RV Boondocking the Good Life

A couple days ago, there was a picture of Heidi and me... settin' in camp on a sunny day... I was writin' and Herself was doin' some Bead Crochet work.

I thought you gals might want to see the piece she was building... I still have to polish up my picture takin' when it comes to some of these lil' things... but it shows pretty fair. It's a Bead Crochet Bracelet.

I guess you can create these shiny Beaded bits, in just about any size, to give each of you gals a perrfect, personal fit... as well as just about an infinite number of colors and sizes and shapes of Beads you can incorporate into your piece.

'bout the only limiting factor would be your imagination... and I've pretty much found... that the only thing limiting that is you! You gotta decide..."I'm not gonna try anything else"... and what's the fun in that?

Truth be known... It's those "Beads" (and her Bead Store) that have got us, where we got, the last 10 years! If we were still livin' on 'Cowboy wages'... we'd still be runnin' a 39 year old truck with too many miles on it... livin' in "somebody else's" house and eatin' beans!

Wouldn't hurt my feelin's much... but... sometimes... it's nicer to have a lil' bit of jingle... than to be dirt poor. :-)

That Bead Store she built is what allowed me to put my wages toward buyin' that shiny red truck...

We have found that the Bead Business does better... if I stay out of the store... until the closed sign goes up at the end of the day... it seems I 'see' things a mite differently than most of her customers! :-) ... we come from different 'political worlds' I guess... :-)

... anyhow... If you're interested in doin' Beading... look around in any/all of the nearby towns... there seems to be a Bead Store in a heck of a lot of 'em... and any of 'em worth havin' the doors open, set up classes to teach you the basics... and eventually, the more complicated ways of puttin' the lil' jewels together in ways that make fine ornaments for your gorgeous selves!

Beading is a craft that don't take a whole lot of space or tools... The biggest part of the 'tools' is stored right between your ears! Lot's of gals keep all their 'possibles' for their Beadwork in a small tool box... then... there's the Beads... I built Heidi a Bead Cabinet in the rig... but... most folks don't need that much space... a reasonable sized case of some sort can work just fine!

I keep talkin' of building a 'site' for Heidi and her Beading... but... lazy as I am... not sure I'm ready to take on that task... until the burden of this fine house has been lifted :-) ... we'll see! ( keep watchin'... I do plan on building a Beading Page in the Recreational Activities section of the site )

Hit another milestone yesterday! After bustin' through the 6,000 visitors a month record in March... the site has run on up and now flown byy 7,000! ...Yeeee Haww!

With things goin' as they are... the only wart is the difficulty in sellin' the house... and weeks like we had last week... up on the Medicine Bow... just make that difficulty seem pretty trivial!

I mean... I'd like to be on the road... goin' to the next good camp... rather than comin' back here... but, at the end of the day... the Sun is shining... the grass is green... I'm havin' a ball with this 'job' :-)... and there are plenty more camps to find on Short Circles!

So... at this point... I'd have to say that I'm as happy as a fat cat on a rat farm!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 3, 2008 06:40 - Hiking with Your Pups.

When Heidi and I go anywhere... the pups are pretty much with us. 'bout the only time we leave 'em behind, is when they're gonna have to wait for some while, in the truck, and it's hot... with no shade to hide the truck in.

That's especially true, when we're travelin' an' hikin'... If we're out in the woods... it'd be a rare occasion to find us with out Buck an' Lily runnin' circles around us.

There's some etiquette, safety, and health things to consider, when you take your hair covered buddies along for the walk.

First and most important... they have got to be under control! There's nothing worse, than walkin' down some high mountain trail and suddenly some barkin' snappin' mongrel comes bustin' out of the bushes. It'll make you jump right out of your socks!

In our case... with Buck and Lily along... it'd be a real mess!

Control can be just voice too... it doesn't have to be on a leash... but you have to actually... really, have voice control...

... and then... keep 'em pretty close... lettin' the kids run off, way out of sight into the trees can lead to disaster. Truth is... we let our dogs... run, off leash.... ONLY... when we are ALONE on the trail... if there are other people/dogs anywhere around... Lily and Buck go back on leash... and they are under real good voice control...

Better safe than sorry!

The next thing... is hygiene...

Especially, on busy trails, clean up after the kids... Please? Just think if 1,000 people with a dog each took some mile and a half trail... with all their pups on leashes... and didn't... YUCK!... that would get to be known as the' Valley of the dog pile' ... real quick!

Now... if you're way back, off trail, and it's likely that nobody will be along in days or weeks... I'm not gonna tell you to worry about that... I mean... ain't nobody runnin' around with 'bear bags'! cleanin' up after them, and there ain't no problems. :-)

The last thing I'll bring up in this quick post is water...

You get thirsty hikin'... your dogs... if off leash, probably cover four times the distance you do... or more... they get thirsty too!

If your gonna be hikin' along some river or creek... you might not worry about it much... but... town dogs are susceptible to Giardia too! It ain't just you... Now... if they live in the woods (on the ranch) they get 'climatized' pretty quick... but... that first exposure... for your more civilized pups can get kinda nasty, when you're livin' in an RV!

The 'Spring Squirts' from a dog... in the close confines of a fifth wheel is not usually described as pleasant! :-)

So... what's the answer? ... Carry a water bottle for them, and some sort of collapsible pet bowl... and water them, on the trail...

and carryin' all that hardware don't have to be some sort of an ordeal... just a small day pack will carry your gum, first aid kit... your jacket when it gets too warm... YOUR water, the pups water... and the collapsible bowl of some sort...

Though you might not be as pretty as me, on the trail, your lil' ruck will still get the job done...

Almost looks like a stairway to heaven don't it? ... steps up the rock... and the white light behind us? :-)

...oops... I lied... that weren't the last thing...

Safety...

Hikin' all over the country, with your dogs... there's gotten to be something you need to stay aware of... the wild critters that live out there in the woods... Some of them seem to have lost a good, healthy (for us) respect for Two legged critters.

Especially coyotes...

Now Elk, Buffalo, Moose, even Deer... are not going to tolerate bein' harrassed by dogs... not to mention that them forest service fellas get real cranky when JoJo the Beagle gets caught chasin' Bambi!

A Moose will turn your hike into a bad dream... if you let Ol' JoJo go runnin' after him.... so keep 'em under control, like I said...

That bad dream can turn into a nightmare with them dang 'yotes. They've gotten pretty brassy the past several years. I think they've gotten kinda disrepectful from the wierd idea runnin' around, among some people, about 'living in harmony' with the wild...

Sounds pretty... but now for a little reality....

Living in Harmony with Nature is not all bad. Taking what you need, and leaving the rest is a good thing. Not abusing the mountains, is a good thing... but we need a mite of common sense in here.

There ain't no such thing as 'Living in Harmony' with a Coyote... that's about as realistic as movin' to L.A. and 'Living in Harmony' with the 'Bloods', the 'Crips' and the 'Hells Angles' !

You better get their 'respect'... or you're huntin' trouble.

Here's the reality about Coyotes... they put the 'Critters' in the world around 'em in two catagories... and only two.
There's the critters they eat... and then... There's the critters that eat them! I have yet to find the coyote runnin' around lookin' for Human Friends... that they can 'Live in Harmony' with!

The only choice you have is which group you work to put yourself in! I for one, would rather not have a yodel dog lookin' at me and mine as some sort of a snack!

So... how do you do that? Well, hike with a walkin' stick... if one of them buggers comes a runnin' down trying to grab lil' 'Buster' the mini poodle for lunch... bust him (the coyote) over the head with your walkin' stick.... or chuck some fist size rocks.

Granite, bouncin' off their heads generally gets the message across... heck, you might even carry a wrist rocket and a few marbles... that could be fun!

Bottom line? Don't go thinkin' that those critters out there are Bambi or the Talkin' Rabbits of Disney's fantasies... They are Wild Critters... and live by the rule of tooth an' claw.

Use Common sense... admire their beauty... from a distance... don't go imagining that they 'think' the way you do (they're not people!)... and you'll be fine!

Hiking with our pups is a pure joy for Heidi and I... we... and you... just have to keep a few things in mind... to keep it that way.

Take Good Care
Brian

June 4, 2008 11:29 - Tap, Tap, Tappin' on the keyboard

Don't know if anyone has noticed yet... but I'm bangin' away on my keyboard...

I'm workin' at remodeling my little RV Bookstore... into sort of a full scale RV Bookstore! Not just the lil' books I've written... but the best ones I can find from 'other' authors... or maybe... some might say... 'real' authors! :-)

Anyhoo... I'm working at that project this week... and boy, did I bite off a chunk! ... too bad that thumpin' your fingers on a keyboard don't qualify as exercise... or I'd be a muscled up son of a biscuit!

... I'm maybe a 1/4 of the way along... though ... such a thing is probably pretty much always, a work in progress... Kind of like this whole site! :-)

I'm also... not exactly simultaneously... whew... spellin' that, hurt!... tryin' to put together a Cowboy's General Store! That page is already online... the button is over there at the bottom of the Nav Bar... Take a look and see what you think... though... the shelves are empty! :-)

If I can stop the bleedin' from my fingertips... I'm hopin' to get 'something' on the 'shelves' for you to look at by the end of the week... as usual... I may be talkin' a mite ambitious in my scheduling. :-) ... but, I will be gettin' it done in the near future.

but... as you wander along in your travels... leavin' poor lil' me settin' here, a keyboard thumpin', and NOT wanderin' near as much as I'd prefer... if you come up with any sort of a wish list for books or RVing doo dads... I'd be proud if you gave my lil' shops a crack at fulfilling your wants.

Also.. in amongst all this noise and construction clutter... I'm STILL trying to get an upgrade put in place on THIS blog. There is a gremlin' runnin' around... somewhere... that is tormentin' me no end... the software guys can't figure out where it's hidin'... and if THEY can't find it... This Ol' buster ain't got a hope in Hades of gettin' a rope on the lil' beast! :-)

My hitch itch is relapsing... after last weeks sojurn calmed it down a good bit... but not for long... trouble is... I have to fit the circles in around Heidi's agility trials and the calendar... but still... workin' on the 'Next Circle'.

All this schedulin', and page designing, and link finding, and brain stretchin' is workin' me like a mule! :-) ... hmmm

Mules kick don't they? :-)

... Guess I better just get back to work... kickin' ain't gonna get me anywhere... 'sides... anybody I booted... would probably just kick back!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 5, 2008 07:50 - Another Coffee and Keyboard day for sure!

Outside of that couple of days of misty weather leadin' up to our Medicine Bow Circle, it's been dry here, for the most part, for a few weeks... thunderstorms here and there, but nothing to speak of... This spring, at least right here, has not seen as much rain as we need.

Not Today.

Rained some last night... then started in steady and strong a few hours ago... ain't quit yet... and looks like it won't for most of the rest of the day... good, big, strong, kick for the pasture grass...

In this country, this time of year, it makes a rancher or farmer breathe a touch easier when it rains good like this... though... after a bit... he starts worryin' if it ain't rainin' too hard! :-) ... starts worrying about his calves, his lambs, his crops...

Kind of like the army I guess... it's a world where you just seem to have no shortage of things to fret about.

huh?... what's that?... drip... drip... drip...! The roof of the Eagle.... just... started leakin'... right this minute! right around where the antenna crank is... sealin' that up will have to wait a while... can't hardly do anything with it pourin' hard... What timing!

I like these days... when I'm in camp too. Ain't it curious how some things smell good when they're wet... and other things are just rank? Like... a wet pine forest... is like a fine perfume... but a wet dog... you get the picture. :-)

And the green, a few days later... after the sun returns! Shining Times!

The Boss, for sure and for certain, knew what he was doin' when he built rain in the Mountains.

... and did you notice that the price of crude had dropped 10%? ... Heidi made the comment that; "Oil goes up... and the price of gas goes up, TODAY... Oil goes down... and the price of gas goes down... not as much as it went up... and in maybe a month... or two." ... so what's new, huh?

Hopin' you're warm, dry... and YOUR roof ain't leakin' :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

June 8, 2008 05:57 - A Lousy Day in Paradise

Makes a guy wonder sometimes. You get up, look out the window at the mountains on the horizon... and it's a beautiful view... so why does he feel so low?

Sometimes... I just get wore down... and I can't believe how long we've been 'Runnin' Against the Wind' on this deal. Heidi and I made the decision... to follow the road we've been on... so long ago it feels like ancient history.
It was clear back in February of '06!

Took till October, to get the house and place finished and ready to sell... Everything else was pretty much gone. The horses, the equipment to maintain the pasture, shop tools...Even Heidi's car; when we traded it out, along with my old truck, to start our adventure with a fesh rig.

Furniture went the next summer... '07... when we had our teasing, aborted, 'sale'... everything went... until...... screeeeeeech! We got to selling the house....

... and then it all came to a screeching stop!

I can see my 'Nirvana'... it's just out there... I can reach out an' almost touch it... but not quite. Heck... there's even a highway, goes right past the place! :-)

Almost every day that I work at the Ranch Store... some buzzard comes in to tease me... "they just sold their house and are off on 'the Great Adventure'... they're goin' Full-Timing!" ... sorry buggers! :-) .... sorry... LUCKY... buggers!

I keep trying... every trick I can think of... to pry us off this 'anchor'. It's the only thing holding up the 'show'... but what a hold it has!

Sometimes I even get to feeling guilty... like folks are watchin' and I made a promise... and I'm not holdin' up my end of the deal.... ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!

Maybe the worst part of tryin' to work through this is not, really, bein' able to see or understand, what the problem is... We have one of the nicest places in the area... it's priced way below what it would cost to build it... I've said till my throat is sore 'I'm negotiable on that' ! ... other, lesser places... that were priced higher have sold around!... but here we set!

I know times are tough... it's a cruddy market... but ever'body else seems to be gettin' down the road... why not me? Poor, Poor lil' me! ;-)

I think I need to go split about a cord of wood and 'pound' out some frustration!...

Well... what I do know is this... I ain't quittin'... might sit for a minute and catch my breath. Cry in my beer a mite... but then... I'll shoulder my ruck... and get on down the trail... or saddle up, and ride off into the sunset... whichever you think sounds purtier! :-)

It's time to go get ready... to go listen to some more of those 'Lucky Buggers'... grinnin' about headin' for Alaska... I'll try to not start cryin' ... and rain on their excitement! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

June 9, 2008 05:03 - OK... I'm Thoroughly Chastised!

When I stop to take a breath... I know I'm pretty lucky.

I've got the best truck I've ever owned, hitched to a fine (and improving) fifth wheel... and contrary to what folks might think if they saw me crawl out of bed in the morning... pretty much have my health... (the first hour or two... I do a pretty fair imitation of a pretzel!)

Holdin' it all up, I've got a good wife and, together, a fine daughter and son-in-law... You know they're pretty good people if you consider ... who... they've had to put up with for thirty years... :-)

I realize, for sure and for certain, that there's maybe a couple billion people around this planet who would gleefully trade their problems for mine...

I'm sure if they were told that some guy was whinin' 'cause he couldn't sell his fine house and land... they'd look at the person tellin' the story and ask... "Does he want to live under my tarp?"... so...

After the response to yesterdays post... I'm thoroughly chastised now! ...not sure I'll be able to sit down for a while... after gettin' spanked like that, and all... but I'll manage! :-)

Geez! You guys are tough... don't let a fella get away with nuthin' at all! sniff... sniff ... Good For You! :-)

... I'll be takin' Slick down to Yamaha today.. He's in bad need of a new tire on the back end... So, when I get cut loose at 4pm... I'll roll my whiny self over and leave him there for the night... better than failin' a tire up in the mountains and scrubbin' my hide across the asphalt, huh?

... Then... tomorrow... after I pick him up... I'll fill his tank with $4 gas... fire up that big Ol' V-twin motor... and rumble down the road... OK... it's a Yamaha... rumble quietly down the road... grinnin' at my good forturne!

Sound better? :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

June 10, 2008 06:46 - 'Downer' Attitude? Think It's Contagious?

Hmmm... A couple days ago... I posted kind of a 'Whiny' post... result of frustration I guess... but truth be known... I think it could be argued that how a fella responds to the junk he's got to deal with is a choice...

Now... most of my life... I've wavered back an' forth between 'half full... and half empty'... And I know when you keep gettin' whacked... evey time you stick your head up... the tendency is to just keep your Ol' brain pan sucked down in the hole you're hidin' in...

I do it myself...

But Boy-O-Boy... that's a lousy way to live ain't it?

I've been lookin' around for some fresh inspiration... readin' other blogs... and it would seem that I ain't alone. Seems ever'body is in kind of a funk just now... and some, like Tioga George have had some minor disasters... though the theft of his computer might be considered more than minor...

I'm wonderin'... do ya think it might be contagious? We read all the crap in the papers... hear the depressing rubbish on the boob tube and radio... and it's hard to ignore that 'sky is falling' drone they keep whippin' us with...

I do what I can... but Heidi is a TV-holic... (when we're somewhere with one) claims she 'needs the noise' ... I try and tune it out... at home, in the truck, everywhere... but it's difficult ain't it? Bad habits are tough to break.

I mean... everywhere you go... the topic of conversation is the cost of fuel... the war... the lousy politicians... things we have no (or very little) control over... blah blah blah.

Hmmm... what if ... we work at simply excluding their Downer Crap from our lives?... so ... back to my first paragraph... "How a fella responds to the junk he's got to deal with is a choice"...

Not sure how I'm going to find a way around... maybe just sheer will power... but that's what I'm lookin' for... I don't have time for listening any more to that 'gas'... I only have time for those things that make life better...not what just drags me down...

I'm going to work at nurturing an ear that is selectively Deaf... so that I can't hear... Gas Bag Politicians... so I can't hear People 'complaining' about the behavior of their neighbors... on the street or in an RV park... so I can't hear all the Doom and Gloom...

Seems like the only way of dealin' with it... if I listen... I start sounding like them... "The Sky is Falling... The Sky is Falling!" ... Yuck!

So... somehow... my intention is to repace that "Sky is Falling' mantra with... "Dang! Ain't it Purty up here on the Great Divide!" :-)

Think I'll just turn my back and walk away from ugly... and fill my eyes with what I can find that soothes a weary spirit... I'd even go for another week... in the exact same spot... up on the Medicine Bow! :-)

Take Good Care
Brian

June 11, 2008 07:36 - Save Fuel... Ride a Motorcycle... the 'Best' Toad for Me!

...and spend that fuel money you saved... on Tires and Motorcycle Maintenance! :-)

Had just left the Yamaha 'Toy Store'... where I'd left Slick in the morning for some special attention... He needed a new back tire... the existing one had 'white stuff' showin' in the center of the tire :-)

He also needed some routine maintenance... spell that... '$$OUCH$$' ... and you thought fuel was pricey! :-) What the heck... the good feeling you get on a two wheeled 'Horse' is worth every nickle! Kind of like bein' on Dope... without the drugs!

Anyhow... my good friend Mike... called me on that 'bane of life'... the cell phone...

"When you comin' up this way"... he wanted to know... seems he don't find the Front Range of Colorado too awful enticing any more... so this way he don't roll... but seldom... but then... It don't shine around here much anymore for me either, so I can't argure much...

Most folks around here seem to have the same idea as well... the weekend hits and they're headin' west for the High Up and Lonesome! ... We are lucky that the 'High Up and Lonesome' starts maybe an hour west... That puts it quite a bit closer than Ohio don't it? :-)

... but I keep wanderin' off... so what else is new right?

We gabbed for a bit and then he quipped... "Well, get on your bike and ride it up here!"... and the idea hit me like a brick... THWACK!... OW! ... thanks a lot... 'Good Friend'!

The idea has kind of taken hold... Heidi has the next few weeks all stacked up with Agility Trials... Which to be honest... If I have to choose between Far Country and a crowd at a trial... guess who wins? :-)

So... keepin' my fingers crossed that a tree don't fall on me... or a leg don't fall off, I believe Slick (The Yamaha) and I are gonna take a run from here, up to Devils Tower country next week! ... so Mike... are you keepin' up? ... Hey... it was YOUR idea! :-)

If all goes according to current thinkin'... how likely is that!? I'm gonna saddle up Monday night... or Tuesday morning and hit the highway for a sweet ride through Wyoming... and according to Mikey... the Black Hills...

Should be a Shining Ride!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 12, 2008 06:24 - Looks Like I'm Goin' to Wyomin'

Shhh.... Don't tell no-one... Looks like... unless somebody finds out... I'm takin' a four day run through the glories of Wyomin'.

And... like is my usual self... I don't plan on goin' the usual 'quick' way... A fella could just twist on the throttle of his Yamaha... and zoom up the interstate... but where's the fun in that? Might as well ride a bus and sleep.

But... if he turns east as he pulls out of his driveway and rolls over to highway 85 and goes north... he can follow two lane through country he's not been in for a long, long time!... Still roll along pretty quick, but do it on two lane with a lot more fresh country to look at...

Might take an hour or two longer... but... I'm goin', to ride the bike right?... so what's an hour? and maybe I'll spot some proper 'vision' I'd not get on the 'Big Road'... we shall see.

Been thinkin' hard of a new camera... My lil' Kodak... is 'bout as lame as it can get... and still function... covers and parts tryin' to fall off. It's done a fine job... as 'bout 99% of the pics on this whole site are from it... and I started building this site when it was maybe 3 or 4 years old.

The one I really want is a Nikon D300... howsomever... that's juuuuust a mite out of reach, dinero wise at this point!
Especially after the 'special attention' Slick got the other day.

Dang thing costs the better part of what I paid for my first new truck! :-) ...

But... Nikon just recently ( in the past couple months ) came out with an addition to their Coolpics line that really caught my eye... it's still a 10+ megapixel (which I don't need for the site... as the Kodak is only about 4 I think) but it has a camera shake doodad and some other qualities that look good... so... maybe I'll deal with my many and various frustrations... by outfitting myself with a new picture maker!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 13, 2008 07:21 - Lucky Day! Friday the 13th!

That's right! My daughter was born on the 13th of the month... 'course it was December, but I figure that makes it a Lucky Day Friday or Not!

And to prove it... the wind quit! Yup... not on the 10th or the 12th... it whistled right up until the 13th... and now it's a beautiful sunny day... where you can walk around without hanging onto your hat with one hand... and the ground with the other!

Heidi is off with the dogs to another Agility Trial this morning... I'm stayin' here... gotta sell nuts and bolts Saturday through Monday at the Ranch store... then it's saddle up Slick bright and early Tuesday and I'm bound for Wyoming!

I've been workin' on a couple writin' projects... most of 'em, ideas for the website that need more research... spell that; "I gotta be there to take some pictures." :-)

...But, one is something I've been bangin' away at for some time. A genuine western action thriller! :-) according to a little gizmo in microsoft, that piece of work has now tallied up over 54,000 words! Not a surprise is it? You all knew I was full of them things!

Sometimes they just flow out faster then I can punch the keyboard. I've let the thing set for a couple months... Got tanled up with other doin's.

Had to go back and read what I'd already wrote down... to remember where he was at! :-) ... but then the words started comin' and I started punchin' and before I knew it... I'd added another 7,000 words in the last two days!

Every time I think the story is ridin' to a close... it takes a turn and starts another run! and, the thing is... I think it's pretty good! I know I'm a mite prejudiced on the matter... but when I compare it to things I've written here... that folks seem to cotton to... It looks kind of like my best yet... maybe just wishful thinkin'. :-)

Writin' like that is turning out to be as enjoyable as building this site has been... Hmmmm.... If I can get the thing finished... and hunt down one of those 'agent' fellers... and he could actually get one of them publishing outfits to buy my Nobel Prize Competitor :-) ....

Pretty fine fantasy ain't it? ... but then... can you think of a better Workamping Enterprise? How sweet would that be? Set up in some fine backwoods, dispersed RV Camp... Hiking the woods in the morning.... bangin' the keyboard in the afternoons, building tall tales that people actually like to read? That would be a life to brag on!

Dreamin' and Braggin' is OK too! ... as long as you do the work to make it happen! and that's really the only difference that I can see, between those who just dream... and those who have gone out and done something...

The 'Doers' found a way to get off the 'dime', overcome their fears... and run after 'It'... now I may not have caught 'IT' yet... but I'm still runnin' hard! Fears be damned!

Life is an Adventure... you can't have much Adventure sittin' in front of the window... watchin' them other folks running by, reaching out, trying to catch the Brass Ring...

You know... I remember, buckin' off a bunch of horses... Rodeoin'.... a LONG time ago. Gettin' Bucked down is failure in that game... you don't get paid 'less you stay on... and stay on better then them other guys... But you know what? When I walked into the dance that night... after gettin' my head stuffed in the sand that afternoon... I was one of the 'Hero Elite'... I was a COWBOY!

and Oh Lordy! Did the gals love a Cowboy! :-)

No matter that I'd not made the whistle... I had TRIED... I'd hung it out there. I had grabbed fear by the horns and shook that little devil till his teeth rattled... It's a fine feeling! Win or Lose...

You know what else? Most of the best stories come from losing! and then gettin' up with a grin on your face, and goin' after 'IT' again! ... though... I have now left the Buckin' Horses to younger fellers... for a good number of years now! :-)

Try it!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 13, 2008 20:39 - The 13th... Lucky No More

ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!

This morning turned ugly with a bang...

A couple hours after I posted, Heidi got in Big Red, pulled to the end of the driveway... Looked both ways... and then drove the truck into the side of a Ford Van that was going past... at something like 50mph...

NO-ONE was hurt... not a scratch...

But... the whole right side of the Van was wiped out... and though the damage to Big Red 'looks' only like a bumper and some grill work... it's far more serious.

When you crawl under and look at things... That van snagged the Iron Tow strap attachment that projects from the end of the right frame rail. (the van was running east... Big Red was turning west... that's how the van coming from the left managed to get hit by the right front corner of the truck)

That's slammed over an inch or so... but... it's solidly attached to the frame... and that rail is attached to the left side rail by a heavy bar... the last foot or so of the frame is knocked east about an inch or so... Looks like both sides.

The people involved are all healthy and unhurt... that's a good thing... if the truck had been out another few inches... it would have been a whole different situation... and far uglier... that said... I'm not a very pleasant guy to be around just now...

I don't get on airplanes... I don't get on boats that get out of sight of land... and I don't drive Trucks that have been wrecked... so I have quite some little difficulty... especially, considering that a NEW, No-one-else-has-had-it, '06, 5.9L Cummins, ain't built any more.

Body shops will tell you they straighten frames... "they do it all the time"... Phooey! I've driven such 'fixed' rigs... they're NEVER right again...

Now... people are trying to tell me... no big deal... they'll fix it up just fine... Well, been there done that... they can make it look fine... but I've been over the mountain, and I seen the bear... and once that suckers bent.. it ain't never the same again... so... I'm back to havin' a heck of a lot of work to do... :-)

Ain't life just a hoot? ... Take a deep breath... put one foot in front of the other... DUCK! ... :-) That Ol' Devil is REALLY startin' to cause me to get a genuine grouch on!... If he don't knock it off... pretty darn quick... He and I are gonna have one humdinger of a difficulty!...

Anybody know how to get out of Hell? I'd like to pay a short visit down there... do a little de-horning... a little ear-notchin'... sizzle some brands and maybe even a little tail knotting! ... but then... I'd like to leave when I'm done! :-)

I'll be giving things a long, hard, look... However it shakes out... no matter what the solution ends up, it's going to take a bit of time...

So... I'm getting on Slick Tuesday morning... along with my New Nikon P80 camera... and taking a few days to 'Cool Out'.

Take Good Care
Brian

June 16, 2008 17:21 - Time for Thinkin' ... and Ridin' my RV Boondocking Motorcycle!

So... Me an Slick and the New Lil' Nikon are saddling up first thing tomorrow, and gonna head out and ride Wyomin' for 4 days, ... and maybe even a lil' bit of South Dakota... on our first, fairly wide, circle.

Breathe slow, cruise some roads he's never been on, and I ain't in a lotta years... and Cool Out.

I hate lettin' myself get so cranked up... it just don't lead to a 'Harmonious Outcome'... not too much fun for anybody around me neither.

On other fronts...

You may have noticed... I had a message waitin' from my computer guy when I got home this afternoon... him and another fella had searched through the code and thought they'd found a hidden glitch that got put in somehow... figured that it would finally work... So... I finally... if it actually worked all the way... got the 'upgrade' changes made on the blog... that I've been tryin' to get in place for a few weeks!

Been burning up the email lines.

So, at least, besides a fresh camera... I've had a bit of success in the past day or two... Now if I can just get that knot in my shorts untied...

Me and Slick will be rolllin' up U.S. 85 through eastern Wyoming. Hawk Springs, Torrington, Lusk, Newcastle... Thunder Basin National Grassland. I'm hopin' for a minimum of rain... a breeze and not wind... and fuel under $7 a gallon!

Wyoming... any part of it, from Cheyenne to Mammoth Hot Springs... and Evanston to Sundance is pretty country... and only a sore toothed Grizzly is gonna roll through there and not get cheered up...

I may want to reconsider the bit about 'a breeze and not wind' though.

When it's not 10 below... The Wyoming wind has been known to exercise the magical ability, sometimes, to blow away the soreness of a bruised spirit! ... I could truly stand a lil' bit of magic about now.

When we get back... with a refreshed spirit... I'm hopeful... I'll have 'things' back in a proper perspective... 'cause after a while... wantin' a dog to kick just starts to wear thin.

Take Good Care
Brian

June 18, 2008 06:50 - Motorcycles, Wyoming Roads... and Church!

Rolled out of the driveway, turned east for Highway 85 at Nunn... and cut North...

Just a few miles... twenty or so, north of the Home Place, one of the power companies put in a Wind Power Farm a few years back... The Wind Turbine Towers always impress me... not sure why. Off on the horizon, they don't look too awful big... until you put 'em in perspective.

When you consider that those lil' black specks out in front of em' are thousand pound cows... they start lookin' a little bigger... You know, they have to jump through all sorts of hoops to build any of these 'non-polluting' setups... seems, the Greenie types think that birds fly into the spinnin' blades...

Hmmm.... if a bird can't see that thing... I figure losin' THAT bird is an improvement of the gene pool!

Movin' on North up Hwy. 85 you soon get welcomed into Wyoming...

Beautiful sunny day... still a pretty good grouch on... but gettin' better...

Made a quick stop in Cheyenne to fuel up jumped on I-80 to make the run across town to I-25 so I could jump up to the north side and take the cut off back to Hwy 85, rollin' for Torrington.

The two lane is so much better... no matter what you're driving... you can go slower... slow enough you can stop if something catches your eye... and slow enough you're not screamin' along with your lips curled back as you grip the wheel... or handle bars! .... workin' hard to keep everything where it's supposed to be.

And that was true this day... for me anyway... folks were passin' me with a woosh! Semi's, cars, pickups... everybody else seemed to be in a gosh awful hurry... me... I was rollin' five under most of the time and just trying to uncoil.

Coming up to Torrington... it got pretty chilly... leastways on that Yamaha! I don't know what the wind chill is at 60 mph at 65 degrees... but I got the shivers! I'd rode into a bank of low clouds in the river valley that holds Torrington and it was kinda cool...

From just south of town to a bit north... then I broke back out into the sun and it improved quick! Right up to the point that I hit the road construction, just after Lusk, Wyoming. They're repaving several miles and are leading traffic through the area with a pilot car... No Worries...

I pulled up, shut off and just enjoyed soakin' up the sun while I waited for our turn...

Then I heard... "WHAAAAAAAAA WHUP WHUP WHUP .... WHAAAAAAAAAAA WHUP WHUP ... WHUP... WHAAAAAAAAAAA WHUP WHUP WHUP!"

Looked in one of my mirrors and there was a big crane truck... comin' down through the gears... and comin'... and comin'... and comin'.....

I started to lift my foot off the ground to jump off the bike when he finally stopped the thing... with that God-only-knows-how-many-hundred-pound Headache ball, hanging out in front, on the boom... about five feet from my helmet! :-)

Whew! ... I really don't want to find out if that Helmet I bought is any dang good!

Fueled in Torrington and kept on north... Next stop... Newcastle! ... only... for some reason... known only to the Boss... I chose to NOT stop at Newcastle... an ill-fated decision as you will soon see! :-)

I, instead of making the turn west to Newcastle... decided on the spur of the moment to just keep on north for Sundance.... hmmm ... spurs are used for 'stickin' things right? .... what do ya figure, was about to get stuck?

Now... that road is real purty! Just after you cross that intersection goin' north... you pull up off the grass lands into pine covered hills.... The extreme southern tip of the Black Hills I guess.

Just what I was lookin' for! Yes sirree! Mountain country to put my head back where it belongs... and get back in the game.... and a nice ride, bending around as the road twists around those hills....

Right up to the point where the Bike goes.... cough!... spit! sputter! pppppppppptht! and coasts over to the side of the road....

... and all because the bruised brain bozo controlin' the handlebars... misjudged the mileage he was gettin'... and ran Ol' Slick out of gas!.... AGAIN!.... (That's Sundance, Wyoming off there in the back ground)

So what do you call that? The first time ... is OOPS! stuff happens. The second time... you can say Darn! I need to pay closer attention... The Third time... you go .....?????WHAT ARE YA DOIN'?

I don't have no idea what you're supposed to say, that you can say in mixed company.... when you do the same fool stunt.... THE FOURTH TIME!!! :-) .... geeez!

anyhow... don't Slick look a lot purtier from this angle.... while he's waitin' on Mike to bring us some 'Go Juice'?

I'd made it to something like five miles south of Sundance, Wyoming... yup... the Ol' outlaw was supposed to have got his start somehwere around here I guess...

So... I got another chance to sit quiet and soak up the sun... I watched this thunderhead building and wondered which would get to me first... it... or Mike... luckily, Mike won...

He handed me the can... shakin' his head and laughin'... some friend... here I am... already humiliated... and the first words out of his mouth are.... HA HA HA HA!

Finished up the day doin' good deeds... tryin' to clean up my Karma a little bit...

Their church (Mike and Cathy's) is puttin' in a new ladies 'facilities' room... and when I got here they were getting ready to do the final hookup of the sewer line outside...

Cowboy ridin' to the rescue! I don't believe anyone there had put one in before... but they knew... Mike had been sure to tell 'em ..."I got a guy here who knows all about S#@%!" :-)

We had to make an emergency run back to Sundance to pick up several fittings, they didn't have at the church... and then back to the church in Pinehaven... to put 'er all together!

The guy who knows how to handle S%$# .... spreading the word! :-)

and then.... actually doin' something! :-)

Finished up the day with a Wyoming Full Moon rising over the trees

and a fine steak supper... well on the way to gettin' Humpty Dumpty together again.

Take Good Care
Brian

June 19, 2008 06:53 - Pelicans... Motorcycle Tires... and Thunder Boomers

Mike and I took off yesterday morning, figuring to ride a bit of the Black Hills... maybe even roll as far as Montana for a greasy burger.

Hadn't gone but 6 or 7 miles I guess, from the house, and came up on the Belle Fourche River. I've seen Pelicans before... they migrate past us ... or over us... in Colorado... but I ain't never seen this many in one place before.

There were several hundred scattered around resting on the ground, bunches landing or taking off...

and, when I looked up there was a 'Tower' of birds.... as good as this new little Nikon is it couldn't get 'em all... to zoom in close enough to make them recognizable at all, I lost probably 2/3 of the birds from the pic...

I never thought of a Pelican as anything awsome before... but it was really pretty impressive watching them circle... there was one fella, I guess he thought he was a fighter pilot :-) he circled around, lower than the rest, doing wingovers, snap rolls and all sorts of aerobatic manuvers :-)

I didn't know the buggers could fly like that... pretty fun watching him.

After the air show... we continued on up for the obligatory photo op by Devils Tower...

Doesn't look like it's eroded any since last year... I'd expect it will last a few more years... It was kind of hazy in the morning, so the pic isn't real crisp... but... it still itches your hitch don't it?

You know... this is pretty country... even the 'plain' spots just make you smile.

They've had a real wet spring this year. Something like 5 inches ahead of normal, so everything is pretty green. Everywhere you look it's green grass, calves and twin antelope fawns.

Even Old Sonny is fat and sassy.

The Old Bum wouldn't let me get too close... probably figured if he did that he'd have to go to work. He don't look too shabby for a 25 year old fella that just came through a Wyoming winter does he? :-) He's the one in front... you're lookin' at, maybe, the only critter more stubborn than yours truly! :-)

He used to, just for fun, get upside down without warning... kind of a bit of excitement in the middle of fall morning, sittin' astride, in the alley behind the barn, at O-dark-thirty, waiting on everybody else to get saddled. I always figured he was just a prankster and wanted to see if I was awake!... most times I weren't... but I got that way!

Along in the ride, at one of the stops, as we were walkin' back to the bikes... Mike spotted something on his 'worn' tire... Hmmm... he seems to push his tires 'bout as far as me...

... maybe farther! :-)

So... we decided to just pull into the cafe in Hulett, grab a quick lunch and run home... and see if we could change that tire out.

He'd already decided to go 'to the dark side'... in motorcycle terms that means... put a car tire on the bike... I tease him that it ain't a bike anyway... just a car with two wheels missing! :-) I like 'em a mite smaller and more nimble... he prefers bigger with bells and whistles... I mean... a cassette deck and stereo speakers? :-) I'm pretty sure... if he could figure out how to mount a refrigerator....

The problem with changin' out the tire is jackin' up the scooter... he's ordered a Motorcycle jack... but... it's not got here yet... so... one more time we had to 'improvise'... we were schemin' all sorts of inventions... when it occured to me..."Hey Mike... You got another floor jack?"

"No... but my neighbor does!"

So he went and borrowed another floor jack, and when he came back... we slowly, grousin' at each other :-) jacked up the bike in unison... with the two jacks... Cowboy engineering!

Motorcycle Jack? ... We don't need not stinkin' Motorcycle Jack! :-)

Once we (he) got the wheel off... then it was a problem busting the bead to get the old wore out tire off... I stood there looking around... while he grunted and cussed and whupped... unsuccessfully on that tire...

Hmmmm.... "Hey Mike... what kind of jack does your Excursion have?"

"a bottle jack... why?"

"Perfect!".... Cowboy Engineering to the rescue... again! We just took the wheel and laid it under the front bumper... put the jack on the tire... and under the bumper and pumped it up... it pushed down on the tire and badda bing, badda boom! Busted Bead!

I don't know how these folks are gonna get on without me. I have to leave and roll on home in the morning... I mean... church sewers, motorcycle jacks, and bead busters... I'm just a walking encyclopedia of trivial knowledge! :-)

Well... they're hollerin' to get done... we're headin'... now that he has a healthy back tire... for the Black Hills again... see ya later!

Take Good Care
Brian

*** edit *** OOPS! I forgot about the Thunder Boomer part... last night... this already well wetted country had a Thunder Banger roll through here... must have been two or three in the morning... I thought the window was gonna shatter from the rain hittin' the payne... or the roof was gonna cave in... Don't know how much came down... but had to be an inch or better... and the wind was pushin' it hard! Had my lil' heart all a flutter for a while... kept wonderin' where they'd find my carcass ... or if they ever would! :-)

June 20, 2008 05:57 - He's Got a Fast Motorcycle With the Devil on the Seat....

.... Goin' 90 miles an hour down a dead end street!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

GRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNN!

All better now! Perspective fully restored! :-)

386 miles of the most God Blessed country you can imagine... The Black Hills of South Dakota! and... all those miles are just a trickle of what there is to wander on!

Road, and Canyon, Sunshine and Rain, Waterfall and Lake, forest and prairie! Oh Lordy!

When you stay away from the Black Hills for a bit, somehow you forget just how absolutely gorgeous they are! ... and then... when you run 'em on a motorcycle... 'specially a good Yamaha Motorcycle! :-) .... you get remembered that they are for sure and for certain... a Bikers Paradise!

We started out from Pine Haven fueled up and ready to roll! A good day comin'!

The day before, I lead out... and I tend to pokey joe, gawkin' at this an' that... Yesterday, Mike led out... so we were rollin' past the Ponderosa Cafe in Hulett... where we'd ate the day before... in NO time! :-)

Circled past the Devils Tower and around through Alladdin and back south to the "Vore Buffalo Jump".

Pretty interesting place... Though... I think I'll just keep to buyin' my beef at Safeway! :-)

They figure, the Indians tried to aim the herds and jump 'em off that rock outcrop to the right side...

Raced on to Spearfish, South Dakota... and made a stop at the Yamaha Dealer there... I've been wanting a Motorcycle Tank Bag... and found one just exactly like I've been thinkin' of... so.... several dollars lighter... we fueled quick and headed down Spearfish Canyon.

Dang! The sign said 'CLOSED 19 MILES"... so we ran as far as we could... HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! :-)

THAT is a glorious canyon for a bikin' RVer! Canyon Twisties to make you giggle so hard you have to come off the throttle! Yes Sir! Footpeg draggin', giggle makin' heaven!

Part way down there's a waterfall... if you can force yourself to stop long enough to enjoy it!

Then you climb back on the scooter and go giggle huntin' again!

But... like I said... the road was closed for major renovations... so we were forced to turn around and run that giggle farm again! .... I don't know if the folks I was passin' along the road sides could hear... but if they could, I expect they were sure some crazed biker had escaped from the state 'Looney Bin'!

I swear... you couldn't have knocked that grin off my face if you hit me in the head with a hammer!

Mike just shook his head... every time we stopped... the first thing I said to him was... "AAAA HA HA HA HA HA!"

On down the road at a place called Pactola Reservoir... we started thinking... we may just get wet!

"Should we gear up?" .... "Naaaaa! No guts... No Glory!" ... so Onward to Glory! :-)

Crankin' through more gorgeous mountains... I don't have no trouble at all seein' why the Sioux fought so hard to hold on to this country... or why those 'other' folks fought so hard to get it!

But... eventually... reason caught up with glory and we pulled over to gear up for the comin' rain...

Mike gave me a hard time about how long it took to get 'dressed'... Jacket, pants, cover on my new Motorcycle Tank Bag, covers on my saddle bags... He quit growsin' when we run those Yamaha's into Hill City through the rain, a few minutes later... and saw the 3" or so of hail piled up on the shoulders of the road!

We'd missed a hellatious Hail Storm by minutes! ... The minutes it took me to get my Motorcycle Rain Gear on! ... So for all you Nay Sayers... bein' a pokey joe most of the time does pay off... eventually!

Fuel up in Hill City, twist the throttle on that Motorcycle and rush on to Mt. Rushmore! :-) HA HA HA HA! I was havin' the time of my life... I don't mind sayin' so... I've got more to say about this... but I have to compose my thoughts on it some... so I'll write that up in the next few days! :-)

Got a pic of the Dead Presidents as we rolled by... racin' storms now... and didn't feel like we had time to stop...

Down there... somewhere is a place called Iron Mountain... on which there is a road... or should I say... A ROAD!.

Twisties! Tight little twisties to really test a man... and tunnels... and more twisties, that actually go 360 degrees! They turn back on themselves and cross over with wooden post bridges! Sweet!

There's one tunnel... if you approach it from the south...

You get a picture frame for Mt. Rushmore that is pretty awsome, don't you think?

I didn't get nearly as many pics as I intended... couldn't stop! Just too much Gol' Durn fun rollin' that Motorcycle! :-)

... and where I did see a pic I would like to capture... there didn't seem to be a place to pull over safe... I'm not like some folks that see no problem with just lockin' it up in the middle of the road... and then somebody else come's rollin' around the bend behind 'em and CRUNCH!

But... there is more pretty country in the Black Hills than you'll be able to see in a day... or a month!

***161

We pretty much topped out on the Iron Mountain Road... and could see... far up ahead, along that road twisting through Soul feeding hills and valleys... Sunshine!...

... and that is what I've gotten banged into my head on this trip... There is Sunshine up ahead... if you'll just let it shine!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 23, 2008 05:58 - Leaving Devils Tower and Rollin' Past Cheyenne

Rode home the other day... Friday... pretty much without any special events. Lots of other Motorcycles on the road.

Of course... them mostly bein' Harleys... and me bein' on a Yamaha... they tend to look at riders like me as 'lesser' beings. :-)

Sure wish I didn't mind bein' broken more... or costing so much more... or bein' so dang noisy! ... 'cause then I could ride one myself! :-)...

Me... I'll stick to my Yamaha! A lot less bike... less cost to buy, less noise, less fuel to run, less time sittin' on the side of the road broke! :-) .... but shhhhh... don't tell them Harley boys... they're sensitive individuals, and get their feelings hurt kinda easy!

Took lunch at a greasy spoon in Lusk and then started racing a big storm off to the west... Got south of Torrington, and thought I just might make it...

Wrong!

You could see the thing comin' for miles... 'bout 50 miles south of Torrington, the road makes about a 45 degree turn to the west... turning toward Cheyenne.

I was hoping I'd make that cut, south of that comin' Thunder Banger...

Didin't Happen... When the road turned it turned right into the center of that storm.

I'm gettin' quicker at putting on my rain gear though and got geared up just in time... climbed back on slick... gritted my teeth and roared into the lions mouth...

Ouch!

That stuff hurts when it hits you! I had to slow down to 50 'cause the rain on the road was heavy enough the bike started planning a little... cars kept racin' on by...

My good rain gear kept everything but my feet dry... and I got though the thing fairly quickly though so... alls well that ends dry!

Thinkin' of a ride up into Rocky Mountain Park this week... Big Red is 'maybe' goin' in the shop for his surgery this week... or early next... so we can't make any runs with the rig... probably until into July... so I'll just run the rubber off that new tire on Slick!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 24, 2008 06:44 - In Pursuit of a More Harmonious Outcome

My recent run up to the Devils Tower country and through the Black Hills, dragged some things out into plain sight for this fella... Like the mistakes I've been makin' for some time now.

I've allowed myself to get pointed down the wrong trail... again! ... and I see lots of other folks makin' the same mistake. We (I) get so focused on the Big Picture, the Big Dream, that the little opportunities go runnin' on by, unseen.

So... DO AS I SAY! NOT AS I DO! :-)

It ain't the big things... it's all the little pieces that put that 'Castle in the Sky' together.

It ain't whether my truck is bent... Gettin' my shorts in a knot over that... is/was just plumb stupid. It is whether my partner is still walkin' and talkin' and runnin' the roads with me!

It's those lil' hikes we had up on the Medicine Bow... the ones we'll have in the future. It's runnin' Spearfish Canyon with maybe the closest friend I've ever had... beyond the Boss Lady... and runnin' it on a fine Yamaha! HA HA HA HA!

It really doesn't matter, in the end, if that 'Castle in the Sky' ever gets built... if you made each moment... in the effort to build it, SHINE! You just may discover that when it's all said and done... you actually don't want it to get built.

Think about it. If the trip is such a joy... you just may want to stay on the approach, and never get to the destination!

So... don't do as I've done... and get so hung up on where you want to go... that you miss out on where you could have gone! I'm sure workin' hard to keep that lil' bit of hard won wisdom in plain sight!

But sadly, other folks just keep on doin' it... ever'body's got their shorts knotted so tight their eyes are bulgin'!

Give it a break people! 'afore you bust somethin'! Recession, war, terrorists, medical insurance, housing market, stock market dollar exchange, fuel prices, food prices... the Sky is Falling!... they just never quit... probably never will.

Do you see any sort of a pattern? Generally speakin', the 'Chicken Littles' spreadin' all that doom and gloom tell you... just after they break the latest bad news... that if you'll give them just a mite more of YOUR life... they'll save you from the latest, looming, disaster...

Have they ever? It's mostly all the kind of stuff that makes your garden a lot greener... if you put it where it belongs! :-)

Can you spell 'Snake Oil'?

Ignore the bloodsuckin' con atists... from the insurance salesmen, and the lyin' politicians (are there any other kind?) to the police fellas... who don't ever get called... or show up... until AFTER somethin' bad has happened...

... DO listen to the Motorcycle Salesman! :-) ... when he tells you: "Buying this Bike is gonna put a great big grin on your face!" HE... for one, is tellin' you the truth! :-)

If you focus on all the bad things that could happen... you just attract that stuff... like dirt to oil...

If you focus on the GOOD you WANT to happen... it's pretty darn amazing how often THAT is what happens... It's the old 'Making Lemonade out of Lemons' kind of a deal...

It ain't all sweetness and light... I know that... but it darn sure IS all Darkness and Gloom... If you allow it to be!

Once again... I'm speakin' from experience here... I have been known... to be a mite of a pessimist at times :-)... and it can sure drag you down if you don't work against it... It's kind of like those viruses you can get from emails... if you let 'em in. But... if you just don't open the door to the doom an' gloom... you can have a 'More harmonious outcome'! :-)

Instead of the morning news... watch the weather report... so you can plan your day proper... then turn the dang squawk box off! and turn the stereo on! You can't change the stock market or the lies them politician parasites are tellin' you anyway... can you?... and if you can... How come you ain't got it done before now? :-)

Sure, you can't just run down the road with your eyes closed... you have to pay attention and do what needs to be done... but beyond that... put that crap aside and get back to LIVIN'! Chase your dreams... whether they be RVing, or painting tulips! Pick those flowers today... while they're there... right in front of you... don't let an opportunity to put some beauty in your life slip by.

... or some good music... or some whoopy makin'!

Doom an' Gloom is contagious... but so is a Silly Grin! and when do you feel better? When you're worryin' if your gonna get a flat tire 20 miles down the road... or the stock market is gonna tank?... or are you happier... right after you've snuck up on the boss lady... and poked her in the sides... sudden like... and made her squeal!? :-)

Keep your spare tire in good shape... so you're ready for problems... and then get to sneakin' up on the boss lady!

There are things you can control... things that can make your world a shinier place to breathe... and things you can't have no affect on... control what you can... and leave the rest behind... and you'll get a 'More Harmonious Outcome'.

Just remember... It's the little things, that build the Joyous Times. You can't build your 'Castle' in one big rush... you have to put it up one brick at a time... learn to really savor each and every brick... and you can't help but have Shinin' Times!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 25, 2008 06:56 - I've struck Oil! ... or just another nerve... :-)

Well... gave Slick a bath yesterday afternoon... along with the Eagle... in preparation for havin' him carry me today, up into the High Country that lives west of us...

Found out he's lame...

He's leakin' a bunch of gear oil out of the rear wheel... Yamaha is booked up until next week... and a motorcycle mechanic I ain't! I'm the sort that when I get done... there's still six pieces left on the bench... but the thing seems to run OK. :-)

But... I just don't want to be rollin' down the road on two wheels... at 75mph... knowin' there are six pieces of him... Yamaha thought important... still sitting on the bench in the shop!

So... I'm ridin' him down to the Yamaha shop in a few minutes... Hopin' that maybe they'll have some cancellations... and they can squeeze him in for a new seal or whatever in the next day or so... so I don't have to wait until Wednessday next week!

Big Red... who I was hopin' to get into the truck doctor late this week... or next... can't go until darn near the end of July! Seems the hail and wind storms around here have the only shop I'll have do the work booked up until then... giminee... us two legged critters need to go easier on our mechanical buddies I guess!

The body shop fella pretty much agrees that the frame is bent a little... but... after close observation, introspection, a lil' infection, dejection, rejection, and juuuust a touch of procrastination... we're both pretty much in agreement... that the 'bend' is out in front of the suspension...

Which should make it a cosmetic... and not a structural defect... that should... considering that my eyes are crooked anyway... be relatively easy... for them... to make better...

Either that... or none of us have any idea! :-)

... now a lil' bit of trivia.. Do you have those tow/tie down loops up on the front end of your truck! Are you like me... and they ain't ever got used? ... the body shop guy told us that he's seen those do, what they did to us... on a BUNCH of trucks... if the Tow Loop hadn't been there the 'other' vehicle woulda just slid on by... with that loop in place... it hooked the van and bent the front end...

So... that is one lil' accessory that maybe we should think about shaving... 'course... as soon as I did that I'd need it... right? :-)

So with a leaky Bike, a bent truck, a broken back and a twisted mind... I think I'll have Red haul me a ways into the High Up and Lonesome... and take a walk!

Sounds like the proper use of a day to me!

Maybe I can even sneak up on... and get a close up of some... LIGHTNING! :-)

'cause I've had maybe all the weed whackin'.... sprayin'... and pullin' I wanna deal with for a day or two... I need to buy some goats if we're gonna be stayin' put here! :-) ...

Hmmm.... Heidi was wantin' to get into Herding with Buck... she'd get her herding critters... I'd get some four legged lawn mowers... might not be a bad idea!

Later!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 26, 2008 07:44 - Rocky Mountain National Park is a Perfect Place to Really Test a Nikon P80!

Yes siree!

Adding that Nikon P80 to my outfit was a good choice... It is turning out to be an Awsome Camera! Small enough to fit in my saddle bags on the bike, with ease, and - almost - in my pocket... It's light... easy as heck to use, and has more capability than any camera I've had yet!

It may not cost but a fraction of what the 'big boys' use...

But... It still packs a heck of a punch!

That lil P80 has an 18X Optical Zoom... when you add in the Digital Zoom it makes that Nikon Camera equivalent to something like a 486m m lens on a 'regular' camera.

To see what that means, look at these couple of pictures...

See the snow field, way off there? and the grass to the right of it?

Now Look at the 'snow field'!

and this one of that 'grass' area...

I took these with that Lil' Nikon P80... same exact location... propped on the back of the truck... pretty awsome huh? If I used a tripod... I'd probably do juuuuuust... a lil' better!

So... if any of you folks are in the market for a New Digital Camera... you may just want to go check out Nikon's P80. It just came out this spring... and is under $400... I still don't count something that costs that much as cheap... but... thats about what we paid for Heidi's old Fugi something like five years ago... it's a 6 megapixel... this Nikon is 10 mega pixels! And... with a whole bunch of other capabilities to boot!

The thing can do something like 13 frames a second for 'action' shooting too! Can you tell I like it? :-) ... You can't hardly go wrong with Nikon!

** a lil' update** if you are in the market... and are lookin' for a camera... and you'd like a P80... you can get one in the RV General Store ... and gettin' it there, helps keep - goin' RV Boondocking - on the road!

Anyhoo... as always Rocky Mountain National Park is elixir for the soul... If heaven is up... you're a lot closer at 11,000 feet! Especially when you're at that altitude in some of the Boss's best work!

I could just sit and look... in the same spot... from one sunrise to the next!

I was hoping to go up Fall River Road... but... it won't open until next week or so. If you've never gone up that road... You MUST! It's a one lane, dirt road... so it takes 'em a lil' bit longer to get it open in the spring... or early summer. It's quieter up that way with some sweet spots to just pull off and soak in the High Country...

Take a lunch... and take your time... you won't regret it.

Every bend offers a new vista... and you start to notice that folks are staring at you...

You go look in the mirror... and the grin on your face has you lookin' like some drugged up loonie bin escapee. :-)

... one of those 'New' Vistas...

Plan on having your plans knocked off schedule though... seems like, pretty often, you just can't get where you planned to go. You stop and just look... and 'fore you know it... the day has just slipped away... and you didn't get the hike you planned on making... 'cause you were too busy... just lookin' :-)

Got this snapshot... on the roll... just after I started down... not a well done pic... but he's pretty good lookin' anyway... don't you think?

I better go get to my chores!

Take Good Care
Brian

June 28, 2008 06:15 - Start of another Day

The mornings, just at sunrise, are my favorite time of day... unless maybe it's sitting out under the awning... if it's raining... at midnight... or out under the stars if it ain't...

It's quiet right now... no traffic goin' by, slight overcast and cool... a man can think when it's quiet... though that's something best avoided by me! :-) It's how I've gotten into most of my 'difficulties'! :-)

Heidi and Buck are off to Albuquerque for another Agility Trial... I'm off in a couple hours for the ranch store... to sell some more nuts and bolts...

Slicks in the shop... Red can't go till near the end of july... Heidi has several trials scheduled all through the summer now... since the life that happens when you're makin' plans kind of derailed the hoped for Alaska expedition again this year... but I'm stubborn... so ... Alaska in '09! ... By God!

We're goin' to Utah for near two weeks... the first two weeks of August... two more Agility Trials! :-) ... Now... Utah in the summer, by Salt Lake can be kind of warm... but... the time between those two shows... will find us up in the mountains that lay all over that state... and I haven't been through in years! so I'll get a couple days before a trial... the time between the two... and the time comin' back here...

Now... since the effort to just sell out and go full-time has been goin' on for some time... with no progress... due to the real estate situation blocking my road... I'm schemin' a new way around...

Much of that couple weeks on the road will be spent cookin' up a new 'plan'... if I don't have it baked by the time we head out.

Years ago... in the army... if we were tryin' to take an objective... and we just kept gettin' blocked... the practice was... back off... circle around... and hit that sucker from another direction...

So... that is just what I'm doin'! I'm backin' off... and circlin'... just haven't found that chink to slide through... but I will! That's the benefit of bein' stubborn. I may get down once in a while... who don't? I may grouse and whine... but that's just noise...

Once it's all said and done... I'll pick up my tools... blow my nose... quit my whinin'... and get back to work! :-)

So you guys that are tryin' too... don't let life get you down... stop here and there, catch your breath... then look close and find another way around what blocks you...

We'll only lose if we quit...

My old man might not have bred an Einstein... but he did breed a fella that ain't gonna quit... or run!

Take Good Care
Brian