Grandson got a new phone

The resident grandson went on a trip to the Ozarks a few weeks ago (bachelor party, not his, thank God) and lost his phone in a parking lot.  He finally found it, but it had been run over a few times.

So today he received his new phone.  It has an MP3 player and all.

He couldn't figure it out.  Neither could I.

I finally persuaded him to drive over to my daughter's.  She's the local family tech wizard.

At least she helped him retrieve all his numbers from the old phone.  And she's going to help him figure out the MP3 stuff this weekend.  (New territory for her, but she loves a challenge.)



What's the big deal with  young folks and their cell phones?

(Have I mentioned that I enjoy having my grandson here, beeping phone and all?) 

Tags: Arick, cell phone

I rode Libby!

Yesterday I told, on my Blogger journal, about saddling Libby and mounting her.

I put my foot in the stirrup and got on; she stood still as a statue.  Amazing!

I dismounted; she stood still as a statue.

I got back on, she still stood quietly.

I clucked to her to go forward; she stood still as a statue. 

I couldn't figure any way to get her to go forward without risking injury to myself.  (One horse landing atop me is quite enough in one lifetime).  If Cliff or Arick had been around, I'd have had them direct her forward with the wand or whip, or perhaps lead her.  But I was alone.

There are knowledgeable horse people who read both my journals.  Two of them suggested I use a halter or bosal with Libby, instead of a bridle, at least to start with.  In other words, no bit.

So I did what Arick did on his first ride on Libby:  I made reins out of her lead rope and used her halter instead of a bridle. 



Then I got on.  She continued to stand perfectly still while I got on.  By the way, I don't have to use my mounting bucket with Libby, since she's much shorter than Blue.

Eventually, by turning her one way and another, I got her walking around the pen.  I only had one slight scare:  the two calves were outside the round pen, right up against it, grazing.  They were out of sight unless they tossed their heads up chasing flies, or switched their tails high.  Well, Libby saw that movement once and it rather spooked her.  I had to spin her in several circles, but finally she settled down and I rode her some more, here and there in the pen.  I kept only the toe of my left boot in the stirrup, so if necessary I could make a fast getaway.  Thankfully, all went well.

So I can now officially say that I rode Libby, even though the ride lasted no more than ten minutes.  I have no witnesses (unless the renter was looking out her window), so I took a picture while I was in the saddle.  You've seen many pictures here that included Blue's ears.  I now introduce you to Libby's ears!

Tags: riding Libby

Yesterday

Cliff had some repair work to do on his trailer, after the little incident we had Monday.  When the junk shifted, somehow one of the ramps to the trailer was torn off.  He uses the ramps to drive tractors or other vehicles up on the trailer for hauling.  (He made this trailer several years ago, using plenty of his "junk" in the process.)



Any of Cliff's projects requires circling the item to be built or worked on and pondering; this is sometimes accompanied by mutterings and head-scratchings.



Once he had plotted his course, he started in on it.



Done!  Although in this picture, he's considering doing something with those fenders, since they've rusted quite a bit.

I leave you with a picture from my morning ride yesterday:

There's something rather "zen" about these soybean fields; when I'm riding there I can feel tension and cares melting away. It's very calming to the spirit, reminding me of those sand-gardens in Japan that I've seen pictured:


Tags: Cliff, trailer

More about Cliff's junk

A couple entries down I showed you some of Cliff's collection of junk.  Someone asked, in a comment, why the car hood was there, on top of the tires.

On the rare occasions when it snows here in winter, the car hood makes a big sled to pull behind the tractor.  The tires are also for kids to use as sleds.  And just now, the car hood is keeping some free shingles out of the weather.

The car frame, it turns out, is something else that was left here "just for a little while" by my daughter's old boy friend.  Geesh, we ought to charge him rent!

Tags: junk

Eclipse!

The grandson had to get up at 4 A.M. this morning for monthly inventory at work; and knowing he doesn't "rise and shine" easily, when I awoke and saw it was 3:30, I figured I'd get up and rouse him out of bed.

As I got up, Cliff awakened sufficiently to tell me there was supposed to be a lunar eclipse, and that I might want to check it out.

The timing was perfect!  It's still going on, but the best part was between 4:30 and 5.  There's a full moon, of course.  so it's very impressive.

Trees block my view of the moon when it's in the lower west, so I had to go out in the yard and stand in the tree line on to see it, but it was well worth it.

Tags: eclipse

Where we keep our junk metal (and why)

As I've related our stories of taking scrap metal to the junk yard, some of you city-dwellers have wondered why we have all that junk, and where on earth we were keeping it.  So I'll take you on a tour of our junk ditch.  Every farm or farmette worth its salt has one.

Cliff uses lots of scrap and junk parts just building things.  In the previous entry, the trailer you see that the junk is piled on was made from scratch, by Cliff.  So if he thinks there's a possibility that he might use a part of something, or turn it into something else, he stores it down at the junk ditch, out of sight of the house.

Someone gave him an old sickle mower in the past.  It didn't work, but it was a John Deere #5, which is what Cliff uses on the bigger tractors.  So he kept it for parts.  At the junk ditch.

Lots of times people without 43 acres of their own will ask to store something here... "just for a little while".  Again, if you look in the previous entry, the long white metal things Cliff and the man are scooting back onto the trailer were something "stored" here by an ex-boyfriend of our daughter's.  Folks, she's been married for years!  I don't think he's coming back after his metal.

The calf hutches we kept are "just in case" I ever want to raise a bottle calf or two.  That's why the rabbit cage was there too, but I'm afraid it's of no use to anyone now.  Oh well, I didn't want rabbits any more, anyhow.

I should have taken these pictures before Cliff went to work, because he could have explained it all.  But you get the idea.

Looks to me like he could make up a whole new load!

Today's load brought $160.

Tags: junk, junk ditch

A strange thing happened on the way to the junkyard

We were tooling along on Missouri's famous bumpy back roads with a load of heavy metal.  We crossed a nasty little bridge that gave our trailer a huge "bump", and then we heard metal dragging.  As Cliff pulled over, I looked back and saw a huge hunk of metal totally across the oncoming traffic lane.  It didn't occur to me to take pictures until most of the stuff was back on the trailer

The situation could have been disastrous had we been meeting a car at the time; someone could have been injured or killed. 

A man behind us who was taking his wife to work was wonderful, and helped Cliff get everything back on board for the remainder of the trip to the junk yard.

This is why there is a law that junk has to be covered when you haul it.  And it's why we go the back roads to a small town, rather than the big city.

Tags: junk

BUG!!!!

Granddaughter Monica was here Saturday.  She went outside to talk to Sadie, who was on the tie-out leash at the time, and soon called to me from the back door:

"Grandma, if you have time, come and look; I want to show you something!"

I stopped what I was doing and went to see.

It was as big a walking stick as I have ever seen.  (Check out the link... these critters can regenerate a leg, and the females can have babies without a male around (but they only have FEMALE babies, without a male).



Wow!  So we measured him (or her).



Six inches!  Yep, that's a BIG bug.  Good catch, Monica!

Tags: walking stick

Success!

I made my DVD, forty-five minutes of it.  Such memories, all captured on a shiny little disc.  I get to watch it on my TV, almost as big as life.

Some of you have mentioned that you are looking forward to seeing it.  Well I'm sorry, but you won't be seeing it.  In the first place, it would probably bore most of you.  And in the second place, I can't upload any video that's over twenty minutes long on Youtube or Uncut Video.

This is just something that Cliff and I, and possibly our buddy riders, Charlene and Pat, will treasure, remembering the good times and the freedom.

Tags: DVD, video, Goldwing

making a movie

I'm making a project of saving lots of our motorcycle memories on a DVD, compiling photos that highlight the trips we took.  Evidently this is something that uses lots of resources on my computer, because if I work on it for too long at a time, the computer freezes.  I lost my first effort that way, and had to start all over.

Now, I've learned that if I watch my P's and Q's, the computer will save the video for me after the freeze-up and I can start up where I left off when a "freeze" interrupts me.

I never realized that making a video could be such a grueling process!

I'll put captions on top of a picture.  Then I'll decide to remove a previous picture, and lo and behold, the captions are now on the wrong shot!

I'm using various songs as a sound track.  A couple of days ago, I added a Travis Tritt song, "It Was Worth Every Mile".  What a perfect song to accompany our motorcycle memories, right?

But it was protected, so that when I played that portion of my little movie, all I heard was a sound like somebody scratching noises out of a fiddle. 

Anyhow, I'm getting close to having my little movie finished, once again; it's over twenty-five minutes long now, and I haven't added the five-minute video of a ride we took.  Here's hoping I get the job done!

Tags: motorcycle, video, frustration

My favorite Catholic just moved up a notch

I have admired Mother Theresa ever since I watched a PBS show about her that explained how she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Today I read that she sometimes had doubts.

I mentioned this to Cliff, who has also admired Mother Theresa.

"So," he said, "you think she watched all those starving, dying people in India, and said, 'What kind of God would allow this to happen?'"

Please keep in mind that Cliff watched a baby sister die a miserable death before she was even three years old, and has asked this question ever since.

"Possibly," I answered.

Then we got into a discussion about the fact that Mother Theresa may become a saint.

"What does that mean?"  Cliff asked.  "People pray to her?"

"As I understand it, Catholics don't actually pray to saints; they simply ask saints to pray for them, because the saints are close to God and can do it well."

I probably have that wrong, but it's how I see it.  I'm not Catholic, so what do I know?

Anyhow, I like Mother Theresa even more for admitting that she had doubts.

So sue me.

Maria my buddy, am I off the mark?
Tags: mother theresa

Oops

I bragged too soon.  I still lose Internet sporadically.  Sometimes several times an hour; and then half a day or more will go by with no interruption. 

Embarq is going to send me a new modem and see if that fixes it.

I have half a notion to go back to cable, except that I don't want our rinky-dink cable TV.  And if you don't get the package, Internet is pretty expensive with their company.

Tags: oops

ah HA!!!!

That's the technician from Embarq (otherwise known as the telephone repair man).

He found faulty phone wires in three places, starting with the box on the house and going as far as across the road.  Wires were crossed, and I have been getting my signal from somebody else's phone wire. 

That, apparently, was my problem. 

So far, so good.

I knew it wasn't the phone filters!

Tags: embarq, DSL

one thing and another

I spent literally hours today putting together a group of pictures in Windows Moviemaker.  I had them all in place, PLUS a video at the end, and it was forty minutes long.  I began adding music and had some difficulties with that (most newer music is protected, so after adding it and finding out it wouldn't work, I had to remove it.

Then the whole thing froze up, because I had used so many resources.  And I lost ALL that work.

Next time I'll do just a little at a time and save it.

Cliff and I went in search of a new clothes dryer.  We can't buy an electric dryer because our wiring can't handle it.  So we have to pay more and get a gas dryer, then spend even more money having it altered for use with propane.  So, bottom line, we couldn't get one today.  Most places (even Sears) told us it would be next week before they'd have one for us.

One local place can have one propane-ready by tomorrow, so that's where we chose to get our dryer.  Just in the nick of time, I might add.  The clothes hamper is overflowing.

My home computer worked stayed online most of the day, but this evening it started timing out.

Which is no problem to me at present time, because I am at the daughter's house watching the granddaughters.  She and the SIL got free Chief's tickets, and they're at the game.

The girls get to stay on their normal bedtime schedule, and I am soaking up the air conditioning while surfing.  Oh yeah.

Don't blame me OR AOL!

If I’m not online for a couple of days, don’t blame AOL.  

Lately, I’ll be surfing along happily, then suddenly time out.  I’ll look at my DSL modem, and the the DSL and Internet lights are off.  Can’t connect under those conditions!

I called the tech, and he said he’s getting error messages from his end having to do with a phone not being hooked to a filter.  Could be a problem with the phone in Cliff’s shop, because the phone in the house has a filter.

We shall see.  

My Internet worked all day today until about 2:30 this afternoon.  Then it only worked sporadically.  I’m typing this on Word and will try to sneak it onto my journal during the next few seconds I have connection.

Seems to me if that were the problem, it wouldn't have been working all this time.  But what do I know?

Oh, they are sending a technician Friday morning. 

Cliff and I are getting a new dryer tomorrow, since my old one shot craps.

Tags: embarq

My loving husband and his health

Finally got Cliff to the doctor today about his light-headed problems. 

His heart checked out great.  No heart issues that we can see.

He's on some medication samples that should stop his "spells". 

And he stayed home this evening and he's feeling fine.  We watched "Wild Hogs".

Tags: Cliff

Bye-bye, blue Honda

May your new owners have half as much fun as we have.

Notice the lady's car is the same shade as the Honda?  This must be a match made in heaven.

Tags: goodbye motorcycle

Monday Photo Shoot: 2003

John Scalzi's assignment for this week:

"You may or may not know that today marks the fourth anniversary of By The Way, which was started on this date in 2003 (here's the first entry). To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to have a historical-themed Photo Shoot:

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Find a picture from 2003 and post it. Any picture is fine; it just has to be from the now-oh-so-distant year of two thousand aught-three. Surely you have pictures from then? Yes?"

As I was looking through my 2003 picture folder in "my documents", I found several that would be fun.  But this one is special for a couple of reasons.

My friend Lona, who hasn't had the most enjoyable time of her life in the past year or so, had a gathering of Internet friends down near the Sam Walton area of Arkansas.  It was a great time, with people there from as far away as Scotland.

Among pictures from that "reunion", I found this one of me and Cliff.  He was at least seventy pounds heavier than he is now, and I weighed at least twenty-five pounds more than at present.  Neither of us had any idea that quadruple bybass (CABG) would change our lives, three years later.



Got a 2003 photo to share?  If so, be sure and leave a link to your photoshoot entry over at "By The Way".

Tags: Monday Photo Shoot

About selling the motorcycle

Cliff put our Honda on Kansas City Craigslist, July 6.  He told me to price it at $9,000.  At first I protested, until I realized he had it priced so high that nobody would buy it anyhow.  We've had it almost two years, and we only paid $8,500.  We've put 10,000 miles on the thing.  So I figured it wasn't going anywhere.

We never received a single call on our Craigslist ad... until yesterday.  After five weeks, finally somebody inquired about the Gold Wing for sale.  He asked Cliff, "What's the least money you'll take?"

Cliff told him $8,000.

The man and his wife came looking today, and will be back tomorrow or Tuesday with the cash.

Now there is a "rest of the story".

Cliff is mulling things over.  He does have that nagging worry that we could be maimed riding a motorcycle, either or both of us. 

However, his cousin in Versailles has a white Gold Wing Special Edition that's two years newer than ours.  For not much more than $8,000.

So he can still change his mind if he decides he simply has to have a motorcycle.

Me, I'm keeping my mouth shut about the subject, because he doesn't need any pressure from me.

Mostly, I'll just miss the picnics and trips away from home.

But I still have Blue.

Tags: selling the Honda, Gold Wing

rain... and lightning!

Cliff, me, and two grandchildren were eating our lunch of mashed potatoes, noodles and tomatoes when lightning struck so close and loud that we all yelped like wounded pups.  The lights blinked briefly; I ordered the grandson to turn off the computer and we continued with our meal.

After lunch Cliff went back out to the shop and realized he didn't have any electricity.  Upon checking things out, he found a blown fuse.  Or I should say a blown-UP fuse.

Then he noticed something strange had happened to the tree in front of the shop.  Oh, it seems to be undamaged.  But a birdhouse one of the granddaughters built had been blasted to smithereens.  We didn't have any high winds, so the lightning-strike had to have done it.  And I wonder if any moles lost their lives when the lightning exited through their burrows.

Cliff just sold our Gold Wing on Craigslist.  Can you believe it?  I'm in shock.

Tags: lightning, gold wing

More about yesterday

  

Cliff's sister Charlene and her husband Pat have moved across the state as a result of his new job.  We sorely miss them.  They still have their farm fifteen miles from here, and plan to be back once or twice a month.  But they'll soon be taking their Harley to St. Louis, as soon as everything is finalized on the house they're buying there.  They have been our companions on so many rides, we hardly know what we'll do without them.  But yesterday we took the opportunity to ride together, and it was nice to see them there, sometimes ahead of us, other times in the rear-view mirror.



We went to Cliff's nephew's, and were greeted by his big old, friendly dogs.  Obviously the tires on our Honda smelled enticing.


While Charlene and I played with the new baby inside, the men spent time discussing and examining Scotty's zero-turn lawn mower.


Having never used this type mower, Cliff decided to try it out.  There was a convenient patch of un-mowed grass out front.



Pat had never tried one of these either, so he was next.  As he drove off, Scotty said, "I have four more acres in back that needs mowing."



Cliff's brother, Don, has one of these babies at home, but his wife won't let him on it.  So he had to take a turn, too.

I guess there's just something about mowers that raises a man's  testosterone level. 

As evidenced by this very brief video of Cliff:

Tags: lawn mower, zero turn, men

a new product I am going to buy

We rode the motorcycle today to Cliff's nephew, Scotty's, house; Cliff's sister and her husband went with us. Scotty and Reka have a new baby we were dying to see.  They also have a nine-year-old son, Trevor, who totally rocks. 

Trevor is already back to school, and he's really proud of the new sneakers his mom bought him.  He has orders from her to keep them clean if he ever wants to have any nice shoes like that again, so he sat in the floor between me and Charlene and started working on them.



He got a can of something foamy and began rubbing.  The stuff took off scuffs and all traces of dirt.

Charlene and I were astounded, and almost simultaneously said, "What is that stuff?"



Well, he showed us the can; it's called Instant Cleaner.  You buy it at Famous Footwear and it costs $5.



And then he went back to work.

I believe the boy has the makings of a salesman, because both Charlene and I plan to hunt up a Famous Footwear store.  You can't believe how clean that stuff got those shoes!

Oh, if you want to see pictures of the new baby, Halie, click HERE.

I promise you'll love this blog!

I search the Internet for interesting blogs and journals often.  I've seen lots of people put their hearts out there in full view of the world.  There are some great writers to be found.

I've plugged Pioneer Woman plenty of times.  She has about 4,000 readers now, so she doesn't need my help.  Although I still think anybody would enjoy her blog.

But for pulling on the old mommy-heartstrings, the number-one on-line writer is Antique Mommy.   Yes, she's  better than PW!  She is Pdub without all the fluff and professional-type photos.

She never intended to have children.

But she surely knows how to enjoy the one little boy she has, born to her at the age of forty-four.

If you're a mom, go check her out.  And take tissues along.  Because while you're laughing, you'll shed a few tears.

You WILL relate.

Tags: antique mommy

If your spouse has heart issues, you just worry

Cliff mentioned being light-headed a couple of days ago as we were taking our morning walk. 

Today he said, "Well, I guess I'm going to have to go to the doctor."

"You're still dizzy?"

"Not dizzy, just light-headed.  But once in awhile I wonder if I should sit down.  It's like I'm not in control."

I called the doctor's office; the nurse there asked Cliff some questions on the phone, and an appointment was made for Monday morning.

I've googled until I'm dizzy.  Could be heart problems, could be inner ear.  We've taken his blood pressure several times, but it's right where it ought to be, not too low... not high. 

He hasn't had arrhythmia or chest pain. 

I think Cliff has pushed his luck with the heat lately.  That's what I think.  He works in 100-degree temperatures on his job.  He goes out weed-eating in the pasture in full sun, with temperatures in the 90's.  But what do I know?

I'll let you know Monday, if we find out anything.

Tags: Cliff, dizzy, light-headed

Interesting ride this morning

The sky was cloudy when I got up this morning, so I set out an hour later than usual.  I knew there wouldn't be a pretty sunrise, but at least it wasn't quite as hot today.

As Blue and I crossed the railroad tracks, I noticed a train heading our way; since my horse loves to watch trains pass by, I turned around and waited, and got my first smile of the day:  The engineer, after doing the mandatory "toot-toot", then tooted me a greeting to the beat of "shave-and-a-haircut-six-bits".

I loved it!

Today was the third time I've encountered Cordie and Albert dumping their captured raccoons on the levee.  Trouble is, according to the conservation agent, you have to take them at least ten miles away or they'll come back home.  These folks are only about three miles from their house.

Cordie is one of the people who gave me permission, a couple years ago, to ride on their property by the river.

A few more pictures from this morning are found at my blogger entry.

Tags: ride, raccoon

Why??

I received this in email from Cliff's cousin, Edna.  I've probably seen it or heard variations of it before (sounds like George Carlin a little, doesn't it?) but it made me smile this morning.



 Why, Why, Why...

 do we press harder on a remote control when we know
 the batteries are getting dead?

 Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when
 they know there is not enough money?

 Why does someone believe you when you say there are
 four billion stars, but will check when you say the paint
 is wet?

 Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

 Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal
 injection?

 Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

 Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but
 ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

 Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

 Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?

 If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

 Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you
 use the bubbles are always white?

 Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

 Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator
 with hopes that something new to eat will have
 materialized?

 Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times
 with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it
 up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum
 one more chance?

 Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end
 on your first try?

 How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light
 fixtures?

 When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our
 ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing
 so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't
 all right, so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid
 idiot?"

 Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something
 that's falling off the table you always manage to
 knock something else over?

 In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as
 it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

 How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

Tags: why, why, why

Lisa received her prize today!

Lisa has already uploaded a couple of videos of her pets.  Her journal is private, but you might email her and ask to be added to her list of readers so you can see what a good job that camcorder does.  Her email is randlprysock@aol.com.

Lisa, if you don't want to add strangers to your list of readers, just ignore any requests, OK?

Tags: free camcorder

Here's a riding video for you

My morning ride, August 15

If you're wondering about the title and credits, I have a message board friend who's afraid to ride horses (they're so BIG!), so I fixed her up with this relaxing ride.  Who can be tense with Dino singing "Bummin' Around"?

I love that song.

Tags: horseback ride, Dean Martin

Ah, the dog days of summer

My wireless router failed yet again.  I'm sure my daughter is right, it's the heat making it lock up.  I Googled around a bit and found it's a pretty common phenomenon.  In the process, I read something else that, quite honestly, I already knew... but had tried not to think about.

A quote from an online article: 

"During this time, I also started noticing that I was having an exceptionally high number of hard drive failures. I knew that the heat was wrecking havoc on my computers and that it made for a miserable work environment, but I really didn’t know what to do about it. My solution at that time was to leave all non essential machines shut down when I wasn’t using them. This meant that I left a domain controller, a DNS server, and my Exchange Server running all the time. Everything else remained turned off except for when I was actually using it.

During those times when I did have to use all of my machines, the temperature would sometimes rise to over 120 degrees during the hottest part of summer. Although I did everything that I could to help preserve my equipment, I did lose two or three computers to the heat. The ironic part is that when a computer would die, I would replace it with something newer, and we all know that newer and faster processors produce more heat."

Heat kills computers.

My computer, here in the kitchen, has to put up with temperatures around ninety degrees when the outside temp is 100, which it has been most every day lately.

I have always suspected that this is the reason computers only last for two years around here.

I am going to stop using the router altogether while the weather is so hot, although this is really the time I'd  most like to have it.  The bedroom is air conditioned, and it sure is nice to go in there with my laptop and surf the 'net. 

I am also going to start turning off my computer in the afternoon and evenings until cooler weather returns.  Perhaps that will keep it plugging along for another winter; or maybe not.  I'm sure it can't hurt.

So I may not do as many entries.  I may not get around to reading everybody's journals and blogs.  It's all in the interest of my computer. 

Eventually autumn will be here and I'll be back on all the time, like any true Internet addict.

Then I'll only have to worry about dog hair and dust killing the computer. 

Which reminds me of one other thing I absolutely must do:  buy an external hard drive on which to save my pictures and documents, so I'll be prepared for the worst.

Tags: computer, hot weather, dog days, summertime

I made a video

Yesterday morning when I went for my ride, I decided to make another video from the horse's back like I've done before, talking and singing as the spirit moves me. 

I did several clips and patched them together.  The first clip was so dark (at 5:30 A.M.) that you could barely see anything, so I ditched it. 

As I watched the completed video and listened to my off-key morning voice singing, I realized the world wasn't ready for eight minutes of this nonsense.  I could have put some good music on it as a sound track and taken the other sounds off, but then you wouldn't have heard the birds singing.

So, I'm putting the whole thing on DVD for future reference... you know, something I can watch on TV when I'm not able to ride any more.  And I'm sparing my readers this one.  I'll do a shorter one another time with nobody singing but the birds.

Be thankful; be very thankful.

Tags: videos, singing, horseback ride

Watch the calves run and buck!

The calves turned out to a bigger pasture

The grass in the little pen where Secret and Meatloaf have been living is getting pretty sparse and burnt-up, so we opened a gate and let them into the bigger lot.  Once they realized how much room they had, they went wild!  Enjoy their antics.

Tags: calves, Secret, Meatloaf

Thanks, Rachel!

Thank you, my favorite daughter, for making my wireless router work again!

So, Cliff's been talking about selling our Honda

Yep, Cliff has been talking about selling our Gold Wing.

Every time we watch news on TV, somebody has gotten hurt or killed on a motorcycle.

Everywhere we go, by car or motorcycle, we seem to see motorcycle wrecks.

Our son was injured riding his motorcycle.

I've always been a little spooked, riding.  But I have a blast anyhow, and it's the only way Cliff is interested in traveling just for the sake of traveling (I do love road trips).  So I asked him why he would want to sell it.  We haven't had any close calls; Cliff handles the 'Wing well since he started working out.  I asked him if he feels in control when we're riding, and his answer was yes.

He says his biggest fear is that he would get me injured, because he isn't sure he could handle that.

Well, I just bought biker boots this summer, and new chaps; I hate to waste money.  I don't think we're ready to quit yet.

In a couple of years, perhaps we will be.  But we need to make another trip or two to Branson.  We still need to trailer the Honda out to Colorado and ride in the mountains.

See, most of the motorcycle deaths you read or hear about happen in big cities or on the Interstate.  Or after dark when deer are crossing the roads.  These are situations we avoid like the plague.

So Cliff agreed we should at least keep "Our Blue Heaven" at least one more year, and give it our best.

Pray for us that we have made the right decision; I believe we have.

But if something should happen to me while we're riding, please remind Cliff that I was the one who wanted to keep the Gold Wing.

Tags: Honda, Gold Wing

My story

I got this MeMe from Mort; use it to tell your own story, if you like.

Hi, my name is:  Donna

but you can call me:  Mo

Never in my life have I: had a driver's license

The one person who can drive me nuts is:  Never mind

My high school is: still in North Kansas City.

When I’m nervous:  anyone can tell.

The last song I listened to was:  "Hello, Dolly" played on one of those organs that practically play themselves (at the fair).   Listen for yourself.


If I were to get married right now it would be to: Only Cliff.  If I outlive him, I'll stay single.

My hair is: naturally curly

When I was 4: I never wore shoes unless I was forced to.

Last Christmas: was no big deal for me.

I should be: cleaning house

When I look down I see: the fan blowing on me.

The happiest recent event was: going to the fair yesterday.

If I were a character on ‘Friends’: I would kill myself.  (thanks, Mort)

By this time next year: I hope I have air conditioning someplace besides the bedroom.

I have a hard time understanding:  why we're still in Iraq.

There’s these girls: who won't let me be their MySpace friend.  (not that I care.)

If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be: Cliff, then all my journal readers

I want to buy: a nicer house

Where do you plan to visit: Glacier National Park

If you spent the night at my house: you'd wonder why I don't have a nicer house.

The world could do without: sushi

Most recent thing I’ve bought myself: was a $3 Missouri State Fair T-shirt; it was cheap because it said 2006 on it.

Most recent thing someone else bought me: was a caramel apple with nuts.

My middle name is: Margaleen

In the morning I: often ride my horse

Last night I was: really in pain, from walking so much at the State Fair.

If I was an animal I’d be a: cow.

A better name for me would be: Hermit.

Tomorrow I am: going to ride the motorcycle with Cliff, if he wants to.

Tonight I am: probably going to be watching reruns of CSI, wishing it were time for the fall television season to start.

My birthday is: of no consequence.

Tags: MeMe, my story

evolution of a sunrise

When I first arrived in the River Bottoms this morning, the moon was right up there basking in the beauty of the sun coming up.



This is why I take my camera with me when I ride.



It changes by the minute.



There's that red ball on the horizon that we call the sun!



Good morning, sunshine.



Now you know I couldn't resist including a shot of the mighty Missouri River, which seemed fuller today.  Either there is rain up north, or they've opened up something and turned more water loose (they do that, you know).

I was thinking, as I rode, that if people had to travel a thousand miles to see a pretty sunrise or sunset... if it weren't an almost everyday occurrence... we'd all be saving our money to go have a look at this miraculous sight.  But because it's with us so much, we miss its beauty by taking it for granted.

Tags: sunrise

We saw fine art at the fair

You can't see it because of where Cliff is standing, but there was a handle on this you could manipulate and make the pieces of wood change position.  Cliff sorta liked playing around with it, even though he kept asking, "What the heck is it supposed to be?"



Here, he's giving that handle a closer look... and scratching his behind, I think.



I enjoyed looking at the "works in progress" along with the snapshots which inspired them.



This painting tells a story.



Dennis T. Yates was there with his paintings.  I don't know why I didn't take his picture!  These are the kinds of realistic, pretty paintings I enjoy; I just don't "get" modern art.



I read artist's descriptions of pictures like this, and found that many of them were politically inspired.  Most of the time I didn't make any connection, though.  I had to take the artist's word for it.





Back to Dennis Yates' collection.  He does people really well, don't you think?



And landscapes too!



Cliff liked the way the artist fashioned the metal teeth and fins on this fish.



Hmmm, what's up with the girl's knees?

A day at the fair

So, what did Cliff do at the fair today?


He admired how well a tractor had smoothed off the surface of the arena where Angus cattle were being shown.



He admired an old tractor that had been restored.



He drooled over equipment that was way too big for any of his tractors to handle.



He looked at red tractors made in India
.


He stood in line to buy us a bargain snow-cone.



It was dollar day, you know.



And he bought us both a caramel apple with nuts!

I don't care if I ever see another corn dog.  Since they were only a buck today, I had four of them.  Burp.

There are more state fair pictures on my Blogger site; click HERE.
Tags: Cliff, State Fair