nature | Peaches Prattlings

{October 11, 2026} Day 16: 361.7 Miles, 9:24 Hours, 361.7 Miles, 14,390ft Elevation, 1 National Park, 2 National Forests, 1 Lake, 5 Cities, 2 Countries

Day 16 started too early, as always, but we were ready to get going because we’re heading back into the US of A!

We loaded up the bikes, loaded up the riders, and went in search of some breakfast. We stopped at a Starbucks, had a bite to eat, then it was time to head out, but not before we admired the five police cruisers, belonging to the nice police officers, or should I say, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP]! who were having breakfast inside the Starbucks. Their bikes were lovely, 3 Harley Davidsons and 2 BMWs.

I just looked up some information, and apparently the RCMP Highway Patrol are moving away from older Harley Davidson fleets to the modern police-spec BMW models, such as the BMW R1300RT, which are equipped with Code 3 emergency lighting. Too cool! Just look at the icons and logos, gotta love it!

Back on the bikes and away we go! We rode through Kelowna, BC, West Kelowna, BC, along the Okanagan Highway, also known as Highway 97. Interestingly, BC Highway 97 is the longest continuously numbered route and longest provincial highway in Canada, spanning approximately 1,293 miles from south to north! We rode through Peachland, BC, Summerland, BC, we passed by Skaha Lake, and a bunch of wineries! Vaseux Lake, Cawston, BC.

Videos: Okanagan Highway [The road, the mountains, Okanagan Lake!], Okanagan Lake: try to keep up! Skaha Lake, Vaseux Lake,

We finally made it to Osoyoos, which is the border with the US and we crossed into Oroville, WA, we were back in the US of A! Here are pics after we went through Customs. PSM was bummed that no one got video of him crossing into Canada, so here you are PSM, riding into the USA!

As we rode into and through Washington, the air was thick with smoke, unfortunately, the wildfires were affecting a lot of the Pacific Northwest, and Washington State was no different. As we’re riding the North Cascades Highway, you can see how think the smoke hanging in the air is. We rode through the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, you can see the devistation where the trees were charred, but you can also see the beauty of the life that is still thriving and pushing through.

Videos: North Cascades Highway Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

We ended up stopping in Twisp, WA at the Branding Iron Cafe & Saloon. The tagline: Good Times. Cold Drinks. Real People. And they were right! The staff and regulars were great! Friendly, welcoming, great sense of humor, we fit right in! It was the perfect stop, good food, fuel for the soul, good conversation, lots of laughs, and a good break, hey we’ve been at it for about 5 hours!

After an enjoyable lunch, back on the bikes, and away we went. We continued our travels through the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the North Cascades Highway, now State Route 20 (SR20) in Washington State. And… North Cascades Highway is the scenic and geographic name for the North Cascades National Park and Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and some of the skies cleared up and it was beautiful!

Videos: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

We stopped in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area to take some pics.

We rode on through the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, it was a big recreation are! It is just south of the Canada-US border and the most accessable part of the North Cascades National Park Complex, so there! lol. We rode through some tunnels, then stopped at the Gorge Overlook at the Gorge Creek Falls , overlooking the Skagit River, which I just learned is the largest and most biologically important river draining to Puget Sound and the second largest river system in the Northwest! I learn so much on these trips and writing these posts!

Video: Riding North Cascades Highway/SR20, Do you love a waterfall?! Stunning and sad all at the same time! Along the Skagit River.

Our last stop for the day was North Cascades National Park. North Cascades National Park has several peaks that rise about 9000 feet in elevation and has more than 300 glaciers! We rode through the park and on State Route 530 NE, which serves Snohomish and Skagit countines, about 50 miles long.

Videos: SR 530 NE, Saku River Bridge

We stopped at a gas station, I’m 95% sure, it was the Shim Shell, the reason I’m mentioning it…the store was ok, the bathrooms weren’t terrible, but what was on the walls was fabulous! The words of affirmation and encouragement was outstanding! I said it, then I saw it ‘This is the most positive batrhoom I’ve ever seen!” “You are an amazing individual, don’t stop being you.” Look at the stars whenever you can!” “Celebrate we will, cuz life is short but sweet for certain.” And the amazing thing…no one wrote on anything but the middle border. So affirming, inspiring, and kind! We could really use more of this today.

We continued on SR 530 NE through Darrington, WA until we reached our destination, the Homewood Suites in Lynwood, WA. We checked in, grabbed an Uber and headed to Chili Basil – Homestyle Thai Cuisine. It was charming! Every page of the menu had a family photo along with pictures and descriptions of each menu item, even some basic Thai phrases. Our waitress was great, the food was really good, although, I thought my mouth was going to fall off! Tasty, but spicy!

Back to the hotel to crash, we have more adventures to come! I hope you’ll join us!

Day 16: Relive July 26, 2026

Day 16: 360+ Miles, 9+ Hours, North Cascade Highway, 1 National Park, 2 Countries, Words of Affirmation. Let’s keep going! See ya tomorrow!

{September 28, 2026} Day 15: 309.4 Miles, 8:48:52 Hours, 13,796 ft Elevation, 7 Cities, 1 National Park, A Street Fair, 2 Ferry Rides, and 30,000 Miles!!!

Day 15 started out like all the others, too early, but…we have lots to do and see today, let’s get started! And…did you happen to notice the odometer on Eunice?! I like to post pics so you can see where we ended up each day, and today…we’re getting there!

Let’s get ready to rumble! Our goal today is to get to Kelowna, BC. Alarm set for 630am, we have four people to get ready in the room! Breakfast at 8am, KSU at 830a, but…looking back at my pics, looks like KSU ended up being about 920a, not sure why, we set our own schedule, right?!

Breakfast wasn’t too bad, although it was crazy crowded at the Best Western, Golden, BC. I have to tell you, years, I mean years ago, I used to stay at Best Westerns and they were…ok…then I started traveling for work and you know me, I’m spoiled by Hilton, so I’m a Hilton Girl, but we’ve stayed at a few Best Westerns recently, nice, clean, friendly staff, I may be adding them to my list. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not turning my back on Hilton, I told you, they spoil me, but as another option, I’m adding them! And look at that view!!!

We rode the TransCanadian Highway, I believe I already told you this, but…it is a massive coast-to-coast national road system spanning 7,821 kilometers (4,860 miles) across all ten provinces of Canada. Impressive! Did I also mention that would be an amazing road trip, to just ride the TransCanadian Highway?

TransCanadian Highway, TransCanadian Highway: Near the Time Zone Boundary Line, Columbia-Shuswap, BC, Canada.

We stopped in Revelstoke, BC to grab a cup of coffee/tea, a snack and happened upon a farmers market/street fair. Music, people, food, vendors, nice weather, and good vibes, what more could you want?!

We left Revelstoke and headed past the Mount Begbie Trailhead, continuing on the TransCanadian Highway to the Shelter Bay Ferry Terminal. We just missed the last ferry, so we had about an hour to wait for the next one. Wasn’t bad because it gave us time to check out the park, get some puppy love, talk to other people waiting on the ferry.

Love riding across a bridge! It was overcast, but who cares?!

The ride on the ferry was only about 30 minutes, but the view was awesome! The other side is the Galena Bay Ferry Terminal. It’s always challenging to ride onto a boat, we had to do it when we took the Cat Ferry to Nova Scotia two years ago. The nice thing about being on bikes is we were the first on and the first off the boat. You have to be just as careful riding off the boat as you do riding onto the boat. Oh, did I mention the ferries were free? It’s a nice way to get from one side to the other, peaceful, serene, and just a pleasant way to travel!

As we were heading to Kelowna, BC, we rode the British Columbia Highway to Fauquier, BC, to the next ferry!

Riding the British Columbia Highway. Riding by the Rock Island Hideout.

When we got to Fauquier, we took the Needles Cable Ferry, sooo cool! The Needles Cable Ferry is a free, cable-guided public ferry in British Columbia, Canada, crossing Lower Arrow Lake on Highway 6 between Fauquier and Needles! This ferry took less than 20 minutes, another free, smooth sailing ride/shortcut!

Riding onto the ferry.

Riding off the ferry towards Kelowna, BC.

One of the sad parts of our trip, I’ve mentioned the smoke and devistation from the wildfires, and in this video, we actually saw a smaller, but active wildfire happening. In the beginning you can see the BC Wildfire Service helicopter with the collapsable Bambi Bucket to try to fight the fire. It’s a specialized, collapsible canvas water bucket suspended from a helicopter to drop water onto wildfires.

The ride along the coast is beautiful. Riding the BC Highway.

Ok, so…teeny plug for me…one of the things that I knew was going to happen and everyone else knew…and I was going to stop and take a picture…Eunice hit 30 THOUSAND miles! I know that’s not a lot for some, or a milestone, and when you look at motorcycle milestones, it’s usually 5k, 25k, 50k, but for me…that’s 30 thousand miles I have ridden myself on this bike! I bought her in July 2022 and four years later, I am at 30 thousand miles! For someone, years ago, who didn’t ride that much, I’m darn proud of me! Ok, picture taken, mission accomplished! Now I can just sail through without watching the odometer! Let’s go!

We finally made it to Kelowna! We were staying at the Recreation Inn & Suites, from the outside, it was unassuming, but the rooms were clean and right off the parking lot, not too far to carry our stuff, what more could you want?! We settled in, took showers, got dressed, and headed in search of food. We ended up at Baxter’s Bar & Grill – Pub & Grub, had a great waitress, good food and drink, and even got to see a fight, it was very verbal and loud, and if one of their friends hadn’t intervened, it may have turned into a fist fight. Dinner and a show! What more could you want?! Well, this sunset, that’s what! Stun-ning!

Another long day and a milestone, how are you holding up? Ready to do it again tomorrow? We have 2 lakes, 2 national forests, and we’re heading back into the US of A! Come with us!

Day 15: July 25 Relive

Day 15: 309+ Miles, 8.5+ Hours, TransCanadian Highway, 1 National Park, 2 Ferry Rides, and 30k miles! Who wants more? I do!

{September 16, 2026} Day 12: 354.4 Miles, 9:36:21 Hours, 2 Countries, 7 Cities, 2 National Parks, 1 Lake

Day 12 started early, 630am alarm to be exact, we have a long way to go and…get your passports ready kids…we’re going to Canadia! Yes, I know it’s Canada! I worked with someone from there who used to say Canadia and it stuck!

We’re going to Canada, but first…breakfast! Can’t go to another country on an empty stomach! So…we loaded up the bikes, loaded up the people and then went to the Laughing Grizzly Restaurant, Bar & Casino. It was close, the reviews were great, and supposedly the corn beef hash is very popular. We got in, got seated, it was crowded, a lot of Post Malone tshirts, a lot of college students! He had played the Washington-Grizzly Stadium, apparently it was part of the BIG ASS Stadium Tour Part 2, good on ’em. Our server was great! I know we’ve talked about good and bad servers before, but a good server can really make a meal. I wish I could remember our server’s name, but he was one of the good ones, thank you!

On the bikes, we rode through Wye, Polson, through Lakeside, Kalispell, Martin City, Coram, until we got to Glacier National Park!

Riding over a bridge in Polson. Riding through Lakeside. Riding past the Montana Vortex and House of Mystery.

Glacier National Park is a place that DJH, PSM, and I had been to in 2023, I don’t know if you remember me telling you about it back then…there was construction and I don’t mean a wee bit…there was NINE miles of dirt and gravel and we could only go about 5 miles an hour, if that. If you know me and my love of gravel you know I was miserable, but we survived! Thankfully, this trip was not like that!

This was VGT’s first time at Glacier and we were excited to share it with him because, the Going-to-the-Sun Road is 50 miles connecting West Glacier and St Mary and the highest point is Logan Pass at 6,646 feet. It can take about 2 hours without stopping, that is…if you are actually moving more than 2 miles an hour. One of the pluses 3 years ago, aside from the negative construction, was the timed entry. You had to sign up on recreation.gov to get timed entry for the Going-to-the-Sun Road. We had to do this for Cadillac Mountain in Maine, among others. The benefit is there are a limited number of tickets that you can get to cut down on the issues we faced…S L O W MOVING VEHICLES. We spent most of our time starting, stopping, inching, trying not to fall over on the bikes because we were going soooo slowly.

Even going back down it was excruciatingly slow. There were places we would have liked to have stopped to get pics, but everyone else had the same idea and there were no places to pull over. I’ll be honest, the scenery was amazing, but it was also exhausting. I would like to go another time when it’s not so crowded, not sure when that is. I asked a park ranger why they took away the timed entry and it was a bureaucratic answer that she had to give…

Riding through a tunnel. Can you feel how slow we were riding?! The videos don’t do it justice! Look at the snow on the side of the mountain! Green on both sides, snow above!

We rode out of Glacier looking for a place for lunch and ended up in Whitefish, at the edge of Glacier National Park in the Northern Rocky Mountains. We landed at the Bulldog Saloon, a bit bigger than a hole-in-the-wall type of plac,e but definitely a local hangout. There are bulldog pictures everywhere, college pennants and sports memorabilia, and the bathrooms were trippy!

The sign on the ladie’s room door had Notice: The men’s restroom and the first stall of the women’s restroom contain adult material. Please escort children to the second stall of the women’s restroom. Let’s just say, everything outside of the second stall was cheeky and one or two things could make you blush, but they were defintely funny!

Back on the bikes, riding through the Kootenai National Forest, located in the extreme northwest corner or Montana, bordered on the north by Canada and the west by Idaho, guess which one we were headed for?! Just before 7p we crossed the border into Canada! And Oh Canada was it a beautiful ride as we headed towards the Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort in Cranbrook, BC.

Riding into Canada. Look at the mountains! Not a bridge over troubled waters!

We rode into the sunset, but got to the hotel just before, but don’t forget…this is the summer, sunset is about 9p/10p, we have time! It really was a beautiful sunset. Our goal tomorrow is Canmore, BC, which is in the province of Alberta! because the day after, we are getting our bikes serviced in Calgary!

For now friends, it is late and it’s time to crash! Do you see how close Eunice is to 30,000 miles?! I am sooo stoked! I will definitely be getting a picture of that!

We did a lot today! Gotta get some rest, tomorrow’s another grand adventure!

Day 12: July 22 Relive

Day 12: 354+ Miles, 9+ Hours, 2 Countries, 1 National Park, what more could you ask for!? Tomorrow…another province!

{September 15, 2026} Day 11: 355.9 Miles, 7:24:13 Hours, 5 Cities, 2 Lakes, and 1 Pass

Day 11: Get up, pack up, load the bikes, get breakfast, get on the road! Sounds so tedious! HA HA. Since breakfast wasn’t great yesterday, even though it’s included, we found a place while we were out walking last night to dinner.

We loaded up and headed to the Outpost Restaurant, our server served, but not much else. Do you ever get that feeling that your server wished they could be anywhere else in the world than standing in front of you? Do you see the one pic in the collage below ‘If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.’ Yeah, that was our server, we tried, but cracking a smile didn’t seem to be his jam, oh well….speaking of jam, I did buy a little jar of their huckleberry jam, it is sooo sweet, but you can only get it in some parts of the US and I wasn’t missing out! Small jar, you never know if you’re going to like it and one of the advantages of motorcycle travel…you only have so much room!

We headed out of West Yellowstone towards Missoula, MT. I just realized, well I probably realized it a long time ago, I should get commission from some places, I always add the web address for the place, hopefully it gives you an idea of where to go and what to do when you get there!

Look at that view!

We rode through Drummond, Bearmouth, and Lolo Hot Springs, all cities and towns in Montana. Looking at these websites for theses places makes me want to pull up a chair and stay a while! Especially in the winter! The images covered in snow, quiet and tranquil look amazing! We rode the Lolo Pass, unfortunately, the visitor center was closed, how do I get my patch, magnet, and sticker?! There are a few theories on how the Lolo Pass got its name, one of them is it’s a nickname or ‘corruption’ of a French name, like Laurence or Laurent and used by 18th or 19th century fur trappers. The Lolo Pass is along US Highway 12 on the Montana-Idaho border. Apparently there is a myth about the Montana-Idaho border, which you can check out here!

As we rode, we passed by Earthquake or ‘Quake’ Lake, which was formed August 17, 1959 when a massive 7.3 magnitude earthquake triggered a huget mountain landslide that dammed the Madison River! We also rode by Hebgen Lake, a scenic man-made reservoir, about 15 to 16 miles log and up to 4 miles wide, reaching a maximum depth of 70 feet, and sits at 6,240 feet abov sea level. Don’t you love learning something new every day?!

Riding by Hebgen Lake. Riding the Lolo Pass. Riding the Lolo Pass back. Highway 12.

I know what I haven’t told you, at least I don’t think I’ve told you… The orange bike is DJH, the black bike is VGT, the white bike is PSM, and my bike is the blue one, which you’ve seen Eunice before!

We stopped at the Bear Cave Bar & Grill, which is part of the Lolo Hot Springs Pools Resort. It was the perfect spot for a break, it wasn’t crowded, the staff was nice, the regulars looked like regulars, and the food was decent, exactly what we needed to take a breather!

Back on the bikes for more twists, turns, switchbacks, twist the wick, hammer down on the throttle to our next destination, the Baymont in Missoula, MT. Very glad we had a reservation because they were sold out, along with almost every other hotel in town. Felt bad because there were a few guys trying to get a room after being on the road for work and someone had messed up on their reservations. We found out the next day, there was a Post Malone concert, and he was joined by Jelly Roll and Carter Faith.

The rooms were comfortable and clean, this was one of the places that DJH stayed by himself, we both admitted it would be a little weird! He was going to miss my back scratching to wake him up! HA HA. No pool, but we could keep our bikes under the porte-cochere, don’t worry, I didn’t know what it was until just now! It’s basically the sheltered area outside the front door of the hotel that helps keeps vehichles protected from the elements and when we’re lucky, the hotels have let us keep our bikes there, to protect from potential rain.

After showers and a bit of a rest, we walked across the parking lot to Sean Kelly’s Stone of Accord Irish Pub! You know I love a good Irish Pub!!! The atmosphere was welcoming, the wait staff charming, the food delicious, he boys all had corned beef and cabbage and were not dissapointed, and Guinness for PSM, of course, happy fella! For me… they had sticky toffee pudding! Sticky Toffee Pudding is a gooey sponge cake drenched in warm toffee sauce. I discovered it on The Great British Bake Off, could have been before that, but…I finally found some when I was in Scotland and fell in love with it! I’ll be honest, it’s not always the easiest to make and sometimes I’ve had it when it tastes burnt, which ruins it, but this was grand!

Best part of the evening…walking back across the street to the hotel! No Uber, taxi, long walk, ride, just a nice liesurely stroll, up to our rooms, relax, maybe work on our Relive videos, and lights out!

Day 11: July 21 Relive

Day 11: 355.9 Miles, 7.24 Hours, 1 Pass, 2 Lakes, tomorrow…shhh..a surprise!

{August 29, 2026} Day 5: 176.2 Miles, 8.5 Hours, 1 National Forest, GoodBye Durango, Hello Silverton, Million Dollar Highway, Hola Ouray, At Last…Grand Junction!

It is Day 5, we are in Durango, Colorado, at the Junction Hotel & Hostel, our clothes are 98% dry, a little chilly putting them on, but…it’s going to be warm today, so they will dry as we ride, works for me! We were excited to get on the road, but sad to be losing MB. We assembled at the bikes and convinced MB to join us for breakfast, you know where… The Durango Diner, of course! We had to, DJH woke up “The Cure, The Cure, The Cure”!

I ordered an Uber, off to the Durango Diner. What a cute place! They have been Durango’s hometown diner for over 60 years! They have a long counter and about tables, and it’s very narrow. We took the last 4 spots at the counter and DJH and VGT ordered, what else, The Cure, “Hashbrowns topped with melted american cheese, your choice of bacon, ham or sausage, and two eggs. All stacked and smothered in our Durango Diner Green Chile Sauce.” That’s the classic/original, you can get it 5 different ways, whatever takes your fancy.

MB and I ordered something different. One of my favorite breakfasts is huevos rancheros, I ordered it from the ‘lite’ menu options, which I didn’t realize I had, it was ok, but not enough. Luckily…we would be back in Durango in 4 weeks and I would be able to get something better, and…PSM would be with us, so he wouldn’t have to miss out. It really was a great place for breakfast, did not disappoint on atmosphere, service, and charm!

Back to the hotel, MB took the Uber to the airport, we checked out of the hotel, got on the bikes and took off. Just a note…until Day 7, all photos of the scenery are taken with my phone, then I got to use DJH’s GoPro, they will get much better! We headed out of Durango on US Route 550, lots of twists and turns, here’s an example of a video with my phone, you’ll see what I mean! DJH and I had done US Route 550 in 2023, it hasn’t lost its charm! I know VGT agreed, we could ride it over and over, I’m sure we will again!

The halfway point, and start of Million Dollar Highway is Silverton, Colorado, home of Silverton Harley-Davidson, their claim to fame, The World’s Highest Harley Store, at 9,318FT! The woman who runs the store, Kathy, remembered us, maybe it was the hair, or she has a really good memory! It was nice catching up with her, she is from South [I hope I got that one right!] Carolina and spends her summers here in Silverton. Ruby was her new pup, unfortunately the sweet pup she had the last time had gone over the rainbow bridge. Ruby was worn out! They had gone for a walk and she jumped in a stream and had a good long doggie paddle, she was wiped out!

Back on the bikes and it is time to ride the Million Dollar Highway! It’s 25 miles that runs from Silverton to Ouray. It was constructed in the late 19th century as a wagon trail. Today, it is a scenic byway winding through the San Juan Mountains, starting in Silverton, the highway climbs up and over Red Mountain Pass, reaching an elevation of 11,000FT! The road narrows and winds, has shart curves, and steep drop-offs, it can be challenging for any driver, and then heading down towards Ouray, you have switchbacks, which make up Million Dollary Highway!

If you look at the Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of the page, you’ll find out why it’s called the Million Dollar Highway, and as it says, it all depends on who you ask! One of the questions, which I just discovered and had to chuckle…”Is it dangerous?” It is one of the most dangerous roads in the United States, I can understand that, especially since there’s no guardrail, riding in one direction can be nerve wracking! The reason there are no guardrails? In the winter, they plow the snow off the side of the highway, that makes sense! Yeah, tell that to PSM and his dislike of heights!

Part of US Route 550/Million Dollar Highway was through the Uncompahgre National Forest, we stopped for some pictures at Bear Creek Falls. DJH is getting so much better! One of the things I rib him about is not stopping enough to take photos! This was stunning! The pics just don’t do it justice. And no, DJH and I did not dress alike intentionally! He’s had that flannel for years and I got mine, happens to be the same color, that I got at Hills City Harley Davidson in 2023. I have to tell you, I la la la love this flannel! It goes with me almost everywhere, and it’s definitely on every bike trip, it’s a great layer or could be a light cover. I digress. This stop, along with the views along the route, were breath taking!

We wound our way along Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Colorado, situated at 7,800FT above sea level and surrounded by 12,000-13,000FT peaks, dramatic cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and scenic mountain valleys that create some amazing and breathtaking landscapes. It also turns out this year is the 150th anniversary of Ouray, lucky us!

We stopped at the Ouray House Brewery the sign outside said Grumpy Pants Brewery, loving that! The guys had cold bevereages, and I had a pb&j, I was hungry! Remember my lighter side huevos rancheros! This was just the pick me up I needed! We were also a wee bit toasty, it got up to 101 out there!

Back on the bikes, we wound our way to the Grand Vista Hotel in Grand Junction, CO. We were happy to be there! And…lucky too, VGT was having some issues with the computer on his bike, so…off to Teddy Morse’s Grand Junction Powersports the guys went to have them look at his bike and I went to change into a bathing suit. I have to say, there were some very nice pools at some of the hotels, with really pretty murals on the walls. I’ll have to share some pics of all of them in another post!

When they got back, VGT went to relax, DJH and I went to the pool for a nice relaxing dip and a relaxing soak in the hot tub. After cooling off and feeling refreshed, we went back to take showers and meet VGT for some dinner. We went to Oliver’s Restaurant & Bar for dinner and we were in for a treat! They had really good Indian food! We all got a different curry and it was delicious! Happily, for me, it wasn’t too spicy! I don’t always have luck with Indian food, this was yummy!

The nice part of dining in the hotel restaurant, we don’t have to get on the bikes, take an Uber, or even leave the building, just go back up to our rooms! Tomorrow is going to be a late, casual start, we need to wait on VGT’s bike to be ready to pick up, here’s hoping it’s something they can fix so we can be on our way!

Day 5: 176.2 Miles, 101 Degrees, 8.5 Hours…. tomorrow… Loveland!

{January 9, 2025} OneDrive Memories

Do you use OneDrive Memories? Well… do you use OneDrive, or Microsoft 365? Is that a better question? Either way, not sure if you use it, but as you can tell… I do.

One of the things that I enjoy is when it pops up on my laptop, lower right corner, and I click on it, I never know what I’m going to get. Ooh, I just thought of something! I could do a post a day of what’s in my OneDrive Memories, that would be cool. Thinking…thinking…

Well…while I decide on that one, and by the way, I had a whole different topic I was going to talk about tonight and got waylaid by my memories, ha ha, that was just funny to me. I have to file the lottery thoughts to another day. Back to OneDrive.

Two years ago today, I was flying back from a three week trip to England. I spent a week with my dad, then Paul arrived and it was the three of us for 2 days, then my sister’s family arrived and we spent a few days together, then PSM and I went off and spent a week in London/Wales/Bristol, then I was on my own, went to Liverpool for a few days, back to London to attend RuPaul’s DragCon UK and on Sunday/Monday I was flying back to the US from a whirlwind trip!

Three years ago, I was with my friend CGS, and have a pic of her four kids, wow! I just texted her with the pic, I apologized for the late text, but I couldn’t help but share the love! That’s one of the things I love to do, when some memories pop up, I take a pic with my phone and text it to the people who are in it and I get to share something special with them, makes me so very happy.

Four years ago, KFN sent a pic ‘How to spot a biker chick’ and it’s a pick of the top of a pair of Chuck Taylor ‘Converse All Stars’ with black clutch marks on the left toe…and I sent him a pic of my chucks that look exactly like that! There’s also a few pics of PSM with Bee and Ruby, awe.

2019… pics of an overcast sky with a rainbow coming through, from our lanai off the back of our house. And lastly…2016, pics of us with my sister’s family at PSM’s family’s celebrating my b-i-l, ACS’, birthday, which is tomorrow. Our nephew, JM, and nieces, EJS, and MGS were soooo little! That was just before PSM left for Hawai’i, he was starting work a week later, and I officially moved towards the end of that year, wow…

I’m sitting here, just smiling, thinking of all the random memories that pop up, taking me back, making me smile, marveling at how time flies and how good my life truly is, and it is. Who knows… maybe a memory with you will come up and I’ll text it to you, be on the lookout!

{January 6, 2025} Brrrr…who turned up the AC?!

Two days ago we were on the beach, snorkeling, swimming with honu and today…I was using a snow thrower to clear off the driveway! What?!

We left the Big Island on Saturday night, it was a balmy 80 degrees out, we flew through Phoenix, 45 degrees! as we walked through the jet bridge. We landed in Newark, it was about 30 when dad picked us up! What?! Brrrrr…drove home, it was about 23 when we pulled into the driveway at home. Seriously?! A lot of people on our flights were worried if they would make their connections, the winter weather heading in.

This morning…woke up to a covered backyard, house, street, it was white out and it kept coming…it wasn’t too bad when PSM left for work, then about 1130a, I decided to go out and throw a little snow! If you recall, last year, we bought a snow thrower, not a snow blower, it literally throws the snow, very cool! Well, I put on my cuddle dud layer, fleece on top, snow boots, ski jacket, and headed to the barn to blow the 4 inches of snow so it would not be difficult when PSM came home or when I went to get the dogs.

I made a first pass, took about 40 minutes, not too shabby, then I put the snow thrower away, turned around, and there was a new layer of snow on top of what I just did! Oh brother! But… it wasn’t too bad, even if it left another layer, we were in a good place.

Later, I looked out the window and the area near the barn, you couldn’t tell it had snowed! All melted from the ground, what?! The driveway still had some snow. We were in business.

Then…it started snowing again…it wasn’t bad when I went to pick the pups up, but definitely not top down weather, sorry Ruby! Easy driving and PSM took it easy going to the office and coming home. And… guess what…it’s still going! Looks like I have a morning activity tomorrow!

Walking in a winter wonderland…may I just have the sand instead?!

{July 11, 2024} What are your daily walks like?

It doesn’t happen every day, but it happens often enough! I take the dogs for a walk every morning, then, as long as it’s not blistering hot, I take them for a walk in the afternoon/evening. They are ready to go about 5p, that’s when we were taking them, just after we finished work. And when you’re working remotely, it’s easy to keep to a schedule!

Now, they don’t nudge as much if we don’t go for a walk at 5p on the dot, but… they know, after the walk, it’s either a treat or dinner! Very smart individuals! So…I take them for their walk and all is fine and dandy and all of a sudden, the play fighting/wrestling begins. The first time I saw it, it scared me, if you recall, I grew up with cats, yes, they could fight, but it didn’t sound like this! Now that I think about it, cats have their own screech and attack sounds!

Well… they start doing this and there is no stopping them! They do it in the backyard, go for it, they do it in the house, go for it! When we were living in the hotel last year while house hunting, their favorite time to do it, not just the parking lot, but as we were walking into the hotel, ‘can we please move so people can come in/get out?!’ or, my favorite, just in front of the elevators! ‘can you hold off, just until we get to the room, then you can eat each other’s heads if you want!’ sometimes that worked, sometimes I just have to say ‘Ok, STOP! Not here!’ does that work? um… what do you think?!

Now, on our walks through the neighborhood, the road we live on is a main drag and people treat it like a thoroughfare! They drive 50/60/70 miles per hour or more, it’s not a place, when it’s crazy busy, that I even like trying to get across the street to get the mail. Yup, I live in a place where the mailboxes are on one side of the road, new to me too! I do my level best to stop them when they want to do it on the main drag, when we’re on one of the other streets…like in the pics and video below…have at it! I will even let go of the leashes so they can have fun!

Check out the video, they sound vicious! Especially Ruby, but… you’ll notice that Bee is on her back, exposing her belly, she wouldn’t if she wasn’t into it and do you see her jump up and ‘attack’ Ruby to keep going?! Then the kisses at the end?!

What’s your morning walk look like?!

And her is our afternoon walk, we’re on the side road that people treat like another speedway, that’s why you can see my grip on the leashes. They really do love this!

Ruby looks so vicious when the video starts! But you can see how much they love it! Bee instigates, then Ruby instigates, then Bee, then Ruby, then…

And your afternoon walk?

These two crack me up! We got so very lucky with them, they are strange ducks, but they’re our strange ducks and we love them very much. And you know what…we wouldn’t have it or them any other way!

G’night!

{June 11, 2024} Cabot Trail…Here we come!

Why oh why…even when we ride 500 miles the day before, and asleep between 11pm and 1am, am I up between 4 and 6 am? You are correct, there is something very wrong with me! And you know what? I’m ok with that!

So… as I said, up early, got dressed and walked across the road from the motel to the waterfront. There were almost no cars on the road at that time, easy to cross, walked down to the pier or boat ramp and just took it all in, and yes, I put my feet in the water, cold, but so worth it! I communed with nature about 30 minutes, then headed back to the room to get ready for our day. PSM was up by then, and after telling him how wonderful it was, so we took a stroll hand-in-hand to the water, we of course had to put our feet at the water, but not quite in enough to get wet, I wasn’t barefoot then, and you know my boots aren’t waterproof!

Back across the road, it was almost time to head out. Don’t the bikes look wonderful, gleaming in the sun, ready for today’s adventure!?

Of course my bare feet were in the sea! Ahhhh…

Just listen…

Just listen to the sound of the water…isn’t it divine!?

We got on the bikes, one nice thing about staying somewhere a few days, not worrying about our stuff, we unloaded last night and now, just hop on the bike and go! We headed left, please don’t ask me if it was east or west, we all know I have no idea! Left from the hotel, we were going to ride until we found a place to stop and get some coffee and breakfast fare, we had already done dinner in the hotel, let’s do something else.

We stopped at the Clucking Hen Cafe & Bakery, which was decorated in, yup, you guessed it…puppies! Kidding, sorry, totally decorated in chicken stuff. It was kitschy and cute, just what the Clucking Hen should be! I even got a shirt that says ‘No Clucking Around’! I thought the best sign was the one you see in the pic ‘I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned!’

We all ordered food and drinks, I got a chai latte with oat milk, or so I thought…turns out it was real milk, but I was lucky enough to discover it with one sip and they fixed my drink straight away. They also returned my money, which they didn’t have to, so…when I asked if they had any magnets and they didn’t, they gave me a pen, which I turned around and paid for with some of my refund! She was a very nice human being!

Everything we got was tasty and delicious, especially the thing they are famously known for, their buttertarts and oh my word, they were AHmazing!!! We had one pecan and one raisin and just wow! I don’t know how anyone eats more than one of these things! PSM and I split the two and I think raisin was my favorite, but just thinking about it, I could go for another one right now!

Aside from the service and the food, the view was spectacular. We were on a bit of a hill, overlooking a meadow, leading to the water, wouldn’t you call that spectacular?! Overall, 2 thumbs up in my book. I’d go back for another meal!

Back on the bikes and back onto the Cabot Trail, I really need to get one of those 360 cameras, they take amazing shots and videos 360 degrees, gets it all [wish list!]. We rode for a while, then went down this one road and ended up at a beach, so of course… stop and take pictures and I put my feet at the water once again, I know, I know, not in…but I had my feet at the water’s edge. I stood there, eyes closed, face up to the sky and sun, arms outstretched, taking in the sounds, the smells, the feels, I was most assuredly in my happy place.

Back on the bikes, a few hundred miles more, up mountains, down mountain roads, twists, turns, scenic lookouts, more gorgeous views, stopping for petrol, then the Cardinal Points Gift Shop, a biker friendly souvenir shop, we had to stop of course! We got t-shirts, magnets, stickers, patches, it was a lot of fun looking and picking out some fun things to bring back. Always have to remember, you’re on a motorcycle with limited space, but…I have 4 outside pockets on my bag/backpack, and one is dedicated to magnets and stickers! Nice, small things I can bring home!

Eventually, it was time to head back towards the motel, but it was also time to feed the crowd! One of the things that got established, sort of, last year on our big trip out west, I would look for places to eat, so…I always have a list now, it’s something I do for any trip, I have a list of possible restaurants and sites to see, if we go, we go, if we don’t…oh well. Tonight, it was dinner in Baddeck, at The Narrows Cafe and Bar at the Inverary Resort, about a mile from the hotel and a loverly place for dinner.

We didn’t need a reservation, we could walk in tired and looking like we did, and they welcomed us and made food and drink magically appear on the table! It was a nice vibe and atmosphere, a decent size bar, big tables and a big fireplace, which I bet is toasty and inviting in the winter. Best thing for me…a really good veggie burger!

After dinner, half of us went back to the hotel, the other half went in search of libations for the rest of the evening. We dismounted, changed out of our riding gear, settled in on the porch and watched the sun setting. What more could you want?!

Now my friends, it’s time to say good evening, there’s more riding tomorrow, I have to go in and pretend to go to sleep and do it all again tomorrow. What a life! More, more, more!

{May 19, 2024} Another Project: Flowerbox Edition

So…the house in PA, as you know, we’ve been doing some renovations since we bought the house. The latest project I’ve been thinking about for a while and now that I found my flowers, I was ready to put it into action!

So…there is a flower box that is right outside the front door, it’s about hip high, well, my hips, I’m not that tall! And there was a metal box in it that, at some point, must have held some flowers, but when we bought the house, just dirt. Every so often, I would go out there and pick the weeds, and if I picked any weeds from the front yard, sometimes I would put them there as a holding place.

Well…I have these metal and ceramic flowers I got at different festivals and when I used to sell home decor and they have traveled house to house to house, state to state to state, and now… they have a home, outside of a jar on my desk!

First, I removed the metal flower box that was in the brick structure, the bottom was rotted out, so it wasn’t too difficult. I took out all the dirt, well, as much as I could, there were two concrete structures, like stacked cinderblocks inside, and some loose bricks. I removed as much dirt and put 2 of the loose bricks in between the cinderblocks. Then….I needed some filler.

So…love my husband…we stopped at Lowe’s, picked up some EZ Sand. This is the type of sand that is fast setting and gets into the cracks and crevices. We needed to ensure that nothing would work against the foundation and maybe crack one day. We also picked up some black recycled rubber tire mulch, I love this stuff! It’s a little more expensive than regular mulch or pine bark, but…it lasts about 10-12 years and all you have to do, if you’re using it as regular mulch in your flower beds, maybe fluff it up every few years.

Then we stopped at Michael’s to look for foam bricks. I found some and bought more than I needed, they were $2.50 for a set of 4, you cannot beat those prices at Michael’s! There are different types of foam bricks, there are the dry foam, for silk floral arrangements and more, then wet foam, that’s for live floral arrangements, what I got is hard Styrofoam, not as easily broken.

So…back to the house with our haul. Well, after a few other destinations, but home eventually. Since the flowerbox was empty, I filled in all the nooks and crannies with the sand. It’s so cool to watch the sand fill in, especially where there were little gaps and holes, swoop!

After the sand, then came the foam bricks. PSM and I cut the bricks down so they weren’t in too tight and could move around.

Then…the rubber mulch, it looks so much cleaner!

And finally… the flowers! Don’t they look fabulous?! I have one more ceramic flower…when I was testing them at first, of course, out of all the flowers I dropped, it had to be one of the breakable ones! These things have lived in more places than some people and I go to put it out and it breaks, ugh! Gotta love Gorilla Glue! Or something strong like that!

I’m considering putting some grass in there, but I think it looks good, clean, but who knows, I might change my mind if I find the right grass, I don’t want to overpower the flowers. Also…I am on the lookout for flowers to add, but they have to be special and just right, something hand made and makes you smile.

Another project done…Flowerbox Edition!

Enjoy and good night!

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