Bogieblog

Sunday Swap Meet

Sunday we went to the Keene Swap Meet with Jimmy. Didn't buy anything but something to eat and drink, but got to see all the bikes anyway!

And in Other News at the Bogie Stead

Last week we had some nice days. Wednesday and Friday were nice enough that I rode to work. We also didn't bother to light the woodstove the evenings of Tuesday or Friday - which brings to a total of 3 (or maybe 4) days that the stove has been out since winter started. The nights are still usually cold - in the 20's or 30's, so an evening fire is still the norm though.

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Friday morning I was amazed that there wasn't much traffic once I got toward the MA state line and all the rest of the way to work. I briefly thought there was a holiday that I didn't know about. Of course I hadn't seen the news (I leave before the news comes on) and since I was riding the bike, I couldn't listen to the news while on my way so I didn't know about the drama in Watertown (and MIT before then). A couple of people couldn't come in to work as they were in the shut down area as they hunted for the Boston Bombing suspect.

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Went to get the Jeep inspected yesterday. After an hour, the counter guy said that we had a "Huge problem". I looked at him and he went on that my vehicle passed inspection with "flying colors". So I asked him what the issue was. Apparently they ran out of 2014 stickers and couldn't get them until Monday. I now have to go back next Saturday to get my sticker. Not a huge deal, just an inconvenience, but a bit irritating never the less because I had made the appointment at the beginning of the week, so they knew they needed a sticker for my vehicle.

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WS has decided we need another piece of equipment to help with projects around the house/yard. He has bought it, but can't have it delivered yet because it needs some work (it is very used), and it is mud season here, so getting out to it in the pasture is problematic. I won't say what it is, and let you guys make guesses until it makes its way here next month.

I think I have caught up with my lack of posting the last month or two - but don't get used to it!

Mid April Snow

Last week was a decent week weather-wise, even though it rained each night Monday thru Wednesday. Although not overly warm (in the 40's, here at the Bogie estate), the rain got rid of much of the snow and cleared any areas we needed to ride the bikes thru. So, WS called and arranged to pick up the bikes on Saturday.

Naturally, at that point, the Mother Nature decided she didn't like our plans. Thursday it was sleeting when I got home. It did warm up thru the night, so it was just rain in the morning, but the temps were hovering around the freezing point.

Then Friday, it sleeted and snowed until the Bogie estate looked like this when I got home:

Keep in mind, to get the bikes in, we have to take them not only up the driveway, but also all the way up to, and thru the front yard in front of the porch, and about 60 ft to the left of the house (as looking at it in the picture), then turn a circle so we can back into the shed. This is not something that you really want to do in the snow.

Ws was optimistic that we would get enough sun and warm weather on Saturday to rid us of the snow. Me, not so much. We decided we could pick up the bikes, leave them at the shop WS works at, then pick them up Sunday (today) if we needed to. By the time we left yesterday, most of the snow had melted, except the part up the driveway and at the place we would have to turn into the yard.

I opted to not bring my bike home, instead will pick it up later today. WS brought his bike home (after spending some time at work getting some paperwork done) and by the time he got home, the rest of the snow on the driveway had melted. So, his ride in was uneventful except that the ground was really soft at the point he turned into the yard, which made the bike want to wallow. However, WS is experienced enough that it wasn't really a problem, just got the heart beating a little faster for a second.

Hopefully the soft spot in the yard will have dried up some by the time I bring my bike home this afternoon. Slick grass can cause enough issues, don't need that same area to be messing with the bike in other ways too.

End of Sled Season

Last weekend we decided to take the sleds out both days. We decided it would probably be our last chance before the trails became mud and I wanted to try out my new (to me) sled.

We trailered to the Deering Fish and Game, where the trails had already been closed off. No matter, we could get around the barriers (the trails were closed to 4-wheelers, sleds were okay). We dropped off and headed toward Antrim. The Antrim trails were beat (they are mostly in the sun), so after about 20 minutes, we turned around and hit the trail to run the power lines in Deering. Deering had plenty of snow (even though the power lines are in the sun too) and we had a good run up the hill that is along the same ridge our house is on. We were following a couple of sleds, although they were quiete aways ahead. We crested the ridge and found two guys had stopped - and the trail had too. The were looking for directions, and WS was unsure of landmarks to guide them the way they wanted to go. After about 10 minutes, it was decided WS would lead them back to Henniker thru Crane's Farm.

Once we got them to a familiar place, we turned around and decided to call it a day. Sunday we trailered to the High Tide in Hillsboro (they are closed for the winter but allow snowmobilers to use their parking lot as a drop off point). We caught a trail to Henniker and rode for quite a while before getting to the Weare town line, shortly after we hit a wash out that went quite a ways.

We decided to turn around at that point as the trails were getting pretty beat and the sun was really warm. WS took us on a couple of side trails and we rode along the river for a while.

Then we had to cross the river, on a suspension bridge. Have I ever mentioned my less-than-fondness for heights. not only was is a suspension bridge, but it was just wide enough for a sled.

Suprisingly I didn't have any trouble with it - but it is always easier if I am following someone and can concentrate on them instead of what is NOT to either side. And, WS had told me about it earlier in the day, and asked if I wanted to try it or not.

After the bridge, WS took me behind a business in Hillsboro. Not just any business, Livingston's Arctic Cat (the largest Cat dealer in the Northeas). Now this is not really exciting in itself (Unless you are in the market for a new/used sled), but behind the shop they have the "runway"; a very long flat section that is fairly smooth. This is an area that they use to test sleds after they have assembled them, or when they have serviced/repaired them. On the way toward the buildings, I got up to 60 MPH. On the way, I got a bit over 65 MPH. WS was over 90 when he caught me coming back (he had let me go first). THAT was really, really fun!

After that we called it a day and loaded up to go home. I sould have gotten pictures of the sleds - they were still pretty muddy from some of the washouts we had gone around and thru. So in the end, I spent last weekend testing out the sled, which performed well. I even had to use reverse 6-7 times on Sunday. I think after being in NH for 25 years, I'm finally going to start hoping for lots of snow during the winter.

Town Meeting 2013 and Some Potential Fun

Town meeting was fairly typical - it started with snow. Alright, so it was only about 1/2 and inch worth, but it was snow. The budget and almost all the warrant articles passed except the proposed noise ordinance.

The police chief was updating ordinances, and noticed we didn't have a nois ordinance, and thought maybe we should. the townsfolk felt differently, especially since this is a community that is entiryly zoned rural. If you need to bale hay before 6 aM (or aft 10 - hey, it needs to be done. Also, fireworks after 10 would not have been legal - Really? What about New Years and 4th of July? Anyway, we rejected that - but the whold meeting was done before 12:30.

Then WS and I went to look at a sled for me. I had been borrowing a sled that was pull start only. The pull was so hard I could barely get the rope to move (literraly), so I couldn't start it. It was also a stubborn starter that sometimes took up to 10 pulls to start, so I started looking for a cheap sled with electric start. Found one for a couple of hundred dollars so we went to the seacoast yesterday afternoon for a look. It ended up in the back of the truck and made its way home with us.

It is a 1998 Polaris Indy Classic (about a 600) with electric start (I need to get it a new battery though) and reverse. I may not get to use it at all this year, although we are expecting more snow on Tuesday. Even if it's not used this year, there is no way I could have found that kind of price at the beginning of next sledding season, so it's all good.

Sledding thru the 603

Last weekend was all fun and games for WS. On Saturday he went out sledding with Jimmy and Chris (the neighbor); they were out for 8-9 hours. Then Sunday, he took me out to Henniker, where we hit a trail system that took us into Bradford and a corner of Warner. In the 3 hours we were out, I got a couple of pics from different points in our journey. Just a note, although I had the camera, I took both these pics with my phone - I had taken the battery out of the camera to charge it, and forgot to put it back in before we left!

The first picture is from Bradford and in the distance, a bit to the right of the center of the picture, is Pat's Peak ski area.

This next one is on our way back (probably in Henniker) and that is, again, Pat' Peak.

That ride was full of firsts. If you recall, I had been on a sled for the first time in my life a couple of weekends ago. That was nice, easy and mostly flat terrain. This trail was all ups, downs, hard turns, and parts were heavily washboarded. Other areas were so narrow, the only reason I had faith the sled would fit thru was because WS was leading and proved it to me. One such place was a narrow "bridge" that was along the abutment to highway 202, with the river a good drop below.

Another first was going across a portion of a lake. That was pretty scary just because the top portion was thawed, although there was plenty of ice below. The only choice was to cross the lake to the next portion of the trail or turn around (and the 550 pound machine doesn't have reverse) and return on a particularly crappy trail. WS went first to find where the trail intersected, while I stayed on shore. He then returned, told me what was what, and left the decision to me. Although not happy about it, I decided going forward was the thing to do.

Other firsts were going up and down extremely steep hills. Have I ever mentioned that I am not good with heights? That translates into not being very good with steep hills. Having no choice, I soldiered thru and found that snowmobiles can do incredible things on hilss, even with a newbie on deck!

Speaking of steep hills, yesterday WS went out again. This time we started in Hillsboro and went to Eccardt's Farm in Washington. After going thru the farm (yes, we literally went between their buildings and I could see the cows not 75 feet away from us in their cribs), there is a very steep hill that is wide open of trees. This was completely different - I had become rather blase about steep terrain with trees around, but the openess made it so I could see the entire lenght of the slope.At the top we stopped - the photo does not do the steepness justice.

Then we turnded around and came down that hill, which is actually more challenging to me. Once again we were out for about 3 hours. I have enjoyed snowmobiling - much more than I ever thought I would. Of couse I have only gone out on fairly warm days, and I am not sure I would go out in cold weather, but it certainly helps curb the longing for warm bike-riding weather.

With all the Snow Around, Sledding is on the Mind

After listening to WS describe some of the beautiful landscapes he has seen, and looking at pictures he has taken over the years when he has been out snowmobiling, I told him that I would like to at least learn how, to see if is something I would enjoy.

Yesterday, he and Jimmy decided it would be a good day to go to Greenfield State Park to give me a place to learn (low 40's and no wind). We trailered the sleds over, then I got a quick lesson (this is the throttle, this is the brake, these are the heat controls for the grips), I was off to a shaky start just because I'm naturally nervous about this type of thing - plus with WS as an observer, that adds extra pressure.

We stayed within a small area of the park, where we rarely saw anyone else, which was good as far as I was concerned.

I forgot the camera, but got a couple of pics by phone:

The guys starting to take off ahead of me. Yes, I was stopped when I took this picture. Yes, I lost sight of them while I was putting my phone away and gloves on. No, they didn't let me stay lost (they are so good to a newbie!)

The guys and the sleds. I started out on the "purple" sled at the forfront of the picture. It is the oldest of the lot, very heavy and with heavy stearing. However, it does actually hold into turns better than some sleds. It does take a lot of physical stamina and strength to control for very long, so after a while on it, WS had me try the white and black sled. It is the newest of the lot, with very light steering and a more forward sitting position. It is does not "bite" into corners as well as the purple sled, but I wasn't going very fast (mostly arougn 20 mPH - did get up to 27 at one point), so it wasn't an issue. It was nice getting to sit on two completely different style sleds to see how the seating, leg position and everything else afffected comfort and control of the sled.

Jimmy offered to let me try his sled (the sled in the background of the picture), but I didn't feel up to the challenge of riding a 2-up sled with at track that is much longer than the other two sleds.

We were there about 2.5 hours and had lots of fun. I will have to do this a few more times before I can decide whether I want to do this on a regular basis - but I didn't do badly for someone who has never actually sat on a sled before!

Snow Rider

Had to share this picture that a friend took from my FB page, did a minor touch-up, and re-posted to my timeline:

This picture was originally from our trip to Indiana.

Ethonol-Free Gas

The Weekend Pundit had a dialog this past Sunday about ethanol laden gas. Ethanol lowers our fuel efficiency in our vehicles, and attracts water which can cause corrosion. This is especially true for engines that aren't run every day (motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, mowers, weed wackers, generators etc.).

Scary Yankee Chick says she can find pure gas fairly locally. I have wondered for years if the fact that I haven't gotten the advertised MPG out of my last two vehicles was due to my not having access to ethanol-free gas (cause you can bet your booty that athe testsing is run on pure gas!). I got either at the high end, or even bertter, MPG out of previous vehicles (pre-ethanol) because the roads I run have few stops and speeds of 40-55 MPH (the sweet spot for most car engines).

Anyway, for anyone interested, there is a petition at We The People to keep ethanol-free gas available. You will have to sign up (if you haven't already), but it is fairly straight forward. There is also a site that tracks were ethanol-free gas can be found in your state. To my surprise, I found 4 (last I knew there were 2 - both over 70 miles away). Unfortunatly none of them are in areas that I drive, but we do ride out into some of those areas occasionally.

 

A New Twist on an Old Saw

I'm sharing this little ditty that HarleyTrish posted on the Queens of the Road portion ot the HDForum.

Merry Christmas to all of the QOTR.

Twas the night before Christmas, and all throughthe pad,
There was nada happenin', now thats pretty bad.
The woodstove was hung up in that stocking routine,
In hopes that the Road King would soon make the scene.

With our stomachs packed with tacos and beer,
My guy and I crashed on the couch for some cheer.
When out in the yard there arose such a racket,
I ran for the door and pulled on my jacket.

I saw a large bro' on a '56 Pan
Wearin' black leathers, a cap, and boots (cool biker, man).
He hauled up the bars on that bikeful of sacks,
And that Pan hit the roof like it was running on tracks.

I couldn't help gawking, the old guy had class.
But I had to go in -- I was freezing my ass.
Down through the stovepipe he fell with a crash,
And out of the stove he came dragging his stash.

With a smile and some glee he passed out the loot,
A new jacket for him and some parts for my scoot.
He patted my fanny and shook my right hand,
Spun on his heel and up the stovepipe he ran.

From up on the roof came a great deal of thunder,
As that massive V-twin ripped the silence asunder.
With beard in the wind, he roared off in the night,
Shouting, "Have a Merry Christmas, and to all a good ride!"