Loreen Miller bike ride pictures

Here are a few pictures from the 2009 Loreen Miller Cancer Patient Care bike ride. It was raining in the morning when I got up and that was a welcome change in the weather. The clouds lasted all morning and without them it would have been a hot ride. I rode the 50 mile ride as I thought it might be really hot to try and ride farther, plus I haven't been cycling as much as usual. I really suffered on the first climb but later in the day I started to feel stronger and stronger and at the end of the ride I felt as good if not better than I did at the start. So that's encouraging.

This guy had the most interesting jersey. Skull and bones.

I rode with these two ladies on and off. Wendy and Shelley, if I got their names right. They both do triathlon and were very fit. I ejoyed their company and did my best to keep up with Wendy on the climbs. I've noticed more and more tri people, especially women doing the bike rides lately and I think that's great. Of course in triathlon you aren't supposed to draft, so there's a whole culture of non-drafting out there as a result. I was taking turns pulling with another woman earlier and she commented that it had been a long time since she had drafted and how much fun it was. It's one of the things I really enjoy about group cycling as there's nothing like the thrill of being in a long train of riders going fast. Of course I always like to sit on if possible, like I'm doing here :)

At the end of the ride they had the best food I've ever had at a bike ride. Also they had the Angus Scott bagpipe band and I always like to hear them as they can put together some cool combinations. There were a couple of young dancers that I enjoyed as well. All in all it was a geat ride as usual.

***
From the website..

Who are Cancer Patient Care’s clients?

Cancer Patient Care clients are active cancer patients and their families who are fighting the invisible burden of overwhelming debt. Often our clients were financially stable until cancer invaded their lives. CPC helps them meet their basic needs.

***

Invisible burden indeed..

I won't go into the whole health care issue but we might not need this if everyone were covered.

My first Pow Wow

I went to my first Pow Wow last weekend. The drums called me in after years of listening to them from a distance. I really enjoyed it. There was some great dancing and native costumes. A lot of it is dance competition which I didn't really expect. There were groups of drummers around an open pavillion that took turns drumming and singing. Drumming seems to be a male dominated thing.

There were lots of Montana area tribes represented. Blackfoot, Kootenai and Salish, Flathead, Cree, Lakota and others. Everyone got involved young and old. Lots of beautiful people. The smell of pine pitch burning in fires filled the air. It was really cool.

For some reason I always felt I should keep my distance. If I were a tribal member I'm not sure I'd want a bunch of people like me showing up, but everyone was cool. I'd recommend going to a Pow Wow if you've never been to one. It's a good way to get outside of the bubble.

New Hobie 16 sails

They say that there are two things a man can love, a woman and a boat. I have a boat... And now my Hobie 16 gets new sails.

I know,..the old sails looked cool with the rainbow colors, but the new sails will rock, and the boat wil be faster.

Rainbow Lake Montana

This is Rainbow Lake AKA Dog Lake by the locals, just inside the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana. It's known for its rainbows and also for its dogs, although I've never actually seen a dog here, but I'm sure at one time there were many dogs, or at least one dog...

I took the canoe out as the sun went down, not on Dog Lake, but on Flathead Lake. I could hear the Native Americans beating the drum down at the end of the bay. They are having a Pow Wow. As usual, I'm outside of the bubble, alone in my canoe, like Lt. Dunbar, or more like Lt. Dumb Bear.. What a sense of belonging and community they must have. I envy that.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll muster the courage to go over there with my camera.

I retain all rights to my photos.  Please do not use any of my photos without permission.

I'm only happy when it rains.

It rains for two days and people at work throw a big fit. What's wrong with this weather?! they say,.. even though we can't actually go outside because we have to work,..

I'm only happy when it rains.
feels good when things are going wrong,
I only listen to sad sad songs.
I'm only happy when it rains.

you want to hear about my new obsession?
I'm riding high upon a deep depression
I'm only happy when it rains.

It will be in the 90s by the end of the week. Perhaps the cold blooded will be happy.

Pour your misery down on me..

(Shirley Manson a little out of context.)

Niarada barn

My mom told me that my Dad knew the people who lived next to this. I suspect they owned this barn back when as it's the only place around. He used to come here and hunt pheasants. I have his old shotgun. This old barn has been photographed a lot. I sometimes see people out taking pictures of it. It was 90 degrees today here. That isn't too bad but this is a hot old dusty old place. Cold in the winter. Hot in the summer.

The Flathead River

Here's a picture of the Flathead River. I drive along it on my way to Flathead Lake. The water comes from the Glacier Park area through Flathead Lake and then it merges with the Clark Fork River a few miles from here and goes on into Idaho. You can't tell in this picture but it usually has a turquoise color.

I retain the rights to all of my photos.  Please do not use without permission.

Feel good moment

My bike ride to work today was really pleasant as it was cool out. I left soon enough that I had plenty of time and didn't have to push. Sometimes I feel so sorry for people in cars when I ride to work. They look stressed and unhappy for the most part. I did see one pretty young woman yesterday who was singing to her radio as she drove, so at least she was happy. That made me feel good.

Raining on Armstrong's parade

I'm a little cynical about the Tour de France anymore after repeated doping scandals year after year. First I was first naive enough to believe in Riis, Then Ulrich, Then Pantani. Then bla bla bla bla bla bla bla, and then Heras, and Hamilton, Landis, and Vinokourov. Various others. It seems like just about everyone. So I guess I'm waiting for the next bicycle shoe to drop in a drug scandal. I feel a little like Dick Cheney predicting the next attack. Raining on Armstrong's parade the way Cheney rained on Obama's.

The thought of Vinokourov demanding to be back on Astana after serving a two year suspension.. Well it's hard for a fan to really take it seriously. At least it is for me at this point.

***
And how did I forget Michael Rasmussen getting thrown out of the tour while wearing yellow in 2007. I knew I was leaving someone out. It's just getting too forgetable.

On the other hand, I find myself drawn to watch it, and I guess it motivates me to get on my bike and get in shape. And I guess I want to see the old experienced guy do well. It was nice to see Armstrong make the split the other day and climb up the leader board. Hey if Longo can continue to win as long as she did, why not Lance?

Montana Highway 382

One time last year I pulled over on this road, Montana secondary Highway 382, got out and was taking pictures like I did today. Not a car in sight for miles. I didn't pull all the way off of the road because my car is kind of low to the ground. I didn't want to get high centered, and I didn't want to start the grass on fire with my hot exhaust pipe.


So I'm out of the car walking around on the highway and finally here comes a car. I watched it for a long time until it finally got to me and the guy stops. People often stop to see if they can help you in Montana. "I'm fine." I said, "Just taking some pictures." "You'd better get your car off of the road." The guy says. "Trucks come along here pretty fast and you might get hit." I looked up and down the highway. Not a truck in sight. "Thanks." I said...

Little green tomatoes

I've been sitting here trying to reach the mosquito bites on my back. I got them last weekend painting. I've counted four of them... I've seen them in the mirror. On my way home in the car they started to itch, and I was thinking, "I need an implement to scratch them with, what do I have in the car that would work?." I was rubbing against the seat back. That just wasn't enough. Then it came to me.. I have my paint scraper right behind the seat within reach! It worked perfect and hit the spots. It was exactly the right size and shape. I couldn't have found a better thing to scratch my mosquito bites with, and I didn't even have to pull the car over. They could market these as paint scrapers, that also work as back scratchers.. Or back scratchers that also work as paint scrapers.. I thought as I drove.

Summer is starting to sink in. Little green tomatoes are starting to appear on my plants. Little rabbits are starting to appear in my yard. I'm thankful because last year my plants were a disaster. The rabbit ate all of the leaves as I planted them in the ground. But this year I put them in pots on my deck. They are easier to deal with up there anyway.

That children's story keeps coming to mind. I never thought I'd be the old farmer dude that came to heads with the rabbit. But it's all starting to make sense. My role as the villan is becoming clear over time. This year I'm only growing tomatoes but the older and more farmer-esque I get, the more desire I have for a graden. Strange how that works. I even have a farmer tan... but I still think of it as a bicycle tan.

Dog person

I love this bumper sticker.

***
But what if your dog thought you were an idiot?

Don't touch my screen!

People who know me, know that I don't like it when people touch my screen. My computer screen. That's not exactly accurate,.. I hate it when people touch my screen! When you touch something it leaves finger prints. I guess it comes from wearing glasses. I always keep my glasses clean so I can see clearly. There's nothing worse than finger prints on something you have to look at or look through.

As you know if you read this blog I work as a graphic artist. It really bothers me if someone tries to touch my screen while I'm working, pointing at this or that. You can point at it without touching the screen. If you touch it you will leave a mark or a scratch. Then I'll have to deal with it. Forever!.. And that really bothers me!

I'm disturbed by screen touchers, but what I really don't like are touch screens. I know a few things about plastics. They don't make a plastic that can't be scratched, I don't care what they say. Show me a non-scratch plastic and I'll show you how to scratch it. Why would you touch something you had to look at? Clearly designed by people who never wore glasses or have no visual sensitivity. When I heard that they came out with a touch screen computer like it's this wonderful thing, I'm thinking I totally hate that idea! I hope they don't all become like that. I don't want to look at something with a million finger prints and scratches on it.

And here's the real kicker. When I'm working on my computer with a customer watching and they start touching my screen. What am I going to do? I have to sit there and let them violate my screen like that.

You don't go to the museum and start fondling all of the paintings!... "Oh look at the boobs on that one!"... touch touch touch...

I've thought about having a sign made to put on the boarder of the screen that says, "please don't touch my screen." But I don't want to put a sign on my screen..

I can't stand it when people stick things on screens...

Montana forest

I couldn't resist just wandering around in the forest for a while today way up in the mountains of western Montana. It was cool but not cold with the sun making its way in through the trees. The air had that sweet intoxicating mountain smell that might just be one of the best things about summer. There weren't any anoying bugs. It was just beautiful in the woods. I could have wandered around in the forest for hours.

Smell the latex

I haven't been posting that much lately. I suck in this respect. Not only that, I haven't been cycling as much as I should. My house needed painting and I've been doing that. It's no excuse though and I realize. I'm so burned out after work and then I come home and paint.

But there's a certain calm in painting. Houses... (there's no calm in art painting/ oil painting for me. That's like work. I always stress when I do that.) But house painting, you're up on that ladder and spreading out the latex.. It's a summer thing. Mindless in a way, but rewarding too.

That's been my world. Up on a ladder painting my house. The smell of the latex. The clink of the extention ladder as I raise and lower it. The feel of the water when I clean out the brush.

Well there's that.

I want to something about the King of Pop but I can't find the right direction. I loved some of the music. There's something strange though, and not just about his death.

Wild Rose picture

I was taking a picture of wild roses and a bee swooped in to roll in the pollen.

Boating to Wild Horse Island

This is what the sky looked like on my way back from Wild Horse Island as night closed in on Flathead Lake. I didn't see any wild horses on the island, but I did see several big mule deer bucks in the velvet. They were too far away to get a picture.

I retain all rights to my photos.  Please do not use any of my photos without permission.

Out west

This Buckaroo walked by me today so I took his picture.

He was heading west last time I seen him...

Ride a bike to work

It was the perfect day to ride a bike to work. It rained last night and today it was clear and cool. Nobody was on the bike path. My favorite time to ride a bike is after a rain shower. The air felt cool on my body so I didn't break a sweat. It wasn't even 60 degrees and no wind. I saw various birds, and one squirrel. I felt sorry for all of the people driving to work in cars. It's nice to be able to ride a bike instead.

Last night I repaired the front brake on my single speed. If I pulled the lever the caliper would go in but then wouldn't return to fully open. And it felt terrible like metal grinding on metal. It started to do that on the SpokeFest ride at the end of last summer. Instead of fixing it, I just quit riding it and switched to my regular road bike, but now I've been wanting to ride it again. I hardly ever have to do anything to my bikes, but now and then you have to fix something. Usually a tire.

So I bought a new housing and cable thinking that would be the easiest fix. I had ruled out the caliper and the lever. It ended up being the cable housing. It's working fine now and I rode the single speed to work.

Morning on Flathead Lake.

Morning on Flathead Lake. When the day starts out like this it's going to be a good day for sailing. It's always nice at Flathead Lake though even when it's stormy. There aren't really any bad days. I really should get up earlier and see the day break, but I just wanted to sleep in. When I did get up I took my camera and coffee down to the shore.

Bear Grass

The Bear Grass is blooming in Montana. Now and then I'll see one and the top is broken off, like something came along and ate it.

Where's my camera ! ?

I freaked out today. My boss came into my cube and said "Don I have an assignment for you." She wanted me to go out and take pictures of the local area for a project. Where is my new Nikon?! It must be at home I thought...

I usually carry two camera bags with cameras in them to work. I almost never go anywhere without them. I had one bag with the little camera in it but I coudln't find the big one with the big camera. I'd been at home for lunch and went inside my house and left the windows of my car open. Did someone walk by and take my camera? I just didn't know. I remembered another artist at work had lost a camera out of his car.

At work, I'd parked my car under a tree for shade. Did I leave a door open? I did leave the windows down a little. I know that. Did I leave my camera in the car where someone could see it and take it?

We'd been picking things up off of the floor at work as we were going to have the carpet cleaned. I usually plop my camera bags down on the floor in my cube. I hauled stuff out of there did I haul off my camera and forget where I put it?

I drove home after work and looked around the house. No camera. Then I drove back to work. No camera.

I was sick about it. I started to think someone must have taken it out of my car when I left the windows down at lunch.

Then I thought about looking in my truck. Yesterday I'd taken my truck to a place to drop off a bunch of tree branches and then drove it to work. After work I'd gone to the store and covered up my camera bags with a vest so they wouldn't be seen in the cab. I was in a dark mood yesterday after work and stormed inside when I got home.

There it was in the cab of the truck. My new Nikon. What a relief. I think I'll sleep with it tonight.

Lavender's blue

Diane wrote a heartbreaking post about riding the school bus when she was young and looking different than the other children. Lavender

***
let the birds sing, and the lambs play
we shall be safe, out of harm's way

Gertrude's old pink cabin

They are going to paint Aunt Gertrude's old cabin so I decided to take a picture before it lost its pink patina. They're painting it the same color but it won't be quite the same. Well at least not until the sun and weather ages it properly. A lot of people I've been close to have gone through this door. It's a door into my past.

Now people build great big homes along the lake. There's something lost in them. I'd rather stay in a place like this.

Aunt Gertrude always had a bag of yarn and would crochet things. She made me an afghan and a poop duck, and she made things that looked like poodles to put toilet paper in. She was prolific, and there was something calming about being around her while she worked. She was like a spider spinning her endless web looking through old cat eye glasses.

I don't bother putting extra toilet paper in a thing that looks like a poodle but I might if I had one...

If you look closely there's a little bird poking its head out of the bird house that's sitting on the electrical service box. I bet that bird is realted to birds that came here when Gertrude owned the pink cabin.

***After Aunt Gertrude left, Aunt Mildred and Aunt Dorothy moved in. They weren't really my aunts like Gertrude was, but they were other people's aunts. So I called them aunt as did everyone. They were no spring chickens. Mildred had gone to the Art Institute of Chicago. She had a potters wheel in there, painted and composed music. I used to go there and talk art with her while I was going to art school. She gave me a great big book on Leonardo. I also have one of her pots. A tea pot.

All of those aunts are dead and gone now. The people who come and stay there have no idea.

I retain the rights to all of my photos.  Please do not use without permission.

Morning picture

I don't even know what to say about this. A picture from this morning.

Is there life on Mars?

It's a God awful small affair
To the girl with the mousey hair
But her mummy is yelling, "No!"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is no where to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream

Natalia got me thinking about the whole abortion issue. These words came to mind.

GM bankruptcy

This is an ad from a 1922 Chevy dealer catalog. They were trying to sell cars to farmers. There was sort of a fine line between cars and trucks back then. Now GM has been selling farm trucks to city folks, but I think the gig is finally up on that idea.

Mitt Romney was on the Today show with Matt Lauer this moring. Lauer gave credit to Romney for calling the impending bankruptcy of the auto industry. Well it might be that billions spent to float GM and Chrysler was intended to avoid a total melt down of our economy while everyone came to terms with bankruptcy, or to try and give it some time to find someone to step in and take over.

And who names their kid Mitt anyway?...! Don't get me wrong,.. I like Mitt Romney,. If only he didn't seem like a used car salesman..

I guess what really bothers me about GM and Chrysler, and Ford for that matter is they mananged to convince everyone to buy great big trucks and SUVs, and then loaded them up with every possible option and charged 30 to 40 grand for one. Way more than people need for transportation in an urban setting. Now even reasonable people think they can't get by without an SUV or Truck for their daily transportation.

It's no wonder the whole idea imploded when gas prices went up.

The wind in the trees

I used to dislike the wind. I was going to say I hated the wind but I didn't hate it. I guess it's like a person who grows up on the prairie and feels crowded by the mountains. Tonight the wind is blowing in the trees. I'll leave the window open and let it in,. to take me out onto the prairie.

Cycling along the Mission Mountains

When I was in school I used to ride my bike up and down the Mission Valley to and from Flathead Lake. It was my first taste of freedom as a kid. Each summer I'd usually leave Missoula on a Friday morning and return on a Monday morning. I'd get my bike ready the night before, and I'd put quarters in my socks to use in pop machines along the way. I did it weekend after weekend.

Now and then I'd rope a friend into going along on the ride with me and they suffered like animals. Only one guy named Scott didn't suffer. He had a nice bike and knew how to ride it, but most of the time I rode alone.

I'd sleep in the basement of my parent's house and I'd keep my bike down there next to my bedroom. There was a stairway out of the basement that went up to the backyard. I'd walk my bike along the house through a gate to the frontyard, ride down the sidewalk to the end of the block and out into the street. I'd ride under the canopy of trees out of my neighborhood and out of town to the interstate. After ten miles riding west on I 90 I'd turn north on highway 93. Leaving Missoula on my bike like that was like leaving orbit and venturing out into space. The distances seemed vast. The reality out on the open road was often harsh. Wind heat and highway traffic. It was nothing like riding a bike around town.

I can never drive down highway 93 now without thinking back to those summers and all of those bike rides.

Today the clouds were closing in on the mountains and it was very bright and hard to get a picture without just blowing out the sky. So this is kind of a wierd picture.

I keep looking back

I keep looking back and not forward. I used to think that the days lasted forever when I was a kid. My childhood days on the lake. Time moved so slowly. I just wanted to move forward. Now I'm starting to want to move back.

I'm such a redneck

So I'm walking down the haul at work today trying to look artistic, with art thoughts on my mind. Design projects and stuff like that, and I pass this 21 year old girl who works for us. She looks at me and says "you're such a redneck.." I'm like, "What?!.." Well I was eating a hotdog, but I fail to see how that qualifies me as a redneck... Earlier I was comparing my "farmer/ bicycle tan with her spray-on tan... Perhaps that was it.

But the fact is, she saw right through me. I wish I could see the world so clearly.. So I put up a redneck bicycle log header. I have all of these cattle pictures and I continue to take more, so I might as well use one. I could change the name of my blog to redneck log, bovine log or prehaps Cattle log... Hey! I like that :)

I could call my blog, outside of the barnyard, cattle log...

***

Well today was an interesting news cycle. Obama spoke to the torture issue and Cheney spoke to the "enhanced interrogation" issue. I don't know why Cheney can't just be honest and call it what it is.

You'd think since I'm such a redneck that I'd agree with Cheney, but I heard somewhere that there are three things a democracy needs to survive. A lack of corruption in government, a legal system that is fair and just, and a banking system people can trust. Now that we've gotten back on track, I can't understand for the life of me why Dick insists on smelling up the clean air.

I don't think we should need to find reasons to be against torture, but Obama made several points. The most important I think was that torture undermines the rule of law. Bush has been quiet on the issue as has McCain. Why is McCain so silent right now? It would be nice if he would step up and put Cheney in his place. It's no wonder he lost the election. McCain clearly didn't have what it takes to be a leader.

Calm water

It wasn't the best weekend for photography but it was nice and calm on Flathead Lake for my canoe.

***
I know,.. I haven't been saying too much. I'm getting cynical about everything. I've been watching a lot of TV.

I've been watching a televanglist tonight. I won't name him but he has a wife and an announcer and he quotes scripture and turns it all into proof that the end time is near. He's been doing it for years and the end time never happens. We've been close a couple of times though. I thought for sure Clinton was the anti-christ...

See what happens when I stop watching the food channel..

Cheney has been on TV a lot lately. What if you had him as an uncle or something? You'd have to invite him over for dinner on Thanksgiving. He could help you cook. "Just put that turkey in boiling oil!"... he'd say....

Dogs and cats

This drawing caught my eye yesterday as we were looking through student artwork. I think I know that dog on the left...

Camas Prairie Montana picture

The Camas Prairie picture slightly re-sized.

I retain the rights to all of my photos.  Please do not use without permission.

Betty Baker pasta

Sorry I haven't been too active posting. I've been out riding my bike. I do have something to share however.

I do a lot of cooking. I've found what I think is a really good dry spaghetti, and I've tried a lot of different ones. BETTY BAKER. I'm not kidding it's really good. I bought it just by chance the first time although now I see that they have a plant here. That might explain why it's so good but there must be more to it than just that. I'm not associated with them in any way and I'm not trying to plug a local company, but if you can find it where you are buy it. No sodium and no cholesterol too.

And to go with it I've found a pretty good pasta sauce in a jar. It's Ragu, Sundrided Tomato & Sweet Basil. It actually has sundried tomatoes in it and I love those. It's not as amazing as the Betty Baker pasta but it's pretty good for something out of a jar.

***
I recently heard you have to be careful what you endorse on your blog. So I want to make it clear, I'm not being paid by Betty Baker Pasta. I don't know anyone who works there, and I don't work for them. I didn't even know they made pasta here. But I eat pasta and this really is good.

Stop eating animals

But that would take the fun out of cooking...

Well it's one thing for me to give up meat, but I recently heard on the news that some vegeterians insist that their cats be vegetarians too. That might be going too far.. I'm not going to force my rabbit to eat meat, but who knows, it might already be a carnivore. I put a carrot out for it and it didn't touch it. Perhaps rabbits don't eat carrots. That might just be a stereotype. Come to think of it, other than Bugs Bunny I've never actually seen a rabbit eat a carrot...

***
And on the subject of food,.. Today at work we celebrated Cinco de Mayo. We all brought in "mexican" food...It was like a bunch of atheists celebrating Christmas.

But there was one high point. One lady made some outstanding salsa.

Stuck in a right wing rut

With the right wing nuts... Why I moved here I will never know.

My mind seems to be like the transmission of a Hyundai. It just won't go into gear. I don't know what it is. Ski season is over. Even if I had vacation I wouldn't be able to get away from work. I've been taking pictures that I don't like. Even my rabbit just lays around in the yard and does nothing. I'm still thinking about a name for it. I'm afraid it isn't spunky enought to be named Spunky.

Spunky used to go crazy at night. One time I woke up in the middle of the night and in a half sleep state, I went to the fridge to get a drink of milk. Out of the darkness, Spunky charged me and clamped onto my leg. Gosh it freaked me out, and hurt! I let out a yelp and and off she bolted, back into the darkness. No, the rabbit isn't half the beast that Spunky was.. The rabbit belongs on Teletubbies or something. Tinky Winky, or Laa Laa would be better names for the rabbit than Spunky. Spunky was a serious vicious animal, and would have been more at home on the Sopranos. If she had been a little bigger she would have killed and eaten me. Here's Spunky's mug shot.

No such excitement around here now. To make matters worse it seems that all of the people who voted for McCain and Palin live right here where I live. All 300 of them,.. What a constant source of annoyance. They are ticked off, and buying more guns and amo than anyone would could shoot in a liftetime, or a thousand hunting seasons for that matter. Well it's crazy... I don't think I go through a day without hearing one of them complain about the government. "Government is a self-feeding cancer." I remember a nice old lady saying on a public access radio program while speaking out about gun rights.

Most of these people couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with their guns but It might be a good idea to ramp down their radio propoganda for a while.

Name my rabbit

I've been aware that I had a rabbit in my back since yard last summer. My cat Spunky died in the spring of last year. She never would have tolerated a rabbit in her yard. But now I seem to have one. It ate my tomato and pepper plants that I planted in the yard last summer. This year I'm going to have plants on my deck. I think they will be safe from the rabbit. At some point I'd like to have a garden and then the rabbit would be a problem but for now I'm ok with it.

It's kind of a low maintenance pet. Lives outside. Lives through the winter, (and it was a harsh winter) Don't have to take it to the vet. Not bad.

Just need a name for it. So if you have any ideas besides Peter and Roger, I might consider it. I was thinking Russell, but 'm open to anything, and it doesn't have to be an american name either.

Crush you like the wolf

Another anti-Canadian Wolf bumper sticker. I took this picture as people were driving their Super Duties to work the other day. As you can see by the small car behind the Ford F350, small cars aren't safe. It's been all over the news. People in Super Duties just can't see you back there and if they hit you they will crush you like the Canadian wolf lover that you are.

I'm almost eye level with the bumper of this Silverado. Is it my little car that isn't safe or the big truck? In the news they singled out the Toyota Yaris, Smart Car, and one other small car. They ran a Mercedes into a Smart Car and concluded that the Smart Car wasn't safe. That's sort of like having an elk hunter shoot a wolf and concluding that the wolf wasn't safe.

Well maybe not,.. but I've been thinking that the elk aren't exactly safe either.

Camas Prairie Montana

Here's a picture of the Camas Pairie in Montana that I took today on my way to Flathead Lake. It's the first picture on my blog that I've taken with my new camera. I think we're going to get along ok. This is one of my favorite places even though a rattlesnake almost bit me here once. I heard it buzz and I looked down to see it coil back. It's a good place to wear your cowboy boots, but today it was too cold for snakes.

***
For some reason my mind always comes back to this place when I look into my past. The trips in the back seat of the car with my parents.. It's still like it was back then. The air still smells the same. Even the dirt here seems clean.

***

I'm still getting used to my new camera. Monitors make such a big difference in how things look on screen. So I re-posted it. It looked ok on my laptop, dark on my NEC but way too saturated on this Samsung.

I retain all rights to my photos.  Please do not use any of my photos without permission.

Endless winter

I went skiing again today as they ran the lifts once again. The skiing got better as the day went on. The sun would come out then it would snow. Hard to believe only a couple of days ago it was 80 degrees and I was riding my bike in shorts and a jersey and thinking how much I don't like hot weather. A lot of people made the mistake of not dressing warm enough, but not me. I knew it would snow. When I got done skiing I drove on into Montana.

A talk with the sky

The sky at lunch today. "What are you doing don?" the sky asked. "I'm taking your picture." I responded. "Well all right then." the sky said.

A template of convenience

I changed the template of my blog. I guess in a way the relationship between a person and their blog is sort of like any relationship. Now and then it's time for a change. Even though the relationship isn't working you just can't bring youself to break away.

I was never really in love with my old template. It was a template of convenience. When I chose my old template it was the best one I could find. As time went on, I changed and my template did not. I tried to change it, but outside of the bubble it was much the same. It just wouldn't let me do some of the things I wanted to do. Gosh, I feel a little bad about it now,..

It's for the best. My old template will meet new bloggers and we can both move on.

How to set a bike computer

As you can see in my bike photo above,.. that's my bike BTW, looking down on it today as I rode to work this morning,.. anyway as you can see the speedo/ computer is dead. I needed a new battery. So I went to the local bike shop and bought a replacement. Then I had to set the computer. They are all different and I have several different ones. Of course I couldn't find the instructions to the one I was using. You have to set the wheel size and kilometers or miles.

Well there are only two buttons on it, so some combination will let you in to set it. I finally figured out the combination of holding down the buttons and in which menue. Then I did a wheel roll out to set the wheel size. Bla bla bla. If you came here looking for that information, hold a button down and wait until the display flashes. If there's a four digit number in the display, Roll the wheel out one complete turn and measure it in cm. Just put a metric tape on the floor, and start with the stem on 0. A typical mountain bike wheel will be 2075 and a typical road bike wheel will be 2124. That's close enough. Don't get anal about it, but roll the wheel out if you must.

I'm not too hung up about recording miles or anything. I've ridden enough to know pretty much how far I've gone each summer, but if you tour, race or distance ride, a working computer/ speedo is really valuable to measure your effort during the day. Other than that my advice to people new to cycling is don't get to hung up on how many miles you ride. It's not the best reason to get on a bike.

Snowcat skiing

Today might have been my last day of skiing this year. It was a pretty good day to end on. Plus I lived through it.. I ran into my friend Russell who I went to school in Bozeman with so I skied with him and his friends a for a while. They were giving people free snowcat rides to a peak you usually have to hike up to so Russell and I made the last trip of the day in it. We were the 12th and 13th people and they only take 13. So it worked out perfect.

The snowcat arives to pick us up.

The driver will lower that basket and some of the

people will ride up there with the skis and boards.

We rode in the coach in the back.

My friend Russell on the ride up. He looks docile in this picture, but he's insane.

Looking forward in the snowcat.

I wanted to ride up there with the driver, but it didn't work out that way.

Some fellow snowcat riders. Anthony Hopkins and Miguel Indurain. Well not really.. Who is Miguel Indurain anyway?

Here's Russell dropping in. Fancy pants! I'm always a little nervous when I ski with him. I had to stow my camera and then chase after him and it was pretty steep.

Digging Bear and the Schwinn Varsity

A few years back, I was in Montana, down in a dumpster digging through the garbage,..and I heard a pickup truck back up. I looked up to see a native American guy looking down at me. (it happend to be on an indian reservation) "One man's trash is another man's treasure." I said up to him. He just looked down at me, pushed his lips together and nodded. It was sort of a Dances With Wolves moment.

Flash forward to today. I found some bike fenders on Craigslist. The ad said they came off of a Schwinn Varsity years and years ago as when this guy got a new Varsity he took them off because he thought they weren't cool. Like new, never used, ten bucks or best offer. "So you want ten bucks for them?" I asked. "You can look at them and make an offer." the guy said... (like I'm going to offer $7.50 and see if anyone beats it)

It wasn't far from where I live so I drove out there. No one was home but there were the fenders on the front step. This was out in the country. I had an envelope in my car and I put two five dollar bills in it and put it in his door above the door handle and took the fenders. I felt wierd about doing that. (unlike digging in the garbage on an indian reservation, I'm perfectly comfortable doing that...) I couldn't just leave $7.50 without dealing face to face with the guy. That would be just plain cheap of me! So when I got home I called the guy and left a message on his machine that said where I put the money, and if he didn't get it to give me a call.

The reason I was in the dumpster was someone had thrown away a perfectly good Schwinn Varsity bicycle. In my size! Old yes, but not bad enough to just throw away. Even if I didn't really need it, I hate to see that kind of waste. Some bikes aren't worth saving but this one was. It was older than any Varsity I'd ever seen. It even had brazed on down tube shifters. It didn't take much to get it working. I got it all lined out so I could seriously ride it and it's an extra bike for visitors at the lake. It would also be a nice city bike to ride to work or the store when you don't want to leave something expensive out. Now I have NOS chrome fenders for it. Bonus!

One time I as on a 20 mile morning ride with my dumpster Varsity. Not an easy ride BTW. Several big climbs. I noticed a tick tick tick noise developing. A pin on the chain was coming out. I didn't have a chain tool with me so I used a rock to pound it back into place. It worked and I haven't had a problem with it since. Well the Schwinn Varsity is sort of the model T of road bikes. The first mass produced american road racing type bicycle. And this one is an early example. There was a plate on it that said 1963.

Ski season is coming to an end

I'm fading away!

Church on credit

I was talking to someone I know about going to church this Easter. She grew up on a farm in Kansas. So she likes traditional things as do I. Especially when it comes to church.

There's this whole new church thing going on around here. Mega style rock and roll church. Cowboy church. Wear your visor cap while you drink coffee church, you name it. She can't relate to that and wants a traditional service. There's a lot of people who feel this way. People have to decied which church is right for them, just like they do with their medication.

A light bulb went on in my head. So I directed her to a traditional church that I've gone to with an organ, bell ringers, hymnal... If I can get her to go, it would be like buying carbon credits and I won't have to go..

And I wonder if the pastors get any hecklers at the rock and roll church when the sermon isn't going over very well? "Dude!.. Know any Deuteronomy?!" "Let's hear some Proverbs man!"

Ok I think I'm pushing my luck here..., but church has become such a consumer item, like everything else. Talk to your pastor about which service is right for you.

Easter service

I went to Easter church service today. The church was packed. We sat in the very last row in the balcony. The very very last seats. Any place else they would have been the worst seats, but in my opinion, at church the seats in the very back are the best ones. I hate sitting way up front. The pastor can look right at you and see your face. If I sit up front I feel like I have to have an expression neutral face. If the pastor says something I think is stupid I can't let my face say "Oh geez!" If you sit way in the back you don't have to worry about it, and of course there's the whole issue about faking when you sing. It's much harder to fake when you sing if you sit up front.

I think they ought to make new people at church sit in the back and work their way forward. Earn their wings.. New people don't want to sit right up front anyway.

So I'm sitting there way in the back way up in the balcony enjoying the view,.. The pastor is going getting into his sermon. People were bringing out chairs and sitting on them here and there as it was so croweded.

This one older guy who kind of looked like a mortician in his dark suit sat in a chair just around a corner from my view. After he sat down, all I could see was his right leg. Dark pant and dark sock and dark dress shoe. He had RLS, restless leg syndrome. The moment he sat down his foot and leg went into motion. It was really wierd. I imagined that shoe must spend most of its time in his closet lifleless. On him it was a dancing shoe. All I could see was this skinny leg with this dancing shoe on it. At first it reminded me of an insect leg moving with no logic to it. Pure reflex. But then I started to recognize patterns. It would go heel toe, heel toe. heel heel heel toe. Like that. Then he did this sideways heel toe heel toe, to the left, then heel toe heel toe to the right. A serpentine dancing shoe move. Hey! I know that song!

There was boy about 14 years old or so sitting in the pew in front of me. I noticed he was looking at something. I thought it was a cell phone at first but it was his watch. He'd taken off of his wrist and was goofing around with it. He saw that the flat crystal reflected a spot of light on the wall so he was playing with that. It was hard for me to ignore. He would move the spot around and trace the architecture of the sanctuary with it. Now and then he'd write words on the wall.

It was a very nice service

Riding chairlifts

I spent Saturday riding chairlifts. It felt like the middle of winter once again. It snowed pretty hard at one point. I skied at one place then drove down the road about 30 min and skied at another place for the rest of the day. Both were kind of foggy but the second place was nicer and the backside was clear, plus it was thier last day and it was free. It might have been my last day of skiing this year. I'm one day away from reaching my goal of skiing at least 30 days.

Good Friday

They should call it Really Good Friday, and give everyone the day off. Here's what it looked like this morning on my way to work.

Kalashnikov justice

I've figured out what do do with these guys who insist on owning asault style weapons like the Kalashnikov.

We could put them to work on freight ships off of the cost of Somalia. They could shoot pirates instead of their wives, children and former co-workers.

Ok I'm being sarcastic, but honestly, how hard could it be to protect a big ship like that? Just have a few guys on lookout who could pick them off before they ever got close. I don't get it. Or while they are trying to crawl up on the ship throw big bags of wheat at them. I don't really think throwing money at them is a sustainable answer to their problems.

Back to the gun issue. I was listening to a local radio talk program while I ate lunch where I ski in north Idaho. Must have been some sort of public access program. Local elderly people were talking about the 2nd amendment and how Obama and Pelosi were bent on taking away gun ownership rights. It was hosted by a nice older lady and man. The lady did most of the talking. Clearly the talking points were scripted out of an NRA magazine, and there were also Rush Limbaugh buzz words like "drive by media" thrown in, but what really got me was the last thing she said, and I quote, "government is a self feeding cancer."

Wait a minute.. My dad worked for the government..

Ski picture

Here's a picture of a skier that I took today. There's only one day left of ski season where I ski, but I'll ski at least one more day next week.

Across the state line

People travel across the state line into Idaho to buy cigarettes. From what I understand they are $20 less a carton in Idaho than they are in Washington. They put up an illuminated sign to advertise the products and their costs. Sometimes the authorities will set up a sting to catch people from Washington who buy cigarettes and bring them back into the state.

I don't smoke, but when I go in the stop and go, I'm amazed at the variety and selection of cigarettes. If I took up smoking I wouldn't know where to start. I guess I'd start with Pall Mall.

This sign really stands out in the weather. They've cracked down on signs on the Washington side too.

Brownie Flash Six-20

Here's a picture of one of my vintage cameras. A 1939 Kodak Brownie Flash Six-20 with the flash attachement and unexposed flash bulb. Pretty cool don't you think? I can't remember if I used this camera or not. For a while we wound 120 film on 620 spools to use 620 cameras, but I have other old 120 cameras that I used and you could just throw the roll of film in them. I tended to favor the 120 cameras.

Stormy weather

I guess I'll write a house cleaning post. Not really about cleaning my house even though I did do some of that last weekend on Sunday when I couldn't go skiing due to the stormy weather. (That's a great song BTW) It's snowing right now here too. I just hope there won't be so much snow that I can't drive my my van up the mountain to go skiing. My car is in the shop with a broken transmission and my van is rear wheel drive. To make matters worse I had to take the studded tires off of the van as you can't have them here now after April 1rst.

Despite all of this snow my resort is closing this weekend. They keep rolling back the closing date earlier each year and I think that really sucks because now I'll have to pay to ski somewhere else. It's like winter here now. The skiing is great and they close the resort? I'm going to complain.. That's just all there is to it.

My car. I talked the dealership into cutting me a break on the parts and labor. I just said, "Do you think you could give me a break?." So I talked them down $250.

Well I bought the car used and haven't put any money into it for a couple of years execpt I replaced the alternator last year. It konked on my way back home from Montana to be with my mom who was recovering from cancer surgery. You can read about that adventure Here . What the heck... That time, I understood the problem and thankfully I had my tools with me. But changing a transmisson is a little more than I want to take on. Don't get me wrong, the alternator was no small feat either as there is no room to work on these little cars. I wasn't really sure if I could do it without taking the whole car apart, but my options weren't that great and I had to try. I had to be back at work the next day. I replaced the alternator that night, exchanged the core part the next morning and then drove 200 miles back to work and got there two hours late. I'd missed so much work being with my mom for her whole cancer situation, that I had to do what I could to get back to work as fast as I could.

The situation now is much more relaxed than it was back then.