Bogieblog

Camping

Last weekend there was a get together (G2G) for Northeast Firewood Hoarders (and Pellet Pigs). I have belonged to that forum for several years and feel I have gotten to "know" some of them. Since the G2G was in northern NH, I decided to attend. At first I was just going to do a day trip, but as the time grew close, and the host was promising a great surprise after dark, I decided I could camp in the truck. The hosts let us know we were welcome to camp on their property and they would have a porta-potty, so I bought an air mattress online, bought a sleeping bag good to 40* and a battery powered lantern. Of course I took food and other stuff. Looking at the truck one would think I was going for a week :D

Camping in the truck was comfortable and the sleeping bag kept me toasty even though the temps got down to 32*.

Somebody brought pallets for a bonfire, so the host unloaded the truck with his tractor.

 

The coolest thing was watching Scotty Overkill (his screen name) bring down a 100' tree, just behind the hosts' house was amazing;

Another tree was also taken down at the edge of a field and a bunch of guys had fun showing off their saws, using their saws to cut to length, and splitting so all the hosts' had to do was stack it for drying

All the attendees got together online and played Santa in June by getting host and hostess gifts. The host got a box - with chains for the tractor

 

The hostess got to read the card and got a nice-sized gift certificate for a local store.

And, of course we had the bonfire with both limbs from the fir tree that Scotty had taken down as well as the pallets.

 

The furthest traveler award went to Backwoods Savage (screen name) and he came all the way from Michigan. He met up with a couple coming from Ohio and spent the night at their house, then they caravaned to NH. Nobody had a clue that he would show up. We had someone from RI and several from CT and NY, a couple from PA another from ME, and yet another from NJ - not to mention 5-6 people from NH (some couldn't make it). It was a well tended event - Had a great time and got to meet a bunch of cool people. Not that "cool" would be what the general populous would call these people - more rednecks, but my definition works for me! 

Iris Blooms and More

I have been excited to see several of the iris that I planted last year next to the driveway bloom. Sorry the red/burgandy iris picture is so blurry. That is the one that sent out the first bud that I featured a couple of weeks ago.

The rhododendron is blooming nicely too. Well, one side is. The far plant in the picture is very brown on the side you can't see. I was browning last spring and I cut out the affected limbs, but now the damage is extensive. I don't know if it is the birds nesting in there (catbirds), wasp or ant nest damage (I don't know for a fact there are insect nests in there, but there are a lot of different bees and wasps sipping off the flowers. There is a bumblebee in the close up picture and I saw at least 3 different types of wasps at the same time - there were so many the whole plant was buzzing.

The variegated weigala I planted last year is putting out a few blooms which is impressive since I dug it up from the holding garden last year and figured it would be a couple of years before blooms appeared.

Today I went to Agway and got some plants for the back porch. Three very nice smelling petunias and a snap dragon for hummingbirds. Although I don't keep a feeder out, I have seen at least one hummer flying around the yard lately.

The two ninebarks I planted last year beside the driveway are putting out buds so they should flower soon. However, their foliage is pretty enough that once they fill in they will be beautiful. I'll try to remember to get pics of the foliage for a future post.

Hope your days are bright, sunny and beautiful as it has been here lately!

Gift from Work

I guess a lot of people let our CEO know how much time and effort I have put in for the last two months in order to prepare for the audit. Tuesday she called me into her office and she presented me with a card. I opened it at my desk and found not only a very nice thank you card, but a nice thank you gift - a gift certificate for the Manchester Harley Davidson dealer.

As it happened, I had a appointment for the new Explorer on Wednesday to take care of an appearance package that I had included when I bought it. Basically another coat of clear coat to protect the paint, plus treatment of the carpet and seats to protect them from staining. When I picked up the truck Wednesday afternoon, I realized I was about 1/2 mile down the street from the HD dealership so I decided to go see if I could spend part of my gift card.

It turns out I could spend part of it; I got a window decal for the truck, a headband and heat deflectors - and I still have part of the balance left, so I can make another trip later when I decide what I need.

I had thought about getting heat deflectors for a couple of years since this bike runs so much hotter than my 2006 SG did. The 2006 only had an 88 cu/in engine and the 2011 has a 103 so the inside of my thighs get cooked if sitting at a stop light even when it is only in the 80's air temp. When I got home that night I tried my hand at installation. They look like they should be very simple, 5 minute install. Although not truly tough to install, it took about 30 minutes, some swearing, and consultation with the H-D forums (using their search function for previous posts). Some of the tips and tricks they gave were invaluable in keeping me on the right track, not losing parts into the hollow frame, and giving me confidence. So, here they are - and they work great!

First two picture are of the left deflector (left as sitting on bike). The third pic is of the right deflector. Covering those jugs is very helpful in keeping the heat away from the legs.

 

Heels and Wheels

Today a few of us LOH gals met at our local HD and took a nice ride, ending up at Monadnock H-D (in Swanzee) for their first Heels & Wheels event. I wasn't planning on putting my bike in as a contestant, but it ended up being in anyway. There were a total of 10 bikes and wait for it, wait for it, well, it didn't come in first. In fact, I'm probably the only one that voted for it. It was a lousy day for showing the color as it was overcast. It was still pretty bright, but in those conditions it just looks a root beer color, not the fiery red with gold/green/orange/blue sparkles in the paint. Heck, who am I kidding, there was no way I was winning with Michelle's bike there. Hers is a beautiful purple and black with a mural painted on the fairing depicting some of the cross-country trips she has ridden. We had a great time anyway.

My bike is far right - Michelle's is the purple/black one  in the middle

 

Other bikes in the contest. I figured if Michelle didn't win, the white bike would. It also changes colors with light pinks and turquoise undertones. Plus she had some customer pinstripes too.

Darlene had her trike there too (and that is her at the table).

Here is Michelle with her trophy

And the 4 of us mugging around

h, and I met a Facebook friend. I don't remember why I accepted her friend invite, but she and i have been "friends" for a couple of years. This is the first time we have met. She rides the Spyder trike - she is sitting behind, second from the right

Great day for a ride and the event gave us a destination that had some great scenery to ride thru to get there.

Bloom Time

Got home from work the other day and all the phlox were in bloom - order of pics: Phlox along driveway (new part put in last year); phlox along front of the house; phlox in a planter (in front of primrose in next pictures)

So wer the red English primrose (only took pics of one) and an azalea just behind the primrose.

Mowed my neighbor's place Thursday night, and finished up the tank of gas mowing part of mine. Finished my mowing last night and noticed the Rhodi is throwing a few blooms. Hope I get a nice bloom this year - I am so spoiled by its mostly spectacular shows!

Tuesday the crab apple was nearly at full bloom

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of peak bloom. Between my working hours and house sparrows attacking the blooms, I didn't even get a chance to see it. I don't know why the birds were attacking the blooms, but I watched a flock doing so the evening the pictures were taken. It seems unlikely that there were that many bugs and the birds continued to worry at petals that had fallen on the ground, so maybe it was a nectar/pollen thing for them (which I don't see in any book). One thing that kind of amuses me is the crab apple is done blooming and the lilacs just started blooming a couple of days ago.

A couple of weekends ago I did a thorough cleaning of the basement pellet stove, covered up the exhaust and put it to bed until next fall. However, the P43 has seen intermittent use - and has run several times since Friday night, so it probably won't be cleaned until some time in June. I am almost determined not to open another bag of pellets and haven't opened any for 3 weeks. I scooped out almost a bag of pellets from the basement stove hopper for the P43 to burn. It will be a race to the finish of burning since I have nearly gone thru that.

I have mowed my yard twice, and the neighbor's once. Not that the neighbor's yard couldn't use a second mowing, just I've been doing my during the week and his during the weekend. It has been rainy all this weekend, so it will have to be let go until we get some dryness. Unfortunately, I know I will be at work until 6-7 pm all this week (getting there at 5 am), so next weekend will have to do.

Remember my mentioning a bumper crop of maple helicopters last fall? Here is a sampling of the seedlings that have cropped up in the back yard (before mowing)

While mowing, I noticed that one iris planted last year has a bud on it. Surprising since they usually take a couple of years after transplant, but a pleasant surprise

Wish us luck on passing our AS9100D audit.

Do What You Want Day

Happy Mother's Day to Cop Car!

Here is a bouquet of flowers just for you

Hope you get to do what you find fun and/ entertaining, eat whatever you desire and have an all around great day!

IFRD 2018

Today was International Female Ride Day. One of our LOH members led her first group ride ever. We had great weather  for a change and she developed an awesome route for the ride (bonus - no storm damage debris in the roads from the severe weather last night). We had about 20 ladies attend; some from our HOG Chhapter, some from 2 other chapters, and then still others that just joined the ride for something to do. Our dealer advertised on the FB page and we had flyers and signs at the dealership to promote the event.

The dealer's Marketing Manager took everyone's picture individually and she posted on their FB page, so I lifted some of the pictures from there.

This is from the pre-ride instructions. Where Nancy, the leader of the ride and the gal who I am looking at, went over basic rules, ride formation and generally what we could expect while following the route.

The group picture (I'm not convinced everyone is in the picture)

Nancy at the lead of the line as we were getting ready to leave the dealership

And the group as we were starting off. I am directly behind the gal on the purple bike - about 1/2 way down the pack.

Great weather, everyone stayed safe, and we all had a good time. Nothing more can be desired!

Lots of Flowers to Start 2018

Lots of early blooming bulbs - pictures taken 5/3/18

Funny that the english Primrose was actually the first thing blooming. This picture was taken on 4/28/18, I just forgot to download the picture from my phone

 

We suddenly had leaves on some of the trees on Thursday. First pic is of a lilac and the second is one of the new maples I planted last fall (Autumn Blaze)

 

RIP Fuzzy 4/29/18

After pulling Fuzzy back from the brink of death in January, this time it was time to let him go.  Fuzzy hadn't eaten for 4-5 days, hadn't drunk any water for 2 days, and had just laid in the same spot in the basement. We made the trip to the Emergency vet clinic in Concord this morning.

Such a great kitty. He showed up in 2003 as a fully grown, heavily muscled feral tom cat who was so distrustful of humans that he would not let us within 15 feet of him. He left this world as a well content and gentle soul of a house kitty who loved everyone and was well loved. He is missed greatly already.

Pictures are thru the years 2008 and 2017 (in no particular order)