Open Thread - Friday, September 29, 2017
Nothing, in truth, can ever replace a lost companion. Old comrades cannot be manufactured. There is nothing that can equal the treasure of so many shared memories, so many bad times endured together, so many quarrels, reconciliations, heartfelt impulses. Friendships like that cannot be reconstructed. If you plant an oak, you will hope in vain to sit soon under its shade.
For such is life. We grow rich as we plant through the early years, but then come the years when time undoes our work and cuts down our trees. One by one our comrades deprive us of their shade, and within our mourning we always feel now the secret grief of growing old.
If I search among my memories for those whose taste is lasting, if I write the balance sheet of the moments that truly counted, I surely find those that no fortune could have bought me. You cannot buy the friendship of a companion bound to you forever by ordeals endured together.― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars
My wandering adventure ended Tuesday, and I am beginning reentry into home life. My intention to let the cosmos be my guide, was tossed to the wind.
My indulgent motorcycle adventure started, before dawn, two Thursdays ago. I had intended to take four days to travel from the Piedmont of NC, to the front range of Colorado. The first day, I made it to Marion, IL, which inspired me to go for three days to Colorado. Day 2, I booked a room for Hays, KS and set out just before dawn. I sailed through Illinois, Missouri and into Kansas. Everything was going great, until the wind started to blow. A stiff cross wind started blowing out of the south. The wind blew hard for the last three hours, making driving a motorcycle a test of stamina.
Off to the south, there were black clouds. As I proceeded west, I thought I might drive away from the source of the wind. That thought was vanquished by the vision of:
By the time I reached Hays, KS, I was battered, bruised and close enough to reach the Rocky Mountain's front range Saturday! Saturday morning, I departed Hays about ten minutes before sunrise. It was 75 degrees and I had on a light jacket. I was traveling west, toward darkness, and could see something on the horizon, but could not tell what it was. Upon convergence, I drove under a fast moving dark cloud formation. The clouds were fast, low and did not reach higher than about 500 feet. The wind picked up significantly and I thought "Oh shit, here we go again!".
The cloud formation was briskly traveling eastward and I was briskly traveling westward, so the dark clouds and wind only lasted about a half-hour. However, the temperature dropped to 49 degrees, briskly.
I stopped to re-outfit and set my vector for Colorado Springs via Kansas Highway 40
to Colorado Highway 94. It was amazing! I would drive for 1/2 hour at a time without seeing another vehicle or person. Just high plains rolling toward the mountains.
I made Colorado Springs in time for Saturday lunch. My hands were aching, and I needed to pamper myself with a good meal, and long shower, before setting about getting high in Colorado.
More about that later. Have a great weekend! The thread is OPEN.
Comments
Good morning, Tim ~~~
Glad you are back home in one piece - surviving the wind on a bike, out here, speaks volumes. My son and his wife came from AZ for a visit and talked me into returning with them and riding the train home. I finally agreed and we left last Thursday. The wind, on that five hour drive, was horrific in a car, so on a motorcycle - very treacherous.
We've had incredibly strong east and south winds along with two inches of rain in the last two days - raining all day just doesn't happen often in these parts, but it's been our turn the last two days.
From your quote, it sounds like there was much reflection on your life with your life-mate. It's a beautiful quote filled with such truth - thank you for bringing it to us - it's given me much to reflect on.
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Quote
Whenever I would wander into a one of those spots that makes you feel good, invariably my mind would wander to Sue. I think the wires cross around that excited and tingly feeling.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Your Body Is Teeming with Weed Receptors
Yay Funkin' Friday and NCTim are back. Good day!
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/49810/title/Your-Body-Is-Teeming-with-Weed-Receptors/
arachidonoyl ethanolamide anandamide a.k.a. "bliss delight" First cannabis compound "discovered" by science.
I wonder if there is a dose to remove the stick up Sessions' ass? Modern day electric kool-aid test in DC could make a better world to live in if you know what I mean. Hint hint cafeteria servers, waitrons, etc.. Workers of the world unite.
Mood Swings feat. Chrissie Hynde - Spiritual High (State of Independence)
peace
The plethora of transmission media is quite extraorinary
I have always been a fan of cookies and coffee.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Glad you are back safe and sound.
Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story. We have family at Lake Havasu, and we are contemplating a trip in Feb. or March. It is 2,2xx miles one way, and I am reluctant to even make that trip in a car. Debating if we want to drive to Havasu, or fly into LA, rent a car, and drive and sightsee a little bit on the way to Havasu. We can book a return flight out of Albuquerque and catch a bit of the Grand Canyon along the way there. By the time we pay for gas and hotels to drive all the way there and back, how much more could tickets be?
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
If you have the time, drive
The vastness of the country can't be grasped from an airplane. Plus you get to see things like the church in Missouri with Elvis carrying the cross.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Best-laid plans fizzle for all, conveniently forgotten in time
Day 3 of being able to walk (not stagger). I still distrust this, self-confidence smashed along with my face.
I need to test this out. I still have transplants to go in the ground. I will see if I have the gumption to unlock the shed door to find a shovel and get that taken care of before the oaks drop their leaves. And an order of garlic due to over-winter. My first dance with garlic cultivation. They go in the former "raised beds" (now slouched beds). Cool enough today to burn my year-old tree self-pruning pile? My neighbor had a field fire that had two fire departments deployed. Calculating...
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Don't push it.
If it was benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and you move your head/body positions around too suddenly, you can undo the fix.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Fire and wind are a bad mix
The pile can just compost.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Hola, Tim. Glad you made it safely, those winds out there get
plenty ugly. Traffic free roads make up for a lot, however. Busy day ahead here, so I better keep on keeping on (been at since about 5:18, which is simply *not* the laid back copacetic idyll it is supposed to be at this stage of life. Ah well, there's always music.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
I know what you mean
I rise early, east coast time. During the MC trip, I would have everything strapped to the motorcycle, eat/coffee, brush, final act before hitting the road and be ready to roll before sunrise. Most days, I covered distance by lunch time and spent the other half day destination exploring.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Just lost my audio. This will be a debugging nightmare.
We were camped one night in KS, in a 10 foot square wall tent with 6 foot tall walls and a ten foot peak. The poles were steel tubes that were around 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. The wind came up, my wife grabbed one of the poles in the middle to anchor the tent and the wind force snapped that pole.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
I don't have anything cool to say . . .
But very much have enjoyed the essays and comments so far. Thanks to you all.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Glad you stopped by!
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Wow! What an adventure you had!
A number of years ago (15, I think) we drove to a conference in Denver, taking the southern route out there to Albuquerque and then north to Denver. The drive from Amarillo to Albuquerque was so very desolate so we were anxious to take the northern route back through Kansas. Kansas was clear bright blue skies with amber waves of grain and more oil wells than I could count. But the most unforgettable part of Kansas was the winds. We stopped at a rest stop to eat our lunch and the table was shielded by plexiglass on all four sides to protect picnickers from the winds. I remember seeing several motorcyclists along the highway, most were riding at a nearly 45 degree angle due to the wind.
I am glad that you made it out there and back safely. It is great that you are taking some time to find adventure along the way of this part of your journey. I love your OT's. Welcome back.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Leaning and pointing left
to go straight. Between the wind and grooved pavement, the handle bars are a constant wrestling match. After getting off the motorcycle, you get that, I won, feeling.
I was surprised to hear this, at on of my pit stops.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Cool pics, bro...
did you see any Bears?
The only bears I saw were in Chicago
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Heh...
eyo, you are a mess!!!!
I got a big hoot out of your Sessions comment. LOL.
Welcome back, BikerTim!! Glad you are safe. What a ride! Loved the windmills pic. I saw those on our PNW run. They're incredible!
This is still my fave cover/version of this tune.
Donna Summer, Diva Extraordinaire and a good person to boot! May she Rest In Peace! Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
Thankful
heated grips and electric vest. 100 degrees through the mid-west, then riding at altitude and afternoon temps in the 50s.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
My son has a 5 year college degree we continue to pay off.
He learned turbine engines, build and repair. He once considered working on windfarms, unlike his mother he seems to be height-fearless. The island I used to visit has 146 of those suckers on the headlands facing Lake Ontario. In rotation they were quite reassuring.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Thank you for noticing orlbucfan {hug}
Yes I Am
caucus99percenters are great!
Go Bucaneers!
quickedit: lol Urlando or what? sry
nothing like an adventure to open the mind
So glad yours was memorable with a safe return. Thanks for the photos too.
Nothing like resting up when you're back home after a long trip. Enjoy your recovery!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
The Everything Bubble infographic
From YCombinator this morning:
http://ggc-mauldin-images.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/editorial/170919_Bubb...
good luck
edit: reduced image size
My 1st son is a mountain man
https://www.instagram.com/desertsandalpine/
The other? A jeweler. Buy something you beasts.
https://www.instagram.com/jonblackstudio/
You could live on a farm in VT if your really wanted to.
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
Beautifully written, NCT
I always contemplate when you have to cross oceans to go where you intended to go. Especially two of them. I wonder if I should take a trip on an ocean freighter. May be I wouldn't cost too much to take a motorcycle with me. By the time I would have done that journey I might be a grandma ... riding a motorcycle.
[video:https://youtu.be/t6AmPftmWow]
I can't see me yet riding it, but as the saying goes, the older the better it gets.
Welcome home.
https://www.euronews.com/live