It's William

I am going to put up a short post to inform my readers about a major event in our family. Last night- Tuesday- the phone rang and it was Hans calling from Germany. I and St. Jan knew right away what the call was about, William Friedrich ( I hope that I have the second name correct) had made his entrance. The time was before 10pm in Stuttgart, he weighed 6 pounds and 15 ounces and is 21 inches long. Shouldn't we say tall for that measurement? It sounds like a big fish that you just landed. Will joins big brother Josiah and big sister Annika. It feels a little odd not being able to run and see him. When Joe was born in San Diego we loaded up the pickup and headed west and we were waiting to leave the Minneapolis airport on the way to Japan when we got word that Annika had arrived. That time we actually got to the hospital to see her after a 13 hour flight. I'm thinking that Jan and I will not jump the Atlantic as the DeFor family should be back in the States in a couple of months, if they can just get the orders that they have been waiting for for some time. I will post another blog in the future when we get more information. The weather here has been kind of nasty, cold, rainy and just gloomy. We had a couple more windows replaced today with Anderson replacement windows. They are really good looking and tight, but not cheap, but then what good thing is ever cheap, inexpensive maybe but not cheap. I also started into cleaning the carburators on my 94 Ducati. They are really grungy, primarily from spending too much time sitting in the garage waiting for her turn to go, not easy when there are newer and prettier faces getting all of the attention. I am also trying a twist on remembering which part goes where, I am actually video taping the process. Anyhow, stay tuned when I hear something I'll get it on line. Bye

a short update

I suppose that I should bring whomever is out there reading this ongoing epistle up to date. Last Wednesday Jan and I drove over to Rochester to meet the tooth doctors. After yet another x-ray of my mouth that shows the broken titanium strap and that the jaw bone has not fused together. Our concern was with only eating on one side, would it wear the teeth down on that side? Doctor Viozzi doesn't think that that should be a problem. I am eating almost anything that I wish to, although sometimes it takes some extras chewing to break it down. He went over what would be involved in repairing the jaw and it sounded a lot like the original operation. The spot that is not fused would need to be cleaned out and a bone donation from my hip this time to fill the gap. You know, I can do with out that kind of pleasure, just now when I am feeling pretty good. I have a hunch that it would mean another week at Mayo and six months of recovery, no thanks. I am eating just fine, probably too good for the diabetes. Anyhow we decided to skip the festivities for now, unless an infection should get going and then I would have no choice but the repair job. On to another subject. Jan and I took the trailer over to Hixton, Wisconsin over the weekend to do some more riding on those good back roads over there. We left here in a rain storm- the first in six weeks I think- and spent the night in the trailer listening to the rain on the roof. Saturday, the clouds broke up and it turned sunny and pleasant so we headed down to Winona and up the river to Alma. At Alma there is a great overlook from the top of a bluff. We had a short lunch and rode back roads north and east back to the campgrounds. Sunday we went out but were dodging rain at times so we came back early, although I did go out later in the afternoon for awhile and got caught in the rain and high winds when the cold front came through. Yesterday we headed back and bucked high wind all of the way home. It is too bad we were not coming home from the Hills with a wind like that at our back. As it was the truck sucked a tank of fuel from Stewartville to St. James running in third or fourth gear- out of five- most of the way. I thought that this expensive diesel engine would pull the trailer without breaking a sweat, but live and learn I guess. We got home before 4pm, unloaded and got it parked on it's pad. With the temperatures this week I may need to think about winterising the trailer to keep the water systems from freezing up. It would be nice to take it out to the Hills again but time is starting to run out on that scheme . We have been thinking about running out to Rapid City around Jan's birthday but it would not include the trailer if we go for just a couple of days. So anyhow, that should bring me up to date. Any questions leave me a comment, OK? Believe it or not we took no pictures this weekend so I may look for something nice.

Black Hills High

I'm paraphrasing John Denver again for this edition of the blog. I hope that no-one is getting tired of hearing about my exploits via motorcycles, but it is my blog, correct? This first picture is Jan and three of our grandchildren on the "boat" on the lawn having some pudding. Sam and Gus spent a night while their parents attended a wedding reception in Mankato. Leah was over for awhile to play with her cousins and some neighborhood girls came over too, so it was kind of wild for awhile. To break the motorcycle cycle I'm adding some pictures from that weekend. I like the one of Gus and I at the breakfast table, he loves to snuggle in the morning and I am glad to accommodate him. It is fun having them around but it seems as if it is more work than it used to be, particularly for Jan as usual. So anyhow, Eli managed to get a couple of days off last weekend so we headed for the Hills on Thursday afternoon and spent the night in Rapid City. The next day we went riding west of Spearfish Canyon in some territory that was new to us. We ended up on Cement Ridge which is actually in Wyoming and has a terrific view of four states, I'll throw some pictures in, you'll have to figure out which is which. The weather was beautiful and just a shade warm, so we were shedding clothes as we went along, although I never ride without my armored gear. We had parked the truck near Roughlock Falls in Spearfish Canyon not far from where the final scenes of "Dances with Wolves" was filmed. I think that this side canyon is prettier than the main canyon, but then that is just my opinion. We spent that night in Hill City and the next day went up riding around Nemo on a marked trail system. After riding that portion of rocky climbs, descents and switchbacks Eli and I came to the conclusion that we thought that this was harder riding than Colorado. We had lunch in Nemo and ended up by Dalton Lake after floundering around in the woods for a couple of hours. We got to thinking that after loading the bikes on the truck that it didn't make much sense to get a motel for the night and then head home, so we just headed east and were home in St. James by mid-night. Last night (Monday) I helped Eli move a couple of things to the new house after they passed the final inspection. A couple of photos from their first real night in their new home. It has been a long road and there is some basement finish work to be done but they are into the new digs.

Rocky Mountain High

I have mentioned John Denver in this blog before and I think that he was on to something with that song. I keep coming back to that state year after year mainly for the riding. It is getting to the point where I have been on most of the good roads in the mountains and some really bad ones too. I also just realized something recently that most of my blogs lately revolve around riding, I guess because it is Summer that I would be riding a lot. A couple weeks ago I ran out to Ouray and spent a few nights at a motel that Eli and I stayed in in 2001. This was the first trip to the San Juan's for some off road riding and it was a quite an experience for the both of us, well, me anyway. We did the Alpine loop, Black Bear Pass into Telluride, and Imogene Pass which is over 13,000 feet. The big difference this time was the fact that I was riding by myself and I have to hand it to St. Jan to have the nerve to encourage me to do this trip on my own. The one thing that I miss when I am home again is the people that I meet on the trail out there. If you are stopped they stop to ask if all is OK or just to talk about the view or what everyone is riding. Speaking of what people are riding, I saw the most incredible thing ever coming down from Engineer Pass. It was a BMW R1200GS, like ours, coming up the trail, two up to boot!! I was beating my brains out on a little 250 Kawasaki and here comes this big BMW, did I mention they were two up??, with luggage? I related this to a group from Oklahoma further down and he said that a buddy had done it on a Harley once, but needed to replace the tires afterwards. The scenery is fantastic and the trails can be pretty technical but do-able if you watch what you are doing. Jeep rental is very popular and also guided tours over most of the Passes is available although I am sure I could never get Jan on one of these tours without sedation. The trip to and from was not to bad except for grasshoppers on the way out in Nebraska. I left Ouray early on Thursday and got to watch Venus come up over the mountains before I got to Gunnison. One other thing, In eastern Colorado, across Kansas into Nebraska, every corn field that I passed by was nearly or totally destroyed by hail. This went on for hundreds of miles, so a lot of crops are nearly wiped out in that area. Since getting home we have been helping Eli and Lindsey some with their home project, although once again it is primarily Jan either watching the kiddos or staining grout. We did get the whole house re stained and the new garage done and hung some new outdoor lighting on the garages. I have to admit the Jan picked out some nice ones. It is kind of unusual but since the flurry of Patriot Guard activity earlier it has been quiet lately, which all in all is not a bad thing. I have a hunch that with things ratcheting up in Afghanistan we will have more missions in the future and we do go for vets from any branch if requested. So stay in touch drop a comment, please?

It's Colorado again short version

This will be a short version of my most recent trip to Colorado. I just got back on Friday from a six day trip back to the San Juan mountains of south west Colorado. I actually stayed at the same motel that Eli and I stayed in when we were there in 2001. I had to find out if I still had it in me to do those rough trails again and I guess that I do. One of the fun parts of riding in terrain like that is the people that you meet, everyone friendly and having a great time. I have to give a great big thanks to St. Jan for encouraging me to do crazy things like this. One of my favorite motto's is, there is more to life than just living. I have a tee shirt that has a similar saying on the back that I should take a picture of and include in the final draft. Anyhow, I had a great time and just came home a little sore from doing so much riding standing up. I'll add a few pictures to give a taste of the riding. Oh yah, I was riding down the main drag of Silverton when I heard my cell phone ring and it was St. Jan with news that the two biopsies turned out to be benign, so that was a real day brightener. Stay tuned for more updates.

an update of sorts

I suppose that this blog could be for the other readers that are not on my e-mail lists. St. Jan and I drove over to Rochester on Monday afternoon for a stay at the Theobalds. Our supper there was a good summer feast again, with sweet corn, green beans, and assorted items from the grill. Tuesday I had a follow up appointment with the doctor at Mayo in the afternoon and it went well. According to Dr. Eli things are looking good so he doesn't need to see me for another three months. We visit every three months for the first two years and if everything continues to be clean we go every six months until the five year mark. So, the next few years will tell the tale. A week ago or so I visited the dermatologist in Mankato for a check up and he biopsied a couple of sites on my chest and back. Although they have been carving moles etc. off of me for years, with my recent history the wait for results is a little more anxiety ridden. On to other subjects. Tomorrow, Mom and I head up to Alexandria for the annual Horman family get together. This year my brother Phil will meet us enroute to the festivities. I have also been trying to plan an off road bike trip to Colorado again or as an alternate, Wyoming. Things keep switching around so the destination is still up in the air as I type. I really want to hit the high passes in Colorado while I am still able, because as past history shows us, you can't always count on tomorrow being there for you to use. I have done these passes before except for Mosquito Pass which is well over 13,000 feet, the highest in the lower 48. If we go to Wyoming it would be the Big Horns, of which I have some maps. I also have been hitting some Patriot Guard missions, one in Rochester Saturday and one in Fairmont yesterday. Also, yesterday I was offered the job of assistant ride captain in this sector, I accepted with trepidation, I just hope that I don't screw this up. The ride captain and assistant ride captains in this sector which ends at state highway 15 in the east both live in the southwest corner of the state at Pipestone and Hardwick so I will cover this end of the sector, I hope. We also have been helping Eli and Lindsey some with their home building project but it has kind of moved on from the rank amateur helper status to the skilled labor stage. I helped with moving some appliances in and watching the kiddos so they can work there has been Jan's' contribution as well. The driveway was poured Tuesday and the cabinets were installed too. Today Eli and I may run up to Maple Plain to get a lawn mower/ snow blower that he found on the net. I think that I may browse some old photos and throw them on for your amusement. Take care and stay in touch. The pictures are from our 1974 trip to California.

The Twin Cities commute

It seems as if I have been commuting to the Twin Cities area for about the last two weeks on and off. Last Saturday we - the PGR- had the memorial service in Rosemount for cpl. Benjamin Kopp U.S.Army Ranger. He was wounded in Afghanistan and died at Walter Reed about a week later from complications from his wounds. He was hit in the leg while trying to break contact with the Taliban and must have picked up an infection or something. It seems hard to believe in this day and age that he could have been transported back to Walter Reed and they could not save him. The service at the Rosemount High school gym was almost like attending a church service, with three of his Ranger friends eulogizing him with quotes from the scriptures and the chaplain giving the main address. There were no dry eyes in our group as we were invited to stand around the mezzanine above the gym during the service. Today will be his send-off at Holman Field in St. Paul for his final trip to Arlington National Cemetery in DC. I ran into Phil afterwards and we met for lunch at a Mac and Dons' down the street, and hit a bike store in Lakeville on the way out. I'll add some pictures to the blog, some are from Rosemount and some are of the flowers blooming from the plants that we started way last winter. I almost forgot, But last Friday I was in Sioux Falls for the memorial service for a Viet Nam vet killed in a motorcycle accident. This guy had spent two tours in Viet Nam as a Force Recon Marine and gets killed by a kid that turned left in front of him near the Harley store. He was the member of a couple biker gangs, not Hells Angels but "real" biker gangs, and there were guys from all over that showed up for the service. The first couple of photos are from Sioux Falls, then one from Rosemount and the last few should be self explanatory, ok?