Friday, March 06, 2009

It's a day for riding the Gold Wing


Less wind today and more clouds. 68° for a high. Not a perfect day for a ride, but it's doable, as long as we wear our leathers. I have our picnic lunch packed, and the crock pot is full of beans so there will be a meal when we get home. I need a bigger crock pot! I have two of them, but they're both really too small for a pound of dry beans. I always make plenty so I'll have some to put in the freezer.

My idea today is a trip to the James Farm at Kearney, Missouri. We were there perhaps twenty years ago, but I need my memory refreshed. However, I haven't run this idea past Cliff, and he may have something different in mind. We'll see, when he gets up.

I really want to go to St. Joseph one of these days on a road trip; I've never seen the Pony Express Museum. I believe the Jesse James home, where Jesse died, is at the same location; however, it isn't open until April. So we'll wait on that one. The Patee House is there, too.

Yesterday I figured out how to get our local weather on the Dish interactive channel; according to what I see there, it's going to be cool again for awhile. As much as I love temperatures in the 70's, I'm glad we'll be getting back to normal. Too much warm weather this time of year gets all the little buds swelling, and next thing you know, blooms are getting nipped by a hard freeze.

Have I mentioned that I haven't had a single cold this winter? Not even the least little bit of sniffles! Maybe going outside scantily clad in single-digit temperatures to get in the hot tub was good for me. Cliff has had only one very minor cold. So we're still walking in favor and living the dream.

I increased the amount that goes into Cliff's 401k, last week. Crazy, you say? Well, I hope not. You see, some two years ago I moved all his funds into stable-value. I know everybody says not to do that, but I'm sure glad I did! So it's really more like a savings account than an investment, but we haven't lost all the money other folks have. We don't have that much there anyhow, since Cliff started with his 401k so late in life. But at least we've not lost half of it. At our ages, I don't like risk.

Someone asked if I had a halter for Sadie. Well of course she has a collar, and I have a leash for her. I refuse to restrain her when we go for a walk, because she gets so much more exercise running free. and she never runs away from us back in the pasture. Here at the house she has a tie-out; yesterday that's where she was, on the tie-out, barking like crazy at the neighbor's dogs. I went to get Angel at my sister-in-law's house and on the way back, thinking Sadie would like to come inside and play with Angel, I un-clipped the chain from her collar and she was off at the speed of sound. There's no stopping her when she has an agenda, and she is fast as a greyhound. In the past, when she finally showed up at home after such an escapade, I'd scold her, and even give her a couple of smacks with the fly-swatter. All that did was make her refuse to return after one of her jaunts. One day she stayed back in the pasture for hours, and when she would see me approaching, she'd slink into the woods. So I don't scold or punish her any more, and she comes home when she's ready, happy to see me. I used to think that as she got older she'd lose some of that run-away energy, but she's five years old: If she were going to settle down, she'd have done it by now. I've threatened to get a shock-collar for her, but I can always think of so many better things to do with $100.

Sadie is a unique dog. All who have met her will agree on that. Well, unique isn't so much the word they use: "hyper", "crazy", "weird" and "&*%#$@ dog" are more typical descriptions.

What a rambling blog entry this is! It started out about motorcycle rides and rapidly went to the dogs. Have a great day, all my readers.

9 comments:

  1. My beagle lived to be 16 and he ran every chance he got. It must be in their blood. I do hope she doesn't forget to come back home and makes it safely too. I too put my little 401k savings in the safe funds like a savings account. I lost a heap of funds at one time and when I got the chance I moved what little I had left over. Hope your trip today is a great one. It's in the 50's here this morning and very windy! March is letting us know he's around for sure.
    'On Ya'-ma

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  2. I have plenty of experience working around animals... and yet, I had a little dachshund cross who would take off if she got the chance. I was never able to break her from it, and she was like Sadie in that once she made a break for it, she wouldn't listen at all. She lived to be 13, and I eventually just learned not to give her the chance... sigh! My current dog was raised -exactly- the same and she comes when called and would NEVER think of leaving the yard unless asked (or maybe if she saw one of us). They are like children.. each one is unique! That little dog is the only one I've ever had that would run off like that... but I loved her anyway ;p

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  3. You just don't know how jealous I am about your ride!!! OMG that sounds like Heaven!!

    I used to smack out dog after one of her adventures, too. But, the trainer told me that only teaches them not to return home. They don't understand that it's not good to run away for awhile.
    Sadie is in dog heaven living on your farm, that's for sure!

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  4. Scampi is the same way. I want to go on a ride. We were hoping to tomorrow BUT Pat is running a fever right now.

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  5. Sounds like you are doing the right thing where Sadie is concerned, you do want her to come back and not hide. Maybe she will just run where you usually take her on walks each day. Enjoy your day riding with Cliff. Helen

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  6. Hey Donna, that Jesse James place looks like a good place to go! Its going to be a nice weekend too. Definitely time to get out and enjoy it all. When we go for a walk we have a halter for Tip and a 24 foot retractable leash. She can wander without her nose getting the best of her and her going off the wayside. She is like that, when she gets to going, and she doesnt want to come back, you can feel it coming, there is gonna be trouble. When we go to the beach we keep her on it just to make sure she doesnt get washed out to sea...lol, she loves to dive chest first into the waves and is not scared at all to swim out. Its good to have just in case she needs reeling back in. :) Enjoy y'alls ride today. :) Hugs, Kelly

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  7. You sent all those missed colds and flus my way, man. My whole crew got sick as hell this month... we're just now recovering. Let's hope we met our quota!

    (I'm back online. YES!!!)

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  8. Hope you had a good ride.

    I went fishing with my nephew but it was a bust. Barely got a bite and the wind was blowing at 30 mph and gusting over 40 mph. Yeah. Phooey.

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  9. I cannot wait til we have our log cabin and horses to go riding on... it's nice to dream about anyhow... but I wonder if I will be too old to figure out how to care for a horse by then. I hope I at least go take some riding lessons soon. Glad you are riding each chance you get... it must be very refreshing.
    Lisa

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