Spring 2020

has been another interesting experience for us in our new home. Though we have been here 18 months so far, we are continually finding new surprises.

Now that we even have more time at home, Marg & me are focusing on the yards again. We are still awe struck in the amount of design that went into the yard originally. Yesterday we uncovered a smaller brick walkway buried under a couple inches of soil.

The colors are simply amazing to behold. We have one group of 4 Azalea bushes that are blooming in 4 different and vibrant colors. There are two shades of coral, the white blooms looking like snowballs and the reds are eye popping.

Some of the Azalea bushes out front have bloomed for the first time since we moved in. These are under our white Dogwood tree that is in full bloom. The Azaleas were planted on each side, one white one coral, back to back on each side of the trunk.

Speaking of Dogwoods, the first fall/winter we were here we had to trim back a massive Elm tree on the north side of the property. One limb was about 30' long and covered the wood deck and almost reached the pool. The limb was so big that it cast a large amount of shade over various plants and trees. One such hidden gem was a red blooming Dogwood. During the first winter I spent quite a bit of time trimming a reshaping most of the trees and bushes. The red Dogwood was not doing well and the first spring after the winter trimming only produced a couple of blooms. This year it has taken off, now that it is getting enough sunlight producing numerous beautiful red blooms.

In one area of the back yard there are the remnants of a Koi pond. We confirmed this by inviting over one of our neighbors that has lived across the street since our home was built in 1988. He remembered the pond and other parts of the yard including a gazebo that is no longer here. Initially I was kind of excited about the pond, though after extensive research, I figured that it was not for me. Plus Marg would have become attached to the fish and well they would die or get eaten by another critter and well you know...

So there it sat kind of ignored on purpose, mainly because I couldn't figure out what to do with the area. Yesterday the light bulb went on and the basis of my design idea was partially cleaned and uncovered.

Our intentions are to fill it with a beautiful ground cover called "Purple Heart". While retaining the original shape and design and finishing it with a Japanese Maple that I am growing from a shoot off of one of the 3 Japanese Maples in our yard. The Purple Heart should grow in quickly and give us yet another vibrant color to add to our backyard palette.

Well enough for now on this bloom report, of we go into our little chunk of paradise to see what other gifts we will find...

W

Leaving Colorado (Part 1):

After living in Colorado for 46 years we moved!

Over three years ago I surrendered completely to God and prayed daily that he would lead us to where we were supposed to be. It is much easier than it sounds once you get used to the idea that He is in control. 

Early in 2017 we realized that we were being lead to move, so we started our search. For years Marg's doctors have told her that she needs to be at sea level to help with her breathing. Knowing we could not afford many coastal areas we zeroed in on North & South Carolina. 

I was tired of making mistakes with my life and truly felt; what do I have to loose with Him in control? 
Now comes the hard part, waiting on Him. Once you learn to have patience and listen, things start to happen. To be able to move we had to sell our business first, then our home within the same 6 month time frame. Crazy... 
He brought us buyers of the business and our home in His timing, not ours. Our business & home sold in the same time frame without too many hiccups. Both selling for more than we had anticipated allowing us to move and hopefully become debt free in early 2019.

Be careful what you specifically pray for. We prayed that we would be able to drive both cars to North Carolina and find a home. I forgot to ask for the cars not to break down...

We left early one afternoon from Firestone Colorado with maps and atlas in hand (no GPS). As we headed onto E-470 we were greeted by a massive thunderstorm. Maybe a indication of what was to come... 
All we had planned for was our final destination not a route or time frame, a true walk (drive) in faith. Anyway, on we went looking towards a future having no idea what was in store, an adventure that has still not ended. 
I was driving our trusty Saturn Vue packed to the brim, actually over packed, containing most of our "important" stuff. Marg was behind me in her Toyota Solara convertible loaded with the rest of the "important stuff" that we did not trust to the shipping container.
As we neared the Colorado/Kansas border a red light started to flash on the Vue's dash, one that I had never seen before? after 220,000 miles ya would think I would have seen it before.  Low and behold the transmission had started to overheat, not good. 
Our 2004 Saturn Vue is a crossbreed, one of the most reliable vehicles we have owned, and unfortunately the Saturn company no longer exists. The Vue Red Line has a Honda powertrain with a transmission that is very unusual and can honestly only be worked on by a Saturn tech, of which there is not one anywhere near Colby Kansas. 

Yep we are are staying in Colby tonight, this is not my first choice but I need time to completely stress out and figure out what to do by tomorrow morning.
Remember I am trusting God, and well He steps in and off we go the next morning. For the next 4 days I learn how to drive an injured overloaded 14 year old car 1800 miles. What proved to work best was keeping the speed around 70mph on the flats, never use the air conditioner and Lord help me if I come across a hill. Did I mention no AC? we were driving across the U.S. to North Carolina in the middle of June! 
After Colby I had to look at the temp gauge every 30 seconds, yeah every 30 seconds for 1800 miles and adjust my speed. Finding that if I could keep the temp just under 1/2 way the Vue's transmission wouldn't overheat. Took four of these episodes (over heating) to get me educated on how to limp one of our only cars across the country.
We would have to go up the hills on the shoulder with our flashers on in 2nd gear. Meaning I had to keep the speed @ 20MPH hoping that I had a huge downhill coming up to coast down (in neutral) with the AC on. 
Instead of hillbilly AC, an open window blowing air over something wet or a swamp cooler... 
Do you remember the pics of the families traveling to Cali back in the depression/dust bowl, been there done that.
Never want to drive through West Virginia again...

5 long and adventurous days later we finally pulled into Marg's sister & husband's driveway. Well, I kind of chuckled after a big sigh of relief. God has a sense of humor, I was the one who only asked to make it to our destination. Next time I'll ask for a little more... 

At this time in my life I prayed only for a roof over my head, or to truly let go and see what God had for us. This is interesting and exciting to do and guess what it works! really a load off to let go and see what He has for you.
What are our actual needs? For me it is a home, health, the ability to eat, stay warm or cool, have transportation, and the ability to communicate with family & friends. Also to not be a burden on society doing my best to be a decent, honest, caring citizen. Treating others with love, grace and respect. This can be hard in this day and age, with all of the things that can easily overtake our lives. 
We live very well in our opinion, not top tier, though not homeless. Thankful for all we "have" been blessed with and that we live in a free country... 

One regret of our cross country adventure was I was unable to truly enjoy the scenery. Focusing instead on the temp gauge and the road ahead, as I brushed the sweat out of my eyes with the back of my hand...

Stay tuned for part 2

WP

Where have you gone?

I still search
sometimes you are there
though difficult to find today...

Will you come back in us?
many celebrate you in private

How could this have happened
without you we are lost

You are not just a feeling
you are a way of life

A way of life that is lost
not to all, yet...

Patriotism

W

Have a joyous and safe 4th America!

The Barbie boat

is still floating...

OK so I am a 58 year old caucasian male, non LGTBQPQXYZ or any other ABC gibberish...
Married for 37 years to the same woman.

I own a "Barbie Boat" and am damn proud of it.
Are you interested yet?

When we decide to move to the east coast after 46 years in Colorado, I had one demand. We would not have a pool...
So much for that thought, the whole living at the beach idea fell through, thanks hurricane Florence...

As I sit here typing my thoughts I can look out of the second story window of my office and see our pool...

Knowing we were hicks from Colorado our real estate agent never said are you really this stupid?

She never thought that we would not know how to take care of a 35,000 GALLON POOL!

Or what our newest pool maintenance friends say is a "lap pool".

OK so you can swim to Delaware and back from our pool, really.

For reference we live in North Carolina, southern no less...

Maybe I do not want to have to fight the various tugs, skips, yachts and other various seafaring boats? or maybe the super tankers...

Sorry got off track, my precious Barbie Boat.

After the ownership of a Frickin' mammoth pool set in, I moved on to "managing" my current (like an ocean current) situation. 

SA (situational awareness), well not really but every time I look out my office window WHICH IS EVERY MORNING, I really, yes really needed to know that our lake Erie sized pool pump is still working.

Without a reference how can you know if the large lake pump is working?

Mind you this is the cheapest 1hp pool pump available in 2017, like spitting through a straw...

On to the Barbie Boat, sorry I got off on a tirade, managing one of the 5 largest lakes in the US is demanding...

Sitting in my comfortable reclining (no less) office chair, I look out over my domain every morning.

Right in my face is lake Erie, or is it a competitor? 

I can not see if the pump is working as I have no reference (or maybe no glasses on?). 

So out I go, walking down the flights of stairs so I can make ground level and find out if our lake sized pool pump is actually working...

Exhausting effort at the very least for a retired gent like me...

Got to figure out another way to deal with the lake?

Then it hits me, a lightning bolt, well no but close, I need a frigin' boat in my extra large lake that floats (floating is very important).

If it is floating it will move around the lake and I will be able to see it from my 2nd story command center. Never having to get my arse up to stroll downstairs and check for my lakes movement. 

Sometimes it looks like a toilet bowl movement, you know it swirls around, sorry getting off track again, or maybe I am getting dizzy...

Anyway owning a lake/pool of this size is a serious learning curve.

All I wanted was a simple floating frikin' boat.

Into the all model stores I went asking the kind employees behind the counter if they had a "boat that floats". At first they look at me like I need help, help they can not supply. Especially the young lady, the guy got it, after a while.

He looks over at his co worker with that tilted head trip, then at the phone, can he dial that fast? 

No way I am on a boat mission, a floating boat that is.

Again I reach out to him as I plead about my situation. 

I start to see his eyes clear and a true understanding of my situation, he even smiles. I need a boat that floats! Around the store we go, a rather large store and he points out many a "boat" but none that will float or are pre made. I do not want to assemble a $50 battleship model just to hope that it will float in my lake sized pool. I want a premade floating boat! Really what is so hard to understand...

The poor guy was still smiling as we left empty handed knowing that no one else in his lifetime would ask for a floating boat for a lake sized pool...

Months later, still having that gnawing thought about my floating boat, my wife and I, yes she really knows about my obsession for a floating boat are walking through Walmart.

Yeah we shop Wally World on a regular basis, given our income level.

My beautiful bride says as we are walking down the linen ilse; "maybe they have a boat".

This stops me in my tracks, she really does love me, I NEED A FLOATING BOAT FOR OUR LAKE SIZED POOL...

True love, yeah she was serious.

Into the toy section we go, she one isle me another isle to the west...

OMG there it is, my long lost floating lake sized swimming pool BOAT!

A Barbie Boat with a raft that attaches with a string that holds 3 dogs.

Screw the raft and dogs, REALLY, I just need the boat...

W

Me mom

brought me into this world.

88 years later she is still spry
Spry as a willow branch.

A branch she used to tan my hide with.
Ma knew best, always checked with dad first...

God bless you ma, you are the best
so much of you I cherish in myself.

Praying that I could be half the man you tried to raise.

I am so proud to be your son
I am so proud to have the brothers that I have

Because of you

God bless you mom

Tears are in my eyes as I try to tell you how much I love you...

W

The Magna & the prayer

Honestly I am surprised that I have lived this long...

The stupid male gene has always been with me. As I  age it still rears its ugly head sometimes, ok a lot of the time.Yes repressing it is easier as you grow older, though it will never leave you. 

Your long lost friend...
The stupid male gene.

The first "big" bike I bought was a 1970 Honda CB750 "four" (4 cylinder). 

It was rated as the fastest production bike in 1970 (though some will say the Kaw 1000 was faster?). The Honda was heavier and the Kaw had a little more horsepower.
Mine was a beautiful turquoise blue with lot's & lot's of chrome.  

The CB was fast enough to scare the crap out of me, no wait that is because I am 58 now not 20. 
Dang I was too stupid to be scared @ 20... 
(reminds me of the James Bond film with the Russian computer geek spinning his pen saying; "I am invincible", remember?)

I bought the bike from a good friend in 1981 who in turn was buying the fastest production bike of 1981. The Honda Magna V65 1100cc cruiser.

Before I bought his CB he suggested that we go on test ride so I could decide if I wanted his old bike, really? (go ahead twist my arm). Off we went to Oak Creek from Steamboat, a great road for riding bikes. 

There is this one long, very long straight stretch of  pavement outside of Oak Creek. 

Ya know what that means...
As we are heading back from Oak Creek I am feeling comfortable on my new ride (still gotta pay him), and then we hit that long, long open road. 
No traffic to be seen, enter stupid male gene, let's see what this CB 750/4 will do. 
5th gear full throttle in a upright position as I "Ride The Ton", or 100 mph+ on a bike. 
Biker slang, subculture. 
At 20 years of age, would you be satisfied doing the ton or looking for more?
Of course not more baby, down on the tank I lay and that wonderful 140 mph speedo started to climb, 105, 110, 115, 120. 
(My friends new bike speedo only went to 85 mph, remember those?).
Now we are talkin', yeah I was grinning ear to ear. 
That was until my buddy goes blowing by me laid back on his new cruiser like I was standing still. 
Oh and by the way, his grin was a lot bigger than mine...
Nothing like the feel of speed on two wheels.

Onto the future. 
37 years later I am still looking for either of these two bikes. I have owned over 80 bikes (this includes our trainers) and have always come back to the CB's and the Magna. The Magna because it was the one that got away, got away blowin' past me @ 120 MPH...

Searching Craiglist & FB marketplace are part of my daily routine. Once in a while I will come across either of these two memories.
Last week it was the Magna.
One popped up on my local CL;

It was listed with 25k miles @ $790.00. 

OK I am interested enough to not run away from it, could it be legit?

Bikes with this low of miles and age are usually a good buy. Most of the time they have been sitting for years and someone wants to dump it to get it out of the garage.

Book on this bike is well over $3000.00 in good condition. So I am interested, ok to be honest I am interested in peggin' that speedo needle, maybe even break it off...

As I look at the pics I notice that it has not been left outside. Garage kept, nice! 

The gauges are always the best way to tell. On this model, Honda as with most manufacturers, used a red paint for the "red line" marker on the tach. If the bike has been outside for any length of time, the red line is usually pink or white. Other hints as to its life were the lack of rust on bolts, chrome pitting, and the engine cut off switch was still bright red and not cracked.

Now my hopes are going up, could this be the one? Have to be careful with lust it can fog your mind, course that stupid male gene will be real happy.

Over the years I have bought and sold a lot of things on Ebay, FB, & Craigslist. Only once did I buy something I shouldn't have, and it was my mistake.

I missed a cracked engine casing. 

I also have had my fair share of scammers. They are usually very easy to pick out, though sometimes they are quite crafty and experienced in ripping people off.

I dive in and contact the seller by phone/text. Patiently I wait a day & half and then he responds. 

I communicate with him and he tells me he posted the ad for his sister. Flag #1. 

He provides me with an email address (which is not typed properly) to contact her and the price is lower? Flag #2 

Off my email goes and a day later I get this response; 

Don't get pissy with me because of the "redactions"...

I do a VIN check and nothing glaring is reported, though I will not spend $20 to find out more.

I look at her? his? online album of the bike. 

Very carefully I look at each picture and I am still hoping...

Next comes the discrepancy of the mileage, flag #3, it is not 25k miles it is 2k miles. A 1983 bike with 2k miles for $700? Though it could be an honest mistake from someone who does not know bikes? they might not know the last number was tenths of a mile?

Yes I am grasping at straws, I want this bike (down stupid male gene, down boy!).

No wait, something else catches my eye, something is wrong with the speedo. The bike pictured is probably not US spec. In the early 1980's US spec bikes did not have 140 mph speedos, flag #4.

I am still hopeful (yeah it is that stupid male gene again), though something is starting to gnaw at me.

Off goes the next email to "her";

I am still lead to believe that this bike is being sold locally.

Then "her" response, the mother of all responses, flag #5;

As the old saying goes, "I was born at night, but not last night". She (?) wrote a pretty good story but they had no idea I lived in the area before and could validate everything they said.

The fisherman did not take into account that the fish at the end of their hook was a Megalodon.

Next is my response to their heart wrenching story;

All of my email reply is the truth, really, the people and the locations that are mentioned are legit (this is the funniest part, and people say God doesn't have a sense of humor).  

The fisherman had no idea...

The final response from the fisherman (adult language);

Guess I will not be invited over for Christmas dinner this year...

On to the coup de grace...

Experiences with people like this at first cause me to get angry, they are just plain lazy! 

Get a real job to earn a living...

Then I start to feel sorry for them because they are caught by the fish, and being pulled to the bottom...

This is my final response to my fisherman;

I have done this 3 other times in the past with people who attempt to rip me off.

First exposing their stupidity carefully and honestly.

Promising all of them that I will pray for them for 30 days, which I take very seriously. 

For 30 days I pray to God for Him to change their hearts and bring them into His kingdom. 

As I do not know them or their reasoning for trying to rip me off, I leave it to God to repair. 

He knows who they are and can change their heart, I can't...

One of the times in the past, the person who wanted to rip me off actually contacted me later and thanked me for my prayers and understanding. Letting me know that they had turned their life around.

I am no better than the fisherman, I am the same, flawed. 

Looking for forgiveness and a better future. 

How 'bout you, what are  you looking for...

The Magna & the prayer.

W

Retirement vacation

Yes I took a vacation while retired...
Still sounds weird to me, because being retired is a vacation.
Every year my wife goes to the beach. Some years I have gone, other years I have not, usually because of work related issues.
This year the spot (again) was Surfside Beach in South Carolina.

Marg flies the girls and grandkids out and sis & husband (Maureen & Alex) cover the lodging for a week. 

This is a snipits video of the week long vacation, enjoy.

Let me know if this works, I don't post a lot of videos...

Jordi Bowen (Stacey's son)

One Voice

You are a single voice in the wilderness.
Or maybe the madness...
As you shout what will change?
The trees hear, they can not change.

Stop the shout, leave the struggle.
Focus on oneself and those that are near.

The madness that you see, what you can not change.
One voice will not make a difference in our world today.

You know your path forward as it is clear.
Time to look up, find faith and accept you are one, though not alone.

Trust so you can continue on the path, seeing what is pure and true.

W

Consideration

As we walk our path, there they sit.
Shoulder to shoulder with their heads bowed down.
The granite slabs are cold this morning.

Slowing our pace we feel the air of reverence, curious as to the cause.
Is it a romantic moment, maybe
grief or remembrance?

Quietly and slowly we pass,
in the water holds the truth.
A red rose, a yellow rose. 
Intertwined on the surface,
a solemn tribute to...

W

Last walk

As our 46 years in Colorado were ending very soon, we wanted to spend as much time as we could fit into our hectic schedule to do some of our favorite things.
One of our favs was walking the St.Vrain State Park Lake loops around what was originally called Barbour Ponds in Firestone/Longmont Colorado. 

There are multiple lakes in this state park that offer amazing scenery and wildlife, especially birds. This is one of Colorado's state parks that have nesting Bald Eagles near, nesting Osprey, and many other raptors flying around. 
There is one huge dead tree in the middle of the park that you can see from miles around. This is the fav for the local eagles as they like to perch high up in its branches ever alert and vigilant. When you see them, time to go for your walk. 

As we walked around for our last time we really felt glad that we took the time to appreciate what God had put just a couple of miles from our home. 
Every year for the last 10, we would frequent this state park as it was so close. 90 % of the time we were there the eagles were there smiling down on us. A few of the times we were walking the lakes the eagles would grace us with a show of their fishing skills. There is nothing like watching a Bald Eagle hover over a lake, swoop down catching a fish in their talons and fly off to enjoy lunch perched in a large tree overlooking their domain. 

(Not my picture, public domain)

During one of our walks here we were able to watch one of these beautiful Bald Eagles feasting on a Mallard Duck. The eagle ate everything but the wings...
One of my favs, Duck Confit!

We were blessed as we could go during the week when there were not as many visitors at the park. On the weekends the ponds where circled by numerous fisherman, fisherwomen and children. 
The lakes/ponds are stocked by the state with a variety of fish from keep to eat or catch and release. As we walked around we would talk with the fisherpeople and listen to their stories of fortune or misfortune. One day we watched as a woman standing on a paddle board, paddled to a spot in the middle of a lake grabbed her pole and started fishing? never seen that one before... 
As we do not fish it was fun to watch and learn about what many of these people were doing just to put food on their table. Whole families would be there working the poles with their small children playing around the family unit as they caught today's dinner.
Think about it, fresh fish for dinner, not bad and it would be yummy yummy for my medium sized tummy...

W

The tractor and the Triumph

As a motorcycle safety instructor, I usually do not tell my war stories about crashes... 
Due to a post (picture) I made on FB sometime ago, and that so many of you asked me about, 
I will now enlighten you with my war story of the "tractor and the Triumph"...

When you are teaching people to ride you see/experience some of the craziest things, and also some of the most heart wrenching.

I was working with one of my mentors teaching a beginner class of 12. Normal class, yes we do have these sometimes. We had all the bikes in the staging area lined up in a nice straight line waiting for the students to come back from lunch.

As I look to my left there is a John Deere tractor approaching (nothing runs like a Deere). One of the grounds crew for the Community College is driving the green machine towards our range. 

Nothing unusual as we always saw him working at the site, but wait the bucket is up full of sand and well, I say: "hey Bob do you think he can see the bikes"? He says; "yeah he knows we are here". We turn and continue to talk and well that tractor just keeps motoring on into our parking lot from the east lot. We turn again and we are getting concerned enough to start yelling, course he can't hear us over the tractor's engine noise and his ear plugs. Then we start running, waving and yelling louder, no response as the tractor marches on. 

By this time we can tell it is too late, the tractor is goin' in... Once he hears the bucket hit the rear of the first bike he slams on the brakes thus causing the front of the tractor to dive dumping all the sand on the bike as it is pushed into the second which is then pushed into the third one. Knocking over all three, thank God the class was at lunch and no one was on the bikes. 

As we stand there with our mouths agape, silence fills the air. Nobody not even the tractor driver can understand how this could have happened. Next comes the fun part, I have to call the administrator of the company that I work for to explain what happened and ask what he wants us to do. I have never heard a louder quiet over the phone than when I said; "a tractor ran into a bike, pushing it into two others and in the meantime dumped a load of sand on the range". 

We're not going to be starting the class back up after lunch...

Anyway, the Triumph I am sitting on in the photo was the tractor drivers. Months later he talked to me and told me he had liver cancer and needed to prepare the bike to sell for his wife when he was gone. I agreed, went to his home to pick up the bike and meet his wife. I was able to bring the bike back to life for them, ride it down their street for him before parking it in their garage one last time. 

A couple of months later his wife called to tell me he had passed and she was selling the bike. I offered my condolences and wished her well hoping that she and her children would weather the storm.

He was a very nice person, always had a warm greeting for me when we met on the motorcycle range. There are many ways we can serve, giving of ourselves for those in need...

W.

Patience...

Patience I'm told. 
I was told that I lack this virtue ? 
I have cursed my lack of this skill.

Raising the same two Orchid plants for over 15 years means you have patience, no matter what you see/witness from me. 
If you have never taken on this endeavor of Orchid management, then you probably would not understand.

An Orchid plant will bloom once a year if you are fortunate and you keep to a specific regiment. Having taken classes on Orchid's has taught me that it is a partnership, yep a partnership...
So in my 15 years of Orchid partnership I have witnessed or should say been blessed with 2, yes 2 blooms in one year. Some years there have been no blooms at all even though I continue with my patient management of the plants, always praying for that magical bloom. The Orchid bloom is well, let's just say devine. Few can appreciate an Orchid bloom as so many have never had the patience to develop the bloom.
I have only seen 2 natural Orchid blooms in the wild (Hawaii), though I have had 12 years of Orchid blooms in our home. 
Once many years ago, now twice, I will have 2 blooms in one year! A very unusual occurrence. 
Below are pictures of the second bloom  of 2017 starting, it should pop open any day now.

I find it interesting that not only is the plant blooming twice this year, I have two separate shoots with blooms. I have never witnessed this on either of my plants!

W.