Taking a Break......

I want to give everyone a heads up, I'm stepping back from the computer for a few months. I'll be fine, just out of contact so to speak.

When my life changes back, I'll be following all of you again. I'm looking forward to reading all your updates and catching up when I can.

I hope to be back to blogging soon!

I leave you with a few of my favorite motorcycle related pictures...

Until I return, the best to you all, and ride safe...

Erik.

This Morning.....

There was no snow on the patio the other day.....and that's all I'll say about that.

The Bears are Awake...

...and they're hungry. Sometime between 6:00 pm and midnight, a black bear found our bird feeders. It's too dark to see just how much damage it did, but the feeder pole is bent to the ground, the finch feeder has chew marks on it and the metal cage of suet it empty. I'll post better pictures once the sun comes out.

We'll have to start bringing in the feeders at night from now on.

Now that it's light outside, I got a few more pictures.

When I came back inside, Nancy was watching some TV show, on the National Geographic channel, about killer black bears in a Provincial Park in Canada.

As the art work hanging on the wall behind our couch says...

I guess it's the start of spring.


Oh, it's snowing again too...

Even Nicer Weather Today!

Days like today make up for the 3 months in a row of sub freezing temps. By noon, the snow was melting off the roof resulting in several steady streams of running water. It was warm enough to work in the garage with just a shirt and no jacket. I spent some time cleaning up the Zx-14. I washed all the winter dust off it, lubed the chain and checked the air in the tires. By 3:00 this afternoon it was ready to ride. It's amazing what 100 miles of seat time can do for a person!


50 miles away, Ashland, WI and Lake Superior...

Richard has suggested I not look at tractors and try hand shoveling my driveway as a way of making sure my riding gear fits every spring.. :) That's an interesting idea, but I still stopped by for a look...

It felt so nice to finally get out for a long ride!!

Finally... Something Motorcycle Related!!!

The sun was shining today and it melted the ice in the driveway enough for me to get a bike out! I put 45 miles on the Wr250x. I tried to get a picture of Lake Namekagon, but the road to the landing was still blocked with snow. So I back tracked into town and headed up Hwy 63 to Drummond. I was thinking of going all the way up to Lake Superior, but it was still a little too cool for a long highway ride.

The weather is supposed to be even better tomorrow. If it's real nice I'll bring out a big bike and take a long ride!! For some reason, my riding gear shrunk a bit while hanging in the garage....I don't get it.


This morning, I saw another new creature to add to the list of visitors to the backyard... A red squirrel. We have lots of gray and black squirrels.

For about the last week, we've had some new night time visitors, flying squirrels. I'd never seen a flying squirrel before. They're about the size of a chipmunk.

Signs of Spring?

Today I noticed what might be a real sign of spring. Even though we just got 10-12" of heavy snow the other day, the sun's been shining and the temps have been somewhat warmer. What makes me think spring is near? The sump pump started cycling on and off today, and the dehumidifier in the basement started running today too. I hope I didn't just jinx myself, I don't need anymore snow.

Here are the last pictures of this winter's snow... I promise.

All of them were taken within a block or two of my house on Saturday, 4-5-14.

The tennis courts, note the posts for the nets.

This is what happens when you only visit your house in the summer.

The roads in my neighborhood.

Taken from the side windows of my truck.

Winter Storm Warning....

It seemed like last winter was the winter that would never end. The local lakes were still frozen over when Fishing Season opened on the first Saturday in May last year. I think we're on track to have that happen again this year. Nancy and I were speaking to the Vet yesterday, he had been ice fishing earlier in the week and had to auger through more than 4' (1.22 meters) of ice!

And, just when I thought this winter was giving way to spring and huge patches of gravel were showing through the ice on the driveway.... The National Weather Service issues a Winter Storm Warning! It started snowing again last night and it still continues today. The wind is blowing and the drifts are rising... again.

We're coping the best way possible...

While outside the storm continues!

Yeah!!!!