The Fish have landed!

As tradition dictates, BlueEyedbikinbabe is not officially here until I see the feet on the dashboard.

Maarburg is here

Maarburg is one of my two bestest friends in the world and he has once again come to visit me for a week and ride Triple Bypass.

Very bestest friend, BlueEyedBikinBabe, will be here tomorrow or Monday, too!

I've been waiting all year for this and I'm very excited.

View from my front yard

City fireworks display is lit off about half a mile from my house.

Pictures from today's ride

Why I work here

This is a completely candid shot. The guy really was riding a baby scooter in little circles while in the hall.

Wild Asparagus

Yep, it's a common ditch weed.

Bonds Apetit!

Yummy?

Crawfish Triple Crown?

Would this be considered cruelty to animals or playing with your food?

Freshwater cockroaches

Yes, you can

Riding a dirt trail on my carbon fiber road bike. You can do it, you just gotta be a little stupid.

Just a little breezy

Top of the hill

it's all downhill from here - except for the uphill parts ;)

Getting dressed up

We went to a friend's wedding today.

Hope

Distinguished guests make an appearance

I hear they came from far, far away...

New fitness room at work

I am sure this will come in handy this winter.

Lunch ride

it's difficult riding in a place so ugly, but I'll persevere for the sake of improving my fitness to ride with my friends.

Beautiful riding

Cherryvale Road in Boulder.

This wind blows

Freedom

I was six years old when I started riding motorcycles. I had a little Honda 50cc dirt bike on which I spent hours riding every summer day on our farm. Within a couple of years I graduated from a fat-tired mini-bike to a real "dirt bike" - A Yamaha MX75 and again I spent hours and hours riding that bike.

On and on the progression went, from 75cc to 125cc to 175cc dirt bike. Each one bigger and faster and more powerful. I never rode competitively although I very much wanted to and I had "motocross tracks" laid out in various areas of the farm as well as ensilage pits I would ride through to provide huge ramps for jumping.

Freedom, for me, is a motorcycle. No responsibilities, no plans or schedules. Just jump on the bike and ride.

One of the things I promised Tiff was that I would take her for a ride on her visit. My friend PKQ has a Honda Shadow 1100 that doesn't get much use and PKQ considers it a favor if I take it out every once in a while and give it a workout.

On Monday we both needed a day off the bicycles and the weather was warm and beautiful so Tiff suggested we take the motorcycle out. We rode to Boulder and then up into the hills, exploring roads we'd ridden on the bicycles or driven in the car. The plan was to wind up in Jamestown and have a snack at the cafe but they were closed in the early afternoon so we wandered around a little park next to a stream and watched the bicyclists fill up their water bottles from the water jugs the cafe puts out front.

Jamestown is just a little hippie community up in the hills. Total population probably less than 100. It is a very common sight to see houses with rather interesting paint schemes.

Later, running errands, Tiff wouldn't be caught dead with "helmet-hair" so she employed her new Coolmax Performance Bicycles hat to remedy the problem. Wish I looked that good in a hat :).