Going Green (or Orange)

Well. I did it. I said on an earlier post that I am sick of paying car

payments, insurance, and gas bills. I've put my Jeep in the Herald Review and it will stay there till it sells. Today I bought the Honda Shadow in the top picture. It is a 2005 with only 800 miles on it. It will get over 40 mpg and here is the insurance bill: $149 for the year! Yeah, driving a motorcycle is probably a little more dangerous. This is the 5th motorcycle and 2nd streetbike that I have owned. I know how to drive one and will be a very defensive driver. One thing is for sure I won't be paying $65 to fill the tank.

Back on the Walking Trail

Finally, the snow has receded enough that Angie and I got back to walking today. Yeah!

Fishing with Tom

How many of you remember your fifth birthday? I do. I remember it vividly. I remember eating pancakes and bacon, I remember having a woodtick on my neck, I remember catching a lake trout, I could probably lead you to the campsite on Whitefish Bay of Lake of the Woods near Nestor Falls, Ontario even though I haven't been there for more than 20 years. I turned 5 on a rock in Canada fishing with my Dad and his friend Tom. My Dad taught at an elementary school in International Falls and Tom was his principal. That was 1971. In the next 10 years I got to fish with Tom many many times. He was an excellent fishing partner. He treated me very kindly and along with my Dad filled my young life with hundreds of exciting memories. Tom and my Dad are still fishing together. Here is a picture of a shark they caught in the Gulf of Mexico last Friday. In the top picture, the shark got loose and clamped on to the boat seat as hard as snapping turtle grabs a stick. I don't fish as much as Tom does, probably only 4-5 times per year, but when I do, I'm usually remembering something he taught me over 30 years ago.

P.S. 25 years later in 1996, Ronnie also turned five years old on a rock in Canada.

Dinner with Ronnie and Katy

This weekend Angie has gone on a scrapbooking adventure, leaving me in charge of Ronnie and his girlfriend Katy. Tonight the three of us went to Zorbaz for supper. Good Mexican food, but the most annoying menu in the history of restaurant menus. These are two really good kids. They are both straight 'A' students ranked near the top of their respective classes. They are kind, respectful, and fun to be around. I'd take them out for supper any night.

The Best Ever Deer Stand

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From 1997-2004 I shot 7 deer out of this stand. This makes it the most productive deer stand in my hunting career. But that is not what makes it the best. Instead, as you can see, it is the view. This stand looks over a 20 acre field and the Mississippi River. I spent hundreds of hours in this stand. I think you can see why.

Making Maple Syrup

The best part of living in Minnesota is the great variety of seasons. Everything changes dramatically and with the changes come outdoor activities we wait all year for. For the past 10 or more years, this time of year has meant making maple syrup with Aaron and Carol. The work has many different aspects throughout about a month of time. First the taps have to be put into the trees, then the sap has to be collected and brought back to the boiling shack, the most fun though is the actual boiling. Today we are boiling. Here are some pics from the shack. Each 30+ gallons of sap will ultimately result in one gallon of syrup. Tonight I am heading back over for an evening of drinking sap (with a little rum) with Aaron and Uncle Bill.

Snow Day Part Two

Who would ever thought there would be a snow day in April? Not me. Not only that, but it happened again! Twice in the same week. I love it. Here Ronnie and I pulled into the Y parking lot. We used our free afternoon to get in a good workout.