Glass Blower?

Coming over the first rise, perhaps, for glass blowing. After a year’s efforts (all fun!), my pieces are getting to the point where some are marketable. This week I’ve got work into three galleries/gift shops. And, OK, many are just ornaments and my real pieces at MCGA are in the dark, back corner in this weekend’s show. But they’re out there, the shopkeepers and artists are universally supportive. Wow, who knew…everyone but me. And I have a few checks in hand.

At least my ‘habit’ may be self-supporting soon. I guess that’d be the second rise.

Rain nor Sleet nor Snow

High time to check out the new-to-me MTB trails at Murphy Hanrehan. Sweet! MORC has really outdone themselves with these trails. They take great advantage of the unsurpassed topography at Murph. 10 miles long! And they avoided the overly twisty spaghetti-design so popular in the past in favor of a more flowing and swoopy feel.

Had to leave many of the technical features for later, as everything was getting wetter and wetter with the rain, sleet and snow. Check it out.

XC, not CX

Decided to skip watching the state cyclocross champs and, instead, check out the NCAA Division III Cross Country finals in Northfield.

It was amazing. Hundreds of athletes blast for the hole shot from the gun. All those small schools you’ve kind of heard of. Fan enthusiasm was infectious. Groups ran from one strategic viewing spot to another as the race passed by. And you won’t see that much late-season skin in a year of Packer games!

Gary’s son, Alex Nichols, ran for Colorado College. In his final act as a graduating senior, he finished 14th and made All-American. My alma mater, UW Stevens Point, surprised me with 6th place in team standings. Cool!

Goodbye CSA

Our Community Supported Agriculture subscription with Featherstone Farm has dried up, and we’re running out of our veggies. End of season. A great experience. We saw a lot of new fruits and veggies, top shelf produce and tried lots of new recipes.

With “our farm” being near Rushford, the epicenter of late summer floods, we got to personally share in some of the heartache experienced down there. Our farmers worked especially hard for us and we were happy to support them through their hard times. See you on the other side of Winter!

Good bye my Wee

Just as I was getting the hang of it, end of moto season. One last ride past icy ponds and into the Suzuki 650 V-Strom’s (Wee-Strom’s) wintering spot.

Good intro to moto maintenance. End-o-season oil change, no biggie. Squirt some oil in the cylinders for the winter. Well…

Front cylinder:

• Unbolt radiator, swing out of way
• Snake tools into tight space, repeatedly grating knuckles against backside of radiator.
• Voila, fini.

Back cylinder:

• Remove seat
• Remove tank covers
• Remove windshield
• Loosen cowlings
• Remove instrument cluster
• Tip up gas tank
• Well, there it is.

Planned ahead and popped in a couple of new spark plugs while I was in there. Can’t wait to pull the tank so I can peek at the air filter…some nice spring day next year.