All I Need is a Banana and a Dog to Walk

Lately at cross races I'll often see Lulu (the 8 year old) walking or running by with a dog on a leash. She seems to have taken on the responsibility of being the official cyclocross dog walker.
To be at the start your race on the start line, and see your kid running by with one dog and by the end of your race, look up to see her walking along with some other dog ...
This past weekend I raced both days. And watched half of the four soccer games in Sam's (the 10 year old) end of the soccer season, soccer tournament.
Luckily, Saturday's race was at night. So we traveled to both games on Saturday and then left after the second game to meet Morgan at the race Saturday afternoon. And left Sam with a friend for the night.
So, back to me.

I don't really get into the race report type descriptions. But, Saturday's course was fun - so maybe I'll try.
Let's see, we raced in the dark. The laps were short and fast and fun. I held back at the start - and cruised along, using the Jenny Feix strategy of slowly working my way past women as they blew their wads on the first few laps.

I ran past a few crashes on the little hills - as some tried to ride them, bunched up, and ended up on their backs. I think I even saw Jenny sliding down on top of Rita or something as I was running past and waving goodbye.

Are you ok ladies? I said as I skipped around them.
And then a few laps later, there was a dog in the middle of the course, at the start/finish, with a man trying to drag him off. And the dog wouldn't budge. And then he pulled himself out of his collar. And started coming towards me, as I was coming at him full bore on the asphalt. And the man was yelling at the dog and people were yelling at me and I thought, oh no, this might be the end of my race.
And then I slowed down and went around him. And no one passed me.
But then, as usual, I blew my wad a bit too much in the excitement and fizzled at the end. I even thought for a minute as I was finishing, hmm, maybe I SHOULD try training for cyclocross. But then the thought slipped my mind as someone complimented me on my socks.

We got home about midnight, with an extra kid, and as we were unpacking the truck - I, at the same time, repacked the audi for the morning.
And then bright and early Sunday, I headed off with two little girls and Mel down to Monterey.

And we raced. And godamn, it was hot as hell down there. Like 80 degree in the middle of November hot. Which is more like 95 degrees in June hot. Because in November you don't expect heat like that, so your body is really only primed for 60 degrees or something.
So the single parent, dual kid, race day was an experiment for me. I've watched others do it pretty well. So I figured, two little girls would be good practice. Practice for the two siblings who tend to tease and pick on each other - which I'll be attempting next weekend.
And I also knew, once I got to the race, Allie's mom would be there, maybe.
It went fine. Except for the constant, whining about the heat and how there was nothing to do and how this race course sucked and how the trees sucked and how they were bored because I wouldn't let them wander off into the hidden mine fields of the old army base and how there was nothing to do and how come I didn't bring better food and how come we didn't bring their bikes and sharkies taste like crap.

When we first got there, we walked for a while to get to the place where I was going to make them hang out and they asked me where the team tent was. And I said, no team tent today. And they said WHAT? NO TEAM TENT? What kind of race IS this anyway? Why didn't you bring the team tent? Where's the BBQ? Where's all the FOOD?
Oh, if life were that easy - where I COULD actually bring the 80lb gigantic black team tent and drag it the 1/2 mile from the parking area, with all my stuff and my spare wheels and water, to the hang out area. And then set up the bbq and the ice chest and then go race.
After I got them situated into climbing some trees and playing with my camera, I went to pre-ride the course. And when I got back Lulu had to go pee.
And the bathrooms were way the fuck on the other side of the mountain. So I told her to go in the bushes.

Nope, she said. There's a bug that's oozing stuff and some guy just told us that there's a mine field out there and not to play out there.
Yeah, said Allie. That bug is weird. It's oozing everywhere.
Ok, I said. Pee in your pants then. And I left to go pee in the bushes.
Later, I heard there was a mini meltdown and some crying from Allie. And after wards she told her mom that all she really needed was a banana and a dog to walk.

Brannon Mods & Maintenance

Friday, 1 February (Part II)
Custom RV (aka Brannon Hutcheson) — Vina, Alabama

We kicked off our multi-part plans for getting things done/checked out in Red Bay by stopping off to see Brannon Hutcheson of Custom RV, Inc. Our 7:00a appointment lasted almost 12 hours, and a lot was accomplished — including the invaluable picking of Brannon’s brain by Mui.

We came to Brannon for three major items — replacement of the existing lighting with LEDs; replacement of the house batteries; and replacement of the chassis batteries. To this, several other projects — some big, some small — were added during the course of the day.

First the mods and maintenance items for which I have photos. (We have Mui to thank for the photos; I was too busy whiling the time away in Custom RV’s lounge.)

LED lights

There were a variety of bulbs lighting the interior and exterior of the coach — fluorescent, incandescent, and halogen. We had all but the under-cabinet fluorescents in the kitchen replaced with LEDs. Some of them were simple bulb change-outs that Mui could have handled on his own, but we opted to have everything done by Brannon seeing as how he had the bulbs in stock already.

The more difficult part of this project was the ceiling lights. Because of the impression left behind by the fluorescent fixtures, we couldn’t just have pot-lights installed. There are many options for the LED ceiling fixtures. I didn’t want a cherry-trim fixture (which would have matched our cabinetry), because I didn’t want the lights to be a focal point. The fabric-covered fixtures Brannon provided blend in much better; and the fabric matches our valances.

The only downside to the LEDs is that they provide such a soft, daylight color that we forget to turn the lights off when we leave a room — we’ll get used to that in short order ;-) The upside — I can actually use the reading lights now without feeling like I’m sitting under growing lights!

The ugly fluorescent fixtures and other bulbs were replaced with small LED bulbs.

The indentation left behind by the old fluorescent fixtures and the solution.

Before and After … Really like the results!

House Batteries

With our wet cell (flooded) batteries nearing the end of their life cycle, we decided to replace them with Lifeline AGM batteries. Yeah, dropped a chunk of change on this mod, but we anticipate they will serve us better when boondocking, because they are slower to discharge and faster to recharge.

Brannon did a meticulous job, making sure all the corrosion caused by the old batteries was cleaned up and painted over, and the compartment floor was sprayed with a rubber coating before the new batteries were installed. He also reinforced the tray to carry the heavier weight of these batteries.

The old batteries … with yucky corrosion on the tray and the battery compartment floor.

The tray and compartment floor look like new when Brannon is done.

Details from the batteries Mui chose to have installed.
(If you want to read the details on the image in the bottom left, click here.)

The newly installed house batteries are ready to provide us with power!

Chassis Batteries

This one falls under the maintenance category. It was simply time to replace the chassis batteries that were installed when the motorhome was built.

The old Interstate batteries are replaced with new ones … one down, one to go.

Water Softener

The Mark 8000 water softener that Mui purchased from The Flow Pur Company is designed to be connected to the water source outside the coach, but Mui wanted a more permanent installation. He was going to install it himself, but decided to ask Brannon to do it instead.

The water bay isn’t high enough to accommodate the unit, so Brannon installed it at the front end of the big basement bay. He used a strong strap to secure it upright, and ran the hoses through the opening for the central vac system (which we removed a couple of years ago).

Strapping the water softener unit in place.

The valve on the right is the connection coming into the softener;
the valve on the left is the one going to the city water connection in the wet bay.

The hose sticking out in the center is the piece to which the incoming city water is connected.
This hose is connected to the water softener on the other end. The water coming out of the
softener goes through the hose that is attached to the city water connection (on the right).

And that’s the end of the projects for which I have photos. In addition to these, Brannon took care of the following:

• Replaced the faulty satellite LMB with the one Mui ordered from Amazon — our dish now locks into all three satellites from which it is supposed to receive a signal, and we get HD programming on most of the channels we watch.
• Replaced the power switches for the water heater — the switches never lit up, so we didn’t know they were supposed to until we asked Brannon about them.
• Replaced some of the switches that were going bad (on the entry door panel).
• Replaced a corroded part on our water pump — it finally gave out at a most opportune time while we were still in Brannon’s parking lot.
• Adjusted the door handle mechanism so we don’t have to fight to open the door — the door has always required quite a bit of effort to pull it open; turns out the mechanism needed a minor adjustment — a one-finger pull is all that is needed to flip open the handle now (yay!).

As I noted at the end of my previous post, we give Brannon Hutcheson a hearty two thumbs up. He came highly recommended and didn’t disappoint. In fact, he exceeded all of our expectations. The work was completed quickly, and efficiently, and with utmost professionalism and attention to detail.

(He doesn’t have a website at the moment, but you can reach him at 256-668-0973 should you need to avail yourself of his services.)

When One is Not Enough ...

After the initial binge, which lasted three days, my desire to read was sated and I found myself wanting something more satisfying.





I had broken a toe. One small toe. The amount of pain and disruption it caused was out of all proportion. Ridiculous, but true. I had to keep the foot elevated, ice packs, etc. a complete nuisance.





Now, boredom is not something I normally suffer from as life around here is hectic (a lot of it spent outdoors) but reading, much as I love it, was just not enough to keep me occupied.





So I took up some long abandoned craft work and found myself really enjoying it. I fear I am revealing too much of my personality-type here, but once I had completed one project I had to continue, I was unstoppable.





After three and a half weeks - I was finally able to get a very capacious sandal on my still sore foot, which was wonderful. I began to play rather less with the craft work, just finishing off bits and pieces.





When I took stock of what I had made during my enforced incarceration I found that I had made:





30 vintage lace lavender sachets

1 gingham dolly bag

2 organza dolly bags

6 fabric origami bags

4 hamsters dressed in 60's/70's style clothing

15 heart shaped pomanders

9 mouse-shaped pincushions

2 pin wheels

24 organza flower brooches

10 dog-shaped fabric brooches

56 fabric birds...













Luckily I was able to take a last minute stall at a small craft fair, which was held in a tiny local church this weekend - so, much of this lot has now been re-homed - much to George's relief.

Shortened Ride

Yesterday was another beautiful day for riding. Went back to bed after morning chat. So was well rested and anxious to ride. Since I left a message for a possible riding friend, I could not change my plans.
Getting at the bike shop, killed some time, and finally time to ride. Heading towards Lake Manawa, but my heart monitor was not working right. Back to the bike shop. Just not getting good reading. Blaine grabbed one off the shelf to check. That worked great, so took it.
Construction along the Lake Manawa Trail - at Mosquito Creek. Pouring concrete over the area that was dug up for installing the culverts. Gonna be much nicer when that's done.
When I got on Indian Creek, I was just too tired and sore (legs from riding, back on treatments) to make a full loop, which was my intention. Shortened my ride by riding up to S. 16th, over to Harry Langdon, through the Mall, and back to the bike shop.
Today is a day off the bike.

First Cokinos Residence

Still having problems with my camera, but here is the house where George Cokinos was born--then and now at 919 11th NE- right around the corner from the where the candy shop was on H Street.
(We're still looking for the historical plaque.)
On the right: Pota, Peter and their children, Catherine and George probably sometime in 1918. Below is the house today.

Of mud men and moss maids

I recently read on the Ellis Hollow blog about Craig's plans to build a Mudman.
He was inspired by photos of this sculpture called The Giant's Head at The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, England.

Then when I was searching for online information on Moss Maidens for my post last week, this photo popped up on Google images:

Two living garden sculptures in one week! Synchronicity started playing in my head. I had to learn more.
Clicking through, I found the Waterfall Cottage site, where I read that Australian sculptor Belinda Villani had created Lily (above), inspired by another sculpture at Heligan.
Here's the original Mud Maiden at Heligan:

The Heligan sculptures were crafted by Sue Hill and her brother Pete, who also have works at The Eden Project in Cornwall.

This one is called Eve. On this page that includes several photos of its construction, it's called the Apples sculpture, though.
The photo below resembles Eve, and was also created by Sue and Pete Hill. It was part of the "Garden of Dreams" in the .. Chelsea Flower show, and is called The Dreaming Girl.

One source says that after the show, the figure was bought by Olivia Harrison for her own garden. (Click the link for another view and more info on the plants.)
Then there's this.
It's at Bute Park in Cardiff, Wales, and been called a troll, a warthog, and a mudbeast. I can't find any information on the maker, but it seems a bit too rough-hewn to be by the Hills.

Still cute, though. Apparently it had to be fenced in, to prevent people from climbing on it.
Check here for a series of photos showing the creation of a garden scupture called Terra M Firma. The last the artist mentioned, it's not growing moss as well as she'd hoped.
I've been inspired by these living sculptures!
My idea though, is to find rocks with moss already growing on them, and then arrange them artfully to resemble, say, a turtle. Or a snail. Have to start small.
-----
additional links:
Heligan Gardens website.
The Eden Project website.
Search flickr for "Heligan head" to see how that sculpture changes over time and season.
Other views of the Mud Maiden at Heligan are here and here.
Another view of the Mudbeast.
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Photo credits:
The Giant's Head at Heligan by Ollie O'Brien.
Lily at Waterfall Cottage by Jeanne Villani.
Mud maid at Heligan by Liz Jones.
Eve at The Eden Project by Patricia Hamilton.
Dreaming Girl by Caroline, aka Elfleda.
Mudbeast at Bute Park by Mart, aka Late Night Movie.

Eating Cake with Wesley

It has been raining here since Christmas...well, a slight exaggeration, but it feels as though it has. It is cold, wet, miserable - even Toby doesn't fancy a walk. So I feel free to spend some time doing what I want.
Drinking tea, eating cake. I could have eaten a rich and gooey chocolate cake, but I settled for a slice of old fashioned treacle tart. It contained next to no calories, because I served it without cream.(Dream on, Elaine!)Now, eating cake and sipping tea is a wonderful occupation, but I feel there is something lacking...I need a book, something to help me escape from the continual sound of rain, howling wind, gurgling and struggling downpipes and gutters, andthe steady drip of the leak in the conservatory...
Janet ofRevising Life Blogspotvery kindly recommended that I read"Wesley, the Story of a Remarkable Owl".
Janet knows of my interest in the owls around here and thought I may enjoy it.It is the story of how a four-day-old baby barn owl with a nerve damaged wing is cared for by a biologist.She cared for him, and loved him, for 19 years.
I have a feeling that it will all end in tearsand some of those will be mine..
Thank you for recommending it Janet, it is a wonderful book.

Summer lingers

The Winter Wonderland may be just around the corner, but summer still lingers in sheltered corners such as this garden flat in the New Town. I had a chat with the owner, who was watering plants as I stopped to take a photo, and learned that these basement areas have a favourable micro-climate, sheltered from the bitter East winds off the sea.

Fall Photo Adventure

This past weekend was a "Fall Photo Adventure" with 3 very good photographer friends that came to visit Grand Portage for a couple of days. My good friend Roger was accompanied by his brother Ralph from California, and Jake (Gary Jacobson) joined us from the Twin Cities. We had loads of fun, not nearly enough sleep and came away with more great shots than we can count! The fall colors this year have been incredible and their visit on this weekend couldn't have been timed more perfectly for the peak color. If you'd like to check out some of their photographs, here are their websites:
Roger Nordstrom: http://www.rogernordstromphoto.com/
Ralph Nordstrom: http://ralphnordstromphotography.com/
Gary "Jake" Jacobson: http://www.frozenshutter.com/

Above: Jake: "Some people hunt with a rifle, I hunt with a Canon."

Above: Roger capturing the view of the Pigeon River valley

Above: Ralph and Jake enjoying a roadside lunch

Above: The whole crew on one of the local fire towers. From left to right: Me (Travis Novitsky!), Gary "Jake" Jacobson, Ralph Nordstrom, Roger Nordstrom.

Above: Jake shooting the waterfall

Above: Jake and Ralph figuring out their next shots

Above: On Friday night we were doing some star shooting and were treated to a nice surprise showing of the Northern Lights!

Above: Roger is always looking for unique angles

Above: Photographers all in a row!

Above: The guys posing with their cameras

Above: Ralph photographing fall color reflections

Above: Jake takes in the view at Esther Lake

Above: Jake and Ralph shooting along the shoreline of a beautiful Northwoods lake!