SERVICE and HOME

Wednesday 5.25.11
Madison-Beaver Dam-Home in Indiana
483 miles in 6.5 riding hours.
Up early in the rain making it a wet ride 40 miles in 47 degree weather to Beaver Dam for Mischler BMW service. Waited until noon for the rain to slow enough to ride back to Madison and decide if I could make it home. The rain stopped totally in 40 miles and the pavement was dry in another 20. So onto Indiana. Only sprinkled on once. Much pain due to early ride discomfort Mon-Tue ride and the handle bars not close enough so one can sit straight and comfortably steer. Otherwise a nice, warm (up in the 70 deg range)and fast ride - home by 8:30. 483 miles today and 1643 miles since leaving home on Sunday.

ON the ROAD

Sunday - 5.22.11
Home to Madison
5:53 ride time
7:30 - 1:00 with 5 stops
394 miles

Monday 5.23.11
Picked up bike at 9 am and had to get a dup-copy of title since we could not find the originstrike>al. Rode to Madison and left for LaCrosse,up the Mississippi and on the sister Debbie's house in Hudson WI. Then to nieces new house and dinner with nephew Todd and sister Nancy. Very painful nite- back and leg cramps.
Beaver Dam to Madison to Hudson.
315 miles
6 hours ride time
Many stops due to painful seat

Tuesday. 5.24.1
Minneapolis at 6 am to sister Nancy/Todd, then Hudson, them Green Bay for gloves, then Beaver Dam for bike parts, on to Paul's home, and BBQ dinner @ Famous Daves.
392 miles miles / 932 total / ride time = 7.5 hrs
Up @6 to visit sister's house in Minneapolis.

Collecting APPs & .... wasting time

We have new iPhones and are collecting great APPs. Recently found iheart radio to stream 92.1 The Mic, Public Radio, our bank,travel stuff, Bing & Yelp to find services, MSNBC-Maddow, Tag reader, maps/gps, paper like huffpost, Mfld NewsHearld, Madison newspaper, CNN, on and on and on.... New discoveries daily and very seldom to a desk computer we go, spending too much time daily with our phones.  Oh the wonders of the new age of a small complete computer in one hand with any size font for the aged. 

Getting Ready for the Road

R got his 04 BMW motorcycle tuned up, service & new tires in Indy- actually it two trips to get it right. Then brother Paul decided he would buy the blue bike. That allowed me to negotiate for a new cycle -BMW '11- 1200rt in WI at Mischlers. So we are trying to arrange a trading trip.

Kelzie will compete in Brazil in her next Ironman -if her visa comes thru in time. Do not know the next competition in which she will compete.

Cattle are doing well. Sheep have been straightened out - bad feet and irritated eyes. Chickens are consistently producing 85% in eggs. Summer is here and our 5th lawn mowing. Place looks good with M working in the gardens and pulling weeds.

So far we have had 3 showings - nothing real positive but being promoted and seen. We are not in an urgent state and are willing to stay as long as need be.

Life on Chittenden Brook Farm

Currently we farm in Bean Blossom Township-Monroe County-Gosport in south-central Indiana. We have 140+\- acres- 70 of classified forest/woods, 12 fenced for animals, & 58 for hay to feed and sell. We have 15 lambs, 3 goats, 2 dogs, 1 cat and 12 heifers with 5 calves. We attacked the invasive species, fenced for animals, built a barn for cattle and smaller animals. In the last two years we have bought and sold two sets of cattle, bred 8 ewes producing 12 lambs. We divested of sheep for the winter of the second of R's hip replacement (so he can continue to ride his moto). Recovery from the second hip has been problematic at best.

The problem is - 45 minutes one way to Bloomington so we spend 1.5 hours in the car daily. We Are isolated and we cannot travel together or for an extended period of time - R got to go with Kelzie to compete in the New Orleans 1/2ironman and M will go to Brazil where the next full Ironman will be held. We have not seen friends outside the US for 5 years. You can see we are torn between the best place we will ever live and more freedom.

In addition to farm development we have done considerable work on the house improving the dining room, stormed the doors, painted in/out, built a pergola, planted 120 walnut trees, etc. This has been the most dramatic place we shall ever live.