A WARM SUNNY DAY LIFTS MY SPIRITS

ALWAYS ENJOY MY FIRST RIDE OF THE SEASON 

Today’s sunny skies & warm 70F temps went a long way in finally picking up my spirits.  Kelly brought some of the DEER PARK LODGE bookwork home & having her here all day was a big comfort for me as well.

As much as I do not like washing windows I hauled out the ladder, bucket & squeegee first thing this morning & focused my mind onto the task at hand.  It is important right now to keep my mind on something.  Finished the living room & kitchens windows & will tackle the bedroom & sunroom windows a bit later.  Don’t want to overdo something I do not like to do.
 

MAX & THE MOTORMOUSE SHARE A DOGGY BED

Next, with a bit of reluctance, came the Jeep.  I say with reluctance because I have a habit of hanging onto memories.  While in Borrego Springs this past winter I took myself out for a drive one morning to a favorite place of mine.  Each year I like to make the hike up Ghost Mountain to the Marshall South homestead.  Ghost Mountain lies at the southern end of Blair Canyon & this year the Canyon had some mud puddles along the rough trail from recent rains.  With a Jeep you don’t have to tippy toe around puddles anymore, ya just go right through the darn things.  Needless to say I ended up with some good looking Blair Canyon mud on the front of the Jeep & as a true Jeep owner, I wear my Jeep mud with great pride.   And I will have you know I carried that California mud all the way back to Canada with us.  In fact, the last time I washed the Jeep was in December 2010 when we were in Elfrida Arizona.  Would you believe I ended up leaving a little patch of that Blair Canyon mud on the Jeep just behind the passenger side fog light.  Told ya I'm a 'memories' guy.  I’m just not a shiny car guy anymore:))
 

I SAVED A LITTLE SPLASH OF CALIFORNIA'S BLAIR CANYON MUD JUST BEHIND THE FOG LIGHT LATER 
The complete Jeep clean-up took me about 4 hours.  We had enough Arizona desert dust inside that Jeep to plant a whole galloping Cactus garden.  Even got the engine all cleaned up again too.  There was enough dirt in there to grow a banana tree.

With the Jeep done I turned my attention to getting the Motorcycle fired up for the season.  This is the latest Spring start up since 1994.  Pulled the battery off the trickle charger, installed it then couldn’t remember where I had left the key last fall or where the ignition switch was.  Later, it took me a bit of finagling to remember how to do the strap up on my helmet.   I am not impressed with this aging process!!  The bike fired up about the 6th crank & we were ready to rumble.  Checked the tire pressures, added a bit of air, threw on a jacket & helmet & headed out for my first customary 4 mile ride of the year.  Wound er up through the gears, blew some hair off my face & pushed it hard until the wind forced my face into a big goofy smile.  I like when that happens.:))

THIS HERE'S MY NEW BIKER BUDDY FOR THE SUMMER
Kelly had a campfire going in the back yard later this afternoon & it was nice to smell the wood smoke.  Camp fires always bring pleasant old memories.
    
I will resume Groaner's Corner in couple days.  I hope to get caught up on everyone's blog shortly & Oh how I miss my big Checky girl.

 

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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.