A Taste of the Future

 Heidi and I ran Lil' Red back up into the High Country Friday morning hoping to take a short walk... and just get some Mountain time..

Our short walk turned out being 'bout 8 1/2 miles! :o) ... we read that trailhead sign 3 times... 4.2 up... which means 4.2 miles back to... don't it?

Thing is the comin' back was quite some lil' bit easier than goin' up... it wasn't straight up... but the only time we weren't climbing... was when we weren't movin'... and tryin' to catch our breath...

Was a good day though... no rain... started something over 9000 feet and climbed up above 10,000... not too bad for an Ol' Army cripple huh? ... and we were Movin'! Yes sir! I'll bet we were whistlin' through the woods at speeds approaching 1 and a 1/2 miles an hour! :o)

Kind of odd though... to me... that country up around Red Feather is so pretty... but often so hard to photograph... you look 'round and you just feel good... the sun shining down through the heavy timber...

The quiet and peacefulness of it all just easin' off the knots in your brain...

...But... it's real hard to capture that sensation, that all is exactly Right, in a camera. I took something like 80 pics... and maybe two or three are worth anything...

Aw well... I'll settle for the Knot Relief!... and knowin' that I can still cover better'n 8 miles... on foot... in one day without fallin' over with a seizure or a stroke!

 Nice thing to know... seein' as how I'm headin' off on a bit of a Motorcycle endurance test in a few weeks. :o)

There was one point though...

We'us screwin' 'round on a forest Overpass... only... maybe my balance ain't quite what it once was? ... 'bout a part of a second after she clicked this pic... I lost my footing a bit... and fell off the right side... see that snag stickin' out to my right?

Well... I managed to catch that with my left foot and bounce back up on to the Overpass log! ... Da DAAAAA! :o)

Whew! juuuuuust Almost got wet! :o)

Got me so worked up... we had to find one of those Mountain Benches the Forest Service so kindly scatters 'round the woods... so Old Guys who scared 'emselves, fallin' off logs can set and have a soda and some crackers!

Though I Suppose, most folks just call 'em Tree Stumps... either way... they work real well! and all told... Mountain trails... great 'Saves' on slippery 'Bridges'... crackers,cheese and summer sausage... watchin' the clouds grow and then disappear... under a mostly blue clear sky... and not a sound but the breeze in the trees...

Makes for a good day... and one we're 'bout to have a whole lot more of! Suh-Wheet!

Spent yesterday doin' "Book Work"... Literally...

I've got two of my three lil' books ready to upload to the outfit that's gonna do my publishing work for me... but did run into oooone lil' computer glitch... a file has vanished! again! :o) ... I've got, or thought I did, all the stories from "Horses Critters and Other Tales..." ... in a separate place...

But... as it turns out... two of 'em are missing!... and I can't for the life of me... remember which stories, so I'm waitin' on a hard copy of the book I have to borrow from a gal I gave one to... so I can copy those stories back down... and then I can set all my books to be "E" published.

They'll be available in 6 or 7 formats. You'll be able to download PDF to your computer, to Iphones and most other Smart Phones and most any ereader... like kindle, Sony, Barnes and Noble etc...

The good thing is that what with eliminating all the cost and confusion of printing, shipping and such... I can put my lil' tomes out there for less than 25% of my Printed price (not including shipping!)... So you get all the good... a whole lot more conveniently... for a whole lot better price...

and... even I get to do a lil' better on the deal...Which helps keep the story tellin' goin' round here. And how sweet is that?

So... keep an eye open... sometime shortly, I'll be reworking my lil' bookstore... and gettin' things rolling.

Take Good Care
Brian

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I'm Committed Now...

Or... maybe... I'm about to Be... committed! :o)

Gave notice at the Hardware store yesterday afternoon... Kinda spooky... So much ain't Right... and so many potholes visible up ahead... but... No goin' back now! :o) My last day there will be the 7th of July...

So... either Shining Times comin'... or runnin' hard with Smokey on my tail!

Riding for Lakewood in a couple hours. Taking the Raider down to get the front seat reworked with Dan Ballards magic at Bitchn Stitchn... and, repair the damage to the Pad, from when the Backrest came off a couple weeks ago...

Expecting the Saddlebags today or tomorrow... 

Makin' reeeealllly slow progress on reworking/reformatting my scribblings, so they can be formatted for electronic di-semin-a-shun... Not so much the work itself... I just keep getting diverted to other things...

Guess I'm gonna have to just put some sort of blinders on for a while... and maybe hum real loud... so I can't hear ever'body else tryin' to drag me to those Other things. :o)

I'm still hopin' to have one or two of the small books set up in the next 6 weeks (before I roll for Alaska)... and then, shortly after my Try-umphal ride back from the Great Buggy North... have the curtain raising for my first; Great Western Novel! :o)

That is sure a shiny fantasy... to actually be able to put a decent amount of beans on the table... and maybe even put some fuel in, or tires on, the rig... and all coming from folks wanting to read the imaginings of an RVing Cowboy Bikers fevered brain? :o)

But... it's not so Far Out a fantasy... really.

If I can just land myself somewhere between what Rex said he's turning... and the huge ebook successes of a couple of other "Newbie" fiction writers that Froggi Donna and others have put me on to... I'll be as happy as the cowboy that woke up... and found he'd been locked in the Bar when it closed up for the night!

Aw... Hope springs eternal... Right?

... so... guess I'll go look for those dang blinders...

We'll Soon be... On the Road Again!
Brian

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RVing... and Wandering... A Fella Still Has To Pay The Bills...

I hate "selling"... I really do... I just can't get into twisting somebody's arm to buy something... but... if you've got something to sell... there ain't really much choice to selling... So ... you've got to make sure that what you're puttin' out there... has some use, has some true worth... does some good... and then... find a way to present your 'goods'... in a manner that don't look like some carny... squallin' at the county fair, to separate you from your nickels!

Either folks will see the value, and reward your work with their business... or... ya'll go back to the drawing board... and try again!

... and 'back to the drawing board' is where I've been... on my ambition of 'writing'...

Some time ago... I wrote a couple of small books. One a collection of short stories from my Cowboyin' days... and two other lil' works for RVing... I was sellin' 'em self printed, hand bound and shipped... sold a few... but, it's difficult, to put a decent price on 'em, what with all the costs an' such...

Well ... then somebody said; "You need to write a Western Brian!"... a few others chimed in... and I did just that... a Louis L'amour sort of story... a genuine, double rectified, western hero. :o)

But... I still had the problem of how to put 'em out there at some sort of a decent price... and considering all the obstacles of the "Publishing World"... Well... it kind of roadblocked me...

Then a Fella Name of Rex Kusler put me on to an outfit called Smashwords... an Ebook publisher...

As a result... I've been slowly... too slowly... working around all the other stuff goin' on... working at learning how to format my lil' books to fit their program...

A few other folks have been sending me articles 'bout the future of Ebooks... which seems to be building up a head of steam...

They've told me about a few previously, unpublished 'writers'... that went, pretty much, from rags to riches... thanks to Amazon and Ebook publishing of their fiction books. All that just serves to build up the hopes of a guy hoping to get published himself in some sort of a "real" way. :o)

Now... last night I heard where Amazon just cut the price of their Kindle machine to $189... down I think from over $300... and I guess Barnes and Noble are doin' the same thing...That, should be a real 'kick' to the market... and a good thing for aspiring 'Independent' publishers... the lil' guys like me! :o)

So... I'm workin' to speed up my "learning curve"... and master this formatting deal... and have my lil' books available for all those e-readers in the near future... maybe... even before me and that red headed Raider roll out for Alaska! ... and I'm planning on a pretty inexpensive price on 'em! :o)

That would be cool!

So a question... Kind of a Poll? How many, if any of you... use a Kindle? or one of the "Other" readers?... or are maybe thinkin' on it... and will, as soon as the price gets down enough? a quick "Comment" would be interesting to me!

Keep watchin' around here if you are... I'll be rebuilding my "Bookstore"... one more time... with all my 'wares'... set up to be available by way of Smashwords... and likely... if I do that gol darn Formatting right... Amazon... and some of the others...

Not twisting arms or nuthin'... but... once I get 'em back available again... the sales of those lil' books... and future projects I've got floatin' around my brain pan... will go a long ways toward keepin' things workin' round here! ... as long as I keep up my end of the bargain... and provide ya'll with somethin' worth reading!

Take Good Care
Brian

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Movin' on Toward "The Leaving"

Hey! I Found the Bottom of that Front Compartment! :o)

It was probably the most abused in the 'bailout' a few months ago... if I didn't know where to put it... that's where it got stuffed. :o)

So now... that's got the 'camp' gear in it, that's supposed to be there... chairs and grill, a few odds and ends... along with a few 'maintenance' tools/materials... and nothing much else... in the process, came up with a full tote of stuff that don't even need to be on the rig at all...

I don't suppose that 30 lbs or so, taken off the rig is gonna save the world... but... it won't hurt!

Now's the time I'm startin' in on the second guessin'... Been so long in the makin'... and so many obstacles, some of which have been defeated, but not all!... it shakes a fellas confidence juuuust a mite... :o) The only thing I can say is... one way or t'other... here in about three weeks... we're pullin' up our tent pegs... and rollin' west!

I Guess we'll just have to overcome, what ever comes along... as it comes... 'cause I'm ready for goin'!

Only two more weeks of pushin' plumbing parts at the Hardware Store... that's kinda spooky... and most folks would say "You're Nuts!"... to be walkin' away from a 'job' in These Times... but... know what? I think it's Times like These... that are the Whole Damn Reason!... to walk away from it...

I mean... if wastin' away a life... at such Doin's, is all there is... well... just hit me with a shovel and hide my carcass under a rock! ... I'm just not willin' to drag that iron ball any more... I know sometimes you have to do... what you have to do... but unless there's an awful bright lite at the end of the tunnel... I'm likely to just go on around that hole!

I've tried the "waiting game"... and it might fit other folks... but it just makes my teeth hurt. So...scared wiggly or not... we'll soon be packin' what lil' we've culled down to...and rollin' off to see what awaits...

The thing is... the only way Things change is if you change 'em!... Waitin' an' Wishin' don't Haul the Freight... leastways... it ain't got it done for me... Soooo... I'm bound to change things up...

I'm sure some of it's gonna be "Aw... #$@!!!"... but I'm also pretty sure the most of it will be... "Deep Breath of Freedom... Oh Lordy! Have you ever seen a prettier Sunrise?!"...

All I gotta do is tough it out through the "Aw... 3$@!!!'S"... till one of the "Oh Lordy's" comes along!

Well... that's enough gas for today... should go get ready to go sell the last few of those plumbing parts I'll be hawking! :o)

Take Good Care
Brian

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How Much ... UH... Useless Junk!... Do You Carry in Your RV?

The stuff can creep up on you. A piece tucked here, another stuffed there... then one day you wake up, and every nook, cranny, closet, an' storage compartment in the Fifth Wheel, is cluttered with crap and corruption ya never, ever, use!

Our situation was compounded by our move out of the house in a rushin' hurry! :o) As we were packin' up in February, we fell into the trap of; "Put it in the rig... We'll deal with it later." ... Only... "Later"... often is really, really, later! or it don't ever come at all!

... anyhoo... we've been living amongst that 'clutter' for too long... and while the weather hasn't co-operated either, snowing or raining ever' time we had a bit of time to do some RV Housekeeping... our biggest obstruction has been... Procrastination!...

... then... that "Compounding" was twisted even tighter, by the fact, that we we're right in the middle of an RV Remodel... which is where we remain :o) ... Living in a House, while you remodel is tough... doin' that in an RV is even tougher... So if you're anticipating it... My advice is... Complete your RV Remodel... BEFORE you're living in it! :o)

I digress... surprised huh?... Well, That Later, is Now! :o) We started a push yesterday, to cull the junk that got mistakenly held on to. Simple fact is, it don't matter if it's "Good"... or ... "I might could use it... Someday."... There just ain' Room, even in Froggy Donnas' Triple axle Mobile Mansion! :o)

... and kids? ... OUR rig? A mansion it ain't! We like it... It works, pretty good, for us... But it's Redneck Regular  and space is at its' usual, RV Premium... plus, we have visions of getting even smaller!

So... clothes are getting 'distilled'... this and that compacted, consolidated and discarded... pieces and parts are getting reorganized to store and use, more efficiently...

I even reworked my leather stamps into a case, a touch over 1/2 the size of the wooden case I'd built a few years ago. (and am working on distilling all my leather tools down to a very compact "Tooling and Stitching" set that I'll take on the road)

This bit of RV Housecleaning is something ever'body needs to do, ever' once in a while I'm thinking. Like I said, the stuff can just creep up on you, when ya'll ain't lookin'... and one day you wake up in a crappola jungle!

So... Do some heavy duty RV Housekeeping! reduce the stresses and clutter... cull out the precious treasures... you ain't used in months... and will likely, Not use, in the foreseeable future...

It'll give you a mite more room to breathe!

Take Good Care
Brian

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Ain't it Curious How Things Work Out?

Like a lot of folks, the past few years have been... uh ... difficult. ;o)

Three years + ago... we were setting up a new truck, flashin' up our gear, building up to leave... only to hit a wall and splat!... Now... three years down the road... we're knocked back to an old truck... the rig needs some TLC...

... the equity of the house... (Legitimate cost of construction price) ... Vanished... our income down at least 40%... not much of anything in the bank any more...

You know what? I couldn't care less!... I've got a fine and flashy 'new' Raider Motorcycle... Heidi is riding the 'old' V Star... Enjoying riding behind me more an' more... and "Riding her Own" as well... and we're slowly getting ready to leave... Anyway!... in just a few weeks!

You can call it Frugal RVing... or ... you can call it Poverty ... I'll just call it Living!

Things aren't as they were planned... hell, usually, 'things' seldom are when you really stop an' look at 'em...

and... As always, some folks think we're Nuts... though mostly, their "We"... is spelled... ME! :o) and who knows, maybe we (I) are a bit. But... I'd rather be nuts, and able to say, sitting in camp, out of breath... dirty... all scuffed up, with the bandaids not stickin' real well; "Gee... I hadn't thought that out real well... did I?!" :o) ...

...Than sitting in town... waiting safely for; "Things to get better".

Thing is... the worst that can happen is... we crash and burn... and have to start over... again. Been there done that... so it holds little fear... Nothing has ever flat footed "Stopped Me"... and I have no thought that anything... short of the Great Mystery... ever will...

The thing that does make my liver quiver... is the thought of looking back, another three years down my shortening road... and seeing me sitting here... still waiting, and Hoping...

UGH! ... Oh Lordy... just shoot me in the head... throw me in a box... and nail the lid shut!

So... Like Gus said... "We got enough cattle to stock five ranches... Let's just go on and go if we're goin' "

Now... I know other folks continue to wonder at the Alaskan Ride I'm takin'... solo... and I'm just comin' to understand that there's a goodly number of folks that are never gonna understand that lil' part of me...

Hell... Heidi don't truly understand it... but she knows me well enough to see that whatever "It" is, that's been drivin' my cowboy butt to make this ride... has to be fed... and I'm lucky enough for her to see that.

So... we follow our trail, the way We see it... We follow our trail to please US... not what "They" tell us is the Proper and Only way we can go... We may be wrong... we may have a tee total train wreck... but By God... It's OUR Train Wreck! :o)

... and at least... We'll have the stories to tell about it all... entertainin' those that took the Safe Road... when we're all campin' under that Bridge!

Take Good Care
Brian

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So Much to Do... A Thread Thin Budget... and... a Short Attention Span...

... Makes getting things lined out a real chore! :o)

Buuuuut... With different departure dates racing at us we're slowly putting things together... and as always... a bad case of procrastination... aggravated by inflamed hitch itch... combined with the previously mentioned Budgetary issues and attention span deficit...

... Well... They oughta have a competition at the Olympics for such doins! Anyone who can accomplish anything under such conditions is a Gol' Dang Western Hero! :o)

Picked up some good and proper boots at Bass Pro over the weekend... They'll do double duty... Look and work proper on the Bike... and serve real well for hiking and such... when we get where we're goin' on the bikes... and they're waterproof too...

Then... got saddlebags ordered for the Raider from an outfit called Osprey Limited... he happened to be building two sets of what I'm ordering... so he just rolled in a third set which he'll ship Wednesday! ... usually takes several weeks... I'll get 'em in one! Now that's the first time my procrastinating has paid off. :o) ... and considering it's pretty much a One Man Custom shop... and knowing, personally, what it's like keeping things together in such a deal... Suh-Wheet!

Made contact with Motion Windows to build us a replacement for a broken window... that I've been stalling on replacement of... and it turned out to be a couple hundred less than I expected it to be... maybe I'm getting the hang of this procrastinating thing?!

... and finally... I've been stewing over what to do about the hitch location on the truck... and how to move it... for a couple of months... at least...

Finally... I stumbled across an outfit that builds a weld in, flatbed kit for a flip over gooseneck ball setup... so I'll be getting that ordered in the next couple of days... then only have to sweet talk our friend James into helping me install the thing... so that it in fact stays attached to the truck!

This new turn over gooseneck ball setup will allow me to move the hitch location about 18" rearward... yielding enough room up front, behind the cab, to load my Red Headed Raider Motorcycle crossways... for those times she and Slick (The V Star) have to ride from camp to camp...

Now... don't ya'll go gettin' your shorts all tied up in a knot... It's safe, it's been done... and it works.

And, think about it... Ever see a 30+ foot travel trailer being pulled down the road?... well... it's hooked up to a hitch that's a LOT farther back than where mine will be, just behind the axle...

It works... and it's the only way that'll work for me to carry our two big Motorcycles on a fifth wheel rig.

It's all a matter of balancing the load, truck frame and tire capacity, suspension supplementation, wind speed, humidity and the gross weight of Coors divided by the mass of the lugnut sitting behind the steering wheel! :o)

Bottom line... I'll still be underweight on the trailer axles... and the cargo/pin weight on the truck...

So... what's gonna happen is... I'm either rolling by fits and starts... into one hell of a fine summer... or... you're likely to hear the noise... when I go slammin' into the wall goin' nine-oh-damn-this-Motorcycle-is-fast!... clear back in Toledo! :o)

Take Good Care
Brian

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Apparently... In Training for the ALCAN

Been a wet spring... and the early summer looks to be maintaining the habit.

Raining... Raining... and still Raining... Our Fifth Wheel is parked three miles of mud, from the pavement... too much gooey crud to even think about trying to get my Raider out for a lovely ride... IN THE RAIN!... Oh, how I long for the lung choking... eye burning dust of riding the Drags! :o)

Hard to get much work done... outside... when you have to wade 'round in nearly ankle deep mud... I wonder if my dislike for mud comes from having been raised up in the desert?... where most of the mud we ever saw was in pictures of somewhere else?

I can remember, actually being IN mud... three, maybe four times in my whole life before moving back to Colorado... And only once, was in Arizona... I can remember being in mud so thick and deep an M-60 tank... and the M-88 retriever trying to pull it out, were both stuck...

I remember... being in mud so grasping... I dislocated my hip... trying to pull my foot out!

Right now... I do believe... If I tried to drag the Eagle out of our current parking spot... I'd leave the axles behind! :o) ... either that... or the Truck would simply dig itself in so deep, I'd have to convert it to a yard ornament!

I hate... MUD! :o)

Take Good Care
Brian

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The Sun is Shinin'... Except When It Ain't

Same Ol' Same Ol'... a few steps forward... and a lil' slippin' back...

Day started out pretty poor... feelin' bad 'bout the night before... Heidi had asked me where the backrest for the bike was... so I replied; "Huh?"

"It's not on the bike!" she says... "Well I don't know how to answer you... 'cause it sure is!"... so... 'bout 10:30 at night... she looks out the  window and says... "NO... It Isn't!"... I get up... thinkin' she's crazy... and...

IT'S GONE! Wha.....!!!

Jumped up... climbed in the jalopy Subaru, and headed up the road... finding that $1000 backrest setup... layin' in a ditch... 'bout 15 miles south... ($600 back rest, $160 tail rack... another 150 or so to custom cover the pad = $910 ... close enough for me to call it $1000)

Anyhoo... the chrome is chewed up and the pad is ate up... I'll get the pad fixed in a couple weeks, when I'm gettin' the front seat done... the chrome, is gonna have to wait 'till the Alaska run is done... aarrrrrrrrgggggghhhhh!

So... starting out on a downer, we ran in to town to file our Passport Papers... and... outside of another lil' dent in the bank account :o) ... that went fine... so I'll be likely able to come home in September!

After the Passport Office, we climbed on the Raider and rode over to Thunder Mountain Harley where I'd thought I'd spotted the saddle bags that would fit like I wanted... only to find out... that...

wait for it...

I... was... wrong! ... another lil' aarrgggh! ... I'd only looked at one bag... dumb. The bag for the other side had a big ol' formed 'cutout' for a part that my ride don't have... so ... back to the drawing board...

But, that's not too far a trip... I've got two other makers in mind... I was just hoping to be able to hold the bag in my hands... before I laid down the dinero for it... hard to Know it's gonna fit... from just a picture, and a measurement... guess I'll just have to employ a lil' bit more, of some of that Faith! :o)

So... right 'bout now... is when the day started lookin' up a mite... 'cause riiiighhht across the parking lot... sits the Fort Collins incarnation of Hooters! :o) ... and if having lunch there, don't make an old Cowboy smile... He's dead! :o)

With a full belly, we climbed back on the Raider to see how far up Trail Ridge Road we might could get... That bein' the road to the top of Rocky Mountain National Park...

and though we had a real fine ride up Big Thompson Canyon... the sun was still shining down low...

... it wasn't a banner day for pictures up high... what with heavy overcast... it's still a pretty place, cloudy or not... coming in to Estes Park.

Heidi did manage to trip the trigger a few times on that lil' S8000 Nikon, pocket camera as we went along... that should be some fun as she gets the hang of it...

Stopped in Estes Park for homemade ice cream, after we turned back before we entered the park... The farther we'd rode... the harder it rained as we approached the gate... and not really being in the mood for another soaking... we thought a few quiet minutes people watching, and eating ice cream would be a better choice...

So there we sat... only the "People" seemed to be watching the two old bikers... more than the bikers we're watching them... and then Heidi started laughing...

... as she shouted to me... over the roar of the street sweeper thundering behind us... and the crowds streaming past on main street Estes Park... "Ain't it great? You ride a hundred miles... for the peace and quiet of the mountains!" :o)

Hey... if you'd like to see some of the Colorado Motorcycle Roads that I'm riding... when I talk about Stove Prairie or The Big Thompson... you can go to this post on my "other" blog... and watch a video made by another guy... who thinks our Colorado Canyons are some of the Sweetest Rides around! :o)

Today... with heavy rain predicted... "A Rain Event" they were calling it last night... we're heading up into the Mountains around Red Feather... for to do a lil' of what we're all supposed to be Doin'... LIVING!

Take Good Care
Brian

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This Alaska Trip... Who.... and a Lil' Bit of the Why...

Sharlotte asked a question... and I thought maybe some others might could be wonderin' the same thing... I thought I'd said it, but maybe I wasn't as plain as I'd thought... so... I'll clear that up right quick!

A long time ago... like 38 years... I came home, with Riding a new Motorcycle up the Alaskan Highway to Homer, as a Brain Straightening  Dream. I was a 20 year old kid that was in pretty poor shape...

Now... I understand that a lot of folks are gonna ask; "How does putting your knees in the wind on a Motorcycle... for 9000 miles... straighten your brain?"...

My answer is an Old Motorcycle riders cliche'; "If I have to explain it... you won't understand"... Just accept, that for the people that do understand... It works! :o)

Well, back yonder in '72... Things ... conspired against me that first summer and ambushed the trip... and I allowed them to continue their conspiring for too long... like a lot of us do... and the Dream kind of slipped away... getting buried by life...

It was always there, just sitting in the back of my head... every once in a while poking me... Take a long, Solo, brain straightening, soul searchin' ride... all by my self... and spend that time... Inside my head... bein' honest with myself... and sort out all the Stuff... that had me cranked around when I was 20...

So... now... 38 summers later... all that Stuff (some of which got dug up last summer) ... having been un-attended to for all those years... is a pretty corroded mess! :o) ... but... Heidi and I decided/agreed... for the most part... that I have to make that ride... and put that ambition I've carried for so long into the reality of my history...Sort of a "Back to the Future" kind of deal...

So... Yes Ma'am Sharlotte! I'm making My Alaska by Raider Motorcycle trip... Solo... Just me... that bike... and my... corrosion! :o)

As soon as we circle back from the trip to Mark and Bobbies in Ouray, in July... I'll climb on that big Red Raider... twist the throttle... and roll. Nunn Colorado... to Homer Alaska!

The plans for after that are still pretty unsettled... we're hopin' to go north... maybe around Yellowstone... to finish out the season, before rolling south for the winter... we'll see what happens!

Take Good Care
Brian

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How's This for Goin' To Alaska?

These folks, the Pedouins, either bought or built, just about the most unique bicycle I've ever seen... piled their family on it a while back... and are people powering their kiesters up the road! and are now... following their own "Ribbon of Highway"... to Alaska!... by... Bicycle!

OK... I may be a Cowboy Biker... and likely to do just 'bout anything... but... one thing you'll never see me doin'... is pedalin' my As... Uh... Bu... uh... art! :o) Yes! Pedaling my ART! across Canada! :o)

Sometimes I like to think I'm a determined sort of guy... keep on runnining against the wind sort of character... but... I gotta say... I'm pretty impressed by such folks as these... They do stand apart!

... and from what lil' I've had time to read of their adventure... they're doin' it on an even thinner wallet than I'm workin' on... gives a fella a tiny bit more confidence...

Now... 'bout how I'll be making communication... on the road... once I get on the road... pushin' my own lil' scooter to Homer...

Canada is a bit of a problem... I use Verizon for my Phone and Internet Card... the problem being, Verizon, except by some sort of "roaming agreements" isn't really - in - Canada... and so... the COST is just way too high... so... my phone and air card will likely be OFF... rolling through Alberta and British Columbia... 'cause I'm cheap!

But... I'll need to camp... where there's plenty of "other" bait... to distract the Bears from me :o) and a lot of those places have WiFi... good setups or not... so... that's the plan... at least every couple days or so... I'll buy a night in a commercial campground... and send up my posts on their WiFi... and... utilize their showers...

...so the waitresses at the cafe's along the way don't have to hold their breath... while they pour my coffee!

But... just the same... I better just get back to work for now! :o)

Take Good Care
Brian

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Heidi Survived her First Solo Ride on Her V Star...

Night before last, I took Heidi's V Star down to another friends house... who lives "On the Pavement"... so she wouldn't have to fight the gravel road... on her first "On the road in traffic" ride.

'Till now... all her Motorcycle Ridin' has been in parking lots... Saturday night was her first out on a Ribbon of Highway! :o)

I've got no memory of my first "traffic ride"... it's been a lot of years... but Miss Heidi... was juuuuust a mite... uhhh... agitated!

She did fine... Covered 'bout 25 miles up the road to Wellington to fuel up... and back... I'm thinkin' it's gonna take her a few rides to settle into a bit of a comfort zone... though... She was shakin' like a 13 year old kid on her first trip to... second base! :o)

I've told her... I don't think it's real healthy... to get 'Too' comfortable in traffic... Maintaining a certain level of "discomfort" when it comes to riding in traffic... is a good thing.

People on four wheels just don't pay close enough attention for a Biker to go gettin' comfortable... If you keep your wits about you... and ride like you're Invisible... assuming them other folks don't... or won't see you... You'll keep the paint on your bike in a lot better condition!

She says her 'nervous' is a lot like what I told her 'bout obstacle courses in the Army... how my nether parts were blowin' kisses at the world... barely hangin', almost upside down, on a wobblin' cargo net... 50... 60 feet off the ground... or climbing the outside of a wobbly, shakin', three story, tower, with nuthin' twixt you and the ground but.. Air...  "Yeah" she said... "Just like that!" :o)

So... just gonna take a bunch of miles for her to find out which way she wants to roll... does she wanna truly "Ride Her own"... or rather occupy the Thrown behind me... or maybe... split her time twixt the two...?

Time's coming closer... The wildflower celebration, down to Ouray... with a week of 'chillin' before hand... and followed by this Ol' Buster realizing... after so long... my long held dream... Riding that Ribbon of Highway... all the way up the ALCAN... to Homer on the Kenai! Hoo! Ya!

I feel kind of guilty... some folks close to me... are still taking awful hits, and it hurts me... while my personal world seems to be moving toward Shining Times...

It makes me feel guilty... and nervous!

I want their troubles to go away... I ache for it... If there was something I could do to wash their sorrows away, I would, and damn the cost... but I can't... and I can't wait on that... Not while I have the opportunity to find some things I've hunted for... for too damn long.

Makes a man truly appreciate the good things he has. The Music... the Motorcycles... The People around him... without which... the rest is worthless...

Take Good Care
Brian

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Passport Paper Work Progress being made!

Gonna "Poke the Badger" again... just a lil'! :o)

Makin' progress on our "Paper Work". Replacement Birth Certificates came yesterday, to replace the ones, that we simply can't figure out, where they got put! So... first of the week, we'll get our passport paperwork filed...

I've got something a bit over six weeks... my Momma recently filed for a new passport... took 'bout four... so I/we should be good... otherwise... I can't come home! :o)

... Hmmm... ain't it curious... Some folks come across the "southern border"... and ever'body raises hell... if a cop asks 'em if they are "Legally" able to be here, or to show the paperwork, to prove that they are...

But then...  me, and folks like me...Born and raised, inside these borders, who have a RIGHT to be here... wanna come Home... to the place we were born... and worked for... for 58 summers... and served two hitches for... and we gotta jump through all sorts of hoops an' hurdles to Prove we're American... or WE ain't allowed to Come Home from Canada! ... and ever'body thinks that's all good and proper...

We had better be properly "Documented"... or we can't come home! ... unlike some "Others"... Curious...

Hmmm... is it just me?... or is there quite a lil' bit that's juuuuuuust a mite out of kilter in this goofy world?

Maybe I should just jump up and down and holler that they're Profiling Me when I get to the border, comin' home from Alaska? Rather than just play by the rules made up for the rest of us? :o) Seems to work for some folks.

I guess though... when illegal... Southern Immigration... is the problem... we should be on the lookout for Norwegians... right? It's just unfair to be watchin' for Southern folks, breakin' the rules... when Illegally immigrating Southern folks are the problem... Right?

Aw hell... I'm gonna just go ride my scooter... and let somebody else worry 'bout what's fair...

Take Good Care
Brian

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Ya Do What You Can Do... And Call It Good...

Yesterday was supposed to be an all day trip up Trail Ridge Road and soakin' up the High Country... but... night before, the guy I do my "Day Work" for... (for a few more weeks!) called and asked; Could I fill in Friday for one of the guys that had to go to a funeral...

Well, Hell... sometimes you just can't tell 'em no... so rather than a day in the Mountains... had another day, pushin' plumbing parts and duck feed! :o)

But... Heidi just grabbed the new lil' Nikon, jumped in her Subaru Jalopy,  and headed for Denver to take Keriann and lil' Jillian to the zoo.

I guess the lil' one really liked the fish...

... and though this new lil' camera don't have a view finder (gonna take a lil' gettin' used to...) Heidi is gettin' the hang of the artsy fartsy pics too! :o)

But that still left me suckin' wind and loadin' hardware...

So... I did manage to get cut loose 'bout a lil' after 4... so I gassed up that big two wheeler on the way home... we stuffed my ruck with sandwiches, cookies an' wine coolers... climbed on... and put our knees in the wind!... for another night ride up into Poudre River Canyon...

It bein' early June... and so many late storms...that river, is runnin' heavy too!

It's usually just kinda gurgling past this big rock... last night... it was tryin' to push it down the river... but it was pretty nice to just sit by the river... eating our pic nik... sippin' a cooler... uh... right up 'till those two Old Bikers started gettin' frisky on a park bench!

EEEWWW!

At least... once the sun started goin' down... they climbed back on their scooter... and took it home! :o)

Some Old people.... Sheeesh! :o) actin' like a bunch of dang kids with their hormones hollerin'! :o)

That's how I figure to get it done folks... one day at a time... one... 100 mile ride at a time...  If you wait to live... that's what you'll do... wait...

Just climb on that big two wheeler... or, get behind the wheel of that big Ol' diesel... and go! Let your gypsy genes stretch their legs...

Well... I got chores to get done today... and they'll not do themselves... so I better get to 'em... if we're gonna actually get to Crackin' out here in a very few weeks!

Take Good Care
Brian

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Red Neck Women... Frugal Diversions From RV Life and Other Surprising Revelations...

Now... for all you fellers that have been spending so many dollars... to provide entertainment for your ladies... I got some new for you...

Remember when your kids were little?... and you spent all that money at Christmas... buyin' 'em the newest toys?... and then they spent hours... playin' with the boxes the toys came in? :o)

Well... 'stead of all those fancy fixin's for the lady... you might just wanna buy her a used mower an' a can of gas!

I mean... how many of you ever thought that you'd hear your gals gigglin' an laughin'... 'cause they got to race their mowers... shavin' out a walking path across the prairie?

... and these gals weren't screwin' around with some lil' track around the yard!... they mowed plumb over to the oil well! :o)

Krea may have the bigger mower... with 5 more horsepower... but Heidi is married to a guy that knows how to squeeze all the performance out of the smaller, lighter, machine! ... Notice that my Heidi... took the lead early... and kept it all the way back to the barn!

So guys... forget the diamonds... leave the Porsche in the dealers lot... and you don't need those fancy electronic gizmos either!

Nope!... Just get 'em a used mower, a full gas can... and the wide open Prairie! :o)

Take Good Care
Brian

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Goin' 12 Different Directions...

... and I gotta tell ya... Don't do it!

Makes it damn hard to get anywhere! :o)

Got me a list built of ever'thing I need to get and have done in the next six weeks... onliest problem bein'... I think it's 'bout a 12 week list!

It looks to be a busy summer... and at times, a Lil' spooky, 'cause truth be known, I'm gonna step off on a couple things without having... shall we say... all the I's dotted and the T's crossed.

I guess that Columbus fella knows what I'm talkin' 'bout... though I can say... I don't guess I need to worry 'bout bein' shark bait, like him and his did, if I run out of gas from lack of dinero... somewhere on the ALCAN!

Hmmm... just had a thought... they've got big Bears up there... don't they?

Shark Bait... Bear Treat... don't suppose it makes a whole lotta difference... Do It? :o)

Oh well... it's the excitement of Runnin' Against the Wind that keeps a man young!

That new Lil' S8000 Nikon Coolpix camera is showin' to be a goodun' so far. It has a sensor in it that senses movement... so... when you're zippn' down the highway, and your other half sticks it out the window, to snap a pic of something flashin' by at 60 mph?... it sees the movement I guess, and speeds up the shutter... For a Clear Picture! Leastways, that's how I think the thing works... 'cause it's done pretty well on a couple of test pics we took...

Like this ranch gate at about 60 mph...

and then at the Dog trial last weekend... I zoomed in to catch this pair workin' some cattle...

Not bad for a lil' camera that drops right into a shirt pocket!... gonna work on the Motorcycle superb! so... If you're like me... and gettin' cranky luggin' around a bigger camera that just seems awkward sometimes... and you're NOT a pro needin' all those bells an' whistles... take a look at these lil' point and shoot rigs... like the Nikon S8000...

Technology... sometimes ya gotta just love it! Nikon Cameras, Ipods, Star Motorcycles, Droid Phones...

Aw hell... this Ol' Geezer's startin' to get pretty pathetic! :o) Next thing ya know... he'll be sittin' in the corner gigglin' and droolin' over his next "New" gadget! :o)

Take Good Care
Brian

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Feelin' Good... So... What Am I Missing?

Well... "Feelin' Good" may be a mite of an exaggeration... but... I do, just the same... and it kind of makes me nervous... waiting for the "ambush" :o) ... The last couple years, it seems every "good" thing was balanced on something, that wasn't so good... two steps forward... three steps back...

hmmm... that Murphy fella better look sharp this time... Got me a brand spankin' new Axe handle... all polished up an' waitin' on that Irish Potlicker!

We've got a lil' bit of a focus that we'd been missing for a bit... Having discovered that sittting in limbo for too long (three years) gets to be a habit that this fool needed to break out of!

At some point a fella has to Set His Priorities... and let the chips fall where they may.

Now, with a loose schedule... and the calendar tick, tick, tickin' away... there's things to do... and only, not much more than a month to get 'em done!

Even get some fun things to do too, not just preparation chores. Went to Costco the other day, while we were at Heidi's agility trial... and acquired a new lil' camera... and Why does the ol' fool need a new camera you ask? Didn't he just get one a year or two ago?

Well... yes sir... and Ma'ams... I did!... but!... :o) ... as it turns out... as small as that Great P80 Nikon camera is... it's still a bit of a hassle when I'm on the bike... it don't fit a pocket and just seemed awkward... so... I got another Nikon! This time the lil' guy is called a Nikon Coolpix S8000.

How come the smaller they get... The Bigger the Name? anyway, this lil' thing can zoom 10X... takes great pics... and drops right in a pocket... couldn't be more convenient... unless they set the thing in my head lookin' out my eyes... It's gonna get a workout on the Alaska Ride! :o)

Yes sir! Things are gonna start hoppin' round here.

Plan is to have ever'thing ready by the 8th of July or so... 'cause that's when we're planning on pullin' west on a circle that will take us to Mark and Bobbies "Wild Flower" celebration... then we'll circle back to a setup along the front range where Heidi will wait... most likely spending a LOT of time with Jillian...

While the Old Buster... Climbs on his Raider and gets his long dreamed of ALCAN Ride taken care of... I sure hope the Boss blesses all my Angels, for carryin' me this far. (Did you see the post from two posts ago?)

Then... we're hoping to spend the balance, of the end of the summer, a bit north...

The economic realities being what they are, we're working at lining up a lil' work to finish out the summer/early fall in some of the North Country we both love.

Now... if you've read my "stuff" for a while, you know I don't really wanna trade one job for another... but... you do what you have to do... and knowing that a "job" is a short term "Gap Filler"... and, it's located in some of the best country a man can breathe in... should make it tolerable for all but the grumpiest Ol' dodgers...

and generally... the folks you get to deal with "up there"... are in a lot better mood, or should be! :o)

Then... come the "end of season" up north (assuming we find a "situation") we are gonna roll south... somewhere... and again... find some piddly, "fill in" chores we can do, to keep the propane tanks full.

Finally!... We're gettin' back to how I used to wander, all those years ago... 'fore I got married... North in the Summer, followin' the Geese... South in the Fall... with those Long necked trail guides pointin' the way, with their Honkin' Formations, flyin' high overhead. :o)

... and in amongst all that... are some twists and turns I'm gonna keep covered up for a bit... and, I expect... some that I don't even know about yet... 'course... there's one hell of a lot... I...don't know about yet! :o)

But then... the Latest Train Wreck keeps things interesting... Right? :o)

Take Good Care
Brian

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