on).

Charlie and I headed east out of Webster with the threat of three lines of storms lining up behind us ready to take one last shot at us. According to the weather man each of them potentially had heavy rain, hail and tornadoes associated with them. Our plan was to outrun them.

From the center if the state we bee lined for Dubuque on the Mississippi. The plan had been to stay the night at my daughter's in Algonquin, IL, but as the day wore on we figured we'd be riding in rain on Thursday if we did. So we headed home.

From the Iowa border the roads were great for riding. Winding through some pretty countryside past the Mississippi Palisades and some interesting towns like Galena, Savanna and Dixon, Illinois.

While in Savanna we stopped at the Iron Horse Bar and Social Club. An Interesting place. It was very old and in the center of town. It had three floors: the first was the bar and part of a motorcycle museum (mostly flat track racers and very old Harleys and Indians), the second was more old cycles and the third was the social club (sofa, chairs and a bar) and the chapel where some hard core types get hitched (Heather the bar keep told us about 2 per month). We only had a beer, but the lunch fare was a beer and a burger for $4.oo. As a side note, Kim later told me there was another spot just around the corner that we missed called Poopy's. Sorry we missed it (I think).

In any event we headed south to hook up with Route 80 past Chicago. Between the wind and the turbulence caused by the trucks (and there were a bunch of them) the ride on 80 was a bit of a workout, however we moved right along and made it to South Haven by about 6:30. For those who are curious, we did out run the rain. It blew up Rt. 80 about 2 hours after we rode through.

All told we put about 4480 miles on the scoots, traveled through a dozen states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan) and three Canadian provinces (Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia). The trip was shortened by two days because we clipped a couple of destinations from our itinerary (Revelstoke, BC and the Glacier Provincial Park, the Badlands and the night at Kim's). I kind of feel bad for having to do that, but the trade off would have been a high probability of riding in pretty nasty weather.

Maybe in the next few days I'll throw in a "conclusion" blog, but don't count on it. Thanks for reading this far and for your "best wishes" these past two weeks.

In the meantime; shiny side up and may the rain be always behind you.

Day Eleven - Winner to Webster, Iowa

2009-08-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

Not much to report today, and no pictures. The weather for this non-report was perfect.

We crossed the Missouri River 3 times today. First at Fort Randall Dam in South Dakota, then at Yorkton, South Dakota into Nebraska and again at Sioux City Iowa. Most of the travel was straight and flat (some rolling). The crops did switch from hay to corn. In Iowa we saw some serious damage done to the corn crop due to hail. The stalks were stripped of both leaves and ears.

Along the way, my ear started to give me grief. It felt plugged. It was not painful at all but very irritating. Someplace in Iowa the GPS bit the dirt. I thought it might have been a fuse to the accessories, but it doesn't work off the bike either so I doubt that's the problem. I'll deal with that when we get home.

We ended up near the center of Iowa in Webster. We saw that the local Kiwanians was having a BBQ dinner at the local Middle School so we went. Once again we were the youngsters of the group. Charlie caused quite a stir when he mixed his iced tea with his lemon aide but I'm sure the old lady behind the counter has completely recovered and is probably resting comfortably by now.

Tomorrow, east again. The weather will determine the route, but it's supposed to rain so it may be a bee line to Kim's place.

By for now.

Day 10 - Sturgis to Winner, South Dakota

2009-08-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry.... this post is a day late because of the poor connection at the motel in Winner, SD.

The road through the canyon south of Sturgis was beautiful and twisty... but easy riding. I think if ever I were to go to Sturgis for the rally, I'd stay in the little town of Deadwood. It appeared clean, geared for the visitor (read that "tourist") and steeped in history.

Out of Deadwood we headed for Mt. Rushmore and even the ride there was pretty. The monument was nicer than what I expected and impressive to say the least. Once we left the monument we headed through the Black Hills, following a lady on a bike from Saginaw, MI. Some of the switchbacks were even more than 180 degrees, they were 270 plus. You go through a one lane tunnel and start into a turn which carries you up over the tunnel through which you just came. There were three of those if memory serves. Although it usually doesn't.

The ride through the Hills was interrupted on several occasions by bison crossing the road. They are cool critters but look as dumb as bricks. There were cars stopped to take pictures, but didn't impede us too much. Not quite as impressive, but cute never the less were the wild burrows that would try to mooch through the car windows if the tourists allow it.

From the Black Hills we headed to Custer park (buffalo there too), and rode Needles Highway. The rock formations were incredible but my camera's memory filled up and I didn't take many pictures.

All of the riding through this area, whether we were in the parks or on the local roads was out of sight. Once we left the are and began our trek east, the roads went straight as a string and the land either flat or rolling.

We traveled through a lot of Indian territory here and the poverty was palpable. In fact we were only 7 miles south of Wounded Knee.

We ran out of steam in Winner, South Dakota in the heart of pheasant hunting land. We saw quite a few prairie chickens, but I'm not completely sure we saw any pheasant. (Some of the chickens might have been hens. They look similar but are skinnier.)

We ate in the bar associated with the motel... the lady said they had the best hamburgers in town... maybe the world. They were large but prepared on a George Forman Grill. They were a bit (quite a bit) on the over done side. All was not lost however as we were amused by two locals. One a rather persistent fly (Charlie thought there were a dozen) and George. George thought he was Jimmy the Greek and kept on betting on a kick boxing show on TV. I don't think he won a bout. By the time we left it was a wonder that George could still stand up. He was knocking brews down at the rate of one a round and we watched about 8 rounds while we sat there.

Day 11 coming up.

Day 9 - Red Lodge to Sturgis, South Dakota

2009-08-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Let me make this clear. I am not complaining. This is the first day since arriving in Carrington that we did not ride, at least some of the time, in rain (although it's raining here in Sturgis now).

Having said that, we rode in some of the most brutally cold weather I've ever ridden in. As we crested the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, we rode Route 14A past pastureland covered in fresh fallen snow. Past the summit, we talked to a guy at a restaurant who said he came over that pass yesterday in the snow and had a heck of a time riding in slush.

Although parts of the road were torn up with construction (Obama's Dallahs at work), it was a beautiful road to ride. It towered over spectacular vistas and was full of twistys and switchbacks.

Much of the afternoon was spent highway riding on Route 90. We ended the day at a motel in Sturgis, South Dakota. Of course the rally has been over for a while, but there are still quite a few bikes around and many of the shops are still open trying to dispose of 2009 t-shirts. We had dinner at the Loud American.... good food and a welcome rest from the road.

Tomorrow we'll try to run a few of the scenic loops in the area, visit Mt. Rushmore and ride on toward the Badlands.

Hope to fill you in tomorrow.

Day Eight - Helena to Red Lodge, Montana

2009-08-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

We made it through entire day today without it raining on us; almost. After leaving Helena, Charlie and I headed south and entered the West Gate of Yellowstone in Idaho.

To begin the ride there were a few sprinkles but not enough to get us wet, but the temperature was in the 40's and at times uncomfortable. We finally adjusted our clothes to the weather and did o.k. Along the way we saw antelope just on the outskirts of Ennis, Montana. Turns out today is opening season on antelope; it's my guess they move into town for protection.

In Yellowstone we were in and out of Wyoming and Montana as we rode through the park to reach the East Gate and the little burg of Cooke City. The park is beautiful, but the number of people kind of take the edge off a little. For example, soon after entering (which was free, by the way) traffic came to a standstill. Cars were parked all over and blocking the road. Turns out an elk was taking a drink in the Madison River. On another occasion we came around a bend and there were people all over blocking the road to see a grizzly that wandered out in a meadow. The bison were common enough that there were cars stopped, but they didn't block traffic.

Through the East Gate is the little "town" of Cooke City. We stopped for gas but wanted to run Route 212 to Red Lodge. The road is incredible (twistly after twisty), but broken up with road work. Over Beartooth Pass (almost 11000 feet in altitude) there was over a 5 mile section that was hard packed dirt and stone which is either oiled or watered to keep the dust down. We were looking down on ice and snow. In that it wasn't melting my guess is the temperature was below freezing. There were very few guard rails, narrow lanes and plenty of really tight switchbacks. After cresting the summit and heading down toward Red Lodge you could look down and see your road switching back 4 or 5 times while it wound down the moutain.

We're spending the night in Red Lodge and will strike out for Sturgis in the morning. The weather was just on TV and they're saying we're stuck in the same weather pattern because of the jet stream which means questionable weather all the way into next week.

Enough for now... may be tomorrow.

Day Seven - Sand Point to Helena, Montana

2009-08-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

We didn't make it too far today because so much of our time was spent in bars and casinos trying to stay dry.... for the most part it didn't help.

While having breakfast in a bar along route 200 in Montana we ran across a couple from Vancouver whose son is the sales manager at Grand Rapids Harley. They had just picked up a new ride from the son (I think his name is Dave Eisenberg) and were heading back home... small world.

Later in a bar in Missoula we met another biker (from Albuquerque) who gave us some tips on Yellowstone (sounds like we'll be slowed quite a bit by construction).

Out of Missoula we headed east on 200. There are miles and miles of rivers, streams and creeks that beg to be fished. I got the itch, but there really isn't any time to scratch it..... fishing will have to wait. The road was great and except for occasional "spitting" was dry (but cool and overcast). We missed a turn and decided to re-route down route 279. It turned out to be a great motorcycle road with plenty of twists and turns with numerous switchbacks to get up (then down) from the pass over the Continental Divide. I haven't been taking many pictures but did snap one on a turnout that was near the Divide (although I didn't know it at the time). I'll try to include a picture with this.

As we came off 279 into Helena it was raining heavily. We couldn't see worth a hoot and were pretty damp so we ended the day in Montana's capitol city.

Tomorrow the plan is to go to Yellowstone and ride 212 out to the east. It's supposed to be a great road and none of it straight. NOAA also says a 60 per cent chance of thunder storms. Nothing new there. How far we go will be more determined by weather than time. Except for some side trips in the Spearfish area we are mostly heading east.

Day Six - Banff to Sand Point, Idaho

2009-08-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry - couldn't post yesterday because there was no 'net connection. It's maybe just as well because the only post required would be.... RAIN!

I guess I can add a little. We shortened our route a little. The plan was to travel over the mountain from Banff to Revelstoke. When our friend, the desk clerk, heard of our intention she looked as though she thought we were insane. We asked her what the problem was, she explained that there was a good possibility that there would be snow falling at that altitude and unless we could put on studs or chains, it might be a good idea if we chose an alternate route. We did.

Our new route headed south right after crossing the mountains into Radium Hot Springs. It was a great road. Deer along side the road were somewhat unnerving, but they stayed put and we had a cool (40 degrees F) but enjoyable ride. The rain was sporadic from then on and at times was torrential... at times it was impossible to see.

Our border crossing had us sitting in a line for about an hour, but we passed through with little delay when it was our turn.

By then we were feeling like drowned rats and ended the day at a Super 8 in Sand Point, Idaho.

I am convinced Charlie and I can make a fortune visiting drought plagued areas and charging the local farmers for our services. Sounds like California might use our talent as well to assist with those pesky fires.

More later.

Day 5 - Still in Banff

2009-08-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

This is probably not the best time to write. I tried to use the cell phone and couldn't. I've just spent an hour trying to work through one of those ridiculous phone company systems trying to get an answer and couldn't. At the moment I'm frustrated and not in the mood to write. Enough of my whining... I'll tell you about our day.

This morning Charlie and I struck out for Lake Louise and Lake Peyto. On the suggestion of the motel clerk we headed north on A1. The road was twisty and in great shape. The scenery spectacular. The weather ran from good to questionable depending on the moment.

Soon after getting on A1, traffic (which was light) stopped while a wolf worked its way across a mountain side maybe 75 meters off the road. We didn't stop to take a picture but is was interesting to see the critter. For those of you insisting on a picture, wait until I return to MI and I'll snap a shot of a coyote for you.

A short way further on we stopped to watch four bull elk along the side of the road. I did take a few pics of them and may include one here.

The weather was cool; running about about 50F for the entire ride. Also we hit some light rain periodically along the way. We were pretty well dressed for both so it didn't bother us too much. As a side note; when you enter a roadway there are often Texas Gates (Cow Gates) which are grids across the road in an effort to discourage critters (elk and moose) from entering the roadway. The grids are metal and when wet are pretty darn slick. When I went over one yesterday, the back end started to come around and gave me quite a thrill. All considered it was a pleasant ride.

At Lake Louise we stopped and checked out the lake, the glacier and the Fairmont hotel... all very impressive. While there a bunch of kids on a tour went swimming. Now, this is a fairly small lake entirely filled with glacial melt and I doubt the temperature could have been much above 40F. Ah, to be young again.

At Lake Peyto, we hiked up a mountain for about 20 minutes to check out the glacier and lake. It was beautiful, but the grade and the altitude caused this old, fat, out of shape low-lander to suck wind a time or two.

After returning to Banff we rode the gondola up the mountain to get some pretty good views of the town and the surrounding area from about 7000 feet.

Back to town and a rib dinner at Tony Roma's then to the motel where I write this.

Tomorrow we'll head out. We don't know the route yet in that it is supposed to be cold and rainy and we may try to pick a path to avoid the worst of the weather. I'll let you know how it went tomorrow if the net is available.

Day 4 - Swift Current to Banff, Alberta

2009-08-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today began cool (50's) but dry. After some time on the road we stopped for breakfast at a little restaurant in Gull Lake. We then struck out for Calgary and points west. About the time we crossed the border into Alberta the wind began. It's hard to imagine the joy involved with with riding down the highway at 12o kph (as Charlie so aptly put it) 10 degrees off plum. At the town of Brooke, we decided to stop so I could contact MasterCard (Oh, did I tell you that MC locked my card because it was being used on a cross country trip?). While waiting for me to make the call, Charlie had a cup of coffee and a piece of lemon meringue pie and was presented with a $7.98 check (Canadian). I thought the lad was going to punch the manager out after questioning whether the bill was a joke. He only announced his thoughts on Canadians in stead.

By the time we reached Calgary the wind began to lessen and the temperature dropped 10 degrees in 15 minutes. This of course should have been a clue that there was to be a problem ahead. Of course, the problem was rain. As we left Calgary (right at the point the Rockies would have shown there magnificence) the skies opened up. After donning our rain gear under an overpass, we forged ahead for the remaining 35 kilometers pelted by rain and road spray from every manner of vehicle imaginable.

As soon as we arrived in Banff, the rain stopped and after a period of overcast, the sun once again shown. The town is beautiful and ringed by spectacular mountains. I snapped a picture or two and will try to include a couple with this post.

I hope the weather tomorrow will be as pleasant as it is right now, because we're spending the day here tomorrow too and plan on a run up to Lake Louise to scope out the scenery there (maybe from a gondola).

We're getting better at using their Loonies and Toonies up here, but the dollar exchange is still something of a mystery (currently $1.04 U.S. to $1.00 Canadian)..

Today we logged 350 plus miles.

Day 3 - Carrington to Swift Current, Saskatchewan

2009-08-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

To begin with I withdraw any and all negative comments I made about North Dakota. That state has lush rolling hills covered in beautiful sun flowers and yellow blooming mustard; and the people are incredibly attractive and intelligent compared to... (drum roll please) Saskatchewan.

Talk about flat! We traveled in Saskatchewan from Portal (the border crossing), past Regina to Moose Jaw and all we could see was horizon with the occasional farm 9 or 10 miles off in the distance. The roads are good (with the exception of being stopped for about 30 minutes at two construction sites) and we were able to make about 530 miles before ending the ride in Swift Current. Miles and miles of wheat describes the landscape we passed.

We rode through Moose Jaw, just to say we were there, but it turned out to be a rather large town, obviously catering to tourist. This is all well and good but a little disappointing in lieu of the fact that both Charlie and I were rather expecting (hoping) for an old fashioned kind of town with bearded trappers running around in skin caps and fringed leather jackets.

At this point we are about 512 kilometers from Calgary and hope to make Banff by 4:00 Michigan time tomorrow.

I didn't take any pictures today because a picture would have showed an image with brown on the bottom (that would be the wheat) and blue on the top (that would be the sky). I was temped to take a picture of our windshields because the colors of the the bugs smeared all over them created a rather attractive mosaic of black, brown, yellow, red and green. During a last minute bout of sanity I refrained.

Maybe over the next few days I will tell you of some of the exciting times we had while dealing with some of the local folks here abouts, but I'm just too tired this evening, so I'll just check out for now.

Hope to talk to you tomorrow.

Day Two - Eau Claire to Carrington, ND

2009-08-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Ok... after all the moaning and groaning about the weather yesterday, I must admit that we had a beautiful day for riding albeit the early morning was rather damp and misty. After leaving Eau Claire this morning we crossed the Mississippi River into Minnesota. The river is rather wide even that close to its headwaters. Boaters and fun seekers abounded. Well, I saw 2 boats actually.

The entire day was spent expressway riding usually between 70 and 75 mph. Still not our favorite way to ride, we did manage 481 miles before ending the ride for the day in Carrington, ND. I must say though that the road so far has been in excellent condition compared to Michigan's byways.

Along the way I was hoping to see Fargo (since I saw the movie), but I-94 by passed it. We did pass Avalon, Minnesota. For the uninitiated (I was until Charlie educated me), Avalon is the community for which Garrison Keeler fashioned his town of Lake Wobegon. In fact as you pass on the highway there is a sign for Lake Wobegon. Although we didn't stop, we did notice that all the women were strong, all the men were handsome and all the children were above average.We rode the last part of the day through the North Dakota country side. Those who spoke to me before we left might have heard me question why anyone would want to live in this state. The fact is that it's a beautiful state particularly if you are a fan of agriculture, hate geographic features and dislike people. Their state tree, the telephone pole, does abound and is beautiful.

The only photo for the day was of a lake called Middle Spunk... begging the question: "Where were Left and Right Spunk?". In any case the lake was completely common and and looked like many lakes in Michigan; but with a name like that and the fact that I had no other pictures I immortalized Middle Spunk (I'll stick the picture in here somewhere).

Soooo.... I write this from Carrington, North Dakota. We are in a motel on the town's main road which has largely been reduced to a huge deep trench, making it a real challenge to find the parking lot for this place. The hotel clerk is a fine ambassador for the town; at least I think she would be if she put her teeth in to greet the guests. Upon asking her to suggest a local restaurant, she couldn't think of one (it is Sunday after all). It finally occurred to her that there was a pizza joint down the street which proved satisfactory.

Tomorrow we will strike out with the plan to make it someplace west of Regina, Saskatchewan.

One other thing. The bikes are performing beautifully so far..... with one interesting exception. I was enjoying the cruise control to relieve my right hand. Rather abruptly the the cruise became very erratic then wouldn't work for more than a few seconds at a time. Very frustrating and annoying. I guessed it to be a simple adjustment but didn't know how to correct it. In any event, while cruising down the road it occurred to me that the leather strips I have on my levers were getting whipped around pretty violently by the wind and that they were causing enough drag to move the brake lever, therefore kicking the cruise off. I removed the leather and the cruise control works flawlessly. It really does save your hand.

Kind of boring today.... thanks for reading to here.... hopefully more tomorrow.

Day One - South Haven to Eau Claire, Wisconsin

2009-08-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

Let me make it clear; I have never done anything that could be construed as remotely offensive to the gods or rain and wind. Never the less, it seems that every time Charlie and I plan a ride, we are plagued by high winds and torrential rain.

Take this morning as an example. We had reservations to for the 10:15 departure of the Lake Express Ferry. We left South Haven at 8:00 to arrive early enough to tie the scoots down and settle in for the two and a half hour ride to Milwaukee. On this particular occasion, it had been raining during the evening but had mostly stopped by the time we bid my daughter Kim and our friend Bonnie a fond farewell. All went well until we reached Holland; at which time the skies opened up in a blinding downpour. In all fairness, we were warned of the impending "rain" with a spectacular light show consisting of numerous air to ground lightning strikes to the accompaniment of thunderous clashes that would have made Tchaikovsky envious when he composed the 1812 Overture. We stopped at Perkins to gulp down a coffee and hoped the rain would abate. It did...kind of. We arrived at the boat just a little late, but took care of business and settled in.

The ride to Milwaukee was interesting. Did you know that there are people whose only job is to wander around the ferry's cabin collecting well used barf bags? Well, there are and yes she was busy. The stated wave heights were 5.2 ft, but both Charlie and I were convinced that this was a considerable understatement. Let me assure you there is very little to compare to the sounds of stereophonic ralphing.

We disembarked in cloudy but rainless weather. The rainless part lasted for all of half an hour when once again the skies opened (and stayed open) all the way to Madison, Wisconsin. The wind made for some interesting riding along this stretch too.

From Madison to Eau Claire it was pretty good riding, although hot and humid. At least it was dry. We opted to spend the night in Eau Claire because the thunder heads were forming again. It was about 5:00 (EST) when we signed in to the Heartland Motel. There were about 320 miles on the odometer.

Tomorrow we'll see how far past Fargo North Dakota we can get. However far we manage to go it's bound to be at least partly in foul weather.

Fall Birthdays 2008

2008-11-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

On the weekend of October 11, 2008 a few of us got together for a little tour of some of the local breweries. Some of our birthdays fell around this date and it seemed like a good excuse to visit some of Michigan's brewmeisters.

Those celebrating birthdays were Elli (my grand daughter), Kim (my daughter), Denise and Bonnie (friends from Illinois) and the Old Geezer himself, me. We rode 9 bikes and a Jeep. All told there were 18 of us (Kim, Bonnie, Al, Denise, Mark, Laura and Mike (from Illinois), Jimmy (from Indiana), Andrea, Steve, Elli and Olivia (from Traverse City, Michigan), Charlie, Carry, Mike, Vicki and me (from South Haven, Michigan)).

The weather couldn't have been better with temperatures in the 70's and sunshine.

On Friday those that could make it had dinner at Su Casa (a Mexican restaurant... Da!) in Fennville, complete with a Mariachi band. Fun and kind of different. I for one was glad we went.

On Saturday we took our tour visiting Bell's Brewery http://www.bellsbeer.com/ in Kalamazoo, the Old Penninsula Brewery http://oldepen.com/ (were we had lunch) also in Kalamazoo, the New Holland Brewery http://www.newhollandbrew.com/ in Holland and the Saugatuck Brewery http://sbrewing.com/breweries in Saugatuck.

We ended up at Mike and Vicki's house for pizza and birthday cake for a birthday celebration. All told we rode about 135 miles and had a great day.

The Conclusion

2008-08-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

After returning from a field trip students are expected to explain to their teacher what they learned from the experience (Amanda, take note). As a former teacher this concept is etched in my psyche and so I will attempt to share what it is that I learned from our little foray into the world of 2 wheel touring (at least from this geezer’s perspective). Incidentally, for those of you keeping score, we logged about 3400 miles on the bikes traveling through 9 states (MI, NY, VT, NH, ME, MA, PA, OH and IN) and 3 Canadian provinces (Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island).

First a few comments regarding my fellow travelers. I hope I offend no one.

Before we even began this adventure, Charlie made it clear that he travels on his stomach. I had no idea the extent to which he meant this. Not a single eatery went unnoticed and commented upon. It mattered not if it was a pizza joint (especially a pizza joint), or a fine French restaurant. Further, no food was left as the chef intended. Charlie always managed to add his touch to the entrée by dousing it with a variety of condiments and spices. I’m rather certain Charlie is a chef at heart.

The other observation regarding the big guy is that he is addicted to his cell phone. There were several locations (particularly in the Maritime Provinces) where he couldn’t get service. On these occasions, a wild eyed expression crept over his countenance and more than once he began to shake uncontrollably. Upon reaching a working service area, he would make up for his time without the phone, and call everyone in the phone’s memory, some more than once.

Bill is a very conservative rider (and driver he tells me), and goes to great lengths to avoid breaking the law. One occasion comes to mind in particular when yours truly opted to pass a slow moving vehicle. While it’s true, there was a double solid line involved, the road was straight and clear with no oncoming traffic. After getting around the lady, as was my custom, I looked in the mirror to see if we were together; there was Charlie, but no Bill. I was later reminded of the double line, and suffered enormous guilt over my transgression. I suspect Bill’s regard for the lining of roads comes from the fact that his son is an engineer who builds roads and for whom Bill has a great love and respect.

Bill is a world traveler. This in itself is not unusual today, however, he apparently has traveled some of the more obscure backroads and alleyways in this great land too. I present to you just one example. While seeking shelter from one of the downpours during our first day out, we strayed from the expressway and wandered around until we came to a "coffee" shop occupied and apparently owned by what appeared to be Chinese people. I asked directions (to no avail I might add) and returned to the bikes. It was at this point that Bill casually mentioned that the very parking lot we occupied was one of his dog's favorite places to pee. Please! Here we were in East B.F., Egypt and it turns out to be his dog's toilet. The whole incident kind of took the edge off the sense that we were exploring new territory. The depression has since worn off, but for a while, it weighed heavily.

The only other comment regarding Bill is actually a statement regarding his sainted wife. Any woman remaining married to a man who snores with his gusto must be a saint. Fortunately we were all so exhausted after a day on the road we fell asleep quickly, but under normal circumstances it would have been a trial.

Here are a few other things I learned:
1. I am not fond of Canucks.
2. Canucks are not fond of people from the United States (except at the cash register).
3. If you want it to rain, invite me to go riding.
4. Geezers on motorcycles are not questioned at border crossings.
5. Breakfast on the road is the best meal of the day.
6. I don’t enjoy highway and toll road travel on a bike but will tolerate it when necessary.
7. Our country is incredibly beautiful (even in the rain).
8. I like mountains in the summer.
9. You can’t prove to me that Champ (the monster of Lake Champlain) exists (or not).
10. Prince Edward Island is “the Gentle Island” with the exception of the proprietor of the St. Nicholas Motel.
11. People you meet while traveling on motorcycles are helpful, funny, curious and good natured.
12. America smells great from the saddle of a motorcycle.
13. This is a great country.

Well that’s a baker's dozen and likely more than you cared about. Thanks for reading this to its conclusion. Here’s were I say, “adieu”.

Day 12, August 21, 2008 (The last day on the road)

2008-08-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today’s post will again be sans photos and short.

We left Mentor, OH this morning about 8:00 and rode highways and toll roads all the way to Kalamazoo, where we got on M-43 and headed home. The weather was warm and maybe a bit humid, but rather pleasant for riding. We ran 65 mph almost all the way, beginning in Cleveland’s rush hour, traveling through Ohio’s flat corn fields, and ending at the shore of Lake Michigan. As you may gather from these few lines, highway travel on 2 wheels is not my idea of the ultimate adventure, but as Charlie said, if you want to get from here to there it’s the fastest way (Charlie really didn’t say that, but it’s close enough).

For those of you who have followed us on our journey and wished us safety along the way; thank you. Further, as for the three intrepid crusaders to whom you were introduced in the first post, we remain friends, and miraculously look forward to riding together again.

Also, I re-read some of the previous posts and found some typos that eluded me as I proofed each night. Thank you for not being too critical of them; maybe someday I’ll even correct them.

That’s all for now, but in the next day or two don’t be surprised to find a final post, wrapping up our 12 day experience.

Day 11, August 20, 2008

2008-08-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are in Mentor, Ohio, just east of Cleveland. We left Binghamton, NY in cool weather (probably in the mid 50's) and traveled until about 6:30 tonight in sunshine (about 489 miles). The temperature made it to the upper 60's or there about.

We rode the entire length on route 6 which runs along the very top of Pennsylvania through beautiful countryside. The scenery was mostly mountainous interspersed with farmland in the valleys. The small towns and villages along the way ranged from quaint to poverty stricken. It seems that wherever we traveled there was a rather obvious dicotomy between the "haves" and "have nots". The "good" economy we hear so much about doesn't appear to exist off the beaten tracks of our highways and byways. Ah well, that's the subject for a different post.

It's a shame that the weather we experienced today waited until we were almost home to show itself... this kind of riding weather in the Aderondacks would have made good scenery unbelievable.

The only pictures I have to share, are of the motel at the end of the day. Best Western has some really nice places. This one is more suggestive of a bed and breakfast than a motel.

I believe the three of us are winding down a bit... as great as the experience has been, I think we're all looking forward to our last stop tomorrow..... Home.

Day 10, August 19, 2008

2008-08-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

This will be a short post today. Also there will be no pictures for the usual reasons, namely; I can't ride and take pictures and I was afraid the camera would rust or freeze or both.

We left the Laconia, NH area about 7:00 in the morning. I noticed the bike wasn't shifting as it should, and discovered I was down a quart of oil. I'll need to check that out when we get back.

Although the first part of the day was dry, in about 100 yards it began to rain... and rain... and rain. It's so pleasant riding in rubberized rain gear on a muggy morning. I shouldn't have complained, because the humidity soon gave way to rather, shall we say, brisk weather. Once into the mountains, all three of us fully expected snow squalls.

The roads we took were beautiful, taking us through some of the most classically New England countryside you could imagine... beautiful rivers, stone fences, imaculate white clapboard homes with well kept gardens. If an artist were to create a image of New England, these places would be included.

The afternoon cleared and we concluded our riding day in cool, but sunny weather, ending up in Binghamton, NY. Our destination was going to be Saracuse, NY, but in the Albany area we decided to take route 6 west along the top of PA. That is our planned route for tomorrow. As a side note, we missed a turn and ended up in the very north west corner of MA, in the Berkshires. Not far out of our way, but a beautiful ride on some terrific motorcycle roads.

Day 9, August 18, 2008

2008-08-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

We left Bangor, ME about 7:30 this morning. We had chosen as our destination Laconia, NH, and trusted the GPS(s) to get us there. Along the way we stopped at Greg’s Place… a little roadside diner and asked the young waitress the best way to get to Laconia. She gave us some directions, and gave us some suggestions, including the directions to get to the Kancamagus Highway. It’s a road that winds through the mountains of the White Mountains National Park in NH. We decided to run this stretch of road before ending the day in Laconia. Before we left Greg’s Place, I asked the waitress if she rode and she informed us that she did for a while, but grew tired of “braking with her face". She did say she went to Laconia for a tattoo. I told her we wouldn’t ask to see it, and she informed us that was good, because, as she put it, she had no intention of "dropping her laundry" to show us.

The road we took to the Park was windy and very pretty (with the exception of a few stretches that were kind of “lumpy”). The Kancamagus Highway was all it was advertised to be and it was a pleasant ride with some beautiful mountain scenery thrown into the mix. Even the road from the Highway to Laconia was a good motorcycle road; winding through small mountain towns.

Near our destination we first traveled through Weirs Beach in the “lake district” of NH. It looked like an amusement park. Laconia (about 8 miles further on) didn’t impress any of us (the only person we had contact with (asking her for directions) was an unpleasant shrew).

We continued on for another 7 or 8 miles and came upon a motel with a few cabins on a lake (I will try to include a few pictures). It is from one of these cabins that I write this. Incidentally, the cabin has no internet so this will be posted tomorrow.

Day 7 and 8 August 16 and 17

2008-08-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Day 7 and 8

Sorry folks, no connection last night so no blog.

Yesterday.

We took a little tour around Prince Edward Island. It seems the island is broken down into three general sections… east, central and west. We rode a loop through the central section. Lots of churches. Lots of potatoes. Lots of coast. The northern part of the loop was pretty nice, but once we swung to the south, the roads were really rough and we decided to get back early, lest we loosen some important organs and lose some necessary bodily functions. When the road sign show pictures of stair cases, you know the road will get bumpy; eh?.

When we returned to Rustico, we had dinner and headed over to the dock for the party boat for some fishing. Bill (the smart one of the lot) returned to the motel to clean the red clay (of which the island is entirely composed) off his ride, while Charlie and I boarded “Papa’s Gem” for some mackerel and cod fishing. There were 16 “sports” on board. The boat probably caught two 5 gal. buckets of mackerel and just a couple undersized cod…. The sea birds were entertaining, eh?

The weather was overcast and cool, but a good time was had by all, eh?

Today.

We left Prince Edward Island shortly after 7:00, God’s time, headed south across the Federation Bridge (8 miles long). As we were about to leave the bridge, Charlie saw 3 moose at the water’s edge. Of course, Charlie was the only one to see the moose, but Bill and I are inclined to humor him when it comes to these matters, eh?

We had breakfast at a little German B&B that was really nice (and good food too), but Charlie kept on hearing the echo of SS jack boots resounding through the house; he is convinced that the entire operation was nothing but a nest of terrorist spies, eh?

After crossing the border we had lunch. in Calais, Maine, and ran into a guy who used to live there and was visiting (planning to move back). It turns out he has 2 sons, one living in Niles, MI, the other attending Andrews University…. Small world, eh?

By the end of the day, we put in 375 miles and we are now in Bangor, Maine, having successfully escaped the agony of enduring another encounter with a Canadian, eh?

Right now we’re talking about the next stop… maybe Laconia, NH, eh?

Day 6

2008-08-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Day 6, August 15, 2008

We left Calais, ME this morning, about 7:00 in patchy fog. When the sun was hidden, it was pretty darn chilly too. We crossed the Canadian boarder (and into the Atlantic time zone) in short order and again headed north east. The riding was pretty fast, but the roads generally good with a few exceptions. Our first stop was in Saint Johns, British Columbia. We grabbed some gas, and breakfast and were sidetracked for a few minutes waiting for the “reversing falls”. In the event you don’t know what that means, the river (who’s name escapes me for the moment) obviously flows to the sea (in this case, by way of the Bay of Fundy), but the tides are so high, that the rivers are overcome be the incoming tide and forced to flow upstream. This occurs where some rocks protrude from the surface of the water, thus causing the “white water” to trail off in a different direction…. Whew. That was some explanation for something we never saw happen. It was supposed to change at 12:45 and we got bored at 12:20 and left. (The picture of the bridge with the arched superstructure shows the rocks I’m talking about).

By the way… 2 things that may be of interest to Pete. 1) Saw a couple of guys fly fishing (I assume for Atlantic Salmon on the New River. And 2) Bill Binning, the fellow in our group knows you. Evidently he was your boss back in the day when you managed the student center (?) at Western…. If I didn’t get that quite right forgive me, but he does know you.

We continued on to Muncton and then to the bridge to Prince Edward Island. We traveled about 45 minutes across the island to North Rustin (next to Calabash; the setting for Anne of Green Gables). Checked into a motel (the St. Nicholas), had dinner, and started writing this… as usual the WiFi connection is an “on again off again” proposition. So I don’t know if this will get on the blog tonight…. I’ll try.

The plan is to stay here one more day, explore and Charlie and I will try a little bottom bouncing for cod and mackerel on a “party boat”. We hope to start west on Sunday.

By the way, the picture of Charlie by the lobster pots is were we will board the boat for the fishing. Hopefully I will be able to tell you we caught a couple of cod on tomorrows blog.

Day 5, August 14, 2008

2008-08-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

Day 5, August 14, 2008

Today’s mileage, exactly 200 miles. We left Belfast at about 9:30 after having breakfast at the motel. We were in no rush to leave, as the fog off the bay was pretty thick. In fact we later heard that the lobster fishermen didn’t even get out to tend their traps as the buoys are too difficult to see in the soup. Our destination was Bar Harbor.

We arrived in Bar Harbor around 10:00. Walked around town and ended up having lunch at a place called Geddy’s on Main St.(this was a place recommended to us by a biker we talked to on the mountain in NH yesterday). We decided that “Ba Haba” is pretty much a larger Saugatuck and that we would move on. One thing I did notice, is that the people visiting were more international than just about any place I’ve been, with the exception on N.Y.C.

We traveled north on Route 1 along the coast until we reached the Canadian boarder at Calais, ME. We traveled though a lot of woods that would remind you of the Upper Peninsula. Along the way there were a lot of blueberry pickers we found were called “rakers”. A truck driver said they harvested about 4 million pounds in 2 weeks. These are the very small very low (the bushes look like ground cover), that you can find in the U.P. of MI.

Tonight we’re in a motel near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, although the tide here is very low, it doesn’t reflect the enormous tides seen further up the bay. Tomorrow we intend to cross the border and head up to St. Johns and points north were the tides are more pronounced, but we don’t expect to be there early enough to get the full effect.

Except for the fog this morning and some rather “crisp” riding weather, the day turned out sunny; with luck it will remain good for the next few days.

Day 4

2008-08-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Day 4 – August 13, 2008

Today we woke up in St. Johnsbury, VT, to a foggy buy otherwise dry day, and as has become our routine, headed east. The farther east we went the better the weather.

Soon after crossing into NH we stopped for breakfast at a restaurant recommended by a guy and his girlfriend at a local gas station, and made the decision to take a little side trip to the Auto Road that wends its way to the summit of the White Mountains.

The ride from the base of the mountain to its peak was nothing short of a combination of fascination and fear. The road was two cars wide (very narrow cars) and the incline probably in the neighborhood of 20 degrees. There were no guard rails and the drop (if you were on the mountain side of the road) was typically about 3 feet and the drop away from the mountain essentially went to the bottom. There were no shoulders on which to pull off, but there were periodic turnouts to stop and add water to your radiator on the way up and or cool your brakes on the way down. Most of the road was paved, but for several miles near the summit it changed to packed gravel. On the way up there was a grader working a section of the gravel, and it was necessary to stop…. not a comfortable experience. However, we made it all the way and all agreed it was worth the trip.

After checking out the summit (there was a shop (of course)) and several buildings evidently devoted to weather and research (in the 30’s wind speed exceeded 230 miles per hour at the top) we began the decent. We were advised by some other riders to keep it in second, maybe third gear so slow it down. We did, but a couple of miles from the top (the road is 8 miles long) my rear brake went out. Nothing. Nada. Not good. I pulled off at a turnoff and let Charlie and Bill know what had happened. We continued down, me keeping my hands and feet off the brakes and the bike in first. At the bottom we waited it out a while and the brakes returned. All we could guess was that at that altitude the brakes heated boiled the fluid and got air in the line. In any event all turned out well.

The remainder of the trip to the coast (Route 1 along the ME coast) was in great weather and thankfully uneventful.

After checking into a Comfort Inn, we dined at a lobster shack, beginning our campaign to reduce the lobster population.

Tomorrow we continue on to Bar Harbor (only about 40 miles) to kill more lobster.

Amanda….. I hope these pictures will help. I know elementary teachers don’t like books without pictures.

Day 3

2008-08-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

Day 3

We left the community of Tupper Lake, NY about 7:15 this morning. Our hostess at Tupper Lake told us that July had a total of 7 days without rain. So far this August it has rained every day. Today began very cool and very overcast, but at least not raining. Later in the day, we ran into a few patches of rain, but nothing that stayed with us.

Along the way we stopped at Lake Placid’s Ice Arena and watched a girls hockey clinic for a while. Afterwards we visited the ski jump “venue” and rode the lift to the top of the 120 meter jump (trip up the tower was by elevator). It was very interesting to get that perspective of what the athletes see before their run.

We moved on to Lake Champlain and boarded the ferry Valcour for the trip to Burlington, Vt. Beautiful ride across (‘though we didn’t see any sign of Champ). The ride out of town was a bit of a trial… the fire engines were out cleaning up a spill near the downtown area… we were told it was; how shall we say it?... fecal matter? It certainly smelled that way.

Other than that (with the exception of a short detour due to a bad choice by the GPS “programmer”), the roads were winding and great for riding. They carried us through some beautiful mountains and countryside of NY and VT. All along the way we passed numerous rock strewn bodies of water and enticing free stone rivers that begged to be fly fished. Some of the rivers in VT were high and discolored due to the heavy rains.

We concluded the day in St. Johnsbury, VT…. Not too far from the NH boarder.

Tomorrow we expect to traverse NH and maybe make it to the coast by the end of the day. Today’s ride was short (184 miles), but remember a good chunk of road time was saved by the trip across the Lake and some more time used checking out Lake Placid.

Day 2

2008-08-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

Day 2 – August 11, 2008

Yesterday we logged 404 miles and today, 347.

We left Jordan Station Best Western Motel at about 8:30 this morning. We traveled about 30 minutes to get to the Queens ton-Lewiston Bridge and were across in about 15 minutes. The weather was overcast but dry when we stopped at Tom Georges Villa…. Frankly that doesn’t sound quite right, but the guys agreed on the name. We had a hearty breakfast. The owner/cook was pleasant and came out to talk for a while. The dining room had 4 tables with people…. 3 tables, if you include ours, were from MI (Kalamazoo and Mount Pleasant). Lewiston proved to be a beautiful community…. both Charlie and I agreed that we could live there with no problem.

From Lewiston, we took the scenic Shore Route along lake Ontario to Rochester…. Along the way, the rain started again, so we suited up once more. We stayed with the shore route and entered a stretch of road that was like entering the Twilight Zone…. No cars at all…. It was eerie. As we approached Rochester a few cars passed, but relatively few. At Rochester the weather was nice and the riding easy. We made our way up to Watertown in and out of rain. Just north of Watertown we decided to stop at the next motel. The first stop, in the middle of a downpour with lightning approaching quickly wanted $80 for 2 beds, and looked like a crack house….. we moved on.

We entered the Adirondacks and stopped at Cranberry lake were there were supposed to be motels… there were 2. The one had doors that were practically hanging by their hinges, the other didn’t appear much better…. We moved on.

This time the destination was Tupper. The road and scenery was spectacular… the only thing to enhance it would have been dry weather and a little more time before night fall. The first motel we came to were cabins owned be a little German lady…. Clean… fairly inexpensive… perfect. The restaurant across the street was homy with good food.

That brings me to this point…. Sitting up in bed writing this… it won’t be blogged tonight because there is no internet here.

South Haven to Bar Harbor... Day 1

2008-08-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

This morning, August 10, 2008 dawned clear as a bell in South haven. Two of our intrepid heroes (that would be Charlie and me) met at 8:00 with great anticipation for our ride north to meet the third of our band of crusaders at a Speedway near Grand Rapids (that would be Bill Binning).

The weather was spectacular... at least until about Schwartz Creek when the first rain began. Stopping under an overpass, we donned our rain gear and forged ahead in anticipation of decimating the Maine lobster population and sorely taxing the supply of drawn butter in that state.

The afore mentioned overpass was but the first in a series of the underside of bridges with which we came to know intimately. Not all of the rain was torrential of course (I add this because Charlie said I needed to find the bright side of the situation.

Each time we took a piece of rain gear off, the rain gods became offended and struck out in the only way they knew how, until finally, in an act of shear desperation, they pelted us with hail and threw in a few funnel clouds for good measure. A local woman sharing our bridge with us (she was driving a car by the way), assured us that this was very unusual weather.

We finally called it quits in Jordan, Ontario, about 15 minutes from the bridge at a Best Western. It is from this location that I write these few lines.... by the way, I am in the lobby, because the storms messed up most of the electronics in the place, and there wasn't a strong enough signal to do this in the comfort of our room. There are no pictures, because:
a. I couldn't ride the bike while wiping water from my glasses and take the pictures
b. Bonnie and Lynn weren't there to take the pictures for me
c. I can't download pictures into this "lobby" computer

That's all for now.... hope to get some pictures out soon, and I also hope to have enough time to fill in a few more details about today.... did I mention the first motel we tried to stay with strongly resembled a little place were the owner's mom passed away.... I think it was called the Bat Hotel... no, Ah! the Bates Motel.

More tomorrow if I can.

ps... the pictures on this post were added August 19

In Search of Nirvana

2006-01-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

So I’m sitting here wondering what to do. The house could certainly use some cleaning. For that matter some major renovation wouldn’t exactly be out of order. I could start a new fish decoy… I have a walleye blank that I cut last winter. The new pipes for the scoot are supposed to arrive tomorrow, but that’s tomorrow. The dog needs a bath, but I’m just not up for the battle. I know! I’ll go on line and see if anyone is blogging about motorcycles.

Yep, there are a few, but it seems that most aren’t any more diligent about keeping up with their blogs than I am. I even ran across a few that ride 1600 Kaw’s. Having read some of their posts, I’ve come to several completely useless conclusions; here’s one.

Food plays a major roll in many rider’s lives. I know we all eat (the staff of life and such), but I’m talking destinations here. “Oh, sure, the harbor was beautiful, but how about that shrimp cocktail!”, or “Yeah, the place was quaint but nothing can compare to the broasted chicken!” Oh, the thrill of finding the perfect dive to titillate the palate and then to share it with your riding companions! Talk about bragging rights. It should be noted that to earn the greatest number of points for your gastronomical discovery, the eatery should be: a) practically impossible to find, b) decorated in some elaborate and often eclectic way, c) owned and operated by people of obscure ethnicity. To find a place located miles from some unheard of town, decorated with trophy game heads in a room reminiscent of a French Quarter brothel and operated by Buddhist monks serving an exquisite Mediterranean fish chowder would be Nirvana.

Here is a blogger who approaches Nirvana. Please understand that the attainment of this lofty goal is elusive. Take a minute to check it out. http://noclasseak.blogspot.com

This nonsense seems to have wasted enough of an otherwise perfectly good Sunday, so I suppose I’ll pick up a piece of wood and see if I can whittle the rest of the day into a fish decoy.

A Rose By Any Other Name...

2006-01-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Politics. Just the mention of it makes my head hurt, but our good friend Ned* got me to ruminating about what I wrote, what I should have written and what I should have kept to myself. So, with a bottle of Tylenol at my side and more time on my hands than common sense, I will ramble on at greater length. (I would like to think of these musings as observations, but I’m sure that would get me accused of being partisan.)

First, let me label myself. Incidentally, labeling is considered to be the bane of all that is good and right in America. I enjoy labels because they tend to irritate people who take themselves too seriously. But I digress. I am a (a flourish of trumpets would be appropriate here) Temporal Conservative Pragmatist. Darn… that was a letdown wasn’t it? For those needing an explanation this means that I currently align myself more with the conservatives than the liberals, but recognize that as a practical matter I must temper my beliefs with what can actually be accomplished within the framework of the World Community. “But wait,” I heard someone say, “That’s a Moderate!” Oh.

Having gotten that out the way, and in an effort to demonstrate my lack of partisanship, I will now identify 3 things I like about the Republican leadership and 3 things I like about the Democratic leadership, proving conclusively my Temporal Conservative Pragmatic bent. A drum roll, please.

Republican Leadership:
1. Doesn’t allow polls to govern policy.
2. Takes a strong stance on National Defense.
3. Includes non-partisan leadership in policy execution.

Democratic Leadership:
1.
2.
3.

I need to give a little more thought to this and get back to you soon.

*For those interested (Ned), I did respond to the comments left on the Nov. 15th entry.

More Useless Information

2005-12-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

I know you didn’t ask for it, but here it is anyway.

I finally installed both the hyper charger and the chips to adjust fuel delivery to the injectors on my scooter; which proves once again that you can find directions to do just about anything on the internet. After the installation, I hit the ignition and it actually started. I won’t be able to fine tune the fuel delivery chips until I can get it on the open road, but things look good in the meantime. A guy can dream can’t he?

It's a Joke?

2005-11-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

I was out having dinner with the Petersons, the Giers and the Mathews last Friday when coincidentally the Fosters and Karen sat down at the adjoining table. After dinner, Joe came over with a joke for us. It involved an Arab and a Jew. Always in the mood for a good story (particularly one with ethnic accents), we were all ears.

Now without the accents this loses something in the translation, but here goes anyway.

The Arab and the Jew were in a plane over the Atlantic, traveling to the United States. Everyone had settled in and was relaxing; the Arab taking off his jacket, the Jew removing his shoes, etc. Muhammad, being in a window seat, asked Benjamin if he would be so kind as to find the flight attendant and get him a drink. Benjamin agreed. While he was gone from his seat, the Arab took one of the Jew’s shoes and proceeded to spit in it. Benjamin returned to his seat with Muhammad’s drink and the flight continued uneventfully.

Upon approaching their destination, the Arab put his jacket back on and the Jew his shoes. With this the Jew says, “When will it ever end?!.... Spitting in the shoes….. Pissing in the drinks!

Odd how we find reality so humorous.

Another Political Rant

2005-11-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while since I made any political comments. Truthfully, politics have frustrated and angered me to the point that I no longer follow it as well as I used to.

As a general and rather casual observation, national politics have evolved into an obstructionist name calling fiasco, with no thought given to sincere problem solving. Here are some examples.

1. The Democrats have launched a campaign to point out that the involvement of the United States in Iraq was based on faulty intelligence. (Haven't we already beaten this dog?) They maintain that Bush “cherry picked” the reports to support his personal vendetta against that country’s president. They fail to mention that their own party members (most notably Kerry and H. Clinton) read the same intelligence report and clearly supported a war to overthrow that great humanitarian Suddam Hussein. The truth is, the minority party sees Bush’s low poll ratings and is hammering away to win seats in the next election. If the Democrats have a comprehensive plan to defeat terrorism; lets hear it!

2. The hearings regarding the appointment of the Supreme Court Justice are a joke. Should the nominee’s record be examined? Of course it should. If a nominee lacks the experience necessary to carry out the tasks of so important a position, they should be eliminated post haste. I believe nominee Meirs was a case in point. On the other hand, if a nominee is qualified, even though they may have different views than yours or mine it should not disqualify them. Other than whether or not they have the necessary credentials, the only question that’s pertinent is whether they will uphold the constitution of the United States. Congress makes the laws and the Court interprets them. If Congress has done its job well, it shouldn’t fear that a justice would misinterpret any law it has written. The truth is most of the hearings are blatantly obstructionist.

3. In order to keep this fairly short I won’t get into details. It regards a letter to the editor of our local paper. In it, a citizen went on a rant “exposing” how Bush and Cheney have been profiting from everything from the war in Iraq to the price of gas. I don’t know if that’s true or not; and neither does the writer of the letter. My point is, if a person makes a statement; support it with facts and if it’s an opinion; say so. If that person is unable or unwilling to do either then he or she should say nothing.

4. Although I could go on, the last item I’ll comment on is impeachment. I’m specifically referring to a bumper sticker I saw yesterday calling for Bush’s impeachment. Impeachment is not a devise to be used by the losing party to reverse the outcome of an election. It is a devise to accuse an elected official of illegal misconduct. If you are unhappy with the performance of an official, simply vote him/her out of office during the next election. If it can be shown that an elected political figure has broken the law; impeach him. This action is nothing to be bandied about lightly.

Both parties are guilty of “playing politics”. As trite as this rhetoric is, wouldn’t it be refreshing and maybe even helpful, to see them attack the myriad problems that this country faces instead of each other.

New Ride

2005-11-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

I’ve been riding so much I haven’t been very good at keeping up with these entries. Did I mention that I bought a new ride back in August? The Vulcan 800 was terrific, but I wanted more POWER. In any even, I traded in the 800 and got a Kawasaki 1600 Vulcan Classic. Fun ride. Since I bought it in August, I put about 5000 miles on it. The snows about to fly around here, so there probably won’t be too many more miles on the old odometer until 2006. Check out the picture above. As money permits (if money permits) I intend to put a hyper charger and new pipes on it (oh, and a chip so it will still run). I’ll let you know if and when that happens (like anyone cares).

Flashback

2005-11-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

During the summer (August 12th to be exact) Michael and I surprised Kim with a visit by hauling our scoots to South Elgin via the parking lot know as I-94. I mentioned in a previous entry that we had a great time and that I would comment more about that trip. So, here’s a little more.

It was great to see Kim and after settling Landi in for the weekend, the three of us set off to see the countryside, and a few of Kim’s friends. I don’t know that part of the world very well, but Kim led us through some pretty countryside and some communities near South Elgin.

We visited Toni, who was in crisis mode, because her car accident caused the loss of her job; but it was good to see her anyway. We also visited the home of Bonnie and Al (and girls). That was the first I met them, but Michael walked with them in the Y-Me breast cancer fund raiser earlier in the summer. They owned a Harley and both enjoyed riding; although a garage sale that weekend prevented them from joining us. Later Saturday evening, while I rested, Kim and Michael visited Denise; a friend of Kim’s who also participated in the Y-Me fund raiser.

During the weekend Michael and I wore our “colors”….. The picture is above.

Halloween '05

2005-11-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Well there you have it; another Halloween behind us. I usually plan for about 350 ghouls and goblins to assault my humble abode, but as always I was disappointed and nothing showed up but a bunch of street urchins and ankle biters demanding candy of me lest they mope and whine. The truth is, that about an hour into the appointed (and city approved) “trick or treat” time, the heavens opened, dampening costumes and spirits and limiting the number of knocks at the door. On the surface this may seem like a good thing, and in the grand scheme of things probably was, but the actual outcome is that I have been left with two unopened bags of treats that I will consume, contributing even more to my already over endowed girth. Actually the kids were generally polite, well mannered and most of them even wore costumes.

The day before, some of us more seasoned ghouls (there didn’t appear to be any goblins among us) took a little afternoon ride on our scoots, and ended up at Dan Olson’s house on Silver Lake. His wife is a Halloween aficionado and does their property up in a big way. We stayed for a while to enjoy her handy work and as it turned out celebrate her fiftieth birthday. I’ve included a couple of pictures for your perusal. All in all a beautiful day, an entertaining diversion and a fun ride.

Next we set our sights on November when that old boy Tom joins us for dinner. Will the fun never end?

Blog Spamming

2005-10-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Just a word about some of the comments that are left on the blog.

Morgan hit the nail on the head with his comment: "I hate the stupid blog spammers. Grrr." That about sums it up. The fact is I really enjoy reading your comments when you feel so inclined to leave them. If I allow an entry to receive new comments, anyone can comment, even the spammers. Therefore, I'll leave it up to you. If you drop by occasionally and read stuff other people left, let me know if the spammers bother you enough for me to block the comments. I will if the consensus is that I should..... Let me know. Too bad the host site can't screen that kind of junk, but I suppose it's impossible.

Dead Fish

2005-10-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the White Sox win the World Series then came in and sat down wondering what, if anything, I should stick on this site so the faithful will know I'm still drawing breath. Nothing struck my fancy, so I figured a picture of a dead fish would suffice. So here it is. This may also prove to the skeptics among you that when Larry and I go fishing we do occasionally catch a fish. I don't know what the occasion was in this case, but we caught three on this outing, sometime in mid-September.

October Birthdays

2005-10-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Ah…. January in Michigan. There’s something about a Midwestern winter that creates October birthdays. Specifically, Elli’s, Kim’s and mine. Additionally, several of Kim’s friends make the same claim to fame… Bonnie, Denise and John. So, when Michael and I visited Kim back in August, it was suggested that we get together in October to celebrate these days of infamy. A tentative time was set for the weekend of October 15th.

And so it came to pass that last weekend there was a gathering in South Haven, bringing together the “birthday people” and some of their friends and relatives for a ride through the fall landscape of South West Michigan. Michael and I thought about it a bit and decided that a winery tour with a lunch stop would be fun.

So, at 10:00 last Saturday, our little entourage set out for Coloma, our first stop. Bonnie rode behind me, Steve followed with Andrea as lookout, Kim rode her scoot alone (her saddle sacrifices a passenger for style), and Michael brought up the rear with Denise on board. Elli had to wait at home with Olivia and the sitter, and John came in for the evening’s festivities.

From South Haven, our itinerary looped us south to the Karma Vista and Contessa wineries then east to Kevin’s for lunch at the Warner winery in Paw Paw. North to Allegan, then west to New Richmond (Michael has a thing about this pastoral community….something about Huck Finn’s cousin). From there we crossed the “foot” bridge to Saugatuck where we stopped for coffee before moving on to the Fenn Valley winery. Our last leg returned us to South Haven via Blue Star Highway. Except for a few wind gusts, the weather was beautiful and everyone apparently had fun. Elapsed time, about 7 hours.

Upon returning to Michael’s, it was discovered that his oven was in the throws of a labor dispute and opted to execute a shut down. Thus ensued a period of gnashing of teeth and great emotional turmoil. Bonnie and I hauled the ribs (our dinner) over to Pearl Street to finish cooking them (Bonnie had the foresight to pre cook them). Meanwhile, Denise negotiated with the oven and convinced it to resume its duties…. alas, the meat was already done, and returning to the party. In any event, dinner was delicious and a good time was had by all. To add to the festivities, Amy and Brock and their kids arrived as did Andrea Quinn and her daughter. John from Illinois was there by that time as well.

Although I retired early, the party continued around the fire on Michaels deck well into the evening.

When all was said and done it was a terrific weekend.

A final note: as a gift from my daughters and Michael, I was given an “engine guard” for my bike….aka crash bar. Does that tell you something about what they think about my motoring abilities? (It looks great on the scooter.)

A Final Farewell

2005-10-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

Back on September 17, ’05, Michael and the girls put together a “celebration” of Linda’s life. This was her request, and those three did a great job of honoring it.

Those in attendance first met at the arena on Phoenix Road to watch Chloe put Brie though some of his dressage routine. Brie is a beautiful animal, and Chloe showed him at his best (at least to my untrained eye). Before moving on to the Blue Star Theater, there was a champagne toast in remembrance.

At the Theater there was music, dancing, food and a montage of photos representing Linda’s life.

My only job for this event was to put together the photos and music the girls provided for the montage. If any of the family’s friends would like a copy of the DVD, please contact me, and I’ll make arrangements to get you a copy.

Still Alive and Kickin'

2005-10-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

Here it is; the middle of October. I can’t say the frost is on the pumpkin, but judging by the coolness of the evenings, it won’t be long. As beautiful as this time of year is, there is a melancholy beneath each colored leaf and gust from the north. Birthdays come and go, holidays bring smiles and friends, but nothing marks the passage of time like fall giving way to winter. A few of the summer flowers are still blooming in the garden; some zinnias, dahlias (they didn’t even bloom until late September this year (the drought I suppose)), impatiens, and even the geraniums. One morning we’ll awaken to find them too lying tangled and wilted.

Summer this year was easy; warm and dry with new things to try and old things to savor. In fact it was too easy. I didn’t even make the effort to keep up with the thoughts and events I try to share here. My apologies to anyone kind enough to occasionally look in to see if I’m still alive and kicking.

So, with summer’s passage and winter’s arrival, I will try to share some of summer’s “adventures”. Notice I said “try”, and not “promise”. I know myself far too well to get carried away with promises. In the meantime, thanks for dropping by, whether by chance or design.

Alpaca

2005-08-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Allow me to get off the subject for a minute or two. Ok, you’re right, I was never on a subject; but if I were, this would be off it.

Recently, Larry has been saying how much he would enjoy visiting an alpaca “ranch”. “How about llamas?” I queried. “No, just alpacas; lamas spit at you, and, alpacas always relieve themselves in the same place”, he said. (I might point out that I generally relieve myself in the same place, but have never generated the interest that these animals seem to enjoy.) Regardless, I’ve been keeping an eye out for alpacas to let Larry know where he could witness these marvels of nature first hand. As luck would have it, Michael and I were out riding when he pointed out a bunch of alpacas not far from town. Today, while riding alone, I saw some people in the driveway of the farm and decided to stop to inquire if they would welcome a curious visitor. Evidently they deemed me curious enough and offered to give me the fifty cent tour.

For your edification, here are a few of the things I learned about alpacas and llamas.

Two guard llamas were kept in the herd of 13 alpacas to drive off coyotes. (Incidentally, llamas rarely spit at people, but Alpacas spit at each other frequently.)

Alpacas do poop in the same spot, and not to be outdone, others of the herd will queue up to make a deposit themselves. My tour guide likened it to ladies lining up at the loo in a movie theater.

The stuff covering an alpaca is called “fiber”.

The nearest factory to process the fiber is in South America. (The fiber from an alpaca generates enough money to feed it for a year. Alpacas are cheap to feed.)

Alpacas are not cuddly despite their appearance, and don’t like to be touched.

Alpacas are horny; however, some Alpacas don’t have a clue as to how to go about making little alpacas, and have to visit other farms where they can observe first hand what’s expected of them.

These breeders had two alpacas for sale at $15,000 apiece.

There were other interesting things, but this should be enough to pique even the most jaded curiosity.

One final note regarding the economics of alpacas. The ownership and sale of alpacas is a pyramid scheme. Except for producing a little fiber, their sole purpose is to produce little alpacas that can be sold to other people to produce more little alpacas to sell. When the alpaca market becomes glutted, pity the poor soul who was the last in line. Those Peruvians saw the fat man coming.

The Silence Is Broken

2005-08-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

This old geezer had fallen silent for the past month. Why? you might ask; or you might not, but I will tell you anyway.

Michael called me during the last weekend in July and suggested that we do something fun with Kim, who lives in the Chicago area. (If you don’t know who these people are, please go back and find them in former entries because it would take too long to explain here.) Further, he said that there was a motorcycle for sale across the street from him and that he was thinking about buying it so he could ride with Kim (who rides), and suggested that I might want to get a bike so we could all ride together. My initial was response was “no way”, but the more I thought about it the better the idea sounded. Michael bought the 2003, Anniversary Harley Sportster that was for sale by his house and I got a Kawasaki 800 from the local dealer. The goal was to tow the bikes to Kim’s house A.S.A.P. and surprise her.

There were two major obstacles that had to be overcome. First, I had to learn to operate the damned thing (I rode a friend’s bike in the early to mid sixties a few times and owned a scooter, but otherwise had absolutely no experience.) Michael rode a motorcycle about 25 years ago and therefore qualified as the experienced rider. Second, we had to get motorcycle endorsements on our driver's licenses (Michael had previously had one, but let it expire).

I figured 2 weeks practice, before the skills test for the endorsement. So, I spent the first week of August taking short rides and practicing slow maneuvers in a church parking lot. My only injury…. a sprained wrist. I considered myself lucky so far (although the wrist still doesn’t work worth a hoot.) The next Monday, I called to make the appointment for us take the skills test in Lawton on the upcoming Saturday and continued to practice. The only part of the test that had me stressed out was the anticipation of doing the WEAVE. Here, the word “weave” should be said with reverence, and authority, as if it were being said by God with dark and ominous clouds quickly forming overhead.

On the day of the TEST (use the same voice inflection as was used with WEAVE), we arrived at the site, did the paper work, and got in line behind a bunch of confident whipper snappers; all of whom seemed to pass without any trouble. Michael went before me and passed. Ahhh, the pressure was unbearable. My turn, and the first maneuver on the course…. The WEAVE! Clearly I was in trouble. This was not set up at all like the practice course we had used. I launched into the course filled with trepidation. Three cones were successfully navigated when I took the turn too wide to get back into the game and ran over the last two. Had they been people, bodies would have been strewn about like ??? …. Well, like knocked over cones…. Death and destruction would have reigned. I returned to the instructor assuming I would be assigned a new test date, however, he informed me I had lost five points but was still in the hunt. The rest of the test would have to go without incident. No stalling, no dropping my feet to get balance, no errors. Impossible! But no; I actually muddled through the test.

Michael and I made arrangements to visit Kim and spring the surprise on her, which we did. I’ll make our visit with Kim a separate entry, but to show it actually happened, I’ve included here a picture of the three of us at a restaurant near her house in Illinois.

Good Bye Old Friend

2005-07-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Pete Mathews and I drove up to Traverse City yesterday to say good bye to Rich Bondy, an old friend. I won’t become maudlin, or write his obituary here. Suffice it to say that Rich died at 5:00 p.m., July 22, 2005 in his sister’s home after a hard fought battle with cancer. During our stay, there were smiles and laughter over good times spent together in the streams, marshes and fields of Michigan.

Rich still lives in our memories.

Seriously

2005-07-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

I like this guy John Howard (Prime Minister of Australia).

Today, London was again struck by terrorists. Fortunately it appears that only one person was injured, but it’s too early to tell what actually transpired. Coincidentally, Australia’s Prime Minister was meeting with Tony Blair in London, and together they fielded questions at a press conference. While neither man wanted to comment on the specifics of the attack (answers were yet to come from any investigation), the journalists, naturally, wanted only to address the events of the day. Questions were answered in the non-committal, dignified way we all expect under such circumstances…. Until one of the reporters (from an unknown agency), asked Blair if he felt responsible for the attacks London has endured during these last several weeks. The question obviously suggested that England’s participation in the Afghan and Iraqi wars was the reason for the terrorism. Blair dodged the question skillfully. Howard did not.

Mr. Howard pointed out that terrorists have attacked the United States, England and Australia prior to the action taken in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recall that the destruction of the World Trade Center was the second attempt to bring it down. Australia was attacked before its involvement with East Timor, and both Australia and England were targets before they became involved in the coalition led by the United States. He further noted that the Islam leaders who pervert the teachings of the Koran are our enemies, and that until we hunt them down and kill them, we will continue to experience the work of terrorist throughout the world. This is paraphrased and the Prime Minister said it far more eloquently than I have relayed it here, but the notion is sound and our course of action should be clear.

Following Mr. Howard’s comments, at the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Blair looked at the woman who asked the question and rightly pointed out that it is the terrorists and only the terrorists who are responsible for their homicidal actions.

What a shame that people (maybe Americans in particular) have such short memories and are so short sighted.

I try to keep these posts on a lighter note, but some things should not be left unsaid.

New Strain Of Fish Discovered In Lake Michigan

2005-07-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Joe called yesterday, and suggested we try a little salmon fishing late in the day. We were on the water by 6:30 and fishing by 7:00. There has evidently been a new strain of salmo introduced into Lake Michigan, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha suicidus. That’s right; by 7:30 we actually hooked and landed a suicidal 16 pound Chinook Salmon. The beast make quite a showing for herself, but the superior intellect, imposing strength and total weight of the two fishermen prevailed. Before the evening was done, we released a “shaker”, and added another salmon to the stringer.

Speaking of stringers; Joe uses the “stringer” method of keeping his catch fresh (as opposed to the “cooler” method). He assured me that this technique has always served him well and that it takes up far less space on the boat. Far be it for me to argue with such logic.

As the sun set in a shmear (this is the Midwest Catskills after all) of golden afterglow, Joe pulled the lines for the ride home, and instructed me to put the boat in neutral while he hoisted the catch aboard. Yes, you guessed it, the stringer broke and our prizes drifted toward the horizon. Quick thinking and no small amount of luck enabled us to re-net the largest of the two. I’d like to think the other creature was provided a solemn (but unceremonial) burial at sea….. the gods of Lake Michigan having been provided, yet again, with a sacrificial offering.*

*Unfortunately cameras were left at home, requiring the reader to accept this account on blind faith.

Deck Survives Load Test!

2005-07-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

The load test for the new deck was run on July 2, 2005. In that the deck is still standing, I declare it fit for loads.

This year’s load was made up of a group of miscreants, Democrats and ne’er do wells; interspersed with a smattering of do gooders, intellectuals, Republicans and a few plainly good people (I’ll let the reader sort out who was what). In attendance were: Larry and Chris, Marcia (Chris’s sister), Don, Toni and Ned, their daughter Laura and her husband Steve and their kids, N & T’s daughter Sarah and her boyfriend, Joe and Pam, Nancy (newly retired from Kentucky), Michael Parker, Sissy (Mike’s dog), Morgan Foster and a pair of newlyweds he picked up from no telling where, Chris’s daughter Jody, her husband Jeff and their kids, Landi the dog, and my partners in crime, my daughter Kim and unofficial daughter Toni. The latter two, ran themselves ragged saving my bacon throughout the test.

To prove the above mentioned test actually took place (in the event the city building inspector should require proof), I submit for your perusal the above picture snapped during one of the most strenuous periods of the trial.

Pete's Observations of Lake Tahoe

2005-06-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Dort and I left Monday for Lake Tahoe, NV. Saw some beautiful territory and had a great time. Arrived home around midnight last night (Friday) and are just shaking off the time change effects.

While there I saw some Lahotan trout, a species on the brink of extinction. They were in a special underwater viewing area of a pool on the Truckee River which flows into South Lake Tahoe. Basically a pool was constructed by damming a side channel of the Truckee. One of the sides of the pool was a solid glass wall that allowed a view of the pool. This viewing area was underground and covered so one could see in but the fish could not see out. Pretty interesting to observe the fish behavior. Interesting to note was that the largest fish in the pool was occupying a mid water level area in the center of the pool. The smaller fish were either along the bottom or in the roots and blow-down structures that framed the pool. I would have expected the big boy to have taken up residence in the most reclusive and protected area. The time of the viewing was around 0930 hours. Did not see the fish eat anything in the 10 minutes I observed their behavior. There were also rainbow, brook and brown trout in the pool.

My conclusions are:
1) The bigger the fish the more likely they are to be in water easy to fish with a fly.
2) Trout do not eat.
3) Trout peacefully coexist with other fish.
4) Trout swim around a lot.
5) Trout like their space.
6) The bigger the trout, the bigger the space they prefer.
7) Lahotan trout have developed a white "tag" type appendage immediately in front of their dorsal fin.

Following my scientific observations of the Lahotan Trout I went hiking in the mountains of the Eagle Lake area of the Desolation Wilderness (by myself, of course). The Eagle Lake area is a remote section of the Desolation Wilderness and features high country lakes and streams There are reports of huge trout in this area but no established records or pictures. I became aware of these reports when I overheard a couple of area Old-timers whispering of 50 lb Brown Trout that lived for over fifty years in some of the remote streams of the Desolation Wilderness. One of the Old-timers mentioned Eagle Lake. Then they appeared to notice my close proximity and immediately clammed up and began discussing the stock market. Eagle Lake sounded like an interesting area to hike so off I went.

I hiked for about three miles past Eagle Lake and then got off the established trail. Since I had my GPS and my maps I was not concerned with this situation and decided to look the area over even though the Ranger at the Forest Service headquarters had suggested one NEVER leaves the established trails. I had not seen anyone official so was not worried about getting in trouble with the establishment.

While exploring I found evidence of what appeared to be some sort of ceremonial site back in this remote section of the Eagle Lake area (I have attached a photo of this ceremonial ring). The ceremonial ring site sits on a barren granite shelf which forms the top of small knob projecting out from the side of the mountain on the south side of the area. While exploring in the ceremonial area I though I heard a low growl coming from a heavily wooded section with dense undergrowth which ran up to the top of the shelf. The section formed a wedged shaped piece of heavily wooded area which terminated at a large boulder on the ceremonial site. I stopped, the hair rising up on the back of my neck, and looked around while subtly slipping my knife out of it's sheath. Once again the growl........................ and then the growl transformed into what I thought were the spoken words, "Outsider" and "Our Land".

I backed up to a large rock outcropping, balanced myself on the balls of my feet, quickly wrapped my wind breaker around my left forearm, ensured my knife hand was free of obstruction and waited. I can't remember feeling more alive, my every sense was razor sharp, my muscles firm but flexible. Being thus ready for anything. I maintained this posture in anticipation something sinister.

After what seemed hours (probably minutes) I noted movement in the dense undergrowth coupled with more low growls and unintelligible words. The dense undergrowth expanded into a small draw which ran up to the bottom of the steep granite face of the mountain that formed the division between the Eagle Lake Valley and more remote areas of the Desolation Wilderness. The draw ended in what appeared to be a deeply fractured section of the granite cliff which appeared to run back into the cliff. The movement continued up the draw while the sounds slowly faded and finally disappeared. As it was getting late, and I had told Dorothy I would meet her for dinner, I was unable investigate further. So, after tightening the straps on my backpack and a long pull on the water bottle, I set off down the mountain using my GPS and the maps to return to the more civilized paths. The balance of the trip was enjoyable but relatively uneventful. I did some more hiking in the Lake Tahoe area (did not get an opportunity to go back to the Desolation Wilderness area due to time schedule), went for a romantic evening cruise with Dorothy on Lake Tahoe and enjoyed the sights, sounds and dining in the area. In the evening Dort had a good time at the Casinos while I finished my book by Joe Heywood, "The Legend of The Snowfly".*

*I believe Pete has been taking The Legend of The Snowfly too seriously, and include this as a disclaimer to the validity of some of his misadventures..... Howard

Even A Blind Squirel...

2005-06-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Well here it is Saturday, June 04 and Larry and I finally went fishing for a few hours Thursday evening. We ended up on Saddle Lake and found a bass tournament under way, but we figured “Why not?” and went anyway. The fishing was slow, but we did manage to avoid getting “skunked”. We boated (and released) the bass below and Larry had one of about the same size throw the bait. Even a blind squirrel will occasionally find a nut. As always, the company was excellent. Hopefully spring projects will be done soon, and we’ll find the time and energy to get out on the water more often.

2005-06-04T18:47:00.001-07:00

Saddle Lake Bass

The Times They Are Achangin'

2005-05-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, it’s time to commit small town blasphemy, and it all has to do with change.

While we were smiling contentedly at the notion that we are lucky to live in a “quaint” little village, right on Lake Michigan and away from the usual problems of the “big city”, the complexion of the global economy changed. Our state and each of its communities were drawn into this economic vortex. Specifically, we are no longer a country of manufacturing, but rather of service.

At one time most of the businesses in Michigan were tied to the automobile manufacturing industry. Today most of those jobs have left Michigan… and the United States for that matter. Whereas not many years ago there was National Motors, Bohn Aluminum, Overton’s and Everett Piano, today, there are but a handful of small factories (with the exception of Wyckoff Chemical), who employ few workers. Evidently, economies abhor a vacuum with the result that there are at least 6 motels, 6 fast food restaurants, a Wal-Mart Superstore, untold numbers of bed and breakfasts, and yes, friends and neighbors….. CONDOS; not to mention single family dwellings all over town owned by people from Chicago and Indiana. The downtown storefronts now display works of art, trendy home fashions, chocolates and antiques. Mercifully there are few “T-shirt” shops and there remain the hardware and barber shops.

Well all of this tedious rhetoric brings us to one conclusion. We have evolved into a service oriented community, catering to tourists and second home owners. In other words we have shaped ourselves (or have been shaped) to fit today’s economy. Is this a bad thing? No. Is it different? Yes. And the truth is there are always a vocal group of citizens objecting to “different”. A case in point (although no longer relevant), was the sale of the soon to be defunct Indiana School. The school board had a tentative agreement to sell the building (after it’s renovations, I would hesitate to call it an historic building) to a Chicago developer to convert it into condominiums. Neighbors objected on the grounds that it would change the ambiance of the neighborhood and create traffic problems. Would it change the neighborhood? No doubt, but not necessarily in a detrimental way. Would it create traffic problems? No more than existed with parents dropping kids off or picking them up from school several times a day. As far as I could tell, none of the people writing their opinions to the editor of the local paper suggested how the property should be utilized.

There are other examples, but enough is enough. People of South Haven, embrace the changes. Accept the tourist dollars, accept the taxes the second home owners pay (while we homesteaders pay less), and accept the jobs created (even though they may pay less than during the Union’s heyday). After all, the alternative is to move to where there are jobs. How about China for example?

Steelheaders Tournament '05

2005-05-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ned, Joe and Beezer* struck out for Florida today. They waited until today to leave because Joe was working the Steelheaders Fishing Tournament yesterday. They just called from somewhere south of Louisville. (The drive must have been boring so far.)

In the course of the conversation, Joe passed along some information about the tournament that I found interesting.

I hope my recollection of the facts is close to accurate.

~There were 130 boats participating this year.
~Over 800 pounds of fillets were collected for the community Fish Boil later in the season.
~The winners in the tournament receive 110% of the entrance fees.
~This was the first year a licensed polygraph operator was on duty.

The remainder of the fish were distributed however the captains chose. With a trailer load going to a local camp ground for their own fish boil.

He also said that the start was late due to rough water and that most of the fishing took place in water over 200 feet deep…. the last time I was that far out a tanker almost ran us over.

If you're interested in more details about the Steelheaders or the tournament, try www.mssfa.com.

*Ned’s dog

The Truth About Foreigners

2005-05-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

The United States, and by extension her citizens, has taken some hits from people around the globe since 9/11. Historically, we have frequently been characterized as the “ugly American”. I suppose this is human nature. People are quick to find fault with those who are perceived to have more money or power than they do. Even in this little tourist town, people from Chicago or Indiana who visit us are often referred to as “FIPs” (I’ll leave its meaning to your imagination). In both cases these critics have little problem taking the “foreign” money that finds its way into their coffers.

These observations are a lame excuse for me to queue up and throw in my 2¢ as it applies to the attitudes of people from different countries and cultures.

I have never had the opportunity to be an “ugly American” (‘though I am American and ugly). I have traveled across south eastern Canada and have been to Tijuana; but on both occasions I tried to behave myself and met few “natives”. Most of my contact with “foreigners” has come from playing backgammon with them on-line. Over the months I have had the opportunity to play with people from: Mexico, Sweden, Turkey, South Africa, France, Cyprus, England, Scotland (a man living in Japan), Australia, Austria, Spain and New Jersey. There were probably a few other countries, but I don’t recall at the moment. After gaming and chatting with these people I feel imminently qualified to comment of the kind of people they are. So here goes: they are rude, vulgar, surly, poor losers and winners, impolite, pessimistic, conspiracy theorists, egotistical, narcissistic, courteous, humble, well spoken, compassionate, sympathetic, humorous, optimistic, good natured, trusting and friendly. In fact they are just about like the people I’ve played in Dallas, Seattle, and Muskegon, except their English is better.

The Deck Vigilante

2005-05-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier, I’m building a small (10’ x 15’) extension on my deck. While this is a daunting project for me (most of my knowledge of wood comes from tooth picks), I am fortunate to have several friends who enjoy working with wood, and don’t seem to mind sharing their knowledge. Larry has been particularly helpful with his time and skill, but Don and Ned have been there for me too. Alas I digress.

For this small a project, I didn’t think a building permit was necessary. This proved to be incorrect. I was visited by the city’s building inspector (Mr. Fout) and educated on some of the finer points regarding the laws surrounding a structure such as mine. The truth is Mr. Fout is a very pleasant and helpful fellow. I brought him a drawing of the project the following day and was issued a building permit for $30. He told me with a project of this size that he wasn’t overly concerned about a permit, but that someone had called his office regarding my project and he was therefore obligated to act on it.

This brings me to the point of this little blurb. Who would feel compelled to report a backyard project to the city? Are there people roaming the streets who’s lives so lack meaning that they must take it upon themselves to police their fellow citizens? Have I somewhere along the way offended someone who perceived this act of “courage” as a way to “get even” for some imagined transgression on my part? May I humbly suggest that whatever their motivation, a knock on the door and a short conversation is both more courteous and effective than “dropping a dime” on some old coot whose major goal was to get some exercise.

People never cease to amaze me.

Curse of the Libra

2005-04-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

The curse of being a Libra is that we weigh both sides of a question to the exclusion of settling on a conclusion. I mention this because it was my intention to include more political commentary in these postings than I have. Every time a political issue piques my interest I form an immediate opinion based more on common sense than fact. Then to the detriment of that opinion, I start to seek evidence to support it. There is usually a plethora of information available on any topic one might choose to research. Unfortunately this vast array of material is as varied as are the people taking the time to write it. Anyone can find “proof” to support his personal beliefs. Alas the poor Libra wallows in a quagmire of ideas seeing a fragment of truth and prejudice in everything.

Having said that, I’m going to paint three individual topics with one broad brush; Delay’s alleged misuse of funds, Bolton’s appointment to the U.N. and the congressional approval of Supreme Court judges.

The Democrats are being obstructionists basing their rhetoric on party politics. If it weren’t for the short memory of the American public their behavior would bite them in the butt during the ’06 and ’08 elections.

Can I present “proof” that I am right?…. Yes. Can I present “proof” that I am wrong?…. Yes. Will I?... No. I am a Libra and that’s my prerogative.

All Hands On Deck

2005-04-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

Even though there is the possibility of snow this weekend, spring has arrived. “How do you know?” you may ask. I know because I have begun building an addition to the deck on the back of the house. Something like this happens every spring (almost). I feel the need to get my winter-fat butt off the sofa and launch into an outdoor project. That in itself is a good thing. The bad things are: a) every time I get off the sofa it costs me more money than I can afford and b) my delicate and finely tuned body is not prepared for the harsh realities of physical labor.

Forget about the dollar cost of the project, the price I am paying in pain and suffering goes beyond the pale. Most of the muscles from my ears down hurt; and the ones above my ears don’t feel so good either.

Larry came over after work last evening to help me set the ledger board in place (I had already dug the holes to receive the 4x4 uprights). If it weren’t for his experience, it never would have been done. In any event, we worked until about 9:00 p.m. when the sun took pity on us and set. Today I intended to put in the third 4x4 and concrete all the uprights into place. Mercifully it’s rained all day so I could heal for another few hours.

I’d guess I’ll be at this for another 2 weeks….. if I survive all the fun.

You may not hear from me for a while; the hand that holds the hammer, refuses to hold the mouse.

A Few Sheets Short

2005-04-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

I used to think that people who spend tons of money on their pets were a few sheets short of a ream. I still believe that, but now I have joined their ranks. Dog and I went to the vet's today because her allergy medication had arrived from some specialty lab in Texas. The package indicated that she is allergic to: cats, cedar, cocklebur, dandelion, marsh elder, orchard grass, ragweed, sagebrush, sycamore and black walnut, to name a few. The allergies to pig, yeast, peanuts and mold were not included because they would require additional shots.

I was at the office to learn how to administer the shots that she will be taking for the the rest of either her life or mine. First, agitate the "serum" (stirred, not shaken; unlike 007 I never took that much care with a martini thank you very much). Next pierce the cap to the green container with the hypodermic needle and draw .1 cc of the fluid into the barrel. There is also a blue vial and a red one for later. Tap the barrel to release any bubbles that may have snuck in there. Next pierce the skin on the nape of the neck (the dog's that is) and draw back the plunger. Start the piercing again if you draw blood....remember this is sub-cutaneous, not intravenous. Finally inject the material into the patient, er...dog. Ok....my turn with a saline salution. First take the plastic protector off the needle .... oops, took the needle off the needle. I put it back on and the rest of the procedure went as is was supposed to.

Dog and I returned home to put the serum in the refrigerator and to make sure she didn't go into anaphylactic shock (always a possibility you know).

Later I went to the drug store to purchase a supply of syringes. The girl behind the counter kept looking for a spoon on a chain around my neck in which she expected I would cook the H when I returned to the car.

Just another day in paradise.

Hear My Prayer

2005-04-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord, forgive my trespasses, get John Paul II buried as soon as possible and have a new Pope chosen post haste so all of us sinners out there can watch the news on TV again. Everyone agrees the pontiff was a great guy, but enough is enough.

Amen

What's Wrong With This Picture

2005-04-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I took Dog to the vet to determine why she was scratching so much. Office tests were run: scabies...nooo, fleas...noooo. Ah, the possibilities of allergies. Over the years, I have owned a few dogs, and all of them scratched; mostly from fleas when they were in season. I had never had a dog with allergies, but, I never had a dog like Landi either. Blood was drawn, to be shipped off to a lab in Texas where it could be tested for things to which the dog might be allergic. The results came in over the weekend, and the vet called today to inform me of the results and to suggest a plan of attack.

Yes, she (the dog, not the vet) is allergic to a myriad of substances. While I haven't seen the list yet, I remember a few that were mentioned over the phone. The list included, but was not limited to: certain molds, yeast, cats, a variety of different weeds including ragweed, pork, peanuts, walnuts, and a bunch of other stuff which escapes me for the moment. In an old house such as this, I assume there are mold spores floating around someplace, not to mention the mold found in most leaf litter outside. I haven't checked, but I bet most dog foods contain some kind of yeast. Weeds....'nuf said. Her favorite treats are Pig Ears (pork). I found peanuts as an ingredient in her favorite "doggie" cookies. There are two trees on the property...Walnuts. You get the idea, the poor creature will be deprived of the few pleasures she has ... Lord only knows, it's no pleasure to live with me.

I have given the vet the go-ahead to contact the lab in Texas to mix up a cocktail to help her develop an "immunity" to the various offensive substances. When it arrives in a couple of weeks, I will be giving her shots (probably once a week to begin with, then once a month for the rest of her days (or mine)).

I'm not sure why I'm sharing this, but not too many years ago I don't remember dogs having allergies or people willing to refinance the farm in order for them to treat them. This observation, may reflect on our environment and on the neurotic behavior of pet owners today. Whether it's one or both of these things, it occurs to me that there's something wrong with this picture.

If Thine Eye Offends Thee Pluck It Out

2005-04-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

This morning while most of this little town slept, Daylight Savings Time arrived. To celebrate the occasion my furnace decided it had enough of winter and quit. I was able to stay in bed until about 4:00 o'clock (DST) before the dog's shivering forced me to get up and don my winter togs. After checking to make make sure the frigid temperature wasn't in the dog's imagination, I sat bundled and glassy-eyed before the TV catching up on infomercials. There I stayed until what I deemed a reasonable hour to call Ron's Heating and invite him over to scalp me for being summoned on a Sunday.

To his credit, Ron arrived in short order and declared the glow plug to be the culprit. True to biblical teachings (Mathew 5:29 .... remember, it's Sunday), he plucked out the offending component. Unlike these teachings he replaced it with a new one. Actually the old one was still kind of new, but it evidentally felt it had glowed enough this winter.

While there is no moral to this story, there is a bottom line: 1 glow plug... $43.89, tax... 2.64, labor (15 minutes)...$28.oo, dragging his ass out on a Sunday... $50.00. Total $124.53.

No Pop Quiz

2005-03-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

In that I'm too lazy today to come up with a quiz question, there will be none.

The answer to the last question was: Thomas Jefferson

Spring....When An Old Man's Fancy Turns To...Fishing

2005-03-29T11:21:00.000-08:00

Time marches (slogs) on. Easter is behind us; the eggs (and hands) were dyed, and the bunny's hiding places found (I hope). As predicted, there was too much frost on the cotton tail to have an outdoor egg hunt, but fun was had by all. Something I did during the weekend rendered me a semi-invalid, but that's a story for another time. By 2 p.m. on Sunday, everyone had packed their goodies and headed for home. Dog and I were left to return to our hermit ways.

There is bright news on the horizon. The temperature today made it into the upper 60's under sunny skies. I went out for a while to clean up what I hope will be a garden this year, but my back doth protest too much and forced me to retire earlier than I would have liked. I therefore fired up the old computer and purchased a fishing license for 2005. Ah....hope springs eternal.

Dog and I drove down to the Lake to check its condition. No ice in the river or the Lake and the South Pier is clear.....the North Pier still has a few tons of ice on it, but my guess is it should be gone by the end of the week (I become optomistic on sunny days).

If all goes well, you will soon be able to read my rants about how lousy the fishing is and how I rue the day I ever bought a fishing license.

Pop Quiz

2005-03-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

Who Said: "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

Answer to the Pop Quiz of March 11 is Hillary Clinton

What, Me Worry?

2005-03-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

I have never hesitated to buy things on the internet. Thus far I’ve been quite satisfied with the experiences. My last purchase, however, came close to souring me on shopping on the www. Oh, I know the potential for disaster is there, but I haven’t been bit in the butt hard enough yet to change my ways. But let me tell you about my last purchase; there may be lessons to be learned……..

I wanted a piece of software that would allow me to organize my paper documents into something that could be stored and managed on the computer. Adobe Capture 3 seemed like a possible solution, but quite expensive. Lo and behold I received an email from a company offering that very product at a quarter of the price for which it sold retail. Ah, that’s for me.

On February 4, I ordered the piece on line and was assured that I would receive an email confirmation shortly. No confirmation. I had given them my credit card number and wanted assurance that the order was being processed and that the company was what it claimed to be. So, I thought communicating with them might be appropriate. No phone number. There was an email system in place for questions, so I wrote them a note requesting the status of the order. It was answered, assuring me that everything was on track….. “don’t worry” was their advice. Do I look like Alfred E. Newman….I don’t think so. I wasn’t comforted by the ticket system that said the order was processed on the 14th and mailed on the 12th. “Don’t worry” they said. They told me delivery would take 4 weeks and the product was shipped by standard air…..where to these people live…..the Ukraine?

To make a long story less long, the disk arrived on March 11. It was shipped in a bubble wrap envelope from the Ukraine.

The directions said don’t register this program because it was supposed to be bundled with a computer sale. I installed the program, and it won’t allow me to scan; no tech. support without registration. My next step is to email these people again to see if they can help, but my hopes are not high.

As C. Brown would say, “Aaarrrggghhh”. Now there’s a boy who has obviously made purchases on the internet.

Pop Quiz

2005-03-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

Who said:

"I am particularly horrified by the use of propaganda and the manipulation of the truth and the revision of history "....

Answer to the Pop Quiz on March 7...
Dan Rather while being interviewed on the Letterman Show

It's Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature

2005-03-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

This week I had TiVo installed on my DirectTV system. I haven't figured out all of it's capabilities yet, but I'm fascinated by the fact that it allows us to replay, or play in slow motion, live TV. I can, in a vague way, understand how this is done, but it occurred to me that if Einstein were to see this for the first time, it may have made him think twice about his theory of relativity and the whole space time continuum thing. Part of the definition of this theory apparently involves the concept of time....."As three-dimensional beings, we perceive time only as a result of memory. We remember what was as a variable interval from what is now. If we had zero memory, we could not detect time - we would exist only for the moment." This makes sense to me. TiVo contorts the "variable" to the extent that the concept of time becomes blurred. Farewell to the days when if you missed the name of the actor at the beginning of the program his name was gone forever in the vastness of the time continuum. If we could only fast forward to the end of a live program .... now that would be something to install on your home entertainment center.

Pop Quiz (Current Events)

2005-03-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

Who Said:

"...nobody broke the law, nobody lied. Depending on your point of view, it was a mistake."

Hint: No, it wasn't Richard Nixon
Answer to Pop Quiz from March 1: John F. Kennedy

Cure for the Empty Nest Syndrome

2005-03-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks for sharing Pete....hope you don't mind Dort.

2005-03-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

Dort and Maggie

Got Gas?

2005-03-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

I was talking to Larry tonight and it reminded me that it’s time to talk about gas. No; I’m referring to fuel. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t understand the economics of oil, but I do understand the economics of getting in the car to take a drive. Today the price of regular gas is about $2.15 a gallon (yesterday I filled up for $1.99 a gallon). The talking heads tell us that these prices are due to two things: 1) $60 for a barrel of imported oil, and 2) refineries “retooling” (my word) to produce a summer blend of gas.

The gasoline industry is the only one I’m aware of that charges for a product based on anticipated shortages. If a freeze creates an orange shortage, we don’t pay higher prices for orange juice in the grocery store until the effect of the shortage becomes a reality. Not so at the pump. In my mind, this comes very close to gouging. We shouldn’t have to pay higher prices until the local distributor has to pay higher prices to fill his holding tanks.

Regarding imported crude, the only way to avoid being jerked around by foreign oil cartels is to rely on them less. This means developing alternative energy (a noble goal) and, at least in the short haul, acquiring more domestic crude. The latter would require drilling in ecologically sensitive areas; off shore and in parts of Alaska. When one weighs the risk against the gains, I believe it makes sense to tap our own natural resources responsibly. It can be done and should be done in order for us to remain competitive in the global community. As a bonus, it may even result in reducing some of the wealth currently being funneled in to terrorist organizations.

Pop Quiz

2005-03-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

Some things die hard. Therefore, from time to time I will offer a pop quiz question. Fear not... no grading, just the opportunity to dust off some of the old grey matter. If you'd like to venture a guess, leave it as a comment.

Question: who said, "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction."

2005-02-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

Muddler Minnow

Therefore I am...

2005-02-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

This probably should have been my first post. My friends and family know why I chose the name Muddler as my nom de guerre. This then is to the lost soul who strays onto this page and doesn’t know me from Adam.

I enjoy fishing; especially fly fishing for trout. For that reason I thought it would be fun to choose the name of a trout fly pattern as my on-line identity. I considered several: Royal Coachman…too English, Pale Evening Dun…too…pale, Jock Scott…too Scottish, Black Ghost…too ethnic, Undertaker…too depressing, Green Butt…out of the question. Muddler? Ah, a possibility.

This fly imitates those little forage fish that stay close to the bottom of a stream. They’re a rather dull mottled brown for camouflage (the fly is tied using deer hair and turkey quill as its main components). All in all quite an ugly creation, but effective…the trout love them. If dressed with floatant, they can even be used as a passable hopper imitation.

As a verb, the word also means to befuddle.

I like it…therefore, I am Muddler.

Just Another Easter in Paradise

2005-02-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

I spoke to Kim briefly this evening to wish her a good trip to Florida. She is going to meet Andi (and Liv) there this weekend to help Michael sort out some of the things that have to be, well, sorted out at Michael and Linda's "Winter Home" before it's sold. Michael had gone down earlier with a friend to clean up the property...they hadn't been down there since last Fall's hurricanes.

While talking to Kim, she reminded me that my house will again be a gathering place for Easter. Andi and her family will be in town, Kim of course, Michael, and I hope Toni (my "other" daughter) and Cory, her son. I hope Toni doesn't mind the title, it's bestowed with the best of intentions. I look forward to these get togethers each year, and should probably show it more.

I told Kim that I didn't know when Easter will be this year. Neither did she. Small wonder! Easter is traditionally observed on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or next after March 21. This is not to be confused with Easter Monday, which is the Monday after Easter and observed as a holiday in some countries and North Carolina. I'm not kidding...look it up. It's a wonder when people "get together" for Easter that they show up on the same day...the same month for that matter! You can scramble around looking for you Farmer's Almanac, but I'll tell you that this year Easter is on March 27th. It will be cold and nasty regardless of what the seers say about March going out like a lamb...balderdash!

Where are those Easters of my youth when the sun always shined and a warm breeze stirred the daffodils in the garden. Poe knew from whence he spoke...Nevermore.

2005-02-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

Elli, 2004

Sic Gloria Piscatoria

2005-02-23T16:37:00.000-08:00

Don emailed me yesterday and concluded his message with, "Sic Gloria Piscatoria". I pondered two things upon reading that phrase: 1) Why wouldn't Don end his message with "Tight Lines" like every other fisherman I know and 2) What the Hell does that mean.

My initial assumption was that it meant "Gloria's fish wasn't well", then on second thought it occurred to me that it might be some vague sexual reference to Gloria Esteban. As luck would have it Don sent me a second message with the following translation:

"Actually I believe it is something like, ' Thus glorious fishing' or possibly something else like 'Thus fishing in glory' or..........it may not mean anything at all. I just made it up to sound intelligent in hopes that you would put it on your blog site."

I Saw That

2005-02-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

The reason I'm writing and showing the picture that follows is to prove to Kim and Andi that their dear old dad actually got off his fat late February butt and did something...infinitesimal as it may be. The space shown below used to house the freezer. In order to remove the freezer there was some slight of hand involving a shoe horn and some Vaseline, however I won't bore you with those details.

I will admit that the most difficult part of the project was returning a new circular saw to its carrying case. The label said "made in China"; this isn't surprising because the technique necessary to store the saw requires the imagination of a Chinese finger puzzle and the dexterity of a Chinese fire drill. I managed, and everything is cleaned up.

Speaking of cleaning up, Larry is forever fretting over the dust he creates in his workshop at his house. I have a solution for him. Do as I did, and cut all your material in the kitchen. The thought of cooking and consuming food in that environment provides the incentive to vacuum all your waste up immediately.

Hopefully Spring will rear its lovely head sooner rather than later, and I won't be forced to be creative again any time soon. The entire project was far too taxing; which reminds me that April 15th will be here before we know it.....but that's a different entry.

2005-02-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

Hobby Bench

From Don....always good for a story

2005-02-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

An Indian walks into a cafe with a shotgun in one hand pulling a male buffalo with the other and says to the waiter, "Want coffee." The waiter says, "Sure chief, coming right up." He gets the Indian a tall mug of coffee. After drinking the coffee down in one gulp, the Indian turns and blasts the buffalo with the shotgun, then just walks out.

The next morning the man returns. He has his shotgun in one hand pulling another male buffalo with the other. He walks up to the counter and says to the waiter, "Want coffee." The waiter says, "Whoa, Tonto! We're still cleaning up your mess from yesterday. What the heck was all that about, anyway?"

The Indian smiles and proudly says, "Training for upper management position. Come in, drink coffee, shoot the bull, leave mess for others to clean up, disappear for rest of day.

Ponder This

2005-02-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?

Tip the Chip?

2005-02-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

A while ago, Larry and I were talking about tipping. Not how much to tip, or who to tip; but the concept of tipping. Larry doesn’t like it. He believes that a restaurateur, for example, should pay their employees a sufficient wage, so that the patron shouldn’t have to supplement their income with a tip. I understand this; however, we all know that the guy who owns the restaurant will not reduce his profit to pay his employees more money; he will charge more. In the end we will be spending the same amount and be deprived of our ability to demonstrate our gratitude (thus gratuity?) for a job well done…or not.

While I usually tip 20% for services rendered, I like the idea of being able to tip less for that person with a chip on his shoulder.

How Depressing

2005-02-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to avoid long entries in these posts, however I happened across what I thought to be an interesting site. Following is a quote from the site and its URL if your interested.

"The genesis of the Great Depression lay in the inflationary monetary policies of the U.S. government in the 1920s. It was prolonged and exacerbated by a litany of political missteps: trade-crushing tariffs, incentive-sapping taxes, mind-numbing controls on production and competition, senseless destruction of crops and cattle, and coercive labor laws, to recount just a few. It was not the free market that produced twelve years of agony; rather, it was political bungling on a scale as grand as there ever was."

http://www.fee.org/vnews.php?nid=4095

Beefeater and Tonic...It's What's For Supper

2005-02-14T18:48:00.000-08:00

Earlier this evening I was chatting with a woman from England. Just to keep things “light”, I said, “So, how’s Charles and Camilla?”. Big mistake. If things were a bit tense regarding England’s view of the United States, that question may have pushed the limeys over the edge, and it might behoove us all to seek shelter lest we suffer the wrath of an irate British populace.

I mention this because the fact is; I don’t get it. From what I can tell, the Monarch de jour, rides around in a horse drawn carriage, waves to the “little” people of her (his) Kingdom with the back of her hand, and spends the rest of her time worrying about what people may think about the propriety of various members of the Royal Family.

Who, pray tell, cares if Charles was married to a babe some years back, or that the babe left him because of his dalliances with Camilla (although that was a very weird picture, you must admit), or that Charles may or may not have been caught with his pants down (at least Camilla is of the female persuasion….I think), or that a prince wears a swastika to a halloween party, or that the afore mentioned babe took up with an Arab gazillionaire, or…..well you get the idea. The Family just doesn’t matter any more. So, keep a stiff upper lip, get over it and while your at it, have a Beefeater and Tonic on me.

Cereal City

2005-02-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

Saugatuck is like granola. Take away the fruits and nuts and all that's left are the flakes.

~Paraphrased from a remark made about San Francisco~

Who Said.....

2005-02-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

...social security can furnish only a base upon which each one of our citizens may build his individual security through his own individual efforts.

http://ssa.gov/history/

....and the worst of times.

2005-02-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

I went to dinner at Don and Dort’s last night. Chicken Parmesan, zucchini, and homemade bread were the fare: delicious. Where Dort found fresh peaches for desert in the middle of February is a mystery. Joe was there (Pam was in Florida helping her dad after some surgery he had), and Ned and Toni were there as well. All friends I’ve known since college or soon after moving to Michigan.

After dinner, over coffee and drinks, the conversation drifted to the state of the Union. Joe had left and Dort and Toni had gone to check something on the computer. Alas, I found myself alone with two staunch liberals (well, at least a bit to the left of center).

Without getting into the gory details of the discussion, the thrust of their comments centered on the notion that we live in the worst of times. Under the leadership of our august president, they contend, things will only get worse. For example, Don is convinced that if Bush has his way with social security, he will lose the benefits he’s due and his children will fare even worse. Ned is convinced that it is the corruption brought about by the rich and powerful that will bring the country to its knees. To compound this travesty, Bush is a liar and in the pocket of big business. Add to this mix the war in Iraq, and we’re clearly on the brink of Armageddon.

I know I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, but it seems to me Americans have remarkably short memories. Every generation has faced its own demons, running the gambit of wars, finances, corruption, health care and social reform. Most generations faced issues far more ominous and treacherous than many we face today. Although it isn’t my intention to minimize the tenuous position in which the United States finds itself in the world community, in the long haul, we have not only survived, but the nation as a whole has prospered.

So, maybe our forefathers who faced the corruption of Teapot Dome, the machinery of Boss Tweed, the unfair treatment of workers in the sweatshops of the 19th century or those forced to trade in the company stores of the early 20th century would look enviously at the prosecution of the corrupt CEO’s of our time. Perhaps those that survived the crash of ’29, and lived through the decade that followed would welcome some of the proposals set forth today attempting to help the economy or reform the Social Security System (even Roosevelt’s administration believed that social security was not a long term solution, and would need revision). Possibly even those that fought in the divisive American Revolution, the Civil War, both World Wars, the Korean War, Vietnam and lets not forget the cold war (and all the conflicts in between where Americans lost their lives and loved ones) would find a war that could conceivably bring democracy to a tyrannized people, a noble endeavor.

In the end, as fun as it may be to pretend otherwise, I suppose I’m a “glass half full” kind of guy. For those that find the glass half empty, rest assured the country will survive (it turns out our founding fathers were quite bright), and if you’re dissatisfied with our direction, the election is less than four years away. Who knows, we may all look back at these as being ......the best of times.

Incidentally, I think Oswald was the only shooter in Dallas that day, and it really was a weather balloon in Roswell.

Motto

2005-02-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Just because we're a borough doesn't mean we're all jackasses.

~Moto suggested for Kenilworth, NJ, by Hazel Murphy~

Thanks I needed that!

2005-02-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

Notice the date of this entry. The picture below reminds me that, "Yes Virginia", there is a summer in South Haven. I need to be reminded of that during February and March of each year. Last February it was so bad I bought a Jeep in anticipation of taking its top off during the balmy days that lay ahead. I'm pretty sure that's why last summer was so cold.