Bigtime Gratitude

So when's Sandy Paws coming??? Woofs to all my incredibly wonderful blog pals. And may I add a bundle of holiday wishes too. I just wanted to let you know that Mom and Dad are beside themselves by the blizzard of card, virtual and paper, that I have received from so many of you throughout this holiday season. Almost every night, my dad makes a fire (when burning is allowed) and we open and read your cards together near the tree and fireplace. It has become the highlight of my day and, wink, wink, I think my pawrents' highlight too! Then we stick all the booty on (one of several now) ribbons that we've hung on the wall and gaze upon your bootiful mugs. We are so moved and grateful for your friendship and know how much effort it has taken for you to address and send these letters/emails to us and other pals out there. It's a reflection of what we doggies do effury day for our hoomans, right? No strings attached. Well...except I'm having trouble waiting now...waiting for Sandy Paws to show up with a treat or toy or sumpin for me! I've baked cookies for Sandy and I'm carefully going through all the carrots and apples around here to make sure there are no bruises, cause after all, those reindeer don't want bruises on their apples - but goodness there are a lot of them! May all your dreams and wishes come true (and I do woof hopefully) now and in the New Year. I send you all virtual kissies and hugs for a most wonderful howliday and again, a million thanks for your wonderful notes and cards.
Oh how we love looking at these!
Here's what we sit in front of when we read and gaze upon your pictures and wishes!
And here's that tree we cut down in the rain that day, all decorated up!
Okay... now I'm furry tired Dad and it's time to go to bed or eat or sumpin'! Thank you so much again - a zillion times! I love my blogging pals so much.

Aloe

Opening, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

This is just one of many aloes that can be seen in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. They are such cool plants!
The most striking one I've seen, however, is the spiral aloe. Its leaves grow in a perfect geometric spiral in multiple rows. Truly a spectacular plant to behold.

Wisconsin Riding

This week I am in Wisconsin to visit friends and family. Getting in some riding, too.
Sunday I rode the Fox River Trail. It was a 1.5 miles for his house t the trailhead. Most of the trail section I rode is paved. There was one section still crushed gravel. Brought the full suspension trail bike since I was planning to ride some dirt.
Was a good day for a ride - lots of folks on the trail. High just over 50, mostly sunny, light breeze from the south. I turned around when I hit the second unpaved section. That was enough for me for the day - made it a 24 mile ride.
The first photo here was taken on the Fox River Trail.
Monday I was a little further south. Finally I was able to ride some of the trails at Kettle Moraine State Park - North Unit.
Checked in with the Forest Service Office and bought my vehicle and bike passes. My plan was to ride Greenbush trails. They looked to be about my speed s I walked a little there 2 years ago. WRONG - as I headed on the trail with my bike, it turned into rougher, lots of wet roots and rocks. The weather turned to fog and mist. I rode Loop 2 and headed to the New Fane trails. The Forest Service office told me that those trails are a little easier.

The New Fane mountain bike trails is a stacked loop system. Loop 1 is a very easy, nearly flat trail. It was a good 1/2 mile ride to get back into riding singletrack on unfamiliar trails. Loop 2 (1 mile) is a little more difficult. There were a couple spots where I walked the hill.
I rode onto Loop 3. This 2 mile loop is a bit more challenging. By the time I got to the intersection with Loop 4, I decide to not push myself. After all, I was riding alone and on unfamiliar trails. I already had a good workout, so it was time to ride the trail on to the trailhead.
The mountain bike trails here are hilly. They mostly follow the contour of the land. Lots of short up and down with a few level spots to catch your breath. I was able to speed down some of the hills, hitting 13 mph!
The New Fane trails are just the ticket for my riding ability. They were fun, enjoyable and challenging, while not pushing over my head. Next time, I will head there with the goal of finishing all 4 loops. A great day (weather not withstanding) dancing on the pedals. At New Fane I logged 4.3 miles, average 5.1 mph, max of 13.0 mph.
Last evening I was thinking of riding pavement today. When I got up. my legs told me "NO".

Brighton Beach

If you want see cool piles of ice, Brighton Beach is now the place to be. The ice piles that were so high at Stoney Point earlier this winter are now but a memory. Brighton Beach (also known as "Kitchi Gammi Park") is right on the edge of Duluth, just past the mouth of the Lester River. A visit to the beach is not only interesting because of the ice, but also because of the people. Folks have been going out in droves to see and climb around on the ice, which is nice because it helps add a sense of scale to any photographs that one takes. After spending about an hour at Brighton Beach, I took the scenic drive from Duluth to Two Harbors. As I neared the mouth of the French River, I started noticing quite a few people ice fishing along the shoreline. I noticed one guy who looked like he was reeling in a fish, so I pulled over to the side of the road to watch. He circled his hole in the ice about a dozen times, working the fish, wearing it out. Eventually he dropped to one knee, reached into the hole and pulled out a nice prize. He immediately called out to his buddies who were further down the shore, and raised his fish into the air so they could see. Yes, it was a good day for all to be on the lake!

God's Grace

"In God there are no more good days or bad days for you, just days of grace. Some days there is grace to enjoy, and some days there is grace to endure."

The Cliffs of Shore Acres

On this blustery winter's day with snow falling from the sky I find my thoughts wandering back to our mid-November trip to the Oregon coast and the beautiful weather that we encountered. Yes, it did rain as it so often does on the Oregon coast this time of year. But, we did also have some beautiful weather, as shown here at Shore Acres State Park near Coos Bay. Shore Acres is known for the massive ocean waves that frequently hammer the cliffs shown in this photo. On the day we visited, however, the ocean was about as calm as it gets. We would have loved to hang around into the evening to experience the amazing christmas light display that the park is also known for, but unfortunately we were a little too early in the season for that.