400 miles/ day

Well let's see....left Kennebec and headed for Rapid City on Tuesday morning. The wind was from the southeast and just beat us up. Mike took me through the grasslands south of I-90 and through a small corner of the Badlands. Amazing to see pelikans in this part of the world....they are a long distance from the ocean. Seagulls also are in the area- why I don't know but they reside here without salt water. Got to John's house and went to a great restaurant- Minerva's. Susan (another cousin) joined us for wonderful evening.

Wednesday we left Rapid City and headed for Bozeman. It was cold and looked like rain so we started out with rain gear on (what a hassle). Boy were we glad we put on those "clown pants and coat". It started to spit on us and it was very cold like 50'. At one point- I thought it was going to snow on us but it was only heavy rain. Sidenote- my dual headlight got broken on our way to South Dakota - rock hit it. Mike got a new light (translation= expensive $299) and fixed it. Just out of Belle Fouche- I got hit again and once again one of the lens is broken but not smashed- it still works and we will not replace this one until it falls apart. So- back to that rain....it started to rain as we entered a construction zone. The road had been ground up and grooved. Scared me to death as the front wheel just wobbled all over the place. I kept slowing down because of that wobbly wheel AND I couldn't see due to the rain. Imagine a windshield with rain all over it and then your sunglasses are also covered. All I could see was that yellow line that separated me from that oncoming traffic. Slower and slower I went...Mike finally stopped me and gave me "the pep talk". We let a bunch of traffic go by and off we went again. Luckily it was only 15 miles of grooves and holes but I thought I would get bucked off the bike if I rode too fast!! Glad that initiation is done.

So the good thing- Eastern Montana is green as can be....looking at the pastures and hillsides reminded me of a painting I entered into a 4-H contest. The painting was of a house and green lawn and the judge told me that no lawn was ever solid green. If I remember correctly I did not get a ribbon. That judge obviously had never been to Montana- those fields were painted a "solid" John Deere green and there weren't any other blips of color. The cows looked like intense black spots against all that green grass.

Today (Thursday May 19) we were lucky to ride in good weather with light winds, full sun and basically good roads. I was nervous to ride the I-90 passes - Continental Divide, Lookout and then Fourth of July. Even in a car- these curvy mountain roads can be tricky but the bike and I handled it well. Actually it was easier to ride than I thought it might be. There was still snow on the mountain side and the air was very cool. Tonight we are in Coeur d'Alene and tomorrow we head to Seattle to see the kids.

The views have been tremendous- there is nothing like being out in the wind, smelling everything so intensely and feeling very small. When you are in a car- you don't get that same effect. The trees are taller, the mountains snowier...you get the idea. Needless to say- our sight seeing has been as we travel the roads. After a day on the bike, the only thing I really want to see is the inside of my eyelids!!

Busy Busy!!

This week has been busy. Making mints, Coffee and work...luckily my computer is still working and the orders are coming in for the month. Mike polished his bike even though it has been very windy and raining. The temperature also got down to 35' at night. Thank goodness these two weather patterns did not happen at the same time or we would have had snow.

Friday May 13th we rode to Chamberlain to honor the National Guard unit that is deploying to Afghanastan (sp). Wind gusts up to 30mph and a temperature of 45' reminded me of riding in Alaska. Mike and I had no idea that we were enlisted to ride in a parade and then down the highway at about 80mph. It was COLD. We were supposed to ride all the way to Pierre but with the weather- we all cried "uncle" and went back to Kennebec.

Graduation was Saturday May 14th so we helped Jordan celebrate his new position in life as a graduate. Cake, punch and mints at the family and friends gathering.

Today (Sunday May 15th) we woke to light winds and the promise of some sun. About noon the sun came out the winds got alot stronger and we took off on the bikes. The Pioneer Auto Museum has an annual auto and antique auction so we went to see what that was all about. A quick tour of the museum left us $18.00 poorer and we determined that alot of our parents junk may have ended up there. The few cars that were of interest were covered in dust and had not seen a carwash for quite some time.

Tomorrow I have phone meetings all day so we will leave for Rapid City on Tuesday.

Kennbec- here we come!

So a great night of sleep after a day full of riding! We hit the road today at 8:30 and headed to HD of Sioux Falls. Parts were sucessfully obtained for KJ and off we were again. The temp was about 70' and felt too hot to wear a coat (or so we thought). Just try riding at 60 mph without a coat and you will FREEZE...we both called "uncle" and got out the leather coats. The wind was on our nose and the sun behind so we were in great shape to ride fast down I-90. Brunch was in Mitchell at Perkins and then gas at Kimball. A quick ride through Chamberlain to see what has changed (not much changes here). Kennebec arrived sunny and hot- just in time to take off the leathers and relax at the Millers. Catching up with the family, getting organized for graduation party and enjoying the quiet. I know we are now getting old...we sit around talking about our health issues, medicines we are taking and exercise we need to do.....darn it all!!!

High Winds and HOT!

So this morning we left the Iowa family farm and head to the nearest HD dealership. Time for an oil change and 1000 mile check on my bike "Mr. Fat Bob". So 90 minutes later and an oil change, a pair of new boots for Mike and a windshield bag....we were off and headed North-West to South Dakota.

Backroads were the chosen routes- Story City- stop for water and bananas, Lehigh to shed the leather coats and to use the public restroom in city hall, Dolliver Memorial Park for a tree lined ride through a curvy river hugging road, Fort Dodge for lunch at Zakees, gas at some little town (it becomes a blur), a pitstop somewhere else and finally a shower and hotel room in Sioux Falls.

This was my longest ride and probably the most challenging to date. The wind was from the East and like the wicked witch....it was awful to deal with. The bike and I were usually at about a 15 degree lean on any roads headed North. Thank goodness the East-West roads were easy and very good. We saw some great barns, wonderful farm houses and lots of field work being done. I know I had acquired a bit of of dirt from each county as we headed west....my headscarf and neck were black with windblown dirt. I suppose since farmland is so expensive- I should have saved it for later!!

There was not much traffic except near Sioux Falls and consequently the idiot driver factor doubled there. It is simply amazing how rude people are to each other.

Tomorrow- another trip to HD in Sioux Falls to obtain parts for KJ...we will deliver them so he can get his bike put together.

Motorcycle Adventure

So long time- no writing....seems life has gotten in the way of adventure so once again we are creating a new one. Tomorrow we start out on a motorcycle trip from Iowa , South Dakota, Seattle then back to the midwest. All over the next eight weeks we will experience the wind in our hair (mine anyway), bugs in our teeth and rain down our necks!! Wish us luck and follow our blog across the miles!!

Guns, Tomatoes and oh- right- Fires and Earthquakes

Not so hot this weekend; the clouds made it easier to go out and have shooting practice. Last weekend we had to take the beach umbrellas, chairs and plenty of water to get our shooting time in. Our neighbors stopped in Friday night- they could hear us shooting off the deck of the hours at the various targets that Mike had set up. I just get a kick out of those spinning targets. When you hit them- you get realtime feedback on what you are doing right. You might be asking why all this practice??? Just trying to get in shooting shape for next year's potential hunt. Getting rid of bad posture habits and bringing a steady hand.

Our tomatoes are coming along!!! This is real progress in this part of the world. Those ugly old tractor tires are doing their job heating up the soil. We will definitely have cherry tomatoes that smell and taste like the real thing. It's the small things that make us happy!

The Nenana Fire has increased to over 100,000 acres. We had to drive to Fairbanks for work and of course were on the edge of the fire zone. You could see the smoke from the road. Lots of trees are gone now. I guess that proves why we have a gravel yard- protects our house from potential fires. Since we have no fire service, this is our only protection out here in the boonies.

Not only do we get to deal with potential summer fires, we have had quite a few earthquakes this summer. The worst one was June 23rd and it shook forever. We could hear it coming through the woods and it sounded like a train. Once it hit the house- it just keep things moving for about 2 minutes. We found out later that it was about 30 miles deep, 70 miles away and a 5.4!!! We keep feeling them but not as bad as that one.

Spring and Summer Update

Lots of news since April, Mike and his brother drove "Outside" to visit their mother for a couple of weeks. The cross country trip was difficult with snow storms and cold weather. Their first morning in South Dakota was snowy with at least 1" of snow on the ground. The guys were very distraught that they had driven all those miles only to find the same snowy weather in South Dakota. They had both been looking forward to warmer weather- unfortunately that did not happen.

My trip started a week later and I flew to Iowa to assist with the wedding plans. Justine and Justin were getting married in May and I was to pull together the final details as "project manager". Again the weather was not cooperating- it was cold, rainy and windy. It actually felt like a winter in Seattle. Justine's plans were to get married outside at the Lincoln Valley Golf Course on May 16th at 5:30 pm. There was not a "Plan B" in the event the weather did not cooperate. Needless to say- she was a basketcase for the two weeks prior to the wedding. She kept a hourly watch on the weather to see what it was "supposed to be"!!! I kept telling her that this was IOWA and the weather changes hourly. She did not appreciate my insight but Plan B still did not happen. She is an optimistic person- while Mom is a planner for "what if".


Decorating took place the day before the wedding. A day of tying 250 pink chair sashes, laying out linen colored table clothes and stringing tulle around the ceiling. All the details came together very nicely. Justine's vision of how it would all look rang true and it was an elegant venue once all of the decorating was complete.

Luckily- the day of the wedding, the sun was out in full (after a week of rain). It looked like it would be a great day for a wedding but the wind was blowing about 50 mph. The chairs for the ceremony kept blowing over due to the wind even when pushed into the ground. At 4pm the wind began to die down and by 5:30 it was quiet and time for the ceremony to begin.

To say the least- it was a nice day for all of us! We were in great company of friends, family and new acquaintances. Star and Casey flew from Seattle for a 48 hour weekend in Iowa. Brady and Jeanette could not make it due to her father's illness. Star and Casey were a big help during the interesting reception.....the caterer was a "story" in itself. Like always - we stepped in and did what needed to be done.

Mike and I as well as Jim and Linda (Justine's dad and step mom) worked together to decorate the venue and create a great wedding day for J2's (Justin and Justine). We had alot of fun changing the clubhouse environment to a wedding venue.

................................Linda Bell and Julie.............................

Mike, Justin, Justine and Julie

After all of the wedding celebrations, we drove to Seattle to meet up with Brady's family. While there we bought a trailer for our four wheelers. We took the kayaks off the boat, grabbed the dingy and found leather chairs at the Macy's clearance center!!!! Yippee!! Finally cheap furniture and we could haul it up to the new house.

The trip back home was long. Because we had so much "stuff" it was difficult to do any sight seeing. Mike was on mission to get home without any "incidents" i.e. theft of our stuff. Consequently- our butts were sore and the wheels were rolling hour after hour. I can attest that it would be great fun to do that same trip when we have some time to actually stop and do some museums, hikes and see the towns.

Immediately upon getting home, it was time to get our garden in. The neighbors convened with their tractors and proceeded to roto-till our garden. We spent the weekend planting vegetables and flowers. Mike is in charge of the garden this year- he likes his rows straight. I am in charge of all things colorful (flowers)!!

Our cat- Lily- has gone to the other side. She was very ill and was not going to get better. That was a very difficult decision to make. She is now planted under one of our cottonwood trees.

We spent a day hiking to a massive water fall. Beautiful but it is in bear country. Interesting...

Yes the bear does S__T in the woods!!! Right before we got there- now that is a bit scary.

Been fishing....I got skunked but had lots of casting practice in the rushing river and wind.

Terry caught a rainbow but let it go.

The weather has been so different from last summer. We have had 24 hours days of full sun, hot sun, wonderful sun for literally days on end!!! Last year, I was so disappointed with the weather. I hated the cold damp summer of 2008 with only 4 days of sun. I thought I would never have another flower garden that could compete with my Seattle garden.

Mike and I took to picking rocks to create a flower bed around the house. We found river rocks, stacked then side by side, piled in the dirt, planted flowers, dug up ferns and VOILA!!! I have found success this year- Lily's and Peonies as well as other annuals!!!!

STRAWBERRIES!! We have our own strawberries and raspberries growing successfully. We will probably have tomatoes too. Mike insisted on planting the "Needs hot weather" plants in some old tractor tires. I hated the thought that we had tractor tires in our yard but it is amazing that the heat of the day is making those tomatoes, peppers and herbs grow like crazy.

....Only 8 weeks until termination dust......figure that one out!!!..........