Motorcycle

Amanda mentioned that I took a class to get my motorcycle license a few weeks ago, but she didn't mention that I also began the hunt for a bike of my own. That hunt ended on Saturday, and I finally got to bring the prize home today:



It's hard to tell, but that's me in all my gear, preparing to begin my first ride on my new (to me) 2001 Triumph Bonneville. The ride went really well, no troubles at all. It was the most fun I've had on a roadway since … at least my first permit, maybe ever.

If any of you are interested in getting into the hobby, I definitely recommend taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse. It's a fun weekend of learning how to ride.

What's Up North

My latest excitement is I started taking a pottery class yesterday. There is a woman about 2 miles from me who has Dragonfire Ceramics and had a class in community ed. This is something I have wanted to do ever since junior high school when I took a pottery class. This is the first time I have every used a wheel. Very cool.

I will post pics when I get a finished product. I made a mug, lumpy, and a rather nice looking bowl. I have my second class tomorrow, but may pop over today if I can get my work done in a timely fashion. It runs twice a week through some time in August.

Live Stuff

I just accomplished my first download from the camera onto the new computer. The new version of iPhoto has many unfamiliar tricks. It is a little scary as it recognizes, identifies and organizes things all by itself. I found the following on the camera.

This was my orchid on January 22, 2010 just starting to bloom.

By April 15th, it was still adding more  flowers and looked like this.

Here it is on June 10, 2010! It set up a 2nd stalk of blooms but now some of the flowers are starting to fade. This morning I found two blossoms had fallen off. But, on the other hand something blooming for 6 months that smells like grapefruit and vanilla is a good thing. 

I also hung out a shirt to dry on the porch Wednesday, June 9th. It was a really windy day here. Not long after I hung it up I noticed this beautiful dragonfly "hiding" on it. It was large about 4" from wingtip to wingtip and maybe 3" long. Night came and it was still on my shirt. I finally carefully urged it to move onto the back of the love seat. It was gone in the morning.  The photo doesn't do the colors of the dragonfly justice. It was beautiful shades of green and blue.

Oy

We got down and dirty yesterday and started the removal of the old chimney. When we had the new roof put on they took the chimney down to the main floor ceiling. Yesterday we removed 12 blocks and got it down to just below the floor, into the basement. Heavy work, but feels good to get a good start like that. The basement will be tougher, just because we have to haul the blocks up the basement stairs.

We are going to take the space that the chimney took up and make a bigger closet in the bathroom, or two separate closets, which ever is the most efficient to build.

The garden is coming along, we have had lots of rain, now we need the sun for some heat. Everything is up, but the Swiss Chard is taking its own sweet time.

Wrenshall Community rummage sale next Saturday. I only have a week to find more stuff. I told Joe I was going to have folks just come into the basement and pick out what they want to buy. Seems easier than hauling it out. Oh well. I am saling with the neighbor across the road. Always have fun doing so.

Back to work with me. Hope this finds you all well.

Mayflies!

Are you all covered with mayflies? This radar image is pretty crazy! Looks like an invasion, centered just south of La Crosse! http://gizmodo.com/5555462/what-is-this

In other news, it was a crazy, busy week at work. Tomorrow, we are going to a wedding in New Hampshire in the afternoon, then I'm meeting some friends who are in town for a Wellesley reunion for dinner, and Bryan is going to a bachelor party for another friend who's getting married in a few weeks.

I bought a dozen basil plants today, because our seedlings turned into a bunny salad bar. I hope these more robust ones will do better.

Long Weekend Re-cap

This is probably the last non-crazy weekend before camp starts, so it was pretty relaxed around here, at least for me. Bryan spent most of Saturday and Sunday taking a course to get his motorcycle license. I went shopping a bought a dress to wear to a wedding in a few weeks. We made a pizza and some cookies, and watched some movies. Today, we spent most of the day wandering around Cambridge, and we had some Whole Foods takeout for a late dinner. Now, Bryan is bottling some beer, and I'm watching Mamma Mia (again - he can only sit through so much). And then, next week will feel short and crazy since it starts on Tuesday in stead of Monday. Here we go!

On-line

I have been enjoying a new blog I just discovered called GardenMama. She has something for the month of May called Wash Wednesday and people send in pictures of their wash on the line. The pictures are fabulous.

I decided to wash this quilt yesterday and hang it on the line and then take a picture of it. Quite lovely really.

Lonely in Wrenshall

This week has been a big burning week, so I have not seen much of Joe. Probably will go on all week.
Got the garden all tilled up. Joe bought a new little tiller for those in between times, as opposed to using the behemoth, which we will save for big jobs.
I bought tomato plants, peppers, cukes, zukes, etc. Today I bought seeds. Need to get the garden planted now. Funny how they don't plant themselves.
Mowed once so far, weeded some in the flower bed. One flower bed looks good, one not so good, one cannot quite tell it is a flower bed.
The crab apple trees are absolutely gorgeous, in the yard and out in the fields!!!! They smell so sweet.
So much to do, so little gumption.
Thinking of dreadlocks (not sure I can be patient enough to grow my hair out).

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This and That

Well when no one is posting I know we are all busy.

On the dashboard I see that Emily started a post called "Trip to Nashua" and all she got written of the actual post was "Yesterday......
Emily is at Acadia this weekend with Trekkers.

Jeff is working a lot and with all the rain already having a hard time keeping up with the grass. Rachel is now working at Subway. She likes the job but every night at the end of her shift, she has to count all the bread, cookies, plates, flatbreads, etc. She doesn't like to count.

My cough is finally better but I have been weeding and planting outside so now my back is complaining. Jeff and I have been over to the wayside garden a couple times and that is under control. Technically a 4-H Club project, we have people signed up for the summer to cover watering and weeding. Unfortunately the water is so low in the lake and the zebra mussel shells so high, it has become really hard to dip a pail at the wayside's boat landing and come out with any water.

Tuesday we start sitting for my friend Rosemary's dog. Skye is a 12 year old West Highland Terrier and is used to lots of walks, play dates with other dogs, baseball games etc. so I fear she might be bored here. I have only been with Skye a handful of times so we will see how it goes.