Awesome Day, Sweet Ride

What a beautiful day. When I decided to head out to ride, it was about 65 deg, sunny, and no wind. The 4300 needed to be checked out after derailleur repairs, so brought it to the bike shop, switch pedals to the full (no flat side) clipless. Rode out from the shop.
Was not sure how far I would ride, see how I felt. Stopped at the Trail Center (10 miles). Feeling great to went on to the pedestrian bridge, rode over to Omaha, and took several photos. Went up to Millers Landing (first time there) and down to Lewis & Clark Landing. Finally, headed back across the bridge.
I have to comment. When I was a kid, I learned to look to watch for others around me. These days, just walk on the sidewalk, go to the the store. People do NOT look were they are going, do not watch for others near. I have many times when people would walk right into me, had I not stopped and back up. Well, the same thing is happening on the pedestrian bridge. They walk like they own the bridge. Hell, they don't even pay attention to on-coming traffic (walking or cycling). When I come behind them and call out "On your left!" they keep on walking like they never heard me. Today, I was coming behind 2 on the right, and 4 abreast coming my way. I called out to try to get through. NO ONE stepped over to make room. They kept walking, passing 6 abreast. WAKE UP, PEOPLE. There are more folks out here than you and your group.
OK, I will get off my soapbox.
Great ride on the way back to the shop. Much of the way, I was riding at 15-17 mph. Sweet ride. Ridden 30+ miles, gone for 2 hours and 40 minutes, 20 minutes stopped. Logging, I calculated the ride at 12.9 mph over the length of the ride, pretty good with the traffic on the bridge!

Max

March 12, 2000 - May 24,

You touched the hearts of so many the world over. Rest in Peace, sweet Max.

Monkey cigars

Several Catalpas grow here. They're a native tree, but these were planted by previous owners, to attract the catalpa worms that are such good fish bait.

One of its country names is Monkey Cigar Tree. Ever since I learned that, the long pods always bring to mind those old smoking monkey toys.

Inside the pods are several seeds, all fringed on the ends.

Looks like twins. (They all do.)
I posted about Catalpas, aka Catabas or Catawbas, and their worms before. They grow naturally by streams, so they don't mind getting their feet wet - the trees in the flood photo last week (on the right) were catalpas.
I thought I'd read that repeated defoliation by the worms didn't harm the trees. Usually, not every tree is defoliated every year. But one that seemed the worms' favorite is now dead. Could just be coincidence though; I don't know how to perform tree autopsies.

The spring we first moved here, I found a hornworm on the porch, and mistook it for a catalpa worm. Oh, so gently did I carry him over to a branch, thinking I was helping him find his true home. I want to slap my head now, remembering that piece of idiocy! It's ok though — confusion to our enemies, and all that.
I wondered if people actually ever lit up the pods, which don't seem very smokable to me. No firm evidence, but I thought it was hilarious that the search turned up an article by my blog friend Ron as the top item. Small world!

Back up to Sedona

Originally, we were scheduled to jeep out on the desert today. For some reason, that was changed to a trip up to Sedona for lunch and tourist things.
Had I known that, and with the Grand Canyon trip in the morning. I would have stayed up in Sedona last night. Oh well, at lease i didn't have to drive. Rode with others from the reunion.
Out first stop in Sedona was the same trailhead where I rode out from. I sounded like a native - telling them the names of the various formations.
Missing my bike today.
Today's photo shows couple of my army buddies and me in front of Cathedral Rock.

Belated Gratitude

You might (or not) have been wonderin' where we've been. WE'VE been wonderin' where our Mamma's been. Obviously, not heres. Mom finally HERE: This month has been one of the nutsiest Februaries in recent memory. Besides about twelve birthdays, there have been grandkid holidays (yes... we've been the sitters) and a couple of short trips for us... as in two-day road type vacays. Our son just announced his engagement and impending marriage at the end of April - woo hoo! The fur-girls have gotten a couple of awards that we haven't gotten to, and a VALENTINE gift that we've been unpardonably late in posting and thanking about. So heeeeere's Sammie!It's about time... About a month ago, the pawesome mailman brought us a package that we've been sniffin' at since its arrival! And yes... we've taken a couple of trips that were cool. One was to Eureka, Ca., where we opened this unbelievable pressie!

You can see me investigating this wonderful smelling giftie above. Check out all the decorations on the package. It is from our pals, Augie and Ti, who are non-pareils (isn't that a candy?) at adorning their pressies!

You BET we were fighting over this!
Daddy helped us open part of it, and Avalon immediately stole some of the packaging!
Awwww... isn't that a gorgeous box??? Looks like candies!!!
Uh ohhhhh... Avalon!!! Stop stealing the goodies!!!
Thank Dogness, Dad got the loot away from her! SNooooooooooof!!! Ahhhhhhhhh... smells so yumzers yumzers!!! And look at the card with Augie and Ti signature cards!!! We'll treasure those furever!!!
And for some reason, we are having the worst time embedding youtube vids here, but if you'd like to take a look at how excited we were to jump on these goodies, take a look here first,and then jump to this one to see how much we loved your yummy Valentine's Day heart cookies! Thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much, Augie and Ti!

Great Blue Heron Family

Some of you may remember that almost a month ago I posted some pictures from a visit to a Great Blue Heron rookery. Yesterday I visited the rookery again and WOW how the babies have grown! On my last visit we only saw a couple of babies and only their heads stuck out above the nests. This time, the babies were a lot more visible because they were a LOT bigger! As far as I could tell, all but one or two of the nests had 3 babies in it. That means there are about 45 young Herons in this rookery.

News on the cancer front

A little over a week ago I completed my chemo treatments. On the way out they gave me this little cake in celebration. Then I rang the "Cancer be Gong".
This week, I had my CT scan. The tumor on my shoulder blade is almost gone. The doctor said it may even just scar tissue that shows up on the CT. Of course, we still have the issue with the lungs. The nodules there don't seem to be getting a larger.
So far, so good...

Let Us Not Malign Our Teachers

So here I am in the Obediencemobile with Moritz, my commuting Corgi pal.
I feel that I may have maligned my teach a couple of blogs ago, when I let the cyberworld know that she called me fat. She's jes watchin' my back. Actually, I want to dedicate this post to her. She's been working out of the Oakland Dog Training Club for a long time - and does it for free. She opens up the place at 2PM every Monday and doesn't leave until the Utility Dogs are done - often around 10PM. Wow.
The sun-weathered sign belies the marvellous toys and games that exist behind this door. I like this place a lot and so does Moritz. You can tell, cause we whimper and whine when we arrive, begging to get out.
Barbara, above, caring for these cute Westies as she directs her pupil (that you can't see). They are barking their heads off as Moritz and I enter the place. Soon the Westies leave and it's my turn to learn!
I greet Barbara enthusiastically, cause for some reason (can't think what) I really dig her.
We start off practicing the forced dumbell retrieve. Now. Get this. For me to have to lower myself to a "forced" retrieve is ridiculous. I readily pounce after kongs, balls and bumbers happily returning them time after time. But ya think I wanna chase after and return a dumbell? No way. So Barbara starts me out with this.
Hate it.
Hate it more. But I don't get why. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwU3x8E6e1UAt least I have great cheese-catching skills!
Moritz is starting his "Open" training. His mama has to throw a dumbell over the jump, command Moritz to "Over" the jump, then retrieve the dumbell and then finally, jump back over and come face front to his mama. Amazing job.
Okay, next? Here's Bella, who is also working on her "Open." Isn't she purty? And she's real nice too.
Thank you so much Barbara. You've given me a lifetime's worth of pawesome skills. Huggies.
PS: Barbara said my waistline was showing again - ya-hoo!!!

Snorkeling in the British Virgin Isles

Fish are fish and they don't really know much about National boundaries. So almost all of the fish we saw were similar to the ones we see in the US Virgin Isles.

Except this guy... Never saw him in the American Isles...



Beautiful colors and a whispy tail and extra large feathery fins...



Hard to tell, but this lady is about a foot long...



But, glad to see my favorite fish makes occasional visits across the pond. The bright clear weather helps really make the colors on the parrot fish pop...



So we'll just call this lady my favorite British fish!

Garden tour

After the gardening conference, we managed to beat the rain and see several gardens on the tour.

This garden, our first stop, turned out to be my favorite. It has its own website. I particularly like the page showing the evolution of the site, which started with some pretty bare bones.

I loved all the beautiful statuary, and the numerous small touches tucked here and there that blended so well with the plants.

A chandelier hanging basket.

A Euphorbia whose full name I didn't catch.
More later.
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Update: I've heard from the gardener himself, and the Euphorbia in question is "Despina". Thanks Phillip!

Windowsill Geraniums

Windowsill Geraniums, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

I saw so many of these while traveling, yet I hardly see any geraniums on windowsills here in America?
What gives?
They are beautiful, seem to be easy to care for, and grow well in containers...I don't understand why everybody doesn't have geraniums on the windowsill.