Saturday, January 20, 2018

Just Another Saturday??

I think not.

Coffee with the folks at Diamond's to start things off at 7AM.

Coffee drinker Tom B is helping me determine if any of our old tools are worthy of being in someone's collection so what felt like 200# of them were sent his way for valuation.

From Mpls coffee it was off to breakfast with the Minnesota Guzzi folks....


After shipping a bunch of Ebay items while the P.O was still open and then home....I got out.....felt almost too good to describe!!  With these balmy temps, she popped right off.  After the wind chills we put up with for a week, this felt Spring mild.  I dressed like I normally would/will for 60 degrees.


 Frontenac Beach....and out on to thickly frozen Lake Pepin (Mississippi River). 


Ice Fisher People aplenty....Wisconsin in the distance.  I have no idea how thick the ice was here but I wasn't in the least bit worried.  You can see the vehicles avoiding parking-lot-style spacing.


Looking down river...



There was an ultralight in the distance but somehow I completely missed it!!



Then it was up into the State Park with my Annual Permit and parking next to a blue Ford that I know.
 


Zoomed in tight, almost perfectly centered in this photo, just above the brush beyond me, an SUV parked next to their fish house.  It must be a very good year for thick ice.  I just don't remember there being this many houses, vehicles and people so far away from shore out where the main channel is.

(Has Prairie Island stopped sending warm cooling tower water downstream??)


I made a loop through the campground and then was on my way back home.  That blue Ford previously mentioned was there because Lauren was up in the park for a hike and 'got' me as I was leaving the campground section.



I've been thinking about this off and on all week; this being the fact that age is a tide that we all must deal with.  There are times we seem to rise with it, other phases of our moons when we may just slide back a bit.  Some of us do it with more grace than others, but thankfully we all get our chance at it for shorter or longer periods of time.  Personally, I'm quite content with where I've been and currently seem to be.

What got these thoughts going this past week was time spent watching Leo Kottke videos online.  Mr. Kottke might very well have been the first live concert I attended and early on certainly had his name on the most vinyl albums in what later became a substantial collection of mine.

I accept and expect most of us to age and make way for those behind us.  I do wish there was a way for me to keep Mr. Kottke, his fingers and hands young for a very long time.....the way I remember him even 20 years ago, let alone almost 50.



Four rows back, front and center.....



I wasn't the only one in the crowd with 45+ years of Kottke listening experience; we were by far a vast majority of much experience.  He led off with Pamela Brown and ended with Ring Ring Telephone Ring.  Leo was wearing nice socks tonight.  They were short.  They were French.

Definitely one of my favorites,  Ring Ring Telephone Ring followed by Jack Fig....

Corrina, Corrina certainly in my top 5.....

If you haven't heard his Eight Miles High, give that a look.

I have been fortunate enough to have some dandy January Saturday's but this one has been a standout; hope yours was as well!

15 comments:

  1. I bet it was fun riding on top of the frozen water....that's one thing I've not done yet on my rig.

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    1. Dom, I've been thinking about you and Richard all winter; Richard for knowing what REAL cold is, you for your access to snowy roads. Yesterday was the first time I'd even considered taking mine out.

      Friends have been out on the dry city streets, all well and good on their 2 wheels. There are no dry city streets where we live. Any of mine with 2 wheels, big or small wouldn't have made it 20 feet from the garage....ice...packed snow...ridges. I haven't the talent to keep a regular bike up, even out our driveway. The rig made it sooo easy!!

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  2. ... Ya got brag'n rights.... Not many hacker's can say they've done a hard water ride.

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    1. Mike, I literally could have put miles on out there on the ice and was tempted, but decided that tempting wasn't going to happen. It truly did look inviting out there..smooth, easy... :) A couple of places up in the park I did manage to find the limits of traction. Forward motion was never stopped but it wasn't always 1:1.

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  3. What a great Saturday journey....might give Mike ideas about going out for a winter ride...& I remember attending a Leo Kottke concert in my college days....he is one of the best! So enjoy your blog!

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    1. Speedy, I'm pleased that you know of him and especially so that you saw him perform. We'll have to talk...

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  4. Wow, you had quite a day. Breakfast meeting, riding out on the frozen water, and then a concert too. You always could pack a lot int the day.

    The snow pictures made me slightly chilly although our last ride was in 44 degrees as well, but it looked warmer, lol.

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    1. Brandy, it felt warmer. I wasn't out that long, far or fast and would have really suffered, dressed the way I was for a real ride. Still, it was enough, even a bit more than. :)

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  6. Isn't the third wheel handy for days like this? No real worries about falling over even if it's just on the driveway. Studded tires really do make a difference when you just have 1WD and make a huge difference when braking on ice. Due to our temperatures bouncing up and down, we now have a nice layer of ice on most of our major roads. Add a little snow or frost and driving without studded tires becomes a bit more exciting. They even delayed school for a couple of hours due to school busses sliding (sideways) off of a crowned road. N.B. Delayed, not cancelled

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    1. Richard, way past handy. Like the 'car in general, balance gives way to body english as you pointed out. I'm a front brake kind of guy, even with the sidecar and I gently was reminded yesterday in icy conditions that I had to make some changes. Our road salt was the only real thing that kept me from more riding yesterday; I just can't get past riding through the spray and kicked up mess. They don't use it on our gravel road but it's everywhere on pavement. I did the best I could by going slow.

      We are supposed to get hit hard with snow tomorrow; that would be my real test.

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  7. As fascinating as I'd find driving on a frozen surface I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about the thickness, and what's below... The steed looks like it belongs on the ice, though.

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    1. Sonja, if I'd have gone out another mile or so, I'd have been worrying about the thickness. We've had a good winter for ice this year.

      The steed is that COOL, isn't it?? :)

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  8. Glad you are content my friend. You have had many great adventures and many more to come!

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    1. Thanks Eric, we're all having fun getting ready for the next ones.

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