New Toy

Well there she is....Is she a beauty? I had better explain. This bike actually belongs to Pat, the wife of Gary who purchased my bike yesterday. They were very nice people and even offered to let me take the Goldwing trike out for a spin. They didn't have to ask twice. I grabbed my helmet and I was off like a rocket. Speaking of rocket, this wing/trike has a six cylinder 1800cc engine and can really move. I took it out for a ten mile ride and had a great time.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning out the storage shed and some general outside Spring work. We have lots more to do, but we are sneaking up on it.
We have accumulated so much stuff that we are in the process of down-sizing a bit. Just for an example. Why do I need 16 hammers in the workshop? It is that way with almost all our tools. We have a complete toolbox for each of the three floors of the house, one for the attached garage and yet another for the big garage. Now what the heck is that all about?
We are holding a large rummage sale sometime yet this month. I will let you know when.

She Is Gone

As a faithful reader you might remember me telling you that I sold my beloved motorcycle to a great family. Today was the day she went to her new home. I spent some private time with her this morning and we quietly said our goodbyes. It was a sad time but yet a reflective time as we exchanged happy stories about our time together. It was a glorious exchange of laughs and tears from the both of us. I won't bore you with the details and out of respect for her, I will not go into the intimate sharing of our moments.

Goodbye my love....goodbye.

Has Spring Arrived?

I know the calendar tried to tell us that Spring officially arrived March 20th but not for a brief minute did I believe it.
I also say that I will accept anything thrown our way through the end of March. I am tolerant after that for about a week then I expect/demand that Spring actually shows it's face for real.
Our weather forecast for today calls for a high of 60 and 65 degrees for Saturday. Now that is more like it!
In my last post you probably read that we were going to get into "geocaching". I have been reading up on it but just can't seem to pick out a handheld GPS . There are so many options to choose from! I tend to want to get electronics that are loaded with all the bells and whistles and end up only using half the options. Of course the die-hard geo-nuts always recommend the units that have the options that most people won't ever use. But, I also support those features saying " well, the options are there if I need them".
Stay tuned, lets see what I finally come up with.
Last night was Paglai's Pizza and twenty five cent pitchers. Sue and I went out with Ben and Anna and Sue's friend Beth. We really had a good time then went over to the kids house to see what colors they painted their dining room and kitchen. Very nice colors and the project really turned out nice.
With the good weather on tap for tomorrow, we are going to begin work on the yard to get it all cleaned up. Tomorrow is the day that I say goodbye to my motorcycle. Gary and Pat are riding their Goldwing trike over to pick it up. The good part is that they said I could take the trike out for a spin while they are here.
I will get some pictures.
That is it for right now. I will report on our activities later.

Missed A Day

To our faithful readers of the blog, sorry, we missed a day. You may know how that goes. All of a sudden the day is gone. I hope that doesn't happen too often.
Anyway, our oldest son Ben has us all kinds of excited about the hobby of geocaching. For a complete description of what that is, click on the link to his blog in the right hand column.
I haven't picked out a handheld GPS yet as there are so many kinds. I have been using a GPS in the car and motorcycle for some time now but the units for hiking and geocaching are much different.
I thought this would be a great way to get out and get exercise. Walking or hiking is fine but I would like to add a little sport to the process.
I have ordered the book "Geocaching For Dummies". I think that description fits me perfectly right now.
Think Spring!

March Is Going Out Like A Lion

On Saturday I rode my motorcycle and prepared the camper for the season and now we are in a heavy snow warning with nine inches expected.
Schools closed early as did many businesses.
I always say " I will take whatever Mother Nature throws our way through March...but come April, the weather had better straighten out".
So Mother Nature....are you listening?
Go ahead and let it snow. We have the fireplace roaring and plenty of provisions to get us through just about anything.

SOLD!

Wow....That was fast! As some of you know, We decided to sell our motorcycles. I posted the intentions on the fabulous web forum I belong to and it wasn't but a day and a guy (Gary) from near Rochester, MN said he would like to look at the bike. We set up an appointment for yesterday. Gary and his wife Pat are really good people. She rides a Goldwing trike and is really into the bike scene.
Anyway, I did a complete background check and talked with their neighbors. All the reports came back good. I also get to visit the bike every other holiday and weekend. I will miss her.
Gary and Pat will pick up the bike when the weather warms up a bit. I am really glad it is going to a good home.

The Fine Taste Of Wine

OK....I confess. I am the proud holder of a wine course certificate issued to me more than 35 years ago. In high school I worked at a very high end restaurant and bar complex. Part of our training involved enrolling in a wine course so we could help our customers select the proper wine. Well, I passed the course somehow and did not learn a thing.
Our son Ben is a wine expert. He talks about his wine experimenting occasionally in his blog that is linked to your right.
I can remember a few years ago when Sue and I, my folks and Ben and Anna went to the Morgan Creek Vineyard and Winery. It was a great time!
We sat down and listened to the experts talk about the types of wines as we tasted them. I can still hear Ben and the winery people..." Oh yes, this has a slight nutty taste and if you purse your lips and inhale, you can detect a slight hint of maple bark."
Now what the hell is that all about? I could taste none of that all. The only thing I could add to the tasting session was " Um..this is good" or " Man this is REALLY good".
By this time the others were detecting the slight hints of turkey feathers in their wine. My favorite was....mmmmmm I detect a slight hint of banana peel and leather.
That was enough for me. By that time I was half sloshed on the samples and was in the process of purchasing a case of wine so I could practice the finer points of wine consumption.
So, how am I dong on that training? MMMM, this wine is really good!