Category: General (Page 44 of 63)

Much has transpired since my last post. Here is an effort to catch up on the last 3 weekends.

We had driven to our Sanderling lot the weekend before Labor Day to continue cleaning the area we have taken to calling The Nook. The Nook is an expansion of an uphill area we had partially cleared  last year, but is further back on the lot, in more pine trees, and steeper.

Pam and I created a slash pile (burn pit wood) and another pile of soon-to-be firewood. However, due to the terrain we had to haul the slash further than I really like; only with much difficulty could I get the ATV and utility trailer into the area. This slowed us down a bit but we still managed to get several loads of slash staged and one load of firewood ready to bring home.

That weekend we had mice again. Determined to fix this problem,  I crawled under the RV to identify the entry point. Peeling back some of the undercoating fabric,  I found a place where the mice had gained entry through a very round-about route. I think they had come in though a space near the holding tank drain line then followed a smaller drain line into the bathroom sink area. Having purchased a can of expanding foam, I proceeded to plug the route and every small hole and opening around the water tanks and lines that I could find. While this appears to have ended our mouse problem for now – no mice over Labor Day weekend or last weekend – I will need to make a more permanent fix when I bring The Box home for the winter.

And speaking of that…tree colors are changing here in the high country. Como had one night below freezing. It may be only a matter of weeks before we’ll have to shut down operations for the year. Seems like it is just too soon for fall to be here!

September 13, 2015, fall colors beginning to show

The next weekend was Labor Day.  I had taken off  Friday to make a 4-day mini-vacation out of it, planning to include a little adventure by adding a couple of ATV rides to the weekend schedule.

I went up on Friday with the truck and trailer and Pam followed Saturday afternoon with the dogs. By the time Pam arrived I had The Nook slash loaded and taken to the burn pit. Determined to get the most out of the Saturday, we tackled a project closer to the driveway…clearing an area adjacent to the dog run. This spot is in line-of-view of The Box, and has fairly easy access. We quickly had a load ready to go and when I returned from yet another burn pit trip Pam had a good start on a 2nd load. That load would have to wait until this past weekend as the burn pit was now closed for the day. We came to the conclusion that there will always be another pile of slash…for the rest of our lives!

Another slash pile takes shape

Jerry getting a load of firewood out of The Nook

Sunday morning we again worked on the dog run area and added to The Nook’s piles of firewood and slash. Pam headed home around 3:00 PM; I stayed to take my ATV rides later in the day and next morning. We feel we got a lot done and the absence of mice was an added plus.

My 2 ATV rides (Sunday evening and Monday morning) were of Hall Valley and North Twin Cone Peak. The former was fairly easy and short, only about 14 miles round trip, but a light smattering of rain made the evening a bit more interesting. However, the rain ended quickly and the long rays of the sun made for a very nice late afternoon ride.

My ATV and another family at the end of the Hall Valley trail. (Building is an old bunkhouse.)

Monday’s ride of North Twin Cone Peak, accessed from the top of Kenosha Pass, was pleasant but the final third of the trail was rocky and steep, thus making for slow going. The 32 mile round trip took me over 4 hours. Highest elevation, at the top of the peak, was 12,600 feet. I was glad Pam had insisted I bring my lined leather jacket along…it was chilly up there. I headed back to The Box, had lunch, hooked up the trailer full of firewood, and headed home, completing the long holiday weekend.

Downhill on the North Twin Cone Peak trail. Angles not enhanced by camera…trail was steep and rocky in places.

Fast forward to this past weekend. I drove up Friday after work  – no day off this time – while Pam stayed home. Saturday morning I managed to get the pre-staged slash (a couple of loads) out of The Nook and over to the pit and still had time to get another load ready by late afternoon. (Photo of this 3rd load is below.) Originally I had planned to return home on Saturday, but the weather was totally beautiful and I was tired so I decided to stay over until Sunday morning. I made myself dinner then built a nice campfire and watched the stars appear after the fire died out. At our elevation, just under 10,000 feet, and with no lights around (the moon had not yet risen) you can really see all the stars and the swirls of the Milky Way.  I slept well that night.

Load #3, more fuel for the burn pit

Sunset from The Lot, 9/12/2015

The last big project for the year is scheduled for September 24 – 25, when we will have another load of gravel delivered for the lower end of the driveway. While the gravel company will try to spread the gravel somewhat when dumping it from the truck, we anticipate a lot of gravel will have to be moved and raked by hand. We want to get this done now as some washout has occurred on the lower end of the drive over the last two winters. Hopefully the gravel will put a stop to further driveway deterioration.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

It’s a mad rush to the end of the season.  Once we wrap it up at Sanderling, it will be time to accelerate the retirement house hunt– into next year.  Something to keep us engaged during the long winter months.

Happy Trails.

In my last post I mentioned a “trip video” I was working on. Here is a 6-minute clip consisting of footage taken in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The footage is mostly waterfalls, but a few still photos have been added to break up the waterfall monotony.

[cincopa A0PAI1MTLn1e]

I do like my waterfalls. 🙂

A few statistics about the trip:

Miles on bike: 580

Miles in truck: 3,313

Highest price per gallon of regular: $3.17 in Colorado

Lowest price per gallon of regular: $2.46 in Iowa

Hotel price range per night : $59.00 in Lincoln up to around $85.00 in Nebraska and Minnesota. (Julie’s Motor Inn, base camp for the rally, came in at just under $65.00 per night.)

Total gallons of gasoline purchased for truck: 250

Average MPG – truck: 13.3

Total gallons of gasoline for bike: 14

Bike’s average MPG: 42

Number of photos taken: 131

Number of video clips shot: 12 (all on an iPhone 6+)

The trip took 11 days all told, August 11 (afternoon) until August 22nd (early evening).

 Next post: Back to normal themes, including The Lot, Fall colors, and general living.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

And my vacation lasted from August 11 (afternoon) until August 22nd (early evening).

The last segment of my trip, which had begun on August 11th, included a visit to central Wisconsin to see my mother and family members.

I arrived in Greenwood, where my mother lives, late in the day on Monday, August 17th. The drive down from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was a bit rainy and cold, but I did work in a stop at another waterfall. Notice how grey the sky is, an indication of the intermittent rain falling on this Monday morning.

Agate Falls

The old railroad trestle is now part of a recreational trail for both summer and winter use. Must be interesting to ride a snowmobile over it! The primitive trail down to the bottom of the falls is almost non-existent and it took a bit of work to get this shot.

The visit with my mother and sister Sienna was quiet. We talked a lot, watched a little TV, and I walked part of the land where I grew up. It is different now, after 4 decades, particularly where open fields have grown over with large trees and tall grasses.

On Wednesday I drove to Bloomer to visit with Pam’s brother Craig and his wife Dianne, who just moved into their newly-built lakeside retirement home. While there is still work to do, the house is very well built and quite attractive. Both Craig and Dianne are glad to be out of their small rental, occupied while the house was under construction. They still have a lot of boxes to go through, still need to sort out storage places for their stuff, but both are retired and are looking forward to settling into their new place.

Craig and Dianne outside their new house

After a very good visit with relatives on Pam’s side, I headed back to Greenwood, stopping to see my father’s brother Frank and his sister Gina, my aunt and uncle. Both live near Chippewa Falls. Aunt Gina is 94 and is still as sharp as ever. Uncle Frank is 88 and looks terrific. They took me out to eat at a China Buffet and we were able to talk for quite a while over dinner and later back at Aunt Gina’s house. It was very good to see both of them.

The next morning, the 19th, I started back to Colorado with the intent on making it as far as Lincoln, Nebraska that evening. On the way I passed a sign advertising the Iowa Aviation Museum. Who knew? So, just on the spur of the moment, I decided to visit the museum.

The museum is small but growing and has a collection of some ’20s and ’30s aircraft as well as a few newer planes.

1929 Stearman

A-7 Corsair

I had arrived late in the day and could not stay long at the museum, but it was an interesting place to visit! Later that day I arrived in Lincoln and settled in for the night.

The next day it was back on the road again. Previously I had mentioned I’d stopped in North Platte during the initial days of this trip to buy a used tire, and at that time had been quoted $180.00 per tire for a set of “take off” tires. (The story is that a guy had purchased a new truck but wanted “monster truck” tires installed so traded these in. Supposedly the tires, Michelin light truck tires, had only about 400 miles on them.) I decided to offer the dealer $150.00 per tire, about $92.00 each off the price of a new tire, and they said OK if they could keep the old tires to resell. So I stopped in North Platte and had a “new” set of tires installed! The old tires, on the truck since we bought it, were nearing the end of their service life and Pam and I had talked about replacing them this fall, so I just accelerated the timing a bit. The Michelins seem to ride very well and are quieter than the tires they replaced. I just hope they last a long time.

That night, Friday, I made it as far as our Sanderling lot in Colorado and stayed in The Box, our RV trailer. Saturday morning I did a few chores (such as loading the firewood I had cut previously), walked around the lot a bit, and just sat for a while enjoying the morning while drinking a hot cup of tea. After I did get going I stopped to look at a couple of For Sale houses Pam had seen during an on-line search; my last leg home was unhurried with a few side stops.

Over all it was a good trip. I saw some new country, reconnected with some old acquaintances, met some new people, and visited family. I had the opportunity to visit Craig and Dianne’s new home plus walk the property where I grew up.  I ate some good food and drank some good beer and learned a bit of history along the way.  Then I had to go back to work… 🙁

My next post will have a few statistics and a movie clip, mostly waterfalls but presenting a few other topics as well.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Convincing Fields to drive the truck and trailer the cycle was a good move.  He also did well watching his diet and practicing moderation to control his diabetes during his first major trip since his diagnosis.

Happy Trails.

Saturday was the “Big Ride” day. After a good breakfast we headed north out of Houghton into the Upper Peninsula. (Da UP.)

One stop was at the ruins of the Calumet Brewery, once one of the largest breweries in the state. (1899 – 1919.) Prohibition put an end to this and many other breweries in the country. The remains of the building are impressive but are being taken over by vegetation.

Jerry at ruins of Calumet Brewery

We made a few other stops, then took off for a ride around the south side of the peninsula, going through the town of Gay. Of course, we had to stop at the Gay Bar for refreshment and to take photos.

Our group at the Gay Bar

A scenic stop was part of the Brockway Mountain drive, with views out over the town of Copper Harbor and Lake Superior.

Brockway Mountain overlook

After a 200+ mile day we ate dinner at the Red Jacket Brewery in Calumet. The room was a bit warm but the locally-brewed beer (I had the Downtown Brown) served with the broiled lake trout was excellent. The trout, fresh caught, was delicious.

Our motorcycles lined up in Calumet

After dinner it was back to the hotel to clean up, talk, and relax after the long day.

Sunday was short ride day as some of the guys had to start home. Erik led us out to the end of the shipping canal, dredged to open a natural passage though the peninsula for ships to pass through instead of having to go around. With the decline in copper and coal mining the canal does not see a lot of use but large freighters occasionally pass through. The lift bridge in Houghton goes up for ship passage then down for auto travel. In winter the bridge drops to it’s lowest position so snowmobiles can use the bottom level to cross the canal.

Lift bridge over shipping canal in Houghton

After lunch we returned to the motel and another fellow (Brent) and I decided to ride some local roads we had not been on before. Part of the afternoon was spent sitting under a pavilion overlooking the lake, watching the lake traffic and swapping stories about riding motorcycles. Later we rode some back roads and returned to the motel just in time to hook up with several other guys for dinner. We ate at Joey’s Fish Market in Houghton. Advice: Don’t order the 3 piece cod dinner unless you are very hungry!

Brent has a fondness for cigars

Back to the motel where farewells were said as all of us would be heading out our separate ways on Monday morning. It had been a good gathering with nice roads to ride, stops that combined a mix of history and scenery, and good company.

Next post: Visiting family in Wisconsin and the trip home.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

While Fields was cycling da UP, I was driving back and forth to work with not-totally-healed bursitis.  Ouch.

Happy Trails.

This is going to be a long post; I will split it up into three segments.

The first and second parts will cover the “Lost in Da UP” motorcycle rally I attended August 14, 15, and 16. The third part will cover my Wisconsin visit and trip home.

This narrative will be in chronological order, starting with my departure on August 11th. I left from work early with the goal of making it to North Platte, Nebraska the first night. A nail in a tire slowed me down a bit as I had to run into Sterling, Colorado, and find a tire shop who could make the repair. However, I did make it to North Platte.

The next morning, still in North Platte, I had another flat tire. The local tire shop said the damage could not be repaired so I ended up buying a used tire. The shop also had a barely-used set of Michelin truck tires in the size I needed, but I decided to pass. After a long day’s drive, I stayed the night just south of Minneapolis.

Thursday I made it to Houghton, Michigan, and my motel, Julie’s Motor Inn.

Base Camp for rally

The motel is right out of the ’50s but the A/C worked. (Temps were in the high 80s and low 90s.)

Motel office

I checked in, got my gear into the room, unloaded the bike, then went for a ride. I ended up getting a burger in a local steak house, then it was back to Julie’s for a night’s rest.

The rally didn’t officially begin until Friday evening, so Friday morning I took off on a ride of my own. I enjoyed the many icons of small-town America are in this area, as large cities are few and far between. Here are a few  examples:

Typical General Store

Well-kept rural church

This one made me laugh – decorated hay bales

Waysides had a mix of scenic views and historical information,

View of Lake Superior from Chassell Cliff roadside park

Reynold-Corliss steam engine was in service from 1912 to 1968.

And, it turns out, there are waterfalls in the area.

Bond Falls

Water views are always an attraction, and this ride got me close to Lake Superior on a few occasions.

North side of Upper Peninsula has many small beaches

After a ride of about 235 miles I returned to Julie’s Motor Inn where Erik, the rally organizer, was setting up the meet-and-greet cookout.

Erik (The Red) sets up Friday evening cookout

I am going to jump ahead just a bit and include this photo of the nine rally attendees:

Arlan, Greg, Harry, James, Brent, Ian, Erik, Todd, and Jerry

That’s it for now. More rally and trip commentary in my next post. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

While Fields was on his Midwest junket, I carried on here at home.  I did visit the eye glasses folks to order new spectacles; they’ve arrived since.  When I’m stylin’ the new frames, a person faintly resembling my Uncle Don looks back at me from the mirror.  So much for going “retro” with the new glasses.

I’m going on my annual extended motorcycle trip beginning next Tuesday; the Upper Peninsula of Michigan  (Houghton) is calling me. The rally is being held on August 14, 15, and 16th. I’ll attend the rally, then head to central Wisconsin on the 17th, see my mother for a few days, and get to Bloomer to see Craig and Dianne’s new home.

I won’t be posting from on the road so there will be a break in the action. Check back in a couple of weeks!

There is some news to report from this past Saturday. I drove to the mountain property Friday night with a list of items to accomplish on Saturday. Everything was to be done on Saturday, as I had arrived too late on Friday to get any real work done. Except for checking the mousetraps. (Yes, one mouse in one trap – again.)

Saturday arrived. First of all, I took the last of the landscape blocks out of the bed of the truck  and put them in place along the driveway. I re-arranged some of the existing railroad ties for better appearance and function as part of the landscape block project. Next, I cut up the small aspen we had removed from the carport area. Finally, I pumped water and filled the RV’s fresh water tank. In my spare time, I took a load of wood to the burn pit. Checking off all the items on my Sanderling list, I drove past a couple of For Sale properties in the Fairplay area before returning home around dark Saturday night.

Here is a short clip – 2:38 – of me cutting the firewood. The action is a bit repetitive due to the nature of the job, but I have not posted any video for a while so thought I would throw this one in.

[cincopa+AoEAwx8Ud36f]

When I am cutting small aspen, this method is faster and safer than using the chainsaw. It is only possible with a working generator, another reason I’m glad to have the generator fixed.

Today I installed the motorcycle wheel chock on the trailer, changed oil in the Honda and checked all Honda fluid levels (for Pam’s use while I’m away), and began preparing for my upcoming trip. I will be taking the truck and trailering the bike; this is the first time ever that I will be trailering instead of riding the full distance. But I ask you: How many times riding a cycle across Nebraska is enough? I am looking forward to the trip with the truck.

Bike loaded on trailer and ready to go

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

While Fields drives across the middle of the U.S. and back, I will be enjoying a few days of annual leave here-and-there myself while he’s gone.  Eating when I want, watching my programs on the living room TV – pretty much a vacation for me too.

Happy Trails.

Since my last post, a bit has happened regarding the Sanderling lot. Here is an update.

The maiden voyage of the cistern trailer went very well. It pulls behind the truck better than the aluminum trailer. I have not yet used it for hauling the cistern or honey wagon tanks, but below is a photo of it loaded with slash wood to be taken to the fire pit.

New trailer loaded with burn pit wood

I have decided to add stake bed sides and a motorcycle wheel chock to make the trailer more of an all-purpose utility platform.

I did get my generator fixed (about $70.00) and I took it to The Lot this past weekend. It now runs just like new, and I was able to use it to power the honey wagon pump and empty The Box’s holding tanks. (I put the honey wagon tank in the back of the truck.) This means we no longer have to pull The Box over to the nearest dump station, the goal we were hoping for when we embarked on this project. Below is a photo (Pam says it is gross) of the honey wagon system in use:

Honey wagon kit working as advertised

I still need to work on getting the cistern tank and associated systems functioning, but that is a lower priority as I can still pump water by hand when needed. Still, the cistern project is progressing — I received some fittings I needed and ordered on-line and fitted them to (and tested) my pump. Not a lot of progress, but some.

This is the second trip to The Lot with some of my landscaping blocks in the truck. The blocks have been put in a few spots along The Lot’s driveway, a lot of work considering I have to dig out dirt and gravel  to get the blocks in place. So far, 132 in, 32 more still to transport and place. The blocks look like this:

Landscape blocks in place – upper drive

Landscape blocks along lower drive

We relocated the front half of the dog run in order to make way for another project, a car port. This is prep work; the car port itself will probably not get installed until next spring but could happen sooner. We had to remove quite a few trees, mostly very small aspen, to make a 12 foot by 24 foot opening along the driveway. Now we will have to level it off and get some gravel down before the port can be assembled. It is nice to have an off-driveway parking spot for the trailer; we were getting tired of having to maneuver around it when going to or from The Box.

Car port will be the newly cleared area left of trailer

I had one disagreeable task; the last time I was up alone the furnace kicked on and a bad smell came out of it—burned mouse hair. This trip I had to remove a grill, plus the front cover of the furnace burner, and scrape out the charred remains of a mouse that had – somehow – found its way into the furnace and died. Ba-a-a-a-d smell, and it took me a while to scrape the remains off the furnace burner. I did not turn the furnace on this trip; it was warm enough at night not to need it, but on my next solo trip I will turn the furnace on with the windows open and see how good a job I did. No photos of this particular task… 🙂

There was much to get done this past weekend, and we actually accomplished everything! Dog pen reconfigured, car port preparations started, landscape blocks placed, and holding tanks emptied. I have some trees to cut into firewood next trip, and a load of stuff to take to the burn pit. The generator runs like a champ. We returned home very tired but very pleased with what was accomplished. Now if we could just keep the mice out of The Box….

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

These darned mice. Mother Nature laughs at the family, with over a dozen domesticated + feral cats, that has mice in their RV.

I was pleased this weekend; my ailing hip allowed me some measure of mobility around the property. Still not 100%, but health improvement.

Happy Trails.

This is a one-issue post: The Cistern trailer is ready to roll. Here are a few photos:

Cistern trailer, early days

Spare tire dominates the front end

Plywood deck is 3/4 inches thick

Profile shows off black frame and red fenders

Total investment is now approaching $300.00 with a bit more to come.

The ‘shakedown run’ will be tomorrow (Friday) when I take a day of vacation and head for The Lot. I hope to get started on mounting the tanks and plumbing and get a list of the other bits and pieces I will need to make the tailer work as intended; a platform for the cistern tank and honey wagon tank. More to come!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

What Fields didn’t mention is the generator is still at the repair shop.  Without the generator, the honey wagon is a no-go (so to speak).

Happy Trails.

This is an at-home weekend so there’s not a lot of activity to report on. I’ve decided to post a few comments and photos that cover various topics that haven’t fit into past posts.

First, it continues to be a wetter than normal year for Colorado. The plants are loving it. New growth on the pine trees at Sanderling is spectacular, especially for this generally arid state:

New growth evident on pine trees

Pine cone production is way up

Flowers and other plants have also benefitted; we have seen more wildflowers (quantity) than we can remember. The colors are also very bright:

Bright wildflowers dot the countryside

Parrot’s Beak is a cheery white landscape accent

In our travels we have seen a newer poppy plant, more watermelon in color than red. These seem to be gaining in popularity and are often found near the red variety.

“Watermelon” poppies along a rock wall

The above photo was taken in Silver Plume when we were looking at houses. Another photo from the same trip  features a sign that seemed a little out of place for the town:

Silver Plume has a tea room?

In my last post I mentioned I had won some landscape blocks in an auction. Supposedly there were about 120 blocks. I counted them as I unloaded the trailer; I actually have 166 blocks! This puts the cost at about 20 cents each. About half of them are currently stacked up near our back porch, awaiting transport to The Lot. The rest are still in the back of the truck.

Landscape blocks are awaiting transport to The Lot

There is progress on the cistern trailer; I welded a broken bracket, finished painting the frame, added the first 2 (of 8) tie-down points, added the needed cross-frame supports, painted the spare tire and fixed its mount, and began painting the fenders. Still to be done: paint the decking and install it and finish painting the fenders and re-install them. I hope to finish these tasks in the next few days, but it’s raining gently at the moment so painting may be out for today. My goal is to have the trailer ready to roll by next weekend – the next trip to The Lot.

Cistern trailer under construction

In geriatric medical news, Pam’s bursitis is still bothering her hip but she has a bit more mobility, a good thing. She recently received a TENS machine she ordered and she’ll see if that helps reduce the discomfort.  My blood sugar level average has dropped a few more points and is currently about 102 – 104 for the 14 and 30 day averages, a good sign my diabetes is under control. (70 – 130 is considered normal.) Getting old is not much fun.

Thats it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

I have some odds-and-ends myself, so this week you’ll be getting “Pam’s Ten Cents Worth.”  First, a shout-out to Roz and Phil Hill in Shropshire, England; she occasionally checks in on this blog, and I check in on hers (umpteenthings.wordpress.com) for the latest “poultry raising” news.  She’s a hoot! Her hubby Phil is much like Fields, always working on some project with “reclaimed” materials (I’m not allowed to call it junk anymore). Hi Roz!

This week, I contacted a realtor in Vallecito Lake to ask some preliminary questions about the area – snow load, internet connectivity, that sort of thing.  The listings for this real estate company are consistently the properties we seem to be drawn to; it may be a good match.  Our downpayment funds aren’t going to be available until 2016, so we have time to ponder the possibilities.  Fields and I both think the Vallecito Lake area (17-20 miles from Durango, CO) could very well be our retirement location. (Mentally, I’m living there already some days.)

Bursitis update: Having completed the initial phase of treatment (meds and cold packs), I am now on to gentle exercise (an “Aging Backwards” DVD series), a herbal supplement (Turmeric), and the TENS machine (interacts with the muscles and nervous system to control pain).  Healing is a slow and ponderous thing at this point in life. (Dealing with pain may be why my stance resembles Grandma Ida, sister Becky.)

I ordered new guitar books – Gord’s Gold  and Best of James Taylor – and amazed myself that I could already play a few of the songs.  Musically, I’m pretty much stuck in the “Golden Age” of folk and early rock.  Why didn’t I start guitar playing in high school?  Guess I had too many guitar players at-the-ready then (flashback to Bro Lar and that amplifier in the garage).  Still playing and singing for myself, the sometimes discordant practice sessions don’t sit too well with Fields. (I’ll never be the level of his cousin Louise…)

Happy Trails.

(and…I can now play the Roy Rogers’ “Happy Trails” song too! I downloaded it from the internet.)

This past week seemed to have more thn it’s share of bad news.

We received word that our good friend Elinor Tourtillot passed away last Tuesday, July 7th. Her husband, Henry (aka Hank) called to let us know. Ellie was 95 and had been in poor health for several years. Hank and Ellie lived in Casa Grand, Arizona, and we had visited them a few times.

Both of our children have middle names to honor these two, Elinor for Felicity and Henry for Toby. We were neighbors when we bought our first Colorado home back in 1980 or so and we have kept in touch the last 35 years. Ellie was feisty and will be missed. We have a lot of good memories of Hank and Ellie and our mountain home.

A motorcycle-riding friend of mine had an accident and had to undergo surgery to repair his wrist and pelvis. He will be in the hospital for a while, though his vital signs look good. A girl turned her truck right in front of the riders (he was one of a pair) then fled the scene. She has since been picked up on a felony warrant, and it turns out she has a history of DUI and other moving violations. The other guy, also a friend, managed to hit the median and avoid the truck so was not injured.

And last, though not in the same league as above, my generator is now in the shop awaiting diagnosis on why it is not putting out any electrical power. I am disappointed; it looks like it won’t be the bargain I thought it would be. This has an impact on our visits to The Lot since I need the generator to operate the honey wagon pump; I may have to tow the RV to the dump station, something I had hoped to avoid.

Speaking of The Lot, I made a solo trip this past weekend, going up on Saturday morning and returning Sunday afternoon. It was a short but busy and memorable trip.

I saw a badger, the first one ever in Colorado. Pam looked on-line and badgers do, in fact, range in Colorado. I didn’t get any good photos as the badger headed out as soon as he saw my truck, but I am sure of what I saw. Here is the best of the poor photos I was able to get:

Badger in South Park

I managed to get two loads of wood over to the burn pit. Here is a photo of 2015’s first load of burn pit wood:

First load of burn pit wood, 2015

I’ve been adding hooks and shelves inside the storage shed and it is starting to look a bit more organized. Work is progressing on the cistern trailer, with fenders mounted, light brackets made and lights installed, safety chains added, and a general clean-up has it looking nearly ready to go. I hope to finish it this week.

Auctions are fun…sometimes. I bid on a lot of cement retaining wall blocks and ended up with the top bid so now I have about 120+ 16-pound blocks split between the back of the truck and our aluminum trailer. The blocks will be used to build some retaining walls in places where the drive on The Lot is tending to wash down a bit. Weighing in at just abut a ton, it will be an interesting trip to get the blocks over to the lot.

My landscaping blocks

I also won a 12-volt water pump which I plan to incorporate into the cistern project. There just isn’t a place where we can park the cistern and depend on gravity flow to work well, so Plan B is now in effect: pump the water from the cistern into the trailer. More work to do before this becomes a reality. I just need more time to work on stuff!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

This will be the summer of mountain land projects, most of them requiring Jer’s expertise.  There are improvements to the driveway in the discussion phase – an additional arc to add to the circle swing and more gravel on areas where there has been some erosion.

Somewhere along the way, there will be some wood removal as well.  But probably not until closer to Labor Day.

Happy Trails.