Been Riding & Thinking About...

From the North Oregon Coast

2011-06-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

I eat too many turkey meals. I should find a backup eatery but Subway is good and fast and... well, fresh.

Wednesday morning I headed for the coast to work for three days. I used our place at the beach for two nights as a base for working from Newport to Astoria.

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This was lunch in Newport on Wednesday. The ride through the mountains in the morning was mostly wet but at the coast the weather was nice. It was in the low 60's (F) with the usual onshore breeze of good fresh air.

The weather for the three days was suppose to be mostly dry. There was only a 30% chance of showers on Wednesday morning. I debated on whether to take a regular duffel bag or my Helen 2Wheels waterproof bag. Amber reminded me that this is Oregon and it can rain at any time. I didn't really need a reminder. I ended up getting the 30% on 100% of me so I was glad I had Helen's bag. I've had this large roll top sack for over a year and it has served me well. It's surprising how much one can pack in it when items are rolled into tube shape.

When I first started using it I was a little nervous about leaving it on the bike when I'm inside on a sales visit but so far it's been fine. I don't put anything too valuable in it and I generally park in areas which are not too public.

Below are some road trip photos.

A beach chapel that has weathered many storms.

Twin Rocks (Rockaway Beach) as high clouds approach.

This one is titled, "Waiting for Sunset".

It's nice to stop and explore in these small coastal towns. I stopped here Thursday afternoon to get something to drink.

Friday morning the clammers were out during low tide in Tillamook Bay. Homemade clam chowder sounds good.

I have many photos of this lake. On a clear morning when it's calm I can't help but stop and click a few shots. It's a serene view that's quite different than the hustle and bustle of downtown Portland only 90 miles away. What would life be like without the push and pull of a BlackBerry and computer?

The trip was a little over 400 miles. It was a pleasure to be on the bike. For a while now I've been experimenting with riding at higher rpm. On the way back to Portland through the mountain range I stayed in 4th gear most of the time. The speed limit is 55 mph with nice sweeping curves. The bike handled better at the higher rpm with easier ability to roll on and off the throttle and less shifting.

I hope you get some higher rpm this weekend!

God's speed.

Photos From the Week

2011-06-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

With a full week of good weather things lined up nicely to acquire some quality saddle time. Although I was "Riding and Thinking," rather than post any particular thoughts I decided to share a few photos from the week. Nothing earth shattering just some doodling with the camera.

The one above is the oil cooler radiator vents. After doing the brakes last Saturday I washed and waxed the bike. If you look closely you'll see the haze of dried wax yet to be polished. Kind of a different view.

Yesterday while working in Corvallis I parked under a large shaded area.

Something caused me to look up and I noticed how the branches seem to be leaning toward the sun. These old trees make a nice big shade canopy.

Before leaving Corvallis I like to stop at Great Harvest Bread to get something before hitting the road for home. Instead of taking the Interstate I took the country way through small towns. I happened to get behind a guy on a cruiser bike. Out in the country we rode at a good pace but in the towns he went pretty slow and kept a large distance away from the car in front of him. I try to learn what I can from these experiences. I realized that I tend to drift in a little too close sometimes when following traffic. The obvious problem with this is when traffic stops suddenly. The other issue, which I don't think of as often as I should, is road debris. It's harder to see and react when following too closely.

This was today behind one of the hospitals I visit. It would have been nice if I could have gotten the bike in that lift. Looks like it's waiting in line for the next ride.

Today I had lunch at a mall. While walking back to the bike I noticed the light gently bouncing off the back wheel. This shot looks a little lonely but in my humble opinion the mall is actually a happy place. The sun didn't show up today so everything had the Northwest shade of gray.

Just some doodling with the camera while on two wheels.

God's speed.

Brake System Transfusion

2011-06-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Back in April I devoted a post to trying to break a boxer engine myth by showing the relative ease of a routine valve adjustment. At the end of that post I commented about flushing the brake system in the coming weeks. I intended on doing this post sooner but I've been fighting a virus with a persistent cough for the past month. Friday I finally went to the doctor at the strong urging of my wife Amber. The prescribed antibiotic seems to be doing its work. I feel somewhat better. I wasn't aware of the general state of crumminess that had overtaken me.

The weather was nice yesterday. It was the first summer-like day of the year. Sunny and about 85 F. A perfect day to go riding but I thought I should get the much needed replacement of the brake fluid done.

I've decided not to go step-by-step through this process for two reasons. Firstly, it might be boring but the big reason is I want to avoid any liability issues. The brake system is obviously an important part to the safe operation of the motorcycle, consequently, care should be used to make sure no air gets into the brake lines and no leaks are evident when done. I used a comprehensive writeup available online on the BMW Motorcycle Owners Association forum by a member Semper Fi. If you're a member and you log in you'll also see his photos.

But this post is not about BMW stuff. As with the valve adjustment post, I'd like to encourage you to try flushing your brake system yourself no matter what brand you ride. The tech support post by Semper Fi is only mentioned to show that once you find a good source for step-by-step instructions, it's similar to finding a good recipe for brownies. It's hard to go wrong when you follow the recipe. Okay, maybe some surprises can pop up but trial and error does wonders for gaining experience. As I mentioned above, ingesting air into the brake system is the biggest threat and you'll know if it happens before you go for a test ride. More about that in a minute.

This is as close as it gets to a hospital setting in our garage. When I looked at this photo it seemed sort of medicinal with the vacuum gauge and the old t-shirt spread out. The t-shirt is protecting the painted surfaces from an accidental spill of the brake fluid which is very bad for paint. The vacuum gauge (Mityvac) is used to draw the old fluid out of the reservoirs and to bleed the brake system. The setup above is the first step which is to draw the old fluid from the front brake reservoir.

Here is the the bleed nipple on the front brake reservoir. This is conveniently used in the process to replace the fluid in the reservoir.

Brake fluid is not suppose to look like your favorite iced tea on a hot summer afternoon. Pop open one or both of your reservoirs and if it looks like this and it's been a while since it's been changed then this project should make it to your list of things to do. Good brake fluid is clear.

The brake system works by hydraulics. The fluid doesn't compress much so when we pull the brake lever the piston at the lever forces the fluid down the line to compress the pistons in the calipers on the wheel(s). Over time however, a couple of things happen. One is that air can get into the system, either by absorption directly into the brake fluid or more commonly by absorption of water, which contains air. This makes the fluid turn dark and the brakes feel a little squishy. As a rule of thumb the brake fluid should be checked once a year at the very minimum. The fluid level should be checked more often.

This photo shows the old nasty fluid has been flushed and replaced with new. One way to do this is to use a small syringe or turkey baster to pull out the old fluid. Always leave a small amount in the bottom of the reservoir that covers the hole where the fluid goes to the brake line. This keeps away the dreaded threat of inducing air into the system. After adding new fluid, then it's a repeated process of drawing out and replacing most of the contents of the reservoir through the bleed nipple until the fluid looks completely new.

After the reservoir has been flushed it's time to flush the line between the reservoir and the calipers on the wheels. I removed each of the two front calipers and spread the brake pads apart being careful to make sure the fluid in the reservoir didn't overflow from the back up of fluid. Then it's the same procedure as with flushing the reservoir. It's a repeated process of drawing out the fluid at the caliper with the vacuum gauge and replacing it with new in the reservoir until the fluid being drawn is clear.

When that's done the calipers are reinstalled and the brake lever is pumped, while keeping an eye on the reservoir level, until the pads make contact again with the rotors. At this point it's time to see if any air has made its way into the system by bleeding the brakes at each caliper. I won't go through that step but the photo above shows the setup I used for bleeding the front.

This is how the fluid should look as it's coming out the bleed nipple at the caliper during the bleed process. No air bubbles and clear fluid. This is where we make sure things are right well before the test ride.

When the front brakes are done the same process is used on the rear. I thought the photo above of the rear reservoir shows the somewhat dramatic difference between old and new fluid.

That's pretty much it. While riding to church this morning the brakes felt stronger and I think they grabbed a little earlier. Remember that the goal when done is to have no air in the lines, no leaks, and ending up with all new fluid throughout the system. Before going on a test ride straddle the bike and make sure the brakes are firm and have a strong grip.

Then maybe have a brownie, a glass of milk and go for a ride. You might avoid iced tea for a while though.

God's speed.

Second Year Thoughts

2011-05-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today the liftgate on the delivery truck touched down on our driveway with the Beemer. Little did I know it would begin an adventure that I still can't believe I get to enjoy.

I've met so many wonderful people as a result of riding. Being among those who experience the thrill of straddling a motorcycle is a privilege. As the weather warms and more riders take to the roads it's great to see how many choose this form of traveling. I've made a personal commitment to wave to all other riders. I figure they deserve a salute of respect for being on two wheels.

The other night one of our daughters reminded me that the motorcycle was responsible for getting a new sales account. I had been trying to sell the hospital for years and getting no where, not even an appointment. One morning as I rode into the parking lot I saw one of the engineers working on his motorcycle. I walked over and starting talking with him while he adjusted his clutch cable. He was on his morning break. We didn't talk business at all - only motorcycles. When we went inside he introduced me to his manager and said that they should start having me come around regularly and buying from us. I was pleasantly surprised.

Yesterday, just before leaving the park where I took the first photo a man and his wife and son pulled into the lot in this well restored Toyota Landcruiser. He drove around the grassy circle raising one and sometimes two wheels off the ground while his wife took pictures. It was fun to watch and a unique way to get on two wheels.

As I wrote one year ago today, I had no idea that riding would grip me the way it has when I began riding again 3 years ago. "And with the number of riding years ahead of me dwindling, I'm going to continue to enjoy as many miles as the good Lord will allow."

Again, I wish you many enjoyable and safe riding miles.

God's speed.

Knowing When to Stay off the Bike

2011-05-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

While riding late in the afternoon almost two weeks ago I stopped to catch a silhouette shot. Many times when I'm riding late in the day or first thing in the morning I see a photograph I'd like to take but it means pointing the lens toward the sun. I don't mind doing this, in fact I break this photographic rule quite often. I can never get the photo to look the same way my eyes see the landscape. It has either too much highlights or the shadows are too dark. I know that HDR processing would take care of this but I wonder if someday cameras will have the technology to see what we see.

Isn't our ability to see things the way we do amazing? Our eyes automatically adjust to highlights and shadows and even take care of white balance. I believe they are more evidence of an intelligent Designer.

Today was the first day that I've been on the motorcycle in almost two weeks. I've had some sort of "bug". It wasn't a cold because it didn't progress like one. It started with a sore throat and aching then went to a persistent cough that's still hanging on. I feel much better but this morning as I twisted the throttle to accelerate onto the freeway towards downtown I felt a little fuzzy. Fuzzy as in not quite as quick mentally. Within a few miles that feeling went away. It was good to be in the mix again stirring it up with the morning commuters.

A good friend, who is also a customer of mine, rides diligently everyday about 45 miles into Portland. He has a saying when he's sick. He says he doesn't like to ride when he's not "on top of his game". I like that plan. It sound like he's a key player on a sports team and doesn't want to let the other players down. This is brought into focus when I think of my family as my team. And even other drivers on the road, those folks are counting on me to be on my A game as well.

As much as I dislike staying off the bike, especially when it's sunny and everyone is riding, when not feeling 100 percent it's best to keep the helmet on the shelf.

I hope you're on top of your game these days. If not... don't let your team down.

God's speed.

A Couple of Errands

2011-04-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Last night when Amber got home from work she said the 4Runner had a funny smell. When I went to check there was a slight amount of steam coming out from the grille. Upon opening the hood it was apparent that coolant had sprayed across the front of the engine. There was a slight hissing sound which lead us to a couple of cracks in the top of the plastic radiator. It's usually good when these little opportunities happen late on a Friday but they tend to tweak the weekend plans a bit.

I took the Vespa to the parts store this morning because it's the ultimate errand machine at roughly 65 mpg. I also took it because it's fun and it was a beautiful day and it needed some attention. I guess it could be called a mini Italian Garage Queen.

An Auto Zone opened about a month ago in our town and I am happy to give them my business. I like Auto Zone and it will replace the other store I've been using for generic parts.

Here is were I buy the import parts. I've shopped here for years. They know me and their prices are very competitive. When I called earlier in the morning to order the radiator they gave me a choice. A plastic one for $129 or a metal one for $210. Since we have about 357,000 miles on the original plastic one I went plastic again. The only stickler with these guys is sometimes I don't get the right part and don't find out until I can't make it fit on the car. More about that in a minute.

I used bungy cords to lash the radiator to the Vespa. That was a first. I mentioned to a guy walking into the store that the ride home might be tricky. He said yeah, but he's been to Asia and seen worse on a scooter. I was slightly concerned about the radiator falling off and the car behind me running over it.

These hairline cracks shown below were the problem in the old radiator. I think we got our moneys worth out of it though. The 4Runner is 15 years old.

Before leaving the store with the new one, Gerald the counter guy, was bothered by the fact that the box had been opened previously. We checked it and everything looked okay but it wasn't until I got it bolted in and went to hook up the bottom hose that I noticed the radiator was too short. It turns out it's the wrong one. I'll get it exchanged on Monday. This probably happened to the last guy who bought this one. Sometimes Murphy's law is unavoidable when it comes to cars and motorcycles.

Late last night Amber came down with a 24 hr. flu as did one of our daughters. I was chief cook and bottle washer so dinner tonight was quick and... cheesy.

This was another first. I've never brought pizza home on the bike. The best part was hearing the comments people made. Even the guy in the store asked, "How are you going to get the pizzas home on the bike, man?" Oh, they shouldn't be too hard after bringing home a radiator on a Vespa.

God's speed.

Some Thoughts on the Road

2011-04-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning as I rode to the county jail to do volunteer work, I had some wonderful memories in my thoughts. Not only being Easter, it happened to be our 40th anniversary.

Some thoughts on the road:

I'm thankful that Amber agreed to marry me.
I can't believe she's put up with me all these years.
I'm thankful God has blessed us with our family.
Forty years ago I didn't know that my love for Amber would be greater today than it was then.
I wouldn't change a thing.

These years have gone by way too fast. Treasure each day.

God's speed.

He is Risen!

2011-04-24T00:05:00.000-07:00

"But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Mark 16:4-7

Meeting RichardM & Downtown Parking Farkle

2011-04-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Last week in a post on Richard Machida's blog he mentioned that he would be stopping in Oregon to visit relatives on his way home to Alaska from a meeting he would attend in the East. I commented that it would be nice if we could get together for lunch, so we did yesterday. Richard was gracious enough to stop and meet me for a late lunch at a Subway Sandwich shop about 15 miles south of Portland.

This is only the second time that I've met a fellow blogger. Last year I met with Irondad a couple of times and I came away with the same feeling yesterday. These meetings are unique. That is, the connection is further down the road than it normally is when you meet someone for the first time. And there's plenty to talk about while filling in the blanks that are left with blogging.

I greatly enjoyed meeting Richard and getting to know him. We're both originally Southern California guys who have migrated to the Northwest. And we're both Beemer riders. He hadn't eaten since early in the morning when leaving Washington DC and was willing to interrupt his drive to be with relatives and have a late lunch with me.

Thank you Richard for stopping on your way south. Hope you continue to have safe traveling my friend!

__________________________________________________________

Before I met with Richard I had a sales call at one of the older hotels in downtown Portland. Just to briefly explain our parking meter system, we used to have the standard coin meters at every parking spot. Some years ago the city installed green boxes like the one on the left. This is where you pay to receive a small parking permit which is displayed on the inside of the window of your car facing the sidewalk. Most people don't like this because you have to walk to the box in the middle of the block, pay, wait for the permit to print, then walk back to the car. If it's raining it's a hassle.

For motorcycles the instructions say to display the permit somewhere near the seat, as in sticking it between the two seats. Of course this means it can either blow away or even be stolen. Mix rain into the equation and the permit is in bad shape. Since the permit is also the receipt, if it disappears you also lose your proof of payment. It's a pretty lame system for those on two wheels.

A few weeks ago while parking, a meter person had just finished giving the car in the next spot a ticket. I brought up this point about motorcycles being at a disadvantage and he gave me a coupon to get a free parking permit holder. I didn't know these existed!

I sent in the coupon and within a couple of weeks received this handy little farkle. The parking permit is held captive in the plastic display and kept safe from the elements or someone lifting it. Yesterday was my first time using it and as I walked away from the bike in a downpour I walked with confidence knowing I had city approved protection.

It's funny how little things like this can bring happiness.

When I came out of the hotel the shower had passed and the sun was shinning. Perfect for the ride to meet Richard, although it wouldn't last. In the short 15 minute ride down I-5 there was sun, rain, and hail. Typical Northwest spring fare. If you don't like the weather stick around for ten minutes and it'll change.

God's speed.

Breaking a Beemer Boxer Myth

2011-04-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I adjusted the valves on the Beemer and I'd like to break a myth about servicing BMW boxer engines. One of the reasons that some people speak poorly about BMW's is because they require servicing every 6,000 miles. This is true of any horizontally opposed engine with mechanical valves such as the original style VW Bugs and Porsches. The reality is it's not only a fairly simple task, it's also very satisfying. Allow me to explain but first a little background.

Many moons ago when I met Amber she had a '67 Bug and I had a '61 356 Porsche convertible. Every time I'm reminded about that car I feel like... ah, crying because it sure would be nice to have now. Shortly before we got married the Porsche had a valve burn out because it was adjusted too tight. At the time I didn't know anything about working on cars so I took it to the same independent shop that I use to take my '63 VW Bus for servicing. The problem was the shop wasn't real experience at working on Porsches. We didn't have the money to get the Porsche fixed and working on it myself was way too scary. It was something only professionals should do, or so I thought.

About a week before our wedding I had the Dunlop radials taken off the Porsche and put on Amber's Bug. That was probably a bad move because the night before our wedding we left her Bug parked outside our future apartment and it got stolen. The car was later found but had been converted into a dune buggy.

About three years later we bought a beautiful light blue '68 Bug for $800. After about a year the motor needed rebuilding and my independent shop wanted $700 to do the job. Not long before this we had bought our first house and our first daughter was an infant. We were strapped for money and spending $700 was out of the question.

That's when Amber coaxed me into rebuilding the motor myself. At first I was reluctant because it seemed like a huge mountain to climb with me not having any experience. I bought John Muir's book "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive." If you haven't seen this book it's worth a look if you can find one. It's both informative and funny. By the mid 70's VW Bugs were everywhere and this book was popular. Now it's a classic. Like it says, it's for the complete idiot. It walks a person through every step including when to take a break and when to have a beer.

It was because of this book I was able to rebuild that motor. It was my first and consequently a hugely rewarding experience. It opened my eyes in so many ways as to how a motor works. I felt I knew that car inside and out. The result was a far more gratifying driving experience. The myth was broken that only professionals can work on cars.

Now I'd like to break that myth for you on how difficult Beemer boxer engines are to service. Let's look inside.

Without going into a lot of boring detail let me just say that each cylinder has two sets of valves which consist of two intake and two exhaust. The goal in doing a valve adjust is to insure that when each set opens they open to a prescribed amount. Let's get on with the work and hopefully this will make more sense.

The photo above shows the intake valves on the throttle side. They're hidden inside the two springs. We'll look at the adjusters in a minute. Look below the lower valve spring and you'll partially see a chain. This is the timing chain and has two markers on its gear that tell us when each piston is at "Top Dead Center" (TDC). We want the the piston in the ready-to-fire position at the upper most point (TDC). That way there will be lash or looseness between the end of the valves and the rocker arm adjusting nuts. In a position other than TDC those springs would be compressed and that would be a bad time to set the adjustment. The rectangular block barely visible to the left of the chain is our marker that tells us the piston on the clutch side of the bike is at TDC. I put the bike in 6th gear and bumped the back wheel with my hand in the direction it normally goes to get this marker in its position.

The good news was both sets of valves on the clutch side of the motor were still within the correct tolerances and didn't need adjusting. See how easy that was! We're halfway done already!

The photo above shows the throttle side of the bike. I have already bumped the rear wheel so the marker for this side is in its proper spot at TDC. This side is where our photos will come from. I've stuck the four feeler gauges in their respective spots to show where all the action happens. The exhaust valves are on the right and are adjusted to .30 mm clearance while the intakes on the left and will be set to .15 mm.

There is more to this but I don't want to risk your eyes glazing over and you dozing off at your computer. If your laptop isn't plugged in your battery will wear out and you'll wake up to a black screen. No, I've never done that. Although this might make a handy sleep-aid in the future so feel free to use it that way if you desire. There won't be any copyright infringement.

Here's where things get kind of busy. There are three things going on. We're sliding the feeler gauge up and down to feel the drag between the valve end and the adjuster. We're controlling the drag on the feeler gauge with the hex wrench in the left hand. And we're tightening the adjuster nut with the 10 mm wrench in the right hand once we get to the correct drag. This is done in concert. The key is to get both valves set to the same drag so they're as close to identical as possible. This makes for a smooth running bike with a smooth idle. This is the hardest part of the process but trust me, after you do this a few times you become experienced quickly. It's a simple trial and error process that's fairly easy after you get the hang of it.

This is repeated on the intake valves but using the .15 mm feeler gauges. Once we get these two sets adjusted we're done. You now have the satisfaction of doing the job yourself, spending the afternoon bonding with and learning more about your bike, having the assurance that it's done properly, and saving a fair amount of cash. BMW club members have a wealth of information available on the forum online for doing all kinds of work. So if 6,000 mile services are keeping you from owning and enjoying a BMW Airhead, I'd like to expel that myth.

No matter what brand of motorcycle you ride, if you haven't done your own work don't let the fear of the unknown stop you. I recommend getting a manual, doing the research, investing in some tools, and enjoying the extra part of owning and riding a motorcycle.

I also changed the oil and filter and want to mention that I had a helper. Our 5 year old granddaughter, Avery, was handing me tools and was the person behind the camera on some shots. She said she might ride on the Beemer someday and that maybe it will be when she's eighteen. I told her I hope it's sooner than that! She brought me the handful of dandelions.

When the work is done and there aren't any leftover parts, that's a good thing. The only thing left is to wash the bike and go for test ride.

I can't think of another machine that gives the owner the reward of actually feeling and hearing the results of a tune-up like a motorcycle. Because we're straddling the motor and holding the handle bars we can sense when things are a little off or spot on. Doing your own work gives you an even greater awareness of how your machine is running.

It's been almost two years since I got the Beemer. She's due to have the brake system flushed so stay tuned for that job in the coming weeks.

God's speed.

Simple yet Complex

2011-04-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

This is not an endorsement but ~~wood~~ would you buy one of these? Not even to reward their hard work?

While watching this for the first time I was babysitting our 4 month old granddaughter. She was dozing in her infant seat on the kitchen table. This video put her to sleep!

God's speed.

It Looks Like Ben-Hur had a Choice...

2011-03-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

... either a chariot or a Vespa.

A Visit to the Spruce Goose

2011-03-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

It was a wet, wild, and at times windy ride this afternoon as I rode to McMinnville, OR to see some accounts. McMinnville, more commonly known as "Mac", is home to the Howard Hughes Spruce Goose. The H-4 Hercules Flying Boat was moved to this site from Long Beach, CA in February of 1993 by Evergreen Aviation. If you enlarge the photo above and look through the glass you can see her.

Evergreen has built a nice aviation attraction around the Spruce Goose centerpiece. The jetliner above was recently added on top of this building which is an indoor water park. This summer you'll be able to slide out of the 747 into a pool.

Next on the plans for this popular attraction is a resort. Whether you're an aviation buff or not this museum is a must see if you're in the Portland area. In fact, the BMW International Rally last year had a kick-off visit and luncheon here before the Rally. It was well attended by many motorcycle enthusiasts.

The Spruce Goose is about 3 miles east of town. Here is downtown Mac on 3rd street. As you can see, the afternoon traffic here is almost unbearable. Both sides of the street are lined with quaint shops along with unique restaurants and pubs. This is a college town so Friday and Saturday nights are busy here.

When I see one of these I can't resist stopping.

I think almost everything they sell is healthy and it's very good. These fruit bars are irresistible for a hungry traveler.

After I took this photo it would have been nice to get in the blue rig, twist the key and take off. I had all the gear on so it was doable. I guess I'll just have to settle for dreaming about it.

God's speed.

Early Spring Sunset

2011-03-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Stopping somewhere on a road to take in an early Northwest spring sunset. In the northern hemisphere another winter season has been put to rest again. Spring is the door to warmer weather with all the beautiful colors emerging soon.

I hope you view it with your kickstand up.

God's speed.

Is Riding Like Downhill Skiing?

2011-03-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

The other night I went to a gathering of folks and met some great people. It was a Bible study that's been in existence for roughly 30 years. I sat next to a gentleman who is in his 70's and is an avid downhill skier. He's been skiing for over 50 years and he's now in an age bracket which puts him into the ski-for-free category. I'm pretty sure there aren't too many 70+ downhill skiers. When you reach that age you get to ski for free. It seems like a just reward for still having supple muscles and joints.

Last year I wrote about we who ride on two wheels being in a subset of the population. This man is in a subset too and judging by what he said and his smile while saying it he enjoys his sport very much.

When I mentioned to him that I ride a motorcycle and that there are some similarities with regard to danger but also a big fun-factor he got serious. He talked about how dangerous motorcycles are and gave a few examples of accidents. You know how that conversation goes.

We all know that riding is dangerous and we all hear these stories and deal with them in our own way, but I find that sometimes a conversation like this can hit something deep inside. And there are times when the soul-searching thoughts can last a couple of days. Am I crazy to be riding? Is something going to happen to me soon and this is a warning? Do I need more training? Should I give up riding and take up downhill skiing? Nah, I'm not in the free bracket yet.

I do some volunteer work at the county jail. I've ridden to and from the jail a lot but I don't take any of it for granted. The ride home late this afternoon was one of the best. It was an aha experience.

Within weeks of getting the Beemer I bought bar risers and a peg lowering kit. I'm over 6' and needed more room in the cockpit. I've never really leaned hard, thinking either the pegs or my boots will scrape but today I hit the corners harder and faster than usual. I put the bike into a more aggressive lean. I figured I'd try to find the limit. I got the bike far over but didn't scrape. I was surprised when the suspension dug in and held the bike firm and with more stability through the curves. Is riding like downhill skiing? Can a person schuss on a motorcycle?

I'm not boasting by any means. My chicken strips are big (big chicken strips = big chicken). And I'm not suggesting for anyone to take corners faster than their level of experience. Let's face it, most motorcycle accidents happen on the curves so we should be good at cornering.

Then I had the thought that an advanced riding class might be in order. Maybe that's what the gentleman at the Bible study was saying. Riding is dangerous and a healthy reminder of that fact every so often is good. It helps keep things in perspective instead of slipping into a false sense of security.

Do you have any training classes in your plans this riding season?

God's speed.

Random Shots and Random Thoughts

2011-03-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

While riding to my first account yesterday morning I had thoughts about some current events. Watching the events unfold after the tragic earthquake in Japan is a reminder of just how fragile our world is. In the days after hurricane Katrina some of the New Orleans police force walked away from their jobs due to the enormity of the challenge to maintain law and order. It's sobering to be reminded that a major disaster can change life quickly.

Another thought to consider with disasters is how small our planet is. People and nations pull together to help and support those who are suffering. It brings humanity closer. It puts our focus on others.

The earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand was only a few weeks ago. Earthquakes are happening more often than any other time in history and this was foretold in the Bible over 2000 years ago. Add this together with the events going on in the Middle East and one has to admit that these are amazing days in which we live.

___________________________________________________________

My first stop yesterday morning was one of the high schools in Silverton. I was going there to look at some plumbing parts. Silverton is about 40 miles southeast of Portland. Checking out plumbing parts sounds like fun, right? I know, plumbing parts and fixtures are not real stimulating but they put bread on the table and I enjoy selling all the product lines that we have. The fun part is helping others with the parts they need to do their jobs.

The ride took about an hour with roughly half the trip on I-5 and the second half in the farmland of the Willamette Valley. The above image is in Mount Angel, a town originally settled by German pioneers. It's about 5 miles north of Silverton. It's also the home of a famous and well attended Oktoberfest held each September. Just thinking about it makes me hungry for bratwurst with sauerkraut along with an Um-papa band playing in the background.

Wow, this is the second post in a row with a McDonald's in it. I don't eat at McDonald's very often - only breakfast about once a month. I'm finding, though, that many of them have free WiFi and since I like their coffee they make a great place to stop and setup a temporary office. The other benefit is the ability to keep most of the riding gear on and not worry about what people think. Chances are I was just seen rolling up on the bike so I must not be a real storm trooper.

So you're cruising along enjoying the ride and being aware of impending dangers, all the while looking for photo opportunities. You see what could be an interesting shot down a side road along an orchard but you're going 60 mph. By the time you ponder whether it's a viable photo opportunity you're almost 1/4 mile down the road. Do you turn around or shrug it off and keep going? Lately I've been turning around. It's part of my, "Enjoy the little things" program.

I eventually wound up at the mall for lunch.

These people were waiting in line near the Apple store for the new iPad 2 that was released yesterday at 5:00 pm. The line seems like a good marketing tool by Apple. It advertises the popularity of the new device. I wonder how many people got in line so they wouldn't miss out on something.

Later in the afternoon when I was riding home from the jail I noticed an unusual plane flying slowly overhead. When I got close to home I saw the pilot sitting in the plane and idling right next to the road. I did a U-turn and watched him take off from his personal airstrip. This place has had small planes fly in and out for a long time but I've never actually seen it happen. I parked the bike near his takeoff spot to take some photos of the setting sun. I was about to leave when he taxied nearby again. Through sign language I asked if I could take his photo and he agreed.

Again through sign language I asked if he was going to take off again and he gave the thumbs up. So I got some shots of his short takeoff.

He doesn't have much runway. You can see it turns to gravel pretty quickly. His road has a little bump just before the gravel and he hits it just right to hop him into the air.

He was airborne in less than about 15 seconds. Pretty cool to have your own plane and airstrip. And some think riding a motorcycle is dangerous.

At the end of the day the bike had 115 more miles on it. I hope you're putting miles on this weekend.

God's speed.

Doing the Laundry

2011-03-05T20:07:00.000-08:00

I had an appointment with an oncologist at 4:00 yesterday. My dermatologist thought it would be a good idea to see if I would be a candidate for a CAT scan. This would be to make sure there are no cancer cells lurking somewhere. After looking at all of my lab work and the results of the surgery the oncologist said there was no need for a scan and that as far as melanoma is concerned I'm cancer-free.

By the time I left his office it was about 5:15. It was beginning to get dark and it was raining. It was a nice ride home in the rain after receiving good news. At one particular stop light I caught a lady in an SUV staring at me. She might have been wondering why someone would be so foolish to be out in the cold rain. Or maybe she was noticing how dirty my jacket was. It's been a while since I've washed it. In fact, I looked like I rolled under a diesel truck.

This morning I met a couple of friends for breakfast at McDonald's. When I got parked a guy drove up in his pickup and started asking the usual questions about the bike. Thinking back on it, my jacket looked pretty bad so washing it went on my to-do list.

My technique is to first take out all of the removable armor, soak the jacket in the bathtub, and use Woolite and a brush and scrub hard. After that I give it a thorough rinsing then spray Shout stain remover on all the dirt stains on the front and scrub hard again. Then I give it the final rinse.

There... much better. Now it looks like I rolled under a hybrid. Whenever I do this I usually ask myself why I don't do it more often. Maybe it's because in a week it'll be looking dingy again.

I'd like to know your method for doing the laundry.

God's speed.

Struggling with the Weather and the Whether

2011-02-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

The last few mornings the weather has been unstable. At our house we've had a mix of snow and rain. Last night we had some snow flurries along with some rain which gave this morning a thin coating of ice and light crunchy snow on most everything.

I had a breakfast scheduled this morning with a couple of friends at 9:00. Knowing that today's forecast was to be sunny and 45 (F), I did the usual checking the outside temp on the house thermostat and looking at the current conditions online. Then I looked outside and saw the ice but it didn't look too bad.

Then the little voice from the area around my left shoulder whispered in my ear, "You can ride anyway. Don't worry, it'll be okay. After all, by the time breakfast is over it'll be sunny and warm and everyone will be riding." Then the voice from the other shoulder whispered, "No, it's too icy and there's too much risk of going down and scrapping up the bike." Then the other voice said, "But you can go slowly where you need to. Go ahead it'll be fun."

Do you ever have this "discussion" in the morning? Struggling with the whether... that is the whether to ride?

In the end the voice from the right shoulder won out. I'm glad I didn't ride because the roads were worse than what I was hearing from my left ear. Of course hearing voices should be reason enough not to ride.

I didn't really hear voices but the struggle really happened.

Safety should always rule the day.

God's speed.

Evernote

2011-02-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

I've always been a nut about trying to be organized but the last ten years or so it's been a little more challenging to maintain that discipline. Through the years I've used yellow pads, day timers, scraps of paper, Post It's, a PDA, and a mini tape recorder just to name a few. Each of them fell by the wayside when it was replaced by the next system that I thought would really keep me organized.

A few years ago when I was contemplating getting a Vespa I discovered Steve Williams' wonderful blog Scooter in the Sticks. One of his posts featured a manual organizing system called The Hypster PDA. Using a series of 3X5 cards clipped together a person could easily and logically keep track of all their important information in one easy and inexpensive setup. I was intrigued by this and began using it. Unfortunately, like all of the other methods of arranging personal information, it too fell by the wayside. For the last few years I've tried to be diligent about keeping all my information on my company issued Blackberry. For the most part it has done well but there are things I'd like to tweak. Then I discovered Evernote.

My wife Amber got me an iPod Touch for Christmas. For about the next five days I had a hard time putting it down. While making a note in one of the apps that I had downloaded I was asked if I wanted to upload it to Evernote. I might be the last guy on the planet that knows about these note keeping Websites but my eyes were opened to a whole new realm.

For those of you who don't know about Evernote or any other notetaking suite, it's an online server designed for notetaking and archiving webpages, photos, voice memos, and even handwritten notes. Just about anything that can be copied, pasted, or uploaded can be stored and kept securely in one convenient location. All of it can be updated or edited via a computer or mobile device.

I've been using Evernote for about six weeks and I think it is a great way to keep notes and information organized in one convenient location. I'm using the free version and finding it handy that everything is accessible at anytime from my Blackberry or iPod. For a small annual fee more storage is available with even more security than the free version. By the way, I have no stock or stake in Evernote. This mini review is purely from the perspective of a new user.

I still use a spiral steno pad for daily quick notes as the day progresses. I can get a call at any moment from a customer who is ready to give me information I need to write down. From this pad I can easily sort things out on Evernote if I need to. At times there's no substitute for a good old fashion note pad.

Since this blog is about thinking and riding and maybe I've covered somewhat of a thinking segment, I thought I would throw in a few images from this week.

This afternoon on the way to the jail.

(Monday - Vancouver, WA)

Looks like an alien spaceship just dropped off a motorcycle.

(This morning - Oregon City, OR)

No matter how hard I try, this time of year it's hard to keep it clean. I'm not complaining because some can't ride due to snow and ice.

(Monday - Vancouver, WA during the alien thing)

May your kickstand be in the up position this weekend!

God's speed.

One of Life's Firsts

2011-01-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

Warning! What you're about to read might alter the image that you have of me, but allow me to explain. For a little over 60 years on the planet I've never owned a firearm. And thank God we've never needed one for home defense although there was one time early in our marriage when we might have come close. Our oldest daughter was just an infant. There was a knock on our door one night. When I opened the door the strange looking guy seemed surprised. After a couple of seconds of a blank stare he asked, "Is Mike here?" To which I replied, "Yes I'm right here." Another long blank stare and saying nothing he did an about face and walked into the darkness. I followed him outside asking what he wanted, which in hindsight wasn't a good move, but he kept walking and never turned around. I guess he picked the wrong name out of the blue. That experience would go on to alter the way I answer the door at night.

A few years ago a man and woman posing as husband and wife and pretending to be stranded knocked on the door of a nice older couple across the street and down a few houses. They pulled a gun and tied up the man while the lady took the wife to the ATM to make a withdrawal. Fortunately no one was hurt and a few days later the news came out that it was an inside job. A few weeks earlier these folks had hired a contractor who told someone about the potential for a heist at their house. This event shook people up in our neighborhood and was a reality check that this can "really happen here". I felt the strongest urge ever to protect my family and came real close to buying a handgun. What stopped me was Amber's strong desire to not have a gun in the house.

Through the years while we lived in California every once-and-awhile I would have the urge to get a .22 rifle to go plinking with other guys. But I've always respected Amber's desire to not own a gun and just put that urge out of mind.

As I've mentioned before our son is a policeman. For the past four years I've watched his transformation in many areas including his growing interest in firearms. Recently I expressed my desire to go shooting sometime with him and our oldest grandson. I was pleasantly surprised that Amber finally relented to me getting a handgun if it meant that the three of us could develop this interest together. I don't mean to make this sound like Amber rules the roost but a person's stance on this subject, like a few others, is rooted deep within so I haven't wanted to go to the mat and argue my position.

Friday I made the plunge and bought a handgun. (Wow, that was new statement!) I've been researching it for a few weeks and in fact struggling a bit with how it'll all pan out. As many of you know who read this blog I'm a volunteer chaplain at the county jail. Let me pose just a couple of questions that I've been pondering. Does owning a gun for protection mean that I'm not trusting God? Is it okay to tell someone about the love of Christ while carrying a concealed weapon? The answers that I've found to these two points deserve at least a full post on their own but I won't go into it now. Maybe you have some thoughts on these questions and I'd really like to hear them.

It's an unpredictable world with some people who mean harm to others. I don't think that statement means that I'm paranoid because I do fully trust in God. But because I work at the jail I'm more aware than most about the reality of what goes on around us. Everyday all of the news sources bear witness to the fallen world around us.

Years ago I was in the National Guard. We were trained on all sorts of firearms because back in the day the National Guard was just that - a national guard. I enjoyed it when we would camp out at Camp Pendelton Marine Base and have our annual weapons training. So firearms aren't new to me but like motorcycling there are do's and don'ts and I plan to restart the learning curve. I'm looking forward to our son teaching our grandson and me.

Yesterday I made my first purchase of ammunition. (Wow, that's another first.) Bi-mart has it on sale. I'm such a newbie I just turn myself over to the people who know what they're doing. Isn't that the way it was when we first began riding? You have to trust and learn from the experienced people.

I know some of you might find this subject scary and upsetting. Recently we had the tragic event in Tucson, Arizona where six people lost their lives and nineteen were injured including U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords when a gunman opened fire at a shopping center gathering. Amber and I were watching NBC's Dateline the following evening. They interviewed a guy who was nearby and carrying a pistol. He got to the scene after the gunman was wrestled to the ground and felt bad that he didn't arrived earlier and maybe prevented some of the devastation. Amber said it's scary to think there are people walking around us with guns. I said no that's comforting to know that there are people familiar with guns who are available to help protect us. Even police agencies will tell you they can't be everywhere.

A couple of years ago an Iran veteran attending an Oregon University was expelled when it was discovered that he had a handgun on campus. He was a Marine veteran with a concealed permit trained in the use of weapons and he got verbally scourged and expelled. My feeling is this is the guy you want on campus and in fact he should have gotten a break on his tuition to help compensate him for his experience and availability.

Well, I thought I would "let the cat out of the bag" and write on this subject since most likely there will be a sprinkling of future posts on this point. Our oldest grandson is 14 and has plans to go into the Army after high school. He really looks up to our son so who knows, he might want to go into police work.

Stay safe.

God's speed.

Foggy Traveling

2011-01-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

Earlier tonight I goofed and did a post to this blog when I meant to post to my other one. Shoot... I thought I could make it through the year without making a mistake. So I'm doing a little post to keep from having the mistaken post show up on blog lists.

I love to capture things engulfed in fog. Fog is like an extra filter and it does some nice things with the available light. Early Wednesday morning I drove to Eugene to work. The temperature was in the mid 30's (F) which kept me off the bike. Of course it warmed up to the low 50's during the day but I wimped out on the 90 minute morning ride in the cold.

Of course driving allowed me to click some photos of what I normally see on the ride but without the risk.

I like the two prominent colors of early morning highway travel, red and white, accentuated here by the fog. They remind me of the positive and neutral wires in electricity. A hot wire and a neutral wire. An open wire and a return wire. Okay before you think I was hallucinating or in some groggy early morning state, I was just enjoying what the fog was doing with the light.

It also reminded me of traveling on vacations with my parents when I was a child. I would peak over the front seat and see the red and white flow. The fog causes some tunnel vision and brings emphasis to the colorful movements.

I hope your highways are fog-free and remember... stay on the red side.

God's speed.

Rusty Rotors

2011-01-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

This morning was a beautiful sunny morning in an almost constant overcast Northwest. The big yellow ball in the sky was a welcomed old friend. Not riding since last Saturday gave me a strong hankering to ride today.

Our oldest grandson had a basketball game this morning. Everyone piled into our 4Runner with Amber at the helm which allowed me to take the Beemer. As I was putting my gear on I noticed rust on the rotors - a telltale sign of stagnate steel. A bothersome discovery that put my lack of riding lately in perspective.

Our grandson's team hasn't won a game yet this season. It's not because of a lack of trying or not practicing hard, they've just been playing teams that are better. Nope, there's no rust on his team.

When I decided on the title of this quick post it made me wonder if there's actually someone with the name Rusty Rotors. I know, that's kind of a strange thought but believe it or not there was a guy at my junior high school named Russell Sprouts.

May your rotors not gather any rust. Go forth rust free.

God's speed.

The Three Hurdles

2011-01-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

On Thursday January 6th I sat alone in a basement room of the Nuclear Radiology Department at Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital. I was waiting to have the radio active solution injected into my head and the thought came to me what others have thought as they were about to go through the same process. I noticed the manufacturer's name on the nuclear camera next to me. It's an unusual name - Picker. The last name of one of my best friends.

This day was our son's 30th birthday. He's our youngest and the father of two. He's beginning his career as a policeman and he and our daughter-in-law are saving for a house. Amber and I are thankful for our family.

I've had surgery on both knees as a result of running injuries but all three of those times I didn't have the peace that I felt on this morning. It wasn't a peace that was conjured up either, but a conviction that whatever was going to happen that day everything would eventually work out for good. This comes from my faith that God has every detail of our lives in His loving hands.

This morning was to be the first of three hurdles that I felt I had to cross. Within an hour the radio active liquid would make its way to a lymph node which would be determined as the sentinel node. Later in surgery the node would be removed for biopsy to test if cancer cells are present. If the cancer had spread then this one would have the evidence first in the chain of the nodes that follow. There was a strong chance that the solution would make its way to the left perotid gland located where the upper and lower jaws meet. This would be more risky as facial nerves run through the middle of this gland. These nerves would have to be disrupted to extract the lymph node so partial facial paralysis would be a possibility.

I grew up in Southern California's LA suburb San Fernando Valley. The 60's was a turbulent decade but one of the best for fun, sun, and rock n roll. I was the drummer in a band that played a lot of Rolling Stones, Beatles, and other songs from bands of the day. I was both a surfer wannabe and a hippie wannabe. The hippie part came from being in the band and having a handlebar mustache. The surfer part came from body surfing at Malibu and Zuma beaches and having a 1963 VW Bus. I guess I've always had a German vehicle. It's the engineering. I sure wish I still had that bus!

This was my Great Aunt May and me circa 1969. I had been washing the bus and she came out to chat as she usually did. In this photo she was in her early 90's. She was about 5 feet tall, a talkative bundle of energy and always had a positive outlook. Maybe that's why she lived well into her 90's.

Growing up in SoCal I had my share of sun exposure and even got scorched a handful of times. Five years ago I had a spot of skin cancer appear on my left temple. It wasn't the type that spreads so I had it removed with mohs surgery and that was that. The doctor highly suggested that I wear sun blocker which I did for a month or two then stopped. I shouldn't have stopped.

Sometime last spring a mole appeared almost overnight. It was just above my forehead and a little left of center. I remember thinking, "Oh well, I guess this is another side effect of growing older." Every so often I would Google melanoma but the mole didn't fall into any of the descriptions I found.

The early part of November at the urging of Amber and one of our daughters I made an appointment with a dermatologist. He took a biopsy. In the late afternoon on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving the doctor called to say it was melanoma. And it was deep enough to be concerned about it spreading. What stood out from that conversation was when he said, "Melanoma is not the death sentence it use to be." Everything else sounded ominous. Those of you who have had a cancer diagnosis know what the thought process is like.

I went in the next morning to have a full body screening. One more suspicious mole was on the side of my right calf. The doctor sliced it off and we waited another 5 days to find it wasn't melanoma. That was a relief.

The first hurdle was crossed successfully the morning of the surgery when the radio active material made its way to a lymph node behind my left ear. I was grateful it didn't go to the perotid gland and ready to get on with the surgery. Amber and I would wait another three hours before I was taken into surgery. The surgery lasted about two hours. The second hurdle was crossed.

When I woke up in recovery two nurses were having a friendly argument over whether the Oregon Ducks or the Auburn Tigers would win the national championship. It's funny how during surgery time doesn't pass like it does when sleeping. There is no concept of time.

The afternoon before surgery I had an appointment with the doctor. After that they directed me to my pre-surgery physical in the medical building at the bottom end of the Portland Area Tram. It was a nice drizzly beautiful ride.

It's interesting how in the midst of our troubles life still goes on around us. Sometimes it seems like it should stop. Once the diagnosis had settled in I found it to be humbling. All the areas of my life that were about me were diminished. The important things in life were separated from the non-important. I also lost the urge to ride. Part of that was due to the cold weather we were having and partly because I just didn't have the desire to ride. The other factor was I didn't want to risk getting sick and postponing the surgery. Eradicating the cancer was my overwhelming goal.

This last Monday afternoon the surgeon called with the biopsy results. The sentinel lymph node taken from behind my ear was negative for melanoma. The cancer had not spread. It took a little while for that to settle in. I'm grateful that God has spared me from this cancer. The third hurdle was crossed.

I'm not one for long posts. Some might wonder why all this talk about lymph nodes and glands over an episode of skin cancer. Melanoma is serious but like most cancer it's preventable. I wanted to go through the development of this because our sport/hobby of motorcycling takes us outside and although we're covered head to toe with riding equipment, at some point we're taking in sun exposure. This is meant to show the consequences of not being diligent about sun protection. I wasn't careful, but wearing a hat and using sun blocker are now part of my daily routine.

I rode yesterday for the first time in almost a month. I worked at the jail in the afternoon and came home a long route that was new to me. What a nice time of being back with machine, camera, and beautiful scenery. I rode today too and the old feeling is back. Lord willing I'll be putting the miles on again.

I hope the weather allows you to ride these January days.

God's speed.

Life's Unexpected Events

2011-01-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

Sea foam is always changing. It's always growing as well as receding. It's a result of agitation of the elements in the seawater. Interesting how that works. When life throws a curve I find that I can either learn from it and grow or give in to the fear and worry and turn inward and recede. You can probably identify with those choices.

I had surgery last Thursday for one of life's unexpected events. I'll have more details to follow. I haven't ridden in a few weeks and I can't ride for a few more days. Besides, I want to wait to post until after I can once again experience the exhilaration of riding.

God's speed.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-30T18:43:00.000-08:00

The weather has not been the best for riding lately, at least in my humble opinion. Tonight I don't have a ride report or motorcycle photos as the Beemer is tucked away safely in the garage. So with that in mind I thought I would wish all of you wonderful fellow bloggers and non-bloggers a very happy and safe New Year. Thank you very much for visiting this blog this year and for your much appreciated comments.

This holiday weekend is a great time to not only reflect and be thankful for life and all the blessings we have but also to look ahead to plans and goals for the coming year.

My darling wife, Amber, surprised me with an iPod Touch 4 for Christmas and I must confess it's been hard to put it down since then. Last night all of our family came over to celebrate Christmas. This afternoon I put together an entire video including photo images and music. It was an entire iPod production using iMovie. I just might turn into more of a video guy.

The image above was taken a couple of weeks ago from the hospital room where our new granddaughter was born. The house on the slope is facing the sun as a new day dawns. As we face the coming new year I wish you peace and joy along with many safe riding miles.

God's speed.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T00:06:00.000-08:00

(A manger scene along the road near our house)

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:15-17)

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS!

Portland Area Tram

2010-12-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

The hospital were our new granddaughter was born last week has a Tram that carries people to another location with medical buildings along the river. The Tram was completed about four years ago and has already become an icon for Portland. I thought I would share some photos.

(Mt. Hood in the background)

(Mt. St. Helens in the background)

God's speed.

Traffic in the Country?

2010-12-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

Coming home tonight after working at the jail I was surprised by the mile-long line of traffic going the opposite direction. I know this road like the back of my hand and I've never seen this before so I had to pull over and record it. It's really no big deal but traffic isn't suppose to happen in the country is it? I mean that's why it's called country. There are less houses and people.

One bonus out of the event was turning the camera sideways and including the almost-full moon.

I got some interesting looks from the drivers while they passed by slowly. My side of the road was smooth sailing until further ahead at a stop sign.

This shot is blurry but captures the unusual sight. Ordinarily one or two cars might pass by while swooping around this curve.

I usually take the long way home but tonight in a small town at about the half-way point the road was closed due to construction. For a split second I was bummed but then I realized it meant being on the bike longer to double back.

I don't care for traffic when on the bike but tonight I was just glad to be holding the handle bars again. Maybe the traffic was a result of the detour or maybe an unusual infusion of Christmas shoppers. Who knows. All I know is it was good to be riding on an early evening in mid December with a full moon.

God's speed.

Not Enough Riding Lately

2010-12-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

I rode briefly Friday which was only the third time in three weeks. And late this afternoon after I got home I hopped on the bike and went to the vet to get medicine for one of our dogs.

Each day of not riding has had it's reason(s). Some days have had unusual reasons like one day when I couldn't ride because I had to ship a fly fishing rod that I sold on eBay. Some days I have too many phone calls to make so riding is too restrictive.

The ride on Friday was just right for peaking the desire for more. It brought an awareness of not only how much I miss it but how one gets a little rusty on the skills after only a short while.

The other night I read an interesting article in BMW ON (Owners News) Magazine. It's about a woman named Voni Glaves who happens to be on track to reach the one-million safe mile marker before her next birthday in December 2011. I tried to find the article in an electronic version on the BMWMOA's website but it's not there, so here's a link to another article about her.

Riding that many safe miles certainly gives her the ability to garner attention when it comes to advice. Here are some of her successful riding tips. Some of these are obvious but they're good for review.

Wear conspicuous clothing, her color of choice is red. (It's surprising how many people wear dark colors).
Stop often for breaks to help stay alert.
She waves to drivers when she's in an intersection positioned to make a left turn so they notice her.
"Riding the blue highways and only use the interstate when necessary."
Keep emotions in check.
"To maintain a safe riding zone, ride five miles an hour or so above the flow of traffic."
"She doesn't put herself in a place that gives other vehicles the ability to control her."
"When an aggressive driver comes along, Voni gets out of their way."
When someone is tailgating her she flashes her brake-lights then when it's safe she pulls over to let them go. She wants them out of her life.
She avoids riding after dark but sometimes it can't be avoided.
She has a flashing brake-light and Motolights on the front which give a "Safety Triangle" appearance.
She stays in good physical and spiritual health to stay on top of her game.
And finally, she says she keeps it simple and stays focused. Failure to focus can spell disaster.

(Early autumn along Rte. 6 in the coast range)

On these evenings after a day of not riding it's good to settle in to my favorite chair with a cup of tea and a good motorcycle magazine. It doesn't satisfy the void of not riding but in a small way it takes away some of the sting.

I hope you've been riding these days and have been keeping it simple and safe.

Stay focused and God's speed.

New Granddaughter!

2010-12-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, by the grace of God, Abigail Marie came into the world. She weighed 10 lbs. 4 oz and was 21-1/2" long. She and our daughter are doing fine. We're the proud grandparents for the sixth time.

Stopping by the Big Field

2010-12-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

This was the sunset this evening as I stopped by the big field near Jackson Bottom Slough. What a gift it was. I worked at the county jail this afternoon. This was a dramatic change in scenery only ten minutes after leaving confinement.

It makes me appreciate freedom.

God's speed.

Flying a Quick Mission

2010-11-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't ridden since last Saturday due to the weather. We've had temps in the 20's & 30's (F) all week with a touch of snow and ice. The other night while looking through some photos I found this intentionally ~~underexposed~~, I mean overexposed shot and decided to post it. Maybe it could be a photo for an article on Germany vs. Italy... or maybe not

My wonderful wife, Amber, bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner on Tuesday. Having two dogs and two cats our kids keep telling us that we certainly qualify for a Dyson so we splurged and are now proud owners. Wow, that thing really... picks up. I won't say the other word. Since I'm the designated vacuum guy at our house, I'm now in hog-heaven!

Anyway, yesterday we noticed that many retail stores, including Home Depot, have the same vacuum on sale for "Black Friday" for $39 less than what we paid on Tuesday. So my mission today was to go back to the store with the ad in hand along with our receipt.

I was surprised at first because the return lady seemed like she wasn't going to honor the new sale price. She said it was a special deal for this weekend only. So I asked her to price match Lowe's, Best Buy, and others. Eventually we got it worked out and all was good. Working in retail on Black Friday has got to be a challenging ordeal. Amber did it for many years in our early lives.

The trip to the store and the return home were dry but while inside the beemer got a little shower. I find that a ride after several days of not riding to be a little sweeter than usual.

As I rode up the hill towards our house, feeling the pull of the bike and hearing the high pitched hum of the motor, I felt the warm feeling of gratitude again. Several things came to mind but the ongoing enjoyment of riding a motorcycle for transportation usually triggers the gratitude.

Even quick errands on Black Friday are a gift.

God's speed.

What a Privilege

2010-11-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

As I write this the temperature outside is 35 (F). They say it'll snow tomorrow but we'll see. Snow or not it's too cold to safely ride, in my humble opinion.

Yesterday morning I rode to a breakfast meeting in light rain at 39 (F). The photo above is not from yesterday. I decided to post this one because it reminds me of the delight I get from beginning a day of riding. What a privilege it is.

At the breakfast meeting I was asked why I ride a motorcycle. Actually the question was, "Why do you ride a motorcycle at your age?" I said, "Because it gets in your blood." I guess there will come a day when I have to stop, but until that day I'm grateful for the experience.

God's speed.

Leaves Everywhere & Foggy Scenes

2010-11-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

I've probably written this before, so please excuse me if I have, but this is my favorite time of year. The cool crisp air and the autumn colors trigger an internal awareness that the holidays are fast approaching. It's a great time for family, food and photos. And of course riding through the colors and the unique lighting are both special too.

When I was a kid my dad and I would rake the leaves each Saturday morning. I was highly encouraged to do this weekly ritual before playing with my buddies. Now a leaf blower does the trick. I wish we had one of those back in the day!

These leaf shots were taken yesterday on the campus of Oregon State University. A few weeks ago I wrote on the other blog that when I see scenes like this it reminds me of pumpkin pie or eggnog. I guess another internal trigger.

The fog was rolling in on the ride home this evening after working at the jail. I've lightened the photo a little to make things more visible. To the right is a familiar field that I call "The big field". Most recently corn was growing there.

Here is part of the field with fog muting the trees in the distance. Next spring the field will be filled with water and look like a lake. It's a favorite spot for taking photos depending on the lighting.

After taking the photo above I turned around to walk back to the bike. I noticed flashing lights. It was a county sheriff motor-cop who stopped to make sure I was okay. We've waved to one another on this road before. I told him I just stopped to take photos of the distant fog. He agreed that it's a good spot. I thanked him for stopping and told him I appreciated it. Pretty cool, tax dollars at work.

I take a longer way home on Fridays. I think of it as sort of a treat after the work-week and being sprung out of jail. Not that those two things are bad but rather it's the first time of the week where I don't have to be somewhere at a certain time. The official beginning of the weekend and what better way to start than riding.

As it got darker and foggier the lighting became more intriguing. More evidence of the season.

As the days get shorter I seem to get a little sluggish; feeling like I don't have as much drive to work on unfinished projects around the house. Maybe I should be gathering pumpkin pies for hibernation. Nah, better keep the projects going so I can ride guilt free.

God's speed.

Thoughts While on a Southern Oregon Trip

2010-11-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

(Grave Creek Covered Bridge - Josephine County, OR)

Wednesday morning I left for Southern Oregon for a couple of days of work mixed with short times of being a tourist. Okay, I was pretending to be a tourist after enjoy the travels of Gary's USA Tour on a Harley and George's Riding the USA. The weather was forecast to be dry and the temperature to be relatively mild with the high both days in the mid 60's F. That translates into, "Go ride!" - especially in November.

As I headed down I-5 in the dark it was slightly overcast with gusty winds. About 25 miles south of Portland the wind was gone making for an enjoyable time to watch how the sunrise would develop. Cruising along like this I like hearing the high-pitched hum of the motor below me.

By the way, is it possible to fall asleep while riding? I've always had the ability to fall asleep anywhere and at anytime. Being a salesman for almost 40 years I've logged many miles behind the windshield of the various cars I've owned. Thank God I haven't fallen asleep but I've come close a number of times. In the late 70's I use to leave the house twice a week at 6 am to drive to part of my sales territory in the desert near Los Angeles. One morning I was startled by the raised pavement markers between the lanes. I guess I should call them "Wake-up markers."

I've been thinking that it would be hard to fall asleep while riding. Maybe it's like falling asleep while walking - there's just too much going on. I ride with a slight touch of fear. Then there's the necessity to keep the eyes moving and anticipate what others could do. Those two factors alone should be enough to take away the threat of sleep. Plus there's the ability to crack the visor and keep cold fresh air flowing. Well, Wednesday morning I think I was on the edge of testing this question. The first warning signal for the potential to fall asleep was riding in not much traffic. The threat from others was taken away. Then I began to day dream followed by a yawning fit. Then I got a little drowsy. Just the thought of being drowsy while riding gave me the same jolt as the "Wake-up markers". Then everything was okay again. Whew, I don't want to test that theory again.

The sunrise was nice and at times I saw places where I wanted to stop and snap a photo. I usually think about it when I make this run and it's tempting to stop but too dangerous on I-5. About 75 miles south of Portland and just north of Eugene the weather turned foggy and cold. The fog lifted in Eugene but a low overcast remained until Roseburg where I work for most of Wednesday.

Just north of Grants Pass, OR there is an area nestled in the mountains called Sunny Valley. The Grave Creek covered bridge is one of the few remaining covered bridges in Southern Oregon. I've stopped here before but not put the photos on the blog. Wednesday afternoon about 4:00 I stopped to get some shots with the sun low in the sky.

At one time (in the early 1920's) Oregon had as many as 450 covered bridges. Now that number is down to 50. I have a plan to visit as many as I can in my travels. The plan is also to get the beemer pictured with each one. You can see a map of their locations on this link.

Thursday morning in Grants Pass was foggy and in the high 40's F. It's really feeling like autumn lately. The parking lot looks empty and November looks like a bleak month here.

The continental breakfast is good, it's just that they don't have a place for people to sit down and eat. So you have to pack as much as you can in your pockets so that you can unlock the door to get back into the building and your room.

After seeing some accounts in Grants Pass I rode south about 30 miles to Medford and Ashland to visit more customers. I made it back to Grants Pass for lunch then saw another account before working my way north.

I have to confess, I have this little routine when I make this trip. I stop at a Dairy Queen in Sutherlin just north of Roseburg. It's the perfect snack at just the right time of the afternoon. It gives me the chance to stretch, get fuel, and use the facilities. Another confession; the older I get I seem to be what the cup above says... a chocoholic.

The next stop was the Rochester Covered Bridge. This bridge is about 3 miles from the Dairy Queen. It was almost torched years ago but managed to survive and was remodeled in 1969.

The bridge has a nice sound when cars pass through. The floor-boards rumble giving it an old-time sound.

My next stop is the rest stop north of Eugene. It was beginning to get dark so it was time to change to the clear visor. I've seen this biplane crop duster before making his exaggerated oval pattern early in the morning. Because his property is right next to I-5, he makes some of his turns low and right over the highway. He was flying late on Thursday. It was quite a sight.

The beemer looks anxious to get back on the road so we do. With about 80 miles to go it was a nice ride while the sun is setting. It was dark when I got into the Portland area. It was another nice mini-trip which makes me only dream about taking an extended one.

This summer when I took my rear tire to the dealer to get a new one installed, I was waiting for the place to open when I met some people gathering there for a ride to Mt. Saint Helens. A Harley rider showed me photos still in his camera from a ride with a couple of buddies to the Grand Canyon. I told him I'd like to do that someday. He said, "You just have to do it. Don't keep talking about doing it, just do it."

Good advice. Maybe next year.

God's speed.

There is Hope

2010-10-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

(Route 6 heading west into the coastal range)

Have you ever had a hard time coming up with a beginning to a post? Since starting the blog again I've already written about such subjects as cancer and job loss, both of which are not positive and uplifting topics. So I've been challenged a bit coming up with a beginning.

This post has another subject that's not popular so I want to say from the outset that my intentions are not to make a pattern of this. It's just the way things have unfolded in the last month or so. I'll begin by saying as I've mentioned before that we've had a little place at the coast for a number of years. The first year we had it we went there almost every weekend. It's been a place for special family times and our grandkids will probably treasure the memories for the rest of their lives.

It's in a quaint neighborhood with people that you get to know by having conversations from the backyard while barbecuing or out in the street after coming back from a walk on the beach. Many of the houses are second homes for Portland folks so the full time neighbors keep an eye out for anything unusual.

Three-day weekend holidays are fun. The whole town bulges with tourists and extended families. And then there's the 4th of July parade that has all the charm and excitement of small town parades.

Last Tuesday night we got a call with some bad news. The kind of news that seems to make time stand still for a few moments. It's the kind of call that's difficult to make and to receive. Our next door neighbor died suddenly last Sunday. I won't go into detail except to say that he was relatively young. He leaves his wife and two young daughters. His memorial service was yesterday.

(Along Rte 6 and the Wilson River)

I left about 4:30 Friday afternoon to ride over to the coast. The weather was clear and in the low 50's F. Sometimes on a ride like this I'll listen to the iPod but this ride I wanted to reminisce.

(Route 6 - Tillamook State Forest)

Do you think it's possible that a quiet two-lane highway in the forest can be like a cathedral? I think so. Except for the fact that I had to keep an eye out for the big three. Deer, Elk, and the newer threat foraging bears.

Over the years our neighbor and I have had many conversations in front of our houses on the street or from our backyards. Topics varied between our families, local government, world issues, weather, neighborhood news - the usual stuff. Occasionally and at appropriate times I would bring up religion and things of God. On those subjects he wasn't too interested in going into detail and that was okay - we didn't. It was an interesting relationship that grew despite the 90 miles that separated us.

I came out of the forest and onto the straight-away that precedes Tillamook as the sun was just setting. This is the spot where you see many of the dairy farms. You not only see them you smell them.

After making the usual stops at the store then Subway to pick up dinner I headed up the coast towards the house. By the time I got to the ghost hole on the east side of Tillamook Bay the sunset was peaceful and the bay was calm. I stopped to take it all in.

In February our neighbor had a bad accident at home. He slipped while in the shower and hit the side of his head on the edge of the tub. It did quite a bit of damage and he lost the use of his eye. In the months to come he had a few reconstructive surgeries which helped bring him almost back to normal. The accident, though, had taken its toll on his outlook on life. Already unemployed he started to spiral into a time of despair.

One night in April while we were on the phone he said that he wanted to talk about God. He wanted to have a talk about Him in person. I told him I'd be there the following Saturday.

That next Saturday afternoon while we sat in his darkened living room, God opened his heart to receive Christ as his Lord and Savior. Later as I left I hugged him not realizing that it would be one of the last times that I would see him.

As I rode home yesterday after the service I took my time and made many stops in the now cold and drizzly forest. Each day is such a gift and I fear sometimes that I'm not making the best of each one of them. Robbing the title of my last post, events like this really put things into perspective.

(Men fly fishing on the Wilson River)

The emptiness of not being able to see him and talk with him is there but the assurance that he'll be reunited with his family and that I'll see him again one day is a wonderful promise that God has made. And I believe it's true.

There is hope - there is always a way provided for hope.

God's speed.

Putting Things in Perspective

2010-10-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Those of us in the northern hemisphere are about to head into the time of year where the weather can be stormy. I was thinking the other day about how this can translate into what we experience while riding on two wheels and being exposed to the elements.

While riding, at any given time we're either in a storm, we've just come out of a storm, or we're about to head into a storm. And so it is with life isn't it? With the storms of life we are in one of these three positions.

Each Wednesday during the lunch hour there's a meeting held in one of the buildings along the Park Blocks which is near Portland State University. It's called the Downtown Bible Class and is well attended by people from all walks of life including students. I try to go when I'm downtown and don't have something pressing with work. Not only is it interesting to go for the teaching but it's a great place to meet people.

This past Wednesday after grabbing a bagel and cup of water I sat down at an empty table to see what new adventure might happen. Within a few minutes a well dressed man sat down at the table a couple of chairs away. As we made the usual small talk about how often we come to the class and what we do for a living, he said he was just laid off from his job the day before. He was in the financial industry and his sales were not meeting the expectations of the company. He's been laid off before so he said that he's preparing for "What's to come."

I thought a lot about him the rest of the day. I still wonder how he and his wife are coping with the jolt to their lives.

These life experiences tend to put things into perspective don't they? You know how it is. Sometimes you find yourself complaining about a cold or aches and pains then you see someone in a wheelchair or a blind person. Or you complain about something at work then you meet a person who's just lost their job.

Once and awhile I think my riding skills are beginning to come together and my confidence gets a little distorted. Then I either read or hear about a bad accident which puts things in perspective again.

If we're not in a storm we can be sure that one will come. Life is a series of storms and there are no guarantees in this world. I purposely said, "In this world". There are guarantees and when we find them they do help put life in the proper perspective.

God's speed.

Sunset Chaser

2010-10-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to share what I was treated to last night as I rode to a weekly meeting. It was a nice sunset and it lasted a long time. I was riding west so I was able to enjoy it.

I stopped and parked on a dead end road in the country which was parallel to the western horizon. As I was clicking away I heard the faint sound of an engine. It was a farmer pulling his cultivating discs. He turned in front of me and gave a silhouette. Farming has long hours.

Riding at this time of the evening has more risks but it's great when you get a sweet surprise. You've heard of tornado chasers; I wouldn't mind being a sunset chaser.

God's speed.

Sunday Morning Ride

2010-10-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

I rolled out this morning at about 7:20. I'm a volunteer chaplain at the county jail. Every other Sunday morning I do chapel service. This wasn't my usual morning though, I was filling in for the guy who usually does the 3rd Sunday.

We live on a hill and as usual this time of year, low-lying fog in the valley can be a photographic treat.

It was the first cold morning of the fall season. The ride to the jail is only about 16 miles and takes about 20 minutes. I figure I can take just about anything for 20 minutes if I'm riding. Since I stopped so many times to take photos my hands got a little cold. Eventually I didn't want to let go of the heated grips. Has someone come up with a way to get the foot pegs red hot?

Some might find volunteering at a jail a little different but I really look forward to it. After all, they're a captive audience. Sorry, a little jail humor. The staff at the jail are hard working nice people. I respect the work that they do and their commitment to keeping the jail safe and secure. Many of the deputies ride which makes for a nice commonality.

I also look forward to these Sunday morning rides. Though I ride this route often, on Sunday mornings it unfolds much better than other times. One never knows what the elements and the early morning light are going to reveal. And as I've written before, it feels like this time is more solitary than usual.

Once out in the country the temperature got as low as 34F. This made my temp gauge flash and show the blinking snowflake icon. No snow this morning though, here is the first sunlight hitting Mt. Hood about 80 miles to the east.

About a mile down the road I stopped again to capture the sun just peeking over the horizon. I'm looking forward to more Sunday morning rides and what will come with them. Isn't it great to be riding and enjoying the beauty of the world in which we live? I don't ever want to take any of this for granted. Each moment is a gift and I'm grateful.

God's speed.

To Sell or Not to Sell... and "Spider Bike"

2010-10-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

After buying the beemer, the Vespa sat in the garage for quite a while. It was too much fun riding the bigger bike and in some aspects safer too. After a couple of months of inactivity I thought about selling the Vespa.

Then one day I rode it to our son and daughter-in-law's town about 30 miles away. With it's responsiveness and agility it was a blast with a different style. It didn't take long to get back that familiar feeling of the unique ride.

So, every once-and-awhile I take the Vespa for an errand. It helps keep the battery charged and the gas from getting stale. I know I could use a battery tender and Sta Bil additive but riding it is much better.

Sometimes I still have thoughts of selling it. But our oldest granddaughter will be 16 soon and starting college faster than we can imagine. Maybe she'll want to use it at college. We'll see what happens.

For those of you who watch American Chopper you know that they've done a couple of spider bikes. Here's my humble version of a spider bike.

Spiders have been making many garage-webs lately. There was a piece in yesterday's paper on the fact that such sights are common as fall settles in. Spiders try to snag more insects before laying eggs for a new generation in the spring. Maybe on this particular morning she wanted to go for a ride.

I wonder how they know where to make their web?

I Got Into Heavy Metal this Summer

2010-10-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

A little over a month ago I picked up some unwanted metallic road material. I had about 7500 miles on the tire since May and as you can see I managed to get some miles on this screw too. That's because I didn't realize it was there until later that night when I went into the garage for something and noticed my rear tire looked low.

I got to thinking about my day and where I might have picked up the screw. The last place I left before heading home was this yard at Portland School District. Of course it could've been lurking anywhere on the road but I'll be watching this yard a little more closely.

It's kind of interesting to think that I was leaning like normal on all the curves on I-5 between downtown and our house. Thankfully I made it home before the tire went flat.

An engineer at one of the hospitals in Portland was returning home a few weeks ago from a 10 day road trip in Canada with some friends. They were just outside Wenatchee, WA and he was in the lead on his 09 Honda ST1300. At this point when he tells the story he says he was on the downhill side of a hill. He noticed something ambling on the side of the road but it didn't register with him what it was. As he kept watching, it made a change in course and was now heading to cross the road. About the time he thought to himself, "That's a bear!"... he hit it.

The next guy behind him was near the top of the hill and had a panoramic view of the whole incident. He would later say that it looked like the two of them were on tracks and were meant to collide. This is what we all learned in our motorcycle safety class as "target fixation". I'm thinking though that it would be pretty hard not look at a bear ambling on the side of the road. Probably the best bet would be to slow way down or even stop.

After the impact the motorcycle low-sided. The rider separated from the bike and did a combination of sliding, rolling, and basically flying around like a rag-doll. The guy who had the view said he thought he was dead. He said the bear was knocked into the air and landed back on the side of the road. He attempted to get up then fell back down and died.

The rider was very fortunate. He broke his throttle wrist, cracked a rib, and his big toe on his left foot was swollen. All of his gear did the job it was intended to do including his Draggin' Jeans with Kevlar inserts. He has a plate in his wrist and is looking forward to riding again.

When you think back on close calls that you've had in life do you sometimes wonder how you managed to get through them? I've had at least two incidents where I shouldn't be here and those weren't on a motorcycle. And then there are countless close calls we're not even aware of.

Anyway, keep checking your tires and watch for furry critters along the roadside.

God's speed.

Coming Out of the Fog

2010-10-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Kind of an odd concept going into fog for the summer and coming out in autumn. But looking back on that last post from the coast, the fog gave a good cover to break away from the drudgery that blogging had become. Coming up with regular posts that had even a nominal amount of interest was a chore. Consequently, I gave myself a self-imposed 3 month sabbatical from blogging. It wasn't planned to be three months it just turned out that way. More on that in a minute.

The situation had gotten to the point where I couldn't see the forest for the trees. I was focusing too much on trying to come up with interesting content while my heart wasn't in it. I was letting the blog run my life instead of vice versa. The time off was a good way to stop and look at the bigger picture.

The beemer and I have been racking up the miles this summer. One of the great benefits of riding is meeting interesting people. If I can humbly say this, the beemer seems to be a magnet that draws people of all ages. From little kids holding on to their mother's hand to elderly ladies, people seem to gravitate to it and conversations start quickly and happen almost daily.

A recent example happened at the Vista House overlooking the Columbia Gorge. I stopped there week before last to snap some photos. As I was getting ready to leave, a gentleman pulled into the parking lot on a Harley. We started making small talk about motorcycles then he mentioned that he just needed to get out and go for a ride. He said that ten days ago he received some bad news. He's been diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas. The conversation took a different tone so I asked him if he had a religious background. He perked up and said yes he's a Christian. He said that his future is secure and he knows where he's going when he dies. It was really great to hear him confidently talk about his faith and how people are seriously listening to what he has to say. It was obvious that his faith has given him strength in spite of facing the unknown with cancer.

This brings me to the bigger picture. I'd like to invite you to stick with me as we go on a ride. I can't help but talk about my faith in God and more specifically in Jesus. He has changed my life over the last 9 years and I have to tell others of His love and grace and mercy. If you had a cure for cancer would you talk about it or keep it to yourself? If you knew of the only exit out of a burning building would you "respect the rights of others" and not say anything?

Some might say, "Why talk about faith, this is a motorcycle blog?" I can't suppress it any longer. On this blog I've kept it bottled up so as not to offend anyone but I have to be true to the title and post on what I think about. More importantly I want to be true to God.

We all know that riding a two wheeler is dangerous. We also know that at any moment we could leave this life. Let's face it, there's a one-to-one relationship between people and death. No one gets out of this life alive. I know this is a negative subject but what if it's true that what we believe in this life determines where we go in the next life. We plan for vacations and retirement, I'm thinking maybe we should look at what's next after this.

I've developed an online relationship with many of you over the past year and as a result I care about you. And even though I've been lurking for a few months I've still been following your blogs. I want to bring this blog back up and share my thoughts along with motorcycle travels. The content here is not intended to be offensive. Hopefully it will be a thought provoking journey. I hope you find it both interesting and challenging.

I thought I would post a straight on photo instead of the usual reflection shot. This was yesterday afternoon at Bald Peak State Park. This area is excellent for riding the twisties and seeing beautiful scenery. The trouble is you can't do both at the same time.

By the way, in case you're wondering why I'm wearing a baseball cap it's because I'm follicly challenged. Actually I don't want the glare off my forehead to bring down a satellite somewhere.

God's speed.

Fading into the Fog...

2010-06-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

(Heceta Head Lighthouse point)

A Beemer and its rider fade into the coastal fog...

Brief Update

2010-06-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Nary a motorcycle or scooter in this popular spot. It kind of represents my riding lately... empty or at least spotty. For most of the week I've been fighting some sort of virus that must be going around. It's not like a cold. It's a general state of crumminess with laryngitis and occasional coughing fits. And a fuzzy mental state that's not too conducive to piloting a motorcycle.

With that in mind I haven't had anything to post regarding motorcycling. But I don't want this blog to fizzle out so I thought I would check in with this brief update.

In the last week I've started about three posts. But the truth is I haven't felt the desire to post. Maybe it's partly due to the run-down feeling but I think it also has something to do with my focus on this blog. I'm thinking that I haven't been true to the title. Sure, I've been riding and we all think, but I don't do posts on what I think about. So I'm going to either have to do posts on what I think about or just stop thinking. Or maybe change the name of the blog so I don't have to stop thinking. Nah, I think I'll do some posts which include more thoughts during the day's travels.

I did go for a ride earlier. I rode over to our oldest daughter's garage sale. Our granddaughter had a lemonade stand with cookies too. Since all I had was a $10 bill I owe her some coin. She's such a sweetie!

Later I rode to the BMW shop to figure out the best way to wire-up my Garmin GPS. My wife won it in a drawing a couple of years ago. I haven't mounted it to the bike yet but I'm riding to the central Oregon Coast for a couple of days next week and I thought it would come in handy.

This little wiring pigtail will allow me to rig the power cable directly into the Beemer's electrical system without messing up the tricky Canbus system. The other option is to wire things directly to the battery with a fuse block but this will be a nice way to make it the way BMW intended with their accessory Garmin. The factory leaves a connection tucked under and in front of the triple tree for accessories.

I hope you've been able to ride this weekend. To all the Dads out there, Happy Father's Day!

Stay focused.

Extended Twilight

2010-06-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

This was the scene last night while riding home from the jail. It has a slight blur because I had the ISO low to keep the grain down. It was about 9:45 with a fair amount of light left. I'm really liking these extended hours of light and we still have a couple of weeks until the longest day of the year. Around here the fireworks on July 4th don't start until 10 pm.

I know there are more risks to riding at night but I still like it. It's hard to beat riding in the early morning and watching the sun rise or in the evening on a full moon.

Venus is always lurking in the western sky at sunset. If you look closely you can see it.

Stay focused!

Coastal Serenity

2010-05-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

After a visit to the jail Friday afternoon I headed over to our place at the coast. It was to be a quick trip to get some much needed work done then come back home Saturday. When I got on the road about 5 pm Friday there was a steady rain falling. It continued through the coast range which made for absolutely stunning scenery. This time of year the Tillamook Forest is lush and hyper-green and the rain just exaggerated the colors. The two lane road meanders through the mountains with the Wilson River alongside on the coast side of the range. At times I found myself thinking, “This could be like Europe, maybe even Germany. Yeah that’s it, this is Germany and I’m on a BMW!”

Many of the timber laden mountain slopes and peaks had those wisps of fog hanging on them. Several times I restrained myself from stopping to takes photos. The speed limit for most of the canyon is 55 mph with just the right amount of slow developing sweeps and curves. As with many canyon roads, especially on the Friday night of a holiday weekend, slow driving folk can be persistent obstacles. After passing some of these folks, I didn’t want to stop for photos and have to start all over with the passing game. It's a dilemma that has two options. I guess the only solution is to take most of a day going through the pass making many stops for photos.

I stopped in Tillamook to pick up a few things at the store then headed up the coast in the light coastal drizzle and wind. Breaking out from the protection of a wooded area just before the road drops next to Tillamook Bay, the onshore ocean wind gave the bike a hit which allowed me to lean into it yet still go straight. It’s generally a surprise and a fun one at that. Looking left out onto the bay at the peninsula that juts out from Cape Meares, I could see the gray out-of-focus look that an oncoming squall reveals.

Arriving in Garabaldi on the north end of the bay, it has that misty and quiet look that a fishing town has at the end of a work day. Around some more curves north of town and past the tide pools which are now covered with high tide, the road gently drops down near a serene looking Lake Smith. The drizzle has all but stopped; it’s getting darker and I’m almost to the house so I stop to record the scene.

The return trip home yesterday was almost a milestone. I only encountered one vehicle ahead of me for the entire 50 mile trip on Hwy 6 through the coast range. This was probably because most everyone was going towards the coast instead of away from the coast. It was a rarity that I gladly accepted. The sun was out and the temperature was just right at 60 F. A perfect day to be on two wheels enjoying the amazing scenery.

First Year Thoughts

2010-05-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

Today we have a year on the road together. As I look back on some of the areas to which I've been and things I've seen while riding I can't help but have a strong feeling of gratitude. Grateful for the memories but also for being unscathed.

When I began riding again two years ago, I had no idea that it would grip me the way it has. And with the number of riding years ahead of me dwindling, I'm going to continue to enjoy as many miles as the good Lord will allow.

I wish you many enjoyable and safe riding miles.

Tire Change Reflections

2010-05-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

Last night I posted this photo with a very short write-up then decided to delete it. The trouble with doing that is Blogger doesn't delete it from the blog lists of others.

Next Friday it will be a year since the truck arrived at our house with the Beemer. I've put 14,000 miles on it this year. When I got the bike it had a little less than 12,000 miles and the previous owner had just installed a new rear tire. In the last couple of weeks the tire had worn through the wear indicators. Since I plan on making a trip to Southern Oregon next week I figured I needed some fresh tread.

I bought my tire online from my favorite motorcycle supply house, which happens to be in Oregon. The tire was waiting on my porch the next afternoon. Wednesday afternoon I stopped at the nearby Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki dealership to work out the installation. They wanted to check out the rear wheel to make sure it would work on their balancer. Everything check out okay so I told him I'd call Thursday to make the arrangements. Before I left I popped a couple of shots of the FJR next to me. I'm pretty sure some people in the service department thought I was weird to take several pictures of the side case of an FJR waiting for its owner. I just thought it was a Kodak moment.

Here's where the glitch came into play on the tire thing. Wednesday was a nice day with high clouds but Thursday was clear and sunny and very beautiful. This caused anyone with a motorcycle to call the dealership and want their bike worked on for the upcoming beautiful weekend. The service department was slammed and he said it would be two weeks before they could look at my bike. Wow, things change fast when the sun comes out.

So this morning I strapped my tire on the bike and rode to the BMW dealer across town by the airport. It's first come first served so I made sure I was first. Actually I was the only one. An hour later I was back on the road.

Before I left, a man and a lady each pulled up on 1200GS's. His bike had two new tires strapped on the back. I couldn't help but notice that the two tires on his bike looked okay, so after he went inside I asked her about the tires. She said that they were cupped and because they're leaving for Alaska in a few days they need replacing. They're both tour guides for trips from Portland to Alaska. We spoke for a while before she gave me her card. The company is MotoQuest and the trips look very interesting. It's not necessary to have a dual sport bike because they have all sorts of tours. Maybe someday.

While I was waiting for the shop to open I couldn't resist another reflection shot with the FedEx truck.

Stopping by a Foggy Pond to Ponder

2010-05-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Simple Engine Parts

2010-05-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

Quick, close your eyes! It's a motorcycle without anything on. Actually the stuff that's not on is all the plastic "Tupperware." Yesterday I did valve adjustment, changed the plugs and the air filter. It's kind of a big service so I have more to do but I'll spread it out over a few weekends so I can continue to ride.

Whenever I do engine work I'm generally struck by the fact that these simple engine parts allow us to be transported to and from various destinations. We don't see these parts but we rely on them to do their job and not fail.

I use the term "simple engine parts" because the gasoline combustion engine is really a simple design. The first time I delved into doing major work on an engine was soon after Amber and I were married. We had a VW bug that needed an engine rebuild. We didn't have the money to pay a shop to do it so she encouraged me to try it myself. It seemed like a monumental undertaking so I bought a book called "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive." It was a step-by-step manual for, what it stated on the cover, "The Compleat Idiot." The word "complete" was intentionally misspelled. This spiral bound book was very detail oriented as well as funny. It even pointed out the times when the reader should take a break and have a beer.

When I took that engine apart I still remember that I got a slight sense of intruding in an area I shouldn't see. Kind of like seeing my own kidneys. It was a sacred thing that I shouldn't mess with because those engine parts were so important to the whole car that regular people shouldn't look upon them, let alone touch them. I don't want to see my kidneys, I just want to know they are there and working properly.

I've gotten over that feeling of holding engine parts high on a pedestal. But whenever I do some wrenching I get a sense of respect for how these simple parts allow us to travel with a safe and confident feeling. And how I generally take for granted when I turn the key everything will work well. Kind of like my kidneys.

Our son and his family came to the house yesterday. The weather was so nice he rode his motorcycle while our daughter-in-law drove the kids in the car. I think our grandson is going to have a bend towards riding someday. All of us were hanging out in and around the garage on lawn chairs with a couple of motorcycles and a scooter. Three years ago that would have been unthinkable. What have we come to?

This morning on my ride to the jail I noticed many of the fields have crimson growing. I stopped to take one shot of the red blanket over a farm. A word that comes to mind that describes the weather and the sights this morning is glorious. These days are the reason we live in the Northwest.

While cruising along this morning enjoying the view and taking in the fresh morning air the thought occurred to me, "Man, those valves are popping in and out at a fast rate. I hope I did everything right!"

Rusty Memories

2010-05-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today I was in Irondad's neck of the woods. The morning started in Albany visiting the usual customers; the jail, the hospital, and the college. After that it's a short hop on a highway to Corvallis, the home of the Oregon State Beavers, where I visit basically the same sort of customers. The above photo was taken at Oregon State near all of the shops in the facilities department. Monochrome gives it more of a state government parking lot look.

I had one of these when my wife and I were dating and first married. Mine wasn't rusty and it was a convertible. The first time she got in it on our first date she asked if it was a Karmann Ghia. That wasn't a cool thing to ask a Porsche owner but I forgave her. We still laugh about that car mix up.

There's one thing that motorcycle owners have in common with Porsche owners. Most of us wave to other motorcyclists. Porsche owners blink their lights to each other. It's a recognition that you have an affiliation. I like that.

While riding home I stopped to take some photos of this landmark. The car marks the entrance to the property of a guy and his son who restore old Porsches. There isn't a sign for the business so the car looks out of place near the road. Too bad it has to rust away.

I should pull in this place with a Karmann Ghia and ask if they'll work on it!

Weekend at the Coast

2010-05-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

We went to the coast for the weekend which means going through Tillamook again. I thought I would just post some images from our time there. No motorcycle pictures because this was a family weekend.

As we came into town late Friday afternoon I stopped to capture "the cows coming home." It was about 4:45 and they were heading back to the barn for chow. I guess you could say this is their rush-hour traffic coming back from a day at "the office."

Above is one of the bulls. This guy was big compared to the cows. I would hate to see him in the rode at night when I'm on the bike.

Saturday morning I drove into town to get some goodies at the bakery. I decided to stop by the pier to get some photos. I found a bunch of people clamming.

Here's a guy who caught his limit of Cockle Shells. He'll put them in a little flour and egg and have fried clams for lunch.

Saturday afternoon we drove into Tillamook and stopped at the cheese factory. This is always a mandatory stop when the grandkids are with us.

I think it was either break-time or shift-change because no one was working. The big blocks of cheese in the foreground are cut into 2lb blocks and packaged for retail sale.

There's always a line for ice cream. It's well worth the wait.

Our granddaughter looks like she's praying for more ice cream but I happened to catch her clapping.

Here's a shot of "Mother and Daughter." It's our daughter and granddaughter as we left the cheese factory.

Our granddaughter and I took our bullmastiff, Zoey, for a walk this morning.

We found this woolly guy crossing the road. I laid down in the street to get some closeups. Of course there weren't any cars on the road at this hour but I did learn something. It's hard to get a good shot of a caterpillar crossing the road while holding 140 pounds of curious dog.

Hope you had a good weekend and were able to ride. Oh yeah, watch out for caterpillars... and bulls.

Trip to the Coast

2010-04-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I've written this statement before but I wish I had discovered the bliss of motorcycle traveling years ago. Last week I had the privilege of working on the coast for a couple of days.

I'm still delivering our new catalog. Here's my first stop on the way to the coast in Grand Ronde with the bike loaded with 10 catalogs plus my gear.

About 15 miles north of Newport on the coast is a famous resort called Salishan Lodge. This landmark golf resort is usually bustling with people and cars. This time of year they're generally busy with corporate meetings and banquets but as you can see the parking lot is pretty sparse.

Lincoln City and Newport are two large cities on the southern end of Oregon's north coast. I usually make a couple of sales calls in Lincoln City before heading south to Newport, about 20 miles away.

Lunch in Newport was my usual fare of "eating fresh" at Subway. There were two older guys who had big Harley touring bikes eating lunch here as well. A third guy who was in line with me also is a Harley owner. We had a nice brief conversation about motorcycles before he joined the other two guys. When they left I noticed the leather vests on the first two guys. It said, "Vietnam Veterans - Newport, OR" I think that's pretty cool to be in that group.

After working most of the afternoon in Newport I usually head back north through Lincoln City for the 60 mile ride to Rockaway Beach where I'll spend the night. This market in Neskowin is about 15 miles north of Lincoln City. It's in a great spot to grab a soda and maybe a candy bar. The candy bar is to keep my focus sharp and I only indulge once and awhile. At least that's my theory. If you look closely, this market comes complete with a dog on the porch.

This is "The Ghost Hole". It's a popular Tillamook Bay fishing spot. The first photo of the post was also taken here. This is also a popular view-point for the Bay. The two posts that you see in the water are for mooring a small dock that has portable bathrooms during the fishing season. Fishermen have been known to drink a beverage that increases bladder activity.

This is Lake Lytle in Rockaway as I left town Friday morning. This is only about 90 miles from downtown Portland yet so different. Being almost due west of Portland, Rockaway was a popular vacation and weekend get-away spot in the early 1900's. It was Elmer Lytle who promoted the first steam engine train that ran from the western edge of Portland's farmland to Rockaway in 1906.

After making more sales calls in Tillamook I had lunch before the ride through the coastal range back to Portland. Heading out of town through the dairy farms I stopped to check out some of Tillamook's most prominent citizens.

Evidently it's been quite some time since number 108 has seen a guy wearing a white helmet with a day-glo green jacket. She came over to get a closer look.

Or maybe she's thinking, "is that a Beemer?"

Simple Shadow

2010-04-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile a shadow or reflection might appear on this blog but it's usually a spontaneous thing. I went to the grocery store early the other evening. As I got on the bike to leave so did my shadow.

Okay, now I want to do video!

2010-04-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Bobskoot made the mistake of asking on a comment for mounting tape for his video setup. I happened to find Filmtools.com and stumbled onto this video. It's pretty cool to see the versatility of their mounting rig.

There are some places where I'd like to have a video camera to capture the expanse and beauty while riding, for example, Mt. Hood or the Gorge. You probably feel the same way. Some of the landscapes we see while riding are pretty amazing.

Now I'll have to save my pennies! Enjoy!

Catalog Challenge

2010-04-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Late last week our company rolled out a new catalog that's the largest we ever had. For those of you familiar with Grainger, ours is slightly larger but weighs less because we used recycled paper. Monday and Tuesday I took the car so I could haul more catalogs to freely disperse. Today though, the weather was too nice to be in the cage.

With a little planning I managed to get six of them on the Beemer, although I think I can get a maximum of 10 on board. I can bungee a case of 6 on the seat behind me and then put 2 in each side case. Of course it can't rain with this setup so we'll see how many more days I can do this. The plan is to hand present the new catalog to the largest accounts. All others will get one with their next order, hopefully prompting their next order.

I know that many of you are planning to come to Oregon for the BMW Rally in July. I commend you for your packing ingenuity. Bringing as much as you can stuffed into every nook and cranny can be a challenge.

As I rode past Portland State University this afternoon I looked over at the motorcycle parking area as I usually do. I thought this white beauty was a Beemer cafe racer so I went around the block to check it out.

It's a Honda but I'm not sure what model. It's either a replica bike or one that's restored. The "toaster tank" reminds me of the Honda 50 I use to ride.

I like the shape of the handle bars. This bike was really clean!

Once a month I go to the Portland VA Hospital. There are always a lot of bikes lined along this wall on the ground floor of the parking structure. I parked between two beautiful Harleys today. As a matter of fact, vets apparently like Harleys because there are usually a lot of them there.

I had to throw in a parking structure photo, it was too tempting. The way the light filtered in and put those guys into silhouette and the gleam off the front wheels was too much to resist.

The Big Switch

2010-04-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. The big switcheroo. Crossing the point of no return. Messing with something that isn't broke. I should mention at this point I tend to lean towards the conservative side of things. I'm not progressive by nature. I generally don't step out of my comfort zone and maybe that's true of some. But wait, I'm already getting off track.

I'm talking about switching from dinosaur oil to synthetic. BMW engines have a longer break-in period so it's recommended by BMW to wait at least until 18,000 miles to make the switch. I have about 24,500 on the clock. I told you I lean conservative.

I went to the dealer and asked one of the service guys if there's anything special that I need to do in order to make the switch. He said no and that it sounds funny but my engine will learn to adapt to the new oil. That does sound funny. Pretty cool though, my engine has the capability of learning. Man, those Germans think of everything!

So I just started pouring it in. No fanfare, no drum roll, no thunder and lightening. It quietly went into the crankcase and that was that.

I did that yesterday afternoon and due to various chores that had to be done I couldn't even squeak in a test ride. I had to just count on my engine doing a little learning on it's own overnight.

On my ride early this morning the official learning began. It felt faster, smoother, quieter, lighter, and it even looked better. I felt smoother, quieter, lighter, and even looked better. Come to think of it, it's the same feeling I have after I wash it, which is to say, it's all in my head. You know that feeling after you wash your bike.

Nah, I didn't feel all those things. I'm just kidding. It was just another oil change but an excuse to post some photos.

The weather is suppose to be better this week so I guess we'll get in some more learning. I hope your weather is good too!

Wonderful Creation!

2010-04-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

While riding this afternoon I had that realization again of being grateful for being alive and having the ability to enjoy God's wonderful creation. Yesterday I was in the Columbia Gorge taking in all the beauty and grandeur of that amazing area.

During the spring we get a mixed bag of weather, sometimes within the same day. Storms blow in and out quickly. Above is an image taken yesterday afternoon looking up the Columbia River to the east.

About an hour later the sun was out as seen from the parking lot of Multnomah Falls. For more images from the falls look here.

A side effect of riding is to become an amateur weather buff. I like that. Weather is another aspect that brings me closer to the reality of this wonderful creation.

I hope you're enjoying your part of the world!

Pressing the Starter Button Again

2010-04-03T20:40:00.000-07:00

This is how the Beemer looked early Thursday morning after opening the garage door. Just a trace of morning light was glancing off the side. Not having its starter button pressed in almost a week it seemed to have a cold and lonely look.

I was leaving the house for the 170 mile trip to Roseburg but with the temperature at 39 (F), the starter button wouldn't be pressed that morning either. I'm not opposed to riding in 39 degree weather but to sustain that for 3 hours is beyond my scope of what I call enjoyable riding.

We've had cold, wet, and windy weather for most of the week but Thursday turned out to be a nice day. Of course, that's the day I didn't ride. Yesterday the rain and wind came back until this afternoon.

Some might remember from a previous post in which I wrote about a Saturday afternoon ritual I have of making a yogurt run. We like the yogurt but I really like the excuse to ride on Saturday afternoons and not be concerned about the weather. This afternoon I pressed the starter button again and reconnected with my machine.

It was great to get out on the road again; to hold on to the handle bars and feel the pull of the engine. And it's always fun to stop and take some photos along the way. I took the long way home on some backroads. I couldn't go too far though because the yogurt had to get home. Next time I go a week without riding I'll have to remember to ride first then get the yogurt.

I hope you've been pressing your starter button these days.

I wish you and your family a blessed Easter!

Concrete & Rubber

2010-03-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have an ongoing interest in the way light enters and filters in and around parking structures. These images were taken this afternoon across the street from the county jail. It was about 4:45 pm and cars were starting to exit. There I stood taking various photos of the motorcycle. People must have thought that I'm in love with that machine. It's not love but I do enjoy it.

A distinguished looking older lady pulled near me in her car and offered to take some photos of me and the bike. I politely declined and told her what a nice gesture it was. She said she has a Harley and fully understands what I was doing. Wow, it was hard to imagine her riding a Harley. Motorcycle folks are sure friendly and interesting.

Rain Rain Go Away...

2010-03-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

It rained most of the day today. Yesterday was in the low 70's sunny and beautiful. Spring is in the air but today the rain was back.

Tomorrow shouldn't have too much rain and Saturday should be dry again.

Sunday the rain returns for several days. Oh well, such is spring in the Northwest.

A Rekindled Friendship

2010-03-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'll get to the heart of this post and the meaning of the title in a moment, but first, Amber and I are on vacation this week. After our weekend at the coast our immediate goal now is to act like we're retired, sort of, but also get some much needed work done around the homestead. I spent the morning yesterday doing work, as in business work, then in the afternoon tackled the messy garage. Reorganizing and cleaning the garage is something I do about every 6 months then it gets back to its cluttered state again. I think it might have something to do with Murphy. Why is it that flat surfaces attract stuff?

I'm not proud of the photo above, that's why it's smaller and not the top image to the post but it's typical of how the workbench looks most of the time. When we were first married it seems like I could keep things organized and in their place. I guess I've lost control. Does this mean I should join a cluttered workbench help group?

Now to the real reason for this post. A little over a month ago I posted on a Honda 90 that I came across in my travels. It was called Honda Nostalgia. In that post I mentioned that as a teenager I rode around on a borrowed Honda 50. I also mentioned a good friend being a part of those rides. After writing that post and having some wonderful memories come to the surface I called him to see how he's doing. We hadn't seen each other since the mid 80's and only talked on the phone a couple of times since then. He lives in the Seattle area and has owned and ridden various motorcycles all these years. We had a great visit on the phone and decided to get together in March when he would come to Portland on business. Last night we met at a restaurant near the airport and and had a great time catching up on each others lives.

It's really special to re-connect with someone you've known almost all of your life but haven't seen for many years. When my family moved into that neighborhood in Southern California I was one month shy of 9 years old. There were four of us including his older brother who became best friends that summer. Later there would be two more who would move into the neighborhood. I'm certain that the six of us would agree that we grew up during the best era and had the best friendships. I'm very grateful for that.

As we parted last night we agreed to stay in touch and even get together for some riding. It was really great to see him and realize that we'll see each other more often and even ride together again. If someone had told us years ago that we'd both be living in the Northwest and get together at a restaurant near the Portland airport one night to re-connect and discuss riding again we'd have said, no way. It's interesting how events in life come together.

I hope you're surrounded by a lot of family and friends. Life is short. Treasure each moment and relationship.

Oh... I got the garage and workbench clean. We'll see how long it lasts.

The Serenity of an Orchard

2010-03-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

A Pause on the Road Today

2010-03-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

Along Hwy 214 between Silverton & Mt. Angel, OR

PDX at Night

2010-03-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

My wife has been out of town on business. Last night I drove to the airport to to pick her up. Her flight was suppose to arrive late in the evening so I had plenty of time to take photos along the way. As I crossed over the top deck of the Marquam Bridge and looked to the left, the night view of downtown Portland was a treat as usual. I've been meaning to get some night shots for a while so it was a last minute decision to exit on the east side of the river and find a good viewing spot.

I drove down the street that parallels the river which during the day is busy with traffic from businesses and also the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). At night the area is to be traveled more cautiously than the day. I found a good spot under I-5 in a business parking lot.

I just had the G10 with me and forget the tripod so a couple of these shots are not as sharp as they should be. I also had the ISO up which caused some noise. This has sparked me to want to come back and do it right.

During the day this area for picking up passengers is normally chaos like most airports. This photo shows it must be late.

On a recent post on my other blog I talked about getting "busted" the other day by security for taking pictures in the parking lot of a hospital I sell to. So before I came to the airport I called to find out the policy on cameras. They said I was okay as long as I didn't take photos of sensitive areas. That's why I only took the G10 to be a little more discrete.

With the camera sound effects on mute I was able to take some candid shots. This is the waiting area where the passengers exit. I wonder if security knows about that guy's camera on the left?

Amber's plane was a little late so I ended up people-watching for quite some time. I had forgotten how interesting it is to people-watch at the airport, especially as passengers are arriving. Sorry I don't have too many photos. I just might bring the camera back some evening for a photo assignment.

Early Sunday

2010-03-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

My watch said 7:15 but my body said 6:15. The temp gauge said 33 (F) and my body was in full agreement. There were no clouds but fog was in the valley.

And when I got down off the mountain it was nice in the fog with the sun breaking through.

I've written much about my feelings and thoughts on these Sunday rides so I won't bore you with that again. I just wanted to post a few photos to share the moment.

Bluekat commented somewhere the other day about being happy if it stayed daylight savings time all year. I feel the same way. I think we did that briefly during the Nixon administration. And as I remember moms were upset because kids were waiting at bus stops in the dark.

I like the light that daylight savings time has. More light is good... for riding and photography.

I'm Not a Cook...Honest

2010-03-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

Early yesterday morning I took my wife Amber to the airport so she could head out on her annual business trip. Her destination this year was Orlando, Florida. We left the house about 4:15 am so we could get to the airport by 4:45. It was dark, cold, and with a slight amount of rain. The airport is on the other side of Portland but we made the trip in no time. I wish traffic was like that every day.

At roughly 5 am as I was making the transition from I-84 to the southbound lanes of I-5 near downtown I spotted a lone motorcycle heading north on I-5. I remembered Irondad mentioning in a recent post that he would be going to Kirkland, WA for a meeting. Since I wouldn't expect to see too many motorcycles out at that time of morning in that kind of weather it really caught my attention. I noticed it had the twin slanted headlights that are a tell-tale sign it could be an FJR. Then I saw a Givi top case similar to mine. I thought to myself, I'll bet that's Dan. Sure enough it was. Anyway, I thought I would start off with sort of an interesting tidbit.

With my wife back east and our kids entrenched in their own lives, it leaves the dogs and cats and me to fend for ourselves. And as the title of this post states, I'm not a cook. But like a trooper I press on every year at this time and we manage to pull through. Have I gotten any sympathy points yet?

There's one meal that Amber has taught me to make that we have often. It's chicken and vegetables with fajita mix added for seasoning. I like it over rice and she likes it wrapped in a tortilla. Pretty simple right? That's the way I like it. The only ingredients I didn't have for tonight's meal were a green and a red bell pepper.

Here's where the motorcycle comes in. It's been raining and windy all day. I worked from home after we had a conference call meeting this morning. Just like last Thursday I had the strong urge to just get out and ride so why not ride and pick up some vegetables.

We've had cold weather and even hail the last couple of days. Because of the weather I've been driving the car so it was nice to ride. I decided to go to a grocery store that I don't often go to.

Let's see, which one of these is a good one?

Oh yeah, this one looks good. By the way, when you go to the store, you do wear all your gear, right? Because taking it off and stowing it for just 10 minutes is a pain. Okay, I'm just kidding, I don't wear my helmet but I do carry it so people don't wonder why I'm dressed like a storm trooper.

While doing this stunt I learn a new phenomenon. If you ask the produce guy to take your photo while shopping with your helmet on, it draws a crowd.

On the ride back home I stopped a couple of times to enjoy how green the trees and shrubs are.

In the Northwest we get tired sometimes of all the moisture falling from the sky but the benefits outweigh any negatives there might be, in my humble opinion. Even though we have about 4 more months of wet weather here, starting Sunday we all get the gift of more light each day. That might translate into more riding time.

I hope you were able to ride today!

Future Rider?

2010-03-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon our 6 month old granddaughter got to sit on a motorcycle for the first time. She seemed to be a natural and at one point even reached for the controls.

It's kind of funny but also kind of scary. I like her riding pants and check out the riding bib.

Relax and Ride

2010-03-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

I worked all day today at home in the office. I know that sounds pretty good but work is work no matter where you are. Don't get me wrong, I really like my job and I'm fully grateful to God for being employed and for the job that I have.

Late this afternoon I had to get on the motorcycle and relax and ride. One way to do that is to go for a spin in the hill country. This area has the right amount of peaks, valleys, and curves. That style of course gives the right amount of concentration as well as relaxation. It's like a soothing mental salve that makes one forget worries and issues. When I use to play tennis I found that in order to play well you have to fully concentrate on the ball and forget everything that's on your mind. I've found it to be similar when riding through many twists and turns.

Not too far from where we live are vineyards where grapes are grown that produce Pinot Noir that rivals what is produced in France. It's been recognized as one of the premier Pinot Noir producing areas of the world.

The warm summers with cool evenings give us a long growing season. Of course, this gives you another reason to visit Oregon. We like... no, make that love tourists.

Well, the ride was short and sweet, only 37 miles but the results were good.

I had what could have been a bad incident while coming down the back side of a small mountain through some switch-backs. I saw a construction type truck cutting his corner short and over the center line as I approached the curve. He saw me so he corrected and got back over the line.

Although it wasn't a close call, it could have been. Close calls can bring to the surface areas that need attention and refining. Making myself visible was probably the key to not getting hit. Sort of like a tennis ball in that you want to be visible, you just don't want to get hit.

Sunday Morning Ride

2010-02-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

When I left the house this morning for my ride through the country to the jail, there wasn't rain, fog, or even an nice sunrise. In other words, there was no drama. Since I haven't posted here in a week I was wondering if there would be a unique spot to get a photo that might give some sort of a topic. I continued to ride and think... ride and think... with more riding and thinking. After all that's what this blog is supposed to be about.

Then I realized that I might not have anything to post from this ride so I relaxed and enjoyed the sights and sounds as usual. I say sounds but actually it was the roar of the wind around my helmet that I happened to notice today. Even with ear plugs when the windshield is adjusted just right the wind has a similar distant roar as on a commercial airplane. Kind of a nice treat to add to the piloting experience.

Just before entering the city where the jail is located there's a natural wetlands that I've written about before called Jackson Bottom Slough. The road at this point is a straight shot right through the wetlands to the city.

Because the road runs north and south it gives good opportunities to see some nice sunrises and sunsets with waterfowl included.

The sunrise didn't make a showing this morning with the cloud cover we had but the solitude of the early morning ride and the peaceful scenes were just the right combination to begin the day. Whenever I write about these Sunday morning rides I usually have the thought that I should try this on other mornings too. I do leave early some mornings during the week but there's too much traffic and mental interference. And Saturday mornings are nice but people can usually be out on the road early then too. Then I realize that early Sunday mornings are unique for being on a country road and enjoying the beauty of the things around us whether large or small.

Saturday Riding

2010-02-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning I met a couple of other jail volunteers for our informal monthly breakfast. The forecast called for another stellar day. Shortly after this photo was taken and after I continued down the road a guy on a sport bike closed in on me quickly. It was to be that way all day with motorcycles and bicycles out in full force.

Here's the after breakfast standing around in the parking lot shot that was initiated a couple of months ago. We met at 9:00 and didn't get to the parking lot until 11:30. My plan was to be home around noon to meet our son and go for a ride. His hours have changed at work and he has weekends off. We haven't gone for a ride together since September when we rode to Mt. Hood.

We decided to ride on Skyline Blvd. which runs along the crest of the West Hills of Portland. Famous for it's sweeping views, twisty curves, and expensive homes Skyline is a favorite route for motorcyclists and bicyclists alike. We stopped briefly at this Starbucks (point A on the map below) and found some other riders.

View Larger Map

Soon after we got onto Skyline I spotted this view from a small cemetery on the north side of the road. On the left is Mount St. Helens and on the right is Mt. Adams. Mount Rainier, close to Seattle about 160 miles away, was also visible just to the left of Mt. St. Helens but I didn't get it in this shot. Sorry, but this is the only photo I took on Skyline. We wanted to ride and have fun so stopping to take pictures was something I wanted to do but the enjoyment of the ride overruled. I can tease you a little and say that the view looking to the left which is south and the view along the road was really nice. We saw a lot of other motorcycles and many bicyclists enjoying the course too. We'll come back sometime and do some slower exploring with the camera.

We stopped at Rockcreek Tavern briefly on Cornelius Pass Rd. before we returned to Hwy 26 at point B. We went west on Hwy 26 to extend our ride before heading home.

We made one more stop which gave another photo opportunity. I thought this photo was interesting because it shows our bikes together and also the big shadow from his front wheel.

Then I turned around and noticed this tree filled with new buds. It capped off a nice ride with the hope of spring arriving soon and more rides to come.

Friday Parking Spots

2010-02-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

If you have a motorcycle or scooter, chances are you rode it yesterday. We've had spring-like weather, although spring weather here is still rainy. This was in the motorcycle parking area at a southwest hospital. All Harleys were out and shiny.

When I got to my usual spot at the mall (field office), the coral was full so I took the spot next to it to give other riders some more space.

Beside the BMW 800ST there was this cutie - a Triumph Daytona Triple. This one always gets my attention when it's here. I like the styling.

This Yamaha FZ6 is almost always here. This guy works in one of the department stores.

And then there was this little sweetheart. Somebody help me here - I didn't see an emblem identifying it anywhere. Still made by Piaggio this one looks like a classic.

Nice chrome and paint for an older skoot.

Finally, this wasn't a parking spot but rather it's a building I pass by every Friday afternoon. It's in the little town of Scholls. I've been wanting to stop and compose some sort of photo. Not sure why it has two speakers and why they're mounted over each big door. It would seem that one speaker would be enough for this little town.

Life's little discoveries are a little sweeter on two wheels.

Astoria and Beyond

2010-02-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I worked in Astoria, the gateway to the Columbia River on Oregon's north coast. This is the view looking east from atop the hill on which The Astoria Column sits. This is looking back at the water that enters Young's bay and then out to sea. This body of water is on the south side of the Astoria Peninsula. The Columbia in on the north side.

This is looking west at the entrance to the Columbia River. What a beautiful day. It's rare for Astoria to see sunshine in February. The ride here from Portland on Hwy. 30 along the Columbia was a chilly 44 (F). There were times of sun, clouds, and slight fog but by the time I got near the coast it was all sunshine.

Here's the Astoria Column. After spending most of the morning in Astoria and after having lunch, I headed south to Warrenton and Camp Rilea. Do you recognize this view below?

Irondad had his FJR in roughly the same spot (I think) and it was his header photo for a while. He allowed me to drop his name at the Camp for business purposes. I'm pretty sure the door opened wider for me here for future business. Thank you Dan!

The original plan was to spend the night at the coast but I decided just before leaving home that I would come home. So after Camp Rilea I headed down the coast taking photos along the way. Here's a sea stack rock in Tillamook bay.

As you can see, the sun was getting low as I was getting ready to head inland through the pass from Tillamook. I wanted to make the 50 minute ride through the mountains before it got dark and too cold. I was also concerned about deer and elk moving.

On the way out of town I stopped at this dairy to capture the cows having dinner. On my other blog I posted a different photo of these cows. The owner of the dairy, unbeknownst to me, saw me taking pictures and somehow found the posting and commented. I'm still amazed at that.

When I got back to the farmland west of Portland the sun was already down below the coast range. The weather was nice for the 256 mile round trip. I was pretty beat when I got home. When I left Tillamook I was kind of wishing that I would have stayed but it was nice to be home.

We seem to have good weather in the west when the rest of the country is not doing so well. I hope your weather is good or will get better soon. Spring is only about a month away.

On the morning ride along the Columbia I was thinking about how just a 3 degree rise in temperature can make a person feel warmer. I guess it felt colder because the river is cold and the air felt heavy and damp. At times the air felt a little warmer and lighter as the elevation would rise. Yet another interesting phenomenon we don't get to experience when in a cage.

Honda Nostalgia

2010-02-16T21:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at Emanuel Medical Center I parked next to this old beauty. This Honda 90 really brought back memories. As a teenager I rode around a little on a borrowed Honda 50. In those days the riding gear consisted of t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes.

At the time I thought the Honda 50 was pretty big. My dream bike then was a Honda Scrambler 250.

One of the guys I grew up with had a Honda 50 too so we would ride together. His dream bike was a Honda Superhawk 305.

Occasionally we'd have heated but friendly arguments on which bike was faster. One time in the heat of an argument I told him that Scramblers scramble the eggs that Superhawks lay. I don't know why I thought that 250cc's would be faster than 305 but we had fun discussions.

I looked up the 90 on Wikipedia. They were made between 1969 and 1979. This one is in pretty good shape considering it's between 30-40 years old.

I like the aftermarket cup holder too, and that's a clock down below. And the pilot light on top of the headlight told you if the high beam was on. Talk about old school!

When you compare this to the bikes that are around now it makes one wonder what motorcycles will be like in the future.

Today's Morning Ride

2010-02-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

This morning as I left for the jail about 7:00 it felt almost balmy at 50 (F) with a slight drizzle. As usual, before I left the house I waffled back and forth on whether to ride. The negative pull is it might rain too much and be too dark and even be too foggy in the country. The other thought is after the jail when I go to church the Beemer is the only motorcycle in the parking lot. What if people think I'm crazy riding on a rainy day? Then I think, "Nah, I'm riding." When it comes to riding I don't care what people think and besides these Sunday morning rides are a personal time of reflection and joy if I may use that word. Joy is not a macho word that guys usually use. Joy is different than happiness. Happiness relies on external things while joy comes from within even in spite of external stuff.

As I've written here before I can't express the solitude and feeling of gratitude during this time. I've been riding for less than two years and I don't know how long the good Lord will let me continue but I am grateful for the enjoyment riding provides. I wish that I had stuck with it when I first rode as a teenager but there must be a reason that didn't happen.

I guess with riding more senses are being used than when driving. There's the visual stimulation of the beauty around us and the feeling that you're in it instead of just watching it. Then there are the smells, the sound of the exhaust and the vibration while straddling the motor. And finally there's the feeling when accelerating and the feeling of soaring while leaning in and out of curves. All of this is something that not everyone experiences.

Many years ago I use to run everyday for exercise. As with most runners there comes a time when you face knee surgery on one or both knees. When I had my first surgery I remember the doctor telling me that I was part of a subset of the population. Depending on the mileage that runners do it puts them into another subset so that you become a subset of a subset. You get the picture. As riders of motorcycles and scooters we are a subset of the population. Not everyone gets to experience what we do on two wheels.

I really like reading each of your blogs and how riding fits into your lives. As I write that last sentence I realize that riding and blogging puts us into another subset. And with all of this there's another reason for gratitude.

Today's Randomness

2010-02-12T22:40:00.000-08:00

It rained most of the day today. Here's a view of a downtown approach.

I managed to get a slight shot of the tail end of the lower deck of the Marquam Bridge discussed in Irondad's recent post. This is the split that causes people to change lanes to the right for I-5 south or left for 405 and ultimately west on 26. I was in my car this morning when this was taken. I can't imagine taking a shot like this on the bike.

I noticed this budding tree limb while walking into one of my accounts. I wonder how long it will take for that to pop out. Spring is almost here! That reminds me, I need to trim some trees.

As I was about to walk into the jail this afternoon this caught my eye. It was going about 60 and I just managed to dive out of the way after this photo. Okay, it was actually backing up slowly.

This is how it looks from where I park the Beemer when I'm at the jail. I always like the way the light enters through these concrete frames. I have many images of this in different seasons. The reflection from the wet tracks of the cars made an interesting pattern today.

I guess there's not a real point to this post. It's just a couple of random thoughts and some images - thus the title. Steve Williams has written a few times that taking pictures is like doodling. I like that analogy because at times it is similar to random sketches.

Hope you got to ride today.

Monday Parking Places

2010-02-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick series of some parking places from my travels on Monday. They're probably not too interesting but I thought they might qualify for a blog post to show places in Portland and Vancouver. The above is at a major medical center in Portland.

Same spot - different angle. Whoever rides that scooter is pretty hard-core. It's there a lot.

A major medical center in Vancouver, WA. The morning was foggy.

Washington State University Vancouver campus.

A school district. A fair amount of workers here either ride or want to ride.

Okay, this was a fun stop in Northwest Portland. It's fun looking at camera gear.

In the parking lot of the photo store I spotted this family vehicle complete with a rendering of Mt. Hood. Honest, I didn't draw that. Just after I took this image the owner and his daughter came out and drove off.

When I came out of the photo store this guy was patiently waiting for his master. It also looks like he could be the get-away driver.

Hope the weather allows you to ride.

Owl Hunt

2010-02-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

It was a "chamber of commerce" kind of day today. The temperature in the low 50's with puffy white clouds created a nice backdrop at the wildlife refuge. Of course nice weather brought a fair amount of people to the natural habitat.

I didn't want to take up a parking space so I parked near the RV parking.

Hey wait a minute, what kind of natural habitat is this? The hybrids have their own spots and motorcycles don't?

A little beyond the curve ahead to the left is the old oak where Mr. Owl makes his home.

And here's his address but he wasn't home today. He must have been out getting "groceries" although I think they usually do that at night.

Even though I didn't see the owl it was a nice outing with the cameras and a nice hike through some interesting and beautiful terrain.

Okay, enough with the owl hunt. I'll get back to posts that involve more riding. Unless of course I happen to see an owl hitchhiking...

Change in Plans

2010-02-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

I had some errands to run this afternoon before doing what I really wanted to do which was go to my new favorite place, the wetlands refuge, and maybe see some wildlife. But there I sat in traffic.

My wife had to work today and I got some things done at home this morning. I saved the fun stuff until this afternoon. Fun stuff being the potential to take my cameras to the refuge and maybe meet a Screech Owl. While at the refuge the other evening I met a guy taking pictures who told me where this owl resides during the day.

My first stop was Costco to buy an external hard drive they have on sale. What a bad idea that was. Going to Costco on the afternoon before the Super Bowl. What was I thinking? I saw a couple with a 42" flat screen TV on their cart. I wonder how many of those they sold today? The guy in line in front of me had, among other things, a big crab leg in a plastic bag and a nice tub of rather large shrimp. Hmm... a seafood Super Bowl. It would have been interesting to get a hot dog and just sit and watch people but I had things to do.

And then this happened. I really didn't know it was supposed to rain today and it can be an extra bummer when you have something planned. Rain isn't ordinarily a bad thing but not good for hiking into the woods with cameras and tripod to get some Screech Owl pixels. Oh well, maybe tomorrow I can meet Mr. Screech. I don't think he's going anywhere soon.

Here's an image taken the other day just before sunset. These guys were just cleared for takeoff. Actually I think my shutter startled them. I'll have to learn to be more stealth.

Late Afternoon Recon

2010-02-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

I worked from home again today and it was sunny and beautiful all day. By the time I could go for a ride it was late afternoon and the rain clouds were rolling in. I decided to go anyway because my destination was a place I want to frequent more often; the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. It was so late by the time I got there the geese were lined up to come out of the water. Apparently even geese have to wait in line. "Everyone out of the pool".

We live fairly close to the refuge which makes it nice for returning often. The above photo was taken from the back side of the refuge looking east at Mt. Hood. There's an "S" curve on this road that I like to lean through. As I straighten up to lean left I got this view of the mountain. Mt. Hood has this uncanny ability to come into view when you least expect it. Actually a better way to say that is I knew I would see it, it's just that sometimes it really pops at you. I did some maneuvering to come back and get some photos. In the foreground you can see the buildings of the refuge.

I have much to learn about photographing birds and wildlife. I think a natural habitat like this will be a good "classroom". Another option is to try and sneak up on them on the motorcycle wearing day-glo green.

Out for a spin this evening

2010-01-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

I had planned to work the Portland area today but ended up being pinned down at home at the office. About 4:30 I blasted off from the house to blow the cobwebs off and run an errand. At a big intersection near the store I got caught at the red light. As I sat there and then took off with the green light I counted 6 other motorcycles. The paper today said that this has been the third warmest January in 70 years. I think the warmer weather for Portland has translated into more riding days this year.

While at the store I browsed my favorite photography and motorcycle magazines. Rider magazine has an article about the new BMW sport bike, the S1000RR.

Whoa, this looks serious. Weighing in at 450 lbs wet with 193 hp, the horsepower to weight ratio is unlike anything else. This would definitely require wrist management.

When I got back to the beemer a guy walked over and started asking questions about it. He said he has a BMW 1200GS and another bike. We talked motorcycles for a while. I always find it interesting that a motorcycle or scooter can breakdown barriers making it easy for conversation with strangers.

On the way home I came up our mountain the back way to maybe catch a good sunset. I like how the sunsets are getting later. Spring is just around the corner! I went into a newer neighborhood to find an interesting spot with a little altitude. There wasn't a good sunset tonight but I'm happy that I found what might be a good place to capture them. I didn't have my tripod but there was a light post conveniently located right there for bracing myself. At first I took shots without the houses below but then decided to include them. I think it sort of adds an element of an urban setting.

Just after I got there a lady came out of her house which is to the right of the photo. We smiled and said hello to each other. I told her it looks like a good spot for sunsets and she nicely agreed as she got in her car and drove off. But I wonder what she thought. Here's a guy on a motorcycle at the end of a dead end road under a street light with a camera and she's leaving her house with this stranger out front who might be appearing to be a photographer.

Oh well, she'll see me there again no doubt. Anyway I'm just a harmless biker-photo-nut.