Potayto Potahto Tomayto Tomahto

Weather outside is beautimus today!  Where am I?  Working my fingers to the washing machine and cleaning the house.  Mary is at work, the kids are - doing whatever kids do these days.  Bowling started last night - I won't be setting any scoring records again this year.  The Harley is running much better, although longer rides are giving me a sore bum.  A new seat would cure that, but that budget was eaten in the repair bill I had to fork out last month.  Its Labor Day weekend, and the firemen are out in drogues with their annual drive for Jerry Lewis and his kids.  Fall is a coming, and its one of my favorite times of the year to be out and about, seeing the natural beauty before the doldrums of winter.

Our trip last weekend to Minneapolis - WOW! What a wonderful time.  Mary and I have never allowed ourselves to do much outside of the workplace or home.  We always felt compelled to work hard to earn our keep, although THAT lesson took awhile to sink in.  This trip was a reminder and a breath of fresh air.  First the concert.  The setting could not have been more perfect.  80 degrees, a bit of a breeze but not too bad.  The band - Rush - far exceeded my every hope.  Even new material from any band can be a surprise, but these guys have almost 40 years together, and I have never seen a tighter, or better sounding band.  The best part was the venue.  It is an outdoor arena, the weather was perfect, and the last half of the show was illuminating from none other than a waxing gibbous moonrise!  How cool is that?  The only bad side was some idiot, and I say this with utter disgust, had to be chased down by 6 police officers and several security teams right in front of me as the last number was being played.  It took 8 people to get this person under control, and by then the band was already thru most of the encore.  That put aside, the band left me a great memory and a renewed spirit.

On our return trip, Mary and I stopped at a local diner called Mickeys.  Its one of those diners ran from the confines of a tram car.  Located in downtown St. Paul, it appears to have a sizeable customer base.  While the food was good, I did watch the cook in his preparations.  I noticed a large metallic pitcher that he was using, but didn't quite know what it was for, until he pulled a large container of lard out and began spooning the lard into this pitcher.  Now - I ordinarily don't have much issue with lard, if its used in moderation, but this was different.  The pitcher was used to melt the lard, and then he poured the entire contents of lard into the hash browns, causing my stomach to flutter and my gout to scream!  I paid the price for my meal, both literally and figuratively.  It took the better part of three days to recover, and I can honestly say lard does NOT sit well with my stomach.

We did see a couple of "sights" so to speak.  Downtown St. Paul is literally loaded with attractions, but the ones that really struck me were the churches.  One in particular is the Cathedral of St. Paul, whose foundation began in June 1907.  It is the highest structure in St. Paul, and is located very close to downtown. On October 14, 1958, it was consecrated by Archbishop William O'Brady, securing its place among the premier houses of worship in the United States.  This is a wonderful testament of faith that stands within just a few blocks of downtown.  I highly recommend a visit to this place, and I will make it a regular stop on my return trips to that city.  All in all we counted six different churches standing in their architectural grace, not to mention the various spires and statues that grace the landscape.  St. Paul reminds me a bit of another town, but that's another story.

Of course, upon our return, things just seem to not be going as well.  I may be forced to close my consulting business because there is simply no work.  We received a "you owe us" gram for some company I have never heard of (oh Mr. Attorney!). Mary went thru another pain procedure on her back.  Its been 9 months since her last one, but these procedures always make me nervous.  I have also been reading about faith in the morning.  Something about starting the day off right by first praying and then moving to the routine of the day.  I can honestly say in three weeks of doing that, things have only gotten worse, not better.  Work at the office is not going well, either.  Sometimes you can tell who your supporters are just by how they greet you in the morning, and lately only a couple of the brass are even saying anything at all.  Whine as I may, I suppose things could be worse.  Certainly if you asked those miners in Chile they might sober us all up a bit!

So - maybe its time to ride.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Peace!!!

Positives and Negatives

I have been thinking a lot lately.  For me just getting up in the morning and navigating the 1.5 mile trek to my office can be adventure on the high plains.  Thinking, well, that's just not my forte.  I like to get things done, right, the first time. " I do one thing at a time, I do it well, and then I move on" as Dr. CE Winchester put it on MASH years ago.  Riding the Harley gives me time to get those bad negative thoughts out of my head, and focus more on prayer and reinforcing those positives which seem so distant at times.  Riding a Harley gives me time to focus on me, getting my mind right, keeping those important things in focus and letting the bad vibes just float away.  Some people meditate, some knit, I ride a Harley.  Seems easy enough, right???

For instance, last month my bike broke down.  I didn't just hit a bad vibe, I almost had a massive coronary!  Check out my last post, but I was pretty panicked.  There is a sound that metal makes when banging on metal.  I have heard that sound twice before.  Both times ended in utter disaster, with connecting rods hanging out of the side of the engine block, oil and antifreeze everywhere, and no horseys making power.  The clanging I heard from Melissa sounded almost identical.  I had all sorts of engine replacement visions and nightmares, but after the repair shop picked up the bike and gave it a once over, it turned out to be just a failed compensator cover.  The negative turning into a positive.

Of course, there is also the vice versa.  At work we have had several retirements.  There are several positions that really need to be filled, and one of them is for the professional land surveyor position.  While I don't have my full license yet, in anyone else's mind, this would be a prime opportunity to finish up my licensure, right?  Not so fast says my supervisor.  In his words "...even if you DID have your license we will not hire YOU as our PLS...".  The explanation defies belief, but it seems that the higher brass want someone with years of full licensure experience now.  In effect, even when I DO pass the final exam, the department simply will not hire me as a fully licensed surveyor.  After 10 years of effort to be shot down like that  was pretty discouraging.  While I still have a job, I had hoped I would be in line to be promoted, to take on those new challenges, instead, a positive went to a negative.  In all fairness they do have a point.  Our office needs that experience now, but it certainly was demoralizing to say the least.

Then there is the up and down circus I have been playing with a certain rock concert I have been wanting to attend since puberty.  For those that don't know who I am referring to, the band is called RUSH.  A rather odd progressive rock band from Toronto, Canada who has been putting out quality music since 1974 and continue to do so with the same three members to this day.  Granted they aren't a Led Zeppelin, but Led Zeppelin isn't making new music any more.  The short of it is I have been trying since I was 16 years old to see this band.  I distinctly remember being reminded that " you aren't going downtown by yourself to see that concert" in 11th grade.  Probably had a point, but since then I could tell all sorts of tales about failed attempts to see this band.  One year my wife was giving birth to our second daughter.  One year my truck broke down and I was forced to expedite repairs.  The list goes on and on and on and on.

Their last tour, "Snakes and Arrows" tour, I actually HAD a ticket.  I was all set.  I purchased some atypical concert tshirts online just for the show.  I had a ball cap all ready.  We had made plans to stay in a hotel that night.  Everything was perfect, until.  Two days before the concert, my wife was hospitalized with an injury to the ciatic nerve.  To her credit, she actually begged me to go without her.  She knew I had looked so forward to this concert, but my duties as husband and father are simply more important than some concert.  So, I ate a ticket.  Fast forward to April of this year.  Another tour, and another chance.  Again, we purchased my ticket.  Plans were made, changed, rearranged, dropped, then re planned.  For awhile I didn't think I would go this year after repairs to the truck in Atlanta on our vacation changed our vacation plans.  I have flipped from positive to negative so many times on whether I should go because things are a bit tight.  But, I am happy to announce that Friday night I will be in attendance at their Minneapolis show.  Thank GOODNESS!

Life has its positives and negatives.  Up and down, ever changing.  Riding the Harley is a lot like that.  Last weekend, feeling a bit frustrated at life, I was riding over by the Mississippi River, and ended up finding a hot rod show.  I don't know that I could ever afford a car like the little '64 Vette I was drooling over, or the Mustang Boss 302, or maybe even the '74 Dodge Charger, but just seeing those cars reminded me that no matter what happens in life, ya gotta take the positives with the negatives.

Peace!

Sometimes You Feel Like Screaming!

Ok ok - I know, it sounds like I may be a bit upset.  Maybe a little angry.  Ok - a lot angry.  You know those days - you go home after a day of nothing going your way and nothing working right, only to discover the dog has just crapped in your walking shoes and the cat has hacked up a hairball in your underwear drawer, the kids wont have nothing to do with you, and your spouse has this funny idea that you are now a fashion expert, no matter how thin that dress may make her look, nothing you are going to say will convince them, and you end up sleeping in the neighbors doghouse because your in laws arrived unexpectedly at your doorstep leaving YOU with nowhere else TO sleep.  We all have them, we all get frustrated tired just plain sick of those feelings, and for awhile I have been avoiding those pent up frustrations.  Until today.

Hear me out.  This is not really a life or death issue, but rather one of those "challenges" that we get dropped in our laps that will work out, at some point, but it just was not the right time for this to happen.  And, while this is not anything super critical (like an organ transplant!) or even one of those life altering things (like your wife kicking you out of the house wanting a divorce for that "magazine" on your desk) but in my world, this is one of those things that I could have just as soon done without for the next 10 years!

In a word - my Harley has died.  Yes - the one possession that I value more than some of my vital organs, more than both of my legs, heck even more than my left brain! I went to an Iowa National Guard Send Off Ride with the Patriot Guard this morning.  Everything was going smoothly, even God blessed us with cooler temps and milder weather.  Some of us decided to escort the buses loaded with soldiers partway to the edge of town.  We pulled aside, let the buses continue their journey to St Louis.  Everything was fine UNTIL.  Its always UNTIL isn't it.  I had gotten to the end of the ramp, turned right, headed towards home, and about halfway to the next light I felt the bike shudder a bit.  As I turned north, I began to hear noises I do not normally hear out of the engine.  Loud clanking banging noises of metal to metal.  The bike was still running, and I was only a mile from home, so I gingerly made my way home on the side of the street just barely cracking the throttle enough to maintain some speed.  I looked for traces of oil on the driveway, but no clues were there.

There are two thoughts that come to mind.  I am glad I was very close to home, or else getting the bike home at all would have been impossible.  Two - after spending money on vacations, dentists, and truck repairs, I have little resources left to effect a major repair of this sort.  In short - I will be making payments for a bike that won't run.  I have lost a large portion of the contract work I normally do, and have suffered thru several other lost income situations that are making things a bit tight.  Its almost as if Old Man Murphy was using me for a Beta Tester.  Anything that CAN go wrong has gone wrong and will continue to do so until morale improves or the Second Coming is at hand!

I guess I could look on the bright side - at least I was not on one of those buses with those soldiers. Sometimes though, you just feel like screaming!

The New Path Ahead

Well, after 17 years of whining and complaining at each other, Mary and I FINALLY took a much needed way too long overdue vacation.  Since we are both NASCAR nuts, we decided Daytona Beach looked good.  After all - it is NOT a cornfield!  I know some of my Iowa friends might take exception to that, but the hard reality is I am used to seeing trees, mountains, oceans, scenery.  I mean, a cornfield smells pretty sweet in the summer (almost nauseatingly sweet!) but to a farmer that's just the smell of money, and I am not a farmer.  Same goes for the smell of hog lots, cattle ranches, and chicken lots.  To farmers its all about the smell of money.  ME?  I'd much rather smell the fresh ocean air, or the smell of lilacs in the spring, or maybe even the smell of roses in June in Oregon.

We learned a lot of lessons on this trip.  The hotel was not exactly stellar.  In fact, it was about the worst one I have been in.  We stayed in Jacksonville to stay away from the race crowds, but in the end even that turned out to be a mistake.  Our truck started having some brake issues coming into Atlanta from the Cumberland Mountains, and trying to find an english speaking mechanic was next to impossible.  By the time we made it home, my patience with car dealerships and mechanics was all but gone.  In the end a faulty seal on the fluid reservoir seems to be the culprit, but it took some time to locate the problem.  We did have fun, particularly seeing Dale Jr. win, but looking back, we found a lot of problems we did not anticipate.  We are starting to plot a trip for next year, just not sure where we are headed.  Plenty of time to plan those nightmares!

Took some time on the bike after we got back.  Needed a little ME time, after all, I had been with my wife for a week, and my bike had been safely tucked away in the garage 1200 miles away.  Ran up to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, then over to Rochester, Minnesota.  It was a beautiful ride, well over 400 miles in a day.  My biggest issue:  the seat on the bike is getting, well, bad.  I had about the worst case of saddle sore on my tukus!  Well, after using up our savings on the trip, I guess a new seat will have to wait until next riding season as will the motorcycle luggage bag I wanted.  The trip to Florida was immensely important and I put off some things to help pay for it.  I guess maybe I should find a pillow for my tail end for now?

Life, as it seems, has a funny and often peculiar way of reminding us that we are just not in charge of our lives.  No matter how much we want to control the direction we go, it just never seems to work out the way we planned.  This year is no different.  During our trip to Florida, Mary and I discussed our future and what direction we want to go, and after some wrestling with finances and trying to figure out this that and Melissa, I decided the next step for me was to get some idea of how far I am towards my Bachelors Degree.  With the housing market slowing more than expected, and not getting any contract work I am used to seeing, it seems the right time to at least apply and see where I stand.  Stay tuned for further details, but if it works out, maybe that goal I set in 1993 might get put on the front burner!

In the words of Ringo - Peace and Love everyone!

A Celebration of Life

Its summer.  I know thats obvious, especially the last couple days in Iowa when temps and head indeces are over the top.  Yesterday, for instance, I took some time to go to the annual J & P Cycles Open House. After all, whats 40 miles to a biker right?  By the time I got home I felt like the Thanksgiving Turkey in the deep fryer.  If I could have I would have rode darn near naked back home, but thats just not right.  There would be too many scarred eyeballs out there if they ever looked at my hide in the buff!

I did get a chance to shake hands with a legend yesterday.  Arlen Ness, custom bike builder and pretty much everything motorcycle, Arlen took time to be a part of the Open House yesterday.  As luck would have it, I shook his hand, thanked him generously for coming, and tried to let him cool off a bit, for as hot as it was outside, it was even worse inside.  He took it in stride, however, and took as many breaks as he could.  I have read about his motorcycles since my navy days, and some of his designs are just breathtaking.  His son, Cory, was there as well, and has become a master custom bike builder in his own right.  Both men were extremely generous with the crowds, and showed a lot of patience dealing with the heat.  If only I were that patient!!!

A couple weeks ago my wife and I celebrated an anniversary.  June 13th to be exact.  For some folks its another year and maybe another day to remember, but for us this marked our 25th year of marriage.  It is a big milestone for us, in part because we have had those who felt our marriage would not last, in part because we have made a number of mistakes in our marriage which might cause ordinary folks to go screaming for medication, and in part because even we had our doubts from time to time.  Our resolve and our dedication to each other won out, and it has given us newfound admiration and love for each other.  We will celebrate this year with more love and devotion, but we celebrate cautiously optimistic for our future.  We have had many downs and not many ups, but through it all we have remained steadfastly devoted to each other and to our lives as a couple.  In this day and age, 25 years seems to be a rare accomplishment.  I hope that others can find the same love Mary and I share, for it is indeed a true gift from God!

Stay Cool folks - Have a Happy Fourth of July, and may we honor our independence safely!!!

The Stone

It has been a few months since I really posted anything. Work, work, and more work, and when I’m done, let’s work some more. All work and no play syndrome, so to speak. And then when you think you might have some time to kill, up pops that dreaded “hunny do” list. Unfortunately, I am only skilled at a certain number of things, but some of those hunnydos are a bit out of my league. In all fairness, though, I enjoy a challenge because I get to learn something from each task.

Last weekend was Memorial Day. In the last several years I have come to the realization that some Americans think this is just another cause to drink beyond reason. The smell of BBQ grills light the senses, too, and for many it’s a day off much needed from the daily grind. For me as a veteran, however, Memorial Weekend is that time to honor those who have given their sacrifice in pursuit of freedom. This year is no exception. As a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, it is an almost daily ritual of honoring those who served or are serving, and giving of our time unselfishly in support of those who defend our freedoms as Americans. I was asked why I give my time to such a cause when “someone else can always do that”, and to that I replied “Because it’s ok to protest the actions of our government, but don’t ever forget those who pay the ultimate price”.

Two men from Iowa who have died in Afghanistan this year I have paid honor to. The first is a 53 year old command sergeant major from a little torn called Reinbeck. John LaBorde, age 53, passed away from non combat related injuries at the Kandahar Airfield April 10th. Attending his funeral were about 40 of the Patriot Guard Riders. I had done military funerals before, but this one seemed a bit different to me. Now I am a civilian, and it felt like I was outside looking in. For the family, just having someone pay honor and respect to their loved one means so much, even if it is for a brief instant. Every family member took time to thank each of the PGR riders personally. Several of the military officers also took time out to thank each of us. It was an amazing show of respect and honor and I truly believe that the family of CSM LaBorde felt comforted by the presence of so many who stood at their side that day.

The second was a Marine, Lance Corporal Josh Davis from Perry, Iowa. In my book, Josh Davis was only 19 and a child, but died as a hero on May 8 from injuries suffered in a gunfight with an enemy position who ambushed his patrol. Two Marines died in that gunfight, but Josh was able to save several others in his unit drawing enemy fire away from his fellow Marines. I left for his funeral on a Saturday morning early. It was still a bit cool that day, but when I got to Perry, I was not alone. Over 200 Patriot Guard Riders had showed up to pay honor to this young man. Unfortunately, members of the Westboro Baptist Church, a rogue extremist group from Topeka, Kansas, also had a presence choosing to protest the funeral and dishonor the memory of this fallen Marine. It made me sick to my stomach to even see these people. Fortunately, as I discovered later, you have to love the ingenuity of small town police officers!

It took one whole day to complete this ride, or “mission” as these are referred to by the Patriot Guard. Most of the membership is made up of former vets, American Legion folks, military riders, and folks who are dedicated to making a difference by honoring our military men and women. We assembled a few blocks from the high school, where LCpl Davis funeral service would be held. We prayed for the family, our safety, and we prayed for the family of this Marine. At the end of our briefing, we all mounted up, and began our procession to the high school. I must say that anyone who has ever stood in the middle of 200 motorcycles starting all at once knows it can be a breathtaking sensation. As we left, however, we saw the protestors, and I felt almost sad for these folks. To me, their protest spat in the face of every life given for our freedoms we enjoy, but, I also remember that they have their right to their voice. As we got to the high school, we formed our flag line, and the sight of flags along our route was simply incredible. It was truly a day to honor this young man.

As the funeral ended, we began our escort of the procession to the Iowa Veterans Cemetery about 30 miles away. We rode under an enormous American Flag hoisted over our route with cranes, and as we proceeded out of town, I was simply amazed at the outpouring of support for this Marine. At the south end of town, we rode past the protest we had seen earlier, but as I said before, the ingenuity of the small town police was quite evident, because as we rode by, I was greeted by a street full of American Flag holders essentially blocking the protest group from the view of the family. Apparently, the police had granted the protest group with one area to hold their protest, but had positioned members of the public wielding the American Flag in front of the group. And not only were they in front of the protest group, they were holding their flags high so that there was no mistaking their mission.  If I make it back to Perry, I might stop by the police department just to say THANKS!

We proceeded south out of Perry, escorting the funeral to the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, Iowa. Along the route we would pass through three small Iowa communities, and much to my surprise, the entire route through each of these communities was lined with men, women, and children all paying respect and honor to our procession. Fire, police, and ambulance members all saluting the escort, children waving their flags and saluting this Marine. It was one incredible sight, and I will not forget the respect that these communities paid to this family and this Marine.

When we arrived at the burial site, the Patriot Guard Riders formed up a flag line leading to the burial plot. With all the motorcycles present, it formed a perfect nest for which the family found protection and comfort. At the end of the funeral, it had begun to cloud up, but as I left the cemetery, I felt saddened for the loss of this young man. LCpl Davis was only 19. He had graduated high school just one year earlier, and in fact, was old enough to be my son. He died much too young, in service to his country, but for which the reasons just do not seem as clear. As I rode home, I questioned whether this Marine’s life was necessary in the pursuit of those enemies of freedom. I question the motives of our government in even being in Afghanistan, or any Third World country for that matter. At age 19, I believe LCpl Davis was just too young, and I hope that we can bring our military home soon.

I was watching a documentary film on TV during the Memorial weekend holiday. It was a film about those heroes buried in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery. It showed the families of many of these recent war dead still grieving, still mourning their loss. There was one woman, the wife of a dead Marine who passed out stones to students visiting the cemetery for the first time. She instructed each of them to leave the stone on the top of a grave marker they had visited. The stone was a sign to that family that someone had paid honor to their loved one. I have never been to Arlington National Cemetery, but this struck a real chord for me. How much better we would all feel if we left a “stone” honoring a friend, a family member, a loved one. Maybe not the physical “stone” but to have some positive effect on someone can leave that indelible mark, or “stone” in each of our lives would mean so much. Whether it’s a family member, a neighbor, a coworker, even a brother or sister can mean so much, and have that “positive” feeling that makes us who we are.

To each of you, I hope I can leave my own “stone”. Huah.

100 Miles Of The Spirit

It is now March, and the weather, thankfully, is starting to warm.  Slightly.  Slightly warm, in Iowa, however, doesnt really mean much.  For several weeks we suffered thru sub zero temperatures, snow, ice, more sub zero, and hardly any sunlight at all.  Being somewhat scientific in my approach, I was always under the impression that life as we know it, at least here on the surface of earth, must have some sort of sunlight.  From the plants and trees to the animal kingdom, sunlight feeds us, makes us more mentally and emotionally balanced, adds a glow to our skin, and helps to generate plant life.  But (and you always know there is a but looming somewhere!) without sunlight, moods around at least our house are, for the most part, pretty down.  That is, fortunately until this week, when the sun finally started peeking through the clouds, the temperatures finally started picking up (a little) and the deep snow cover that has blanketed our town is finally starting to melt.  Some.


As with all things, there is a down side even to the warmer changes of spring.  With all of the snow cover we have had, it is almost a certainty we will have more spring flooding, and after the Flood of 2008, the chances are good we could see a similar event unfold.  Climatologists are predicting above normal precipitation this spring, and added to the melting snow could mean more problems.  Luckily our house sits on a hill far away from the Cedar River, and although nothing can be ruled out, our house sits in a much more "elevated" position than where we lived previously.  Let us all hope that these predictions are not accurate and we can avoid another flooding even such as what occurred in 2008.

As the temperatures have begun to warm, I have been making repairs to my Harley.  Since I am not as uniquely familiar with a Harley, I am trying to take it rather slow, choosing the repairs I can do myself first, and asking a lot of questions in the process.  I did change the slip on mufflers myself, and a few other minor repairs from last year.  I chose a muffler that would be more of a performance boost, selecting the Rush Racing slip ons.  These are not exactly the best solution in the world, but they do boost the output of the engine by about 4-5 horsepower.  They look great on the bike, but the sound is what struck me.  They sound more throaty and maybe just a bit crisper.  Still have to figure out tires and brakes, but just having fun is the main key here.

Work has been challenging, however, Mary finally received a promotion and a little pay raise which should help offset the loss of income I have had.  Her schedule is not what I would call family friendly but its something that she may benefit from having a split work week rather than a full forty hour week at once.  As for me, my night long endless design work seems to be slowing up a bit, allowing for some time to catch up on housework and organizing the office.  This year looks to be a slower year than most, but my day job looks to be accelerating some.  Several staff members at my D.O.T. office are reviewing their options for early retirement, and this year we may lose some of them.

About a month ago, as Mary and I made our way one Saturday morning to our favorite breakfast diner, a heavy fog in the area had caused "hoarfrost" to cling to the trees in the area.  Hoarfrost is the result of a heavy morning dew freezing or clinging to the trees, creating a thing white frost on anything it touches.  It makes the trees quite beatiful, especially after such a mind numbing winter, but this one particular morning the sun was just peeking thru as we returned home, and then hid again as if playing hide and go seek thru the shadows.  Unfortunately hoarfrost can also be somewhat dangerous, making for a rather slippery road surface as we discovered at the railroad crossing just east of the house.  It served as a reminder that winter could not last forever, but it still held us in its raw clutches.

This past Saturday I finally made it out for the first ride of the season, putting almost 100 miles in on a somewhat chilly, but sunny 43 degree afternoon.  There is absolutely nothing more exhilirating than riding a motorcycle in 40 degrees.  Some might use other terms such as "crazy" or lunatic" but no matter, to me it is just the best sign that winter is leaving and spring is almost here!  I took the opportunity to ride up to J&P Cycles about 40 miles northeast on Highway 151.  This time of year there is still a lot of sand, grit, and salt literally covering the roadway.  A skilled rider would recognize that riding can be a bit treacherous if you are not careful, as was the rider I rode past who was picking his bike and himself up from a spill.  No doubt tried to take a corner much to fast and hit a sandy patch.  Every choice including what part of your lane to ride in can have its consequences, so to those who may be trying to make their way out onto the roadways this time of year - be careful!

There was a moment which served as a rather emotional and uplifting experience on my ride Saturday.  It was one of those moments you wish you had a camera, but for now I will simply play that moment over and over in my mind.  Most of my riding "adventures" are filled with observations of the world around me.  The deer that were grazing amidst the snowy drifts, or the wild turkeys in their cautious pace thru a bare patch of cornfield.  I was only 7 or so miles east of town, and I could see what appeared to be a hawk taking off from his kingly stance, but as he took off, he turned towards me, wings beating the cold air with certain destiny.  Normally in this area red tail hawks are the most common bird of prey, along with barn owls.  For some reason, however, I could not take my eyes off this bird, in part because he was flying much lower than most birds who fly across the divided highways of Iowa, and as I rode ever closer, the bird, indeed, was not a hawk at all, but as the sun gazed upon this bird, the hawk revealed itself as a bald eagle, flying not 50 feet over my Harley as I rode easterly!  It was a moment I will not soon forget, and to me, it was a sign from above that I had an angel keeping watch over my ride. 

"But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up, with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall wallk and not faint".    Isaiah 40:31

For that 100 miles on a chilly day in March, my spirit was indeed renewed.

God Bless !