A Long Over Due Update.

We thought it was time we updated our blog. As most of you know, we bought a house again in June of 2009. After we got back from spending the winter of 2009/2010 in Florida we got busy with the gotta’s of owning a house again. So Sandy starting looking for furniture for the dinning room, living room and family room. As of November 10th most of the furniture is here.

It has been a pretty busy summer for us with my step mother going into a care center in mid June and my dad going into assisted living on July 1st. He only got to stay there about 6 weeks before he also had to go to the care center. So now they are both in the same room again. They seem to be getting along well in the care center and we think it’s best for them as now they get nutritious meals, get their meds on schedule and have someone available 24/7 for help. Here is my cousin Patty will Rueben and Georgia.

In mid July our friends Chuck and Lorraine stopped by for a week. They full time motor home and after spending the spring out east they were heading back to their home area in Bellingham, WA. We did a little sight seeing, but most of the time we just spent relaxing and visiting. While they were here some mutual friends showed up at the campground. They were Mike and Linda from the Auburn CA.. It was nice to get a chance to visit with everyone again. Thanks for stopping.

Dave, Sandy, Chuck and Lorraine.

Lorraine, Linda, Chuck, Sandy and Mike.

In late July Sandy went out to visit her family in Aberdeen, SD. Here is her Dad, Erwin, tending his flower garden.

On August 1st six of us went to Canada fishing. It was a good trip with lots of fish caught and eaten.

Bob with a walleye.

My brother Glen with a smallmouth bass.

Russ, Bruce and I with some walleyes we caught.

My other brother Joe with a walleye.

When we got back we had three days to rest up before Joe, Glen and friend Dale took off on a 5-day motorcycle trip clockwise around Lake Superior. Sandy and I took this same trip on a Yamaha 650 back in 1978. I forgot what a great ride this was. Maybe Sandy and I will go on it after I get the Hannagin trike kit put on the Honda Goldwing.

Dave and Joe.

My brothers Joe and Glen.

The Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior.

Some kids jumping into a pool on a stream that flows into Lake Superior.

Now here is a new way to exercise and mow lawn at the same time.

The three brothers.

Dave, Joe and Dale.

It’s hell when you get old and can’t do a full days ride without a nap.

At least with Glen along we get to stop for ice cream. He just has a nose for these places.

On the19th and 20th of August our friends from Houston TX, Jan and Joe, stopped to visit us as the were motorhoming from the east to west coast. While we were out sight seeing we had to stop as Snuffy’s for a malt. Part of the fun of our 2 years full-time motorhoming was that we got a chance to meet a lot of great people. This year we had the chance to see 8 of these friends again. Thanks for stopping.

Dave, Sandy, Jan and Joe.

In mid September Sandy’s Mom, Dalles, came to visit for a few days and see our “new” house. We went to a play at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater and spent the rest of the time doing a little shopping and relaxing.

At the end of September we had some more friends, Manuel and Connie, stop by for a couple of days after having spent a couple of months traveling the east coast with some friends, George and Janet. They had ended up in western Michigan and decided that Minnesota was a good route to get back to Texas. Again, thanks for stopping.

Manuel and Connie at Minnehaha Falls.

Janet and George.

As we are leaving the Mill City Museum.

I got out for a ride with a group going on the 17th Annual Swan Ride. It is a ride starting in South St. Paul, going south along the east side of the Mississippi to Alma, WI and then back up to Wabasha for lunch at Slipper’s on the river. It was a “go at your own pace” with 3 stops along the way to regroup. Then after lunch everyone went their separate ways home. It looked like there were over 200 bikes.

A couple of pictures at the starting place at Fury Motorcycle on south Concord.

Fury put on a free pancake breakfast before the ride started.

Some of the Tundra Swans at Reick’s Lake in Alma, WI.

Our lunch stop at Slippery’s, of “Grumpy Old Men” fame.

This is my new red Goldwing that I am going to have triked this winter.

Well. that’s it for now and we will try to update sooner next time. OH! I almost forgot. This year we have decided not to go south for the winter and spend time at home. but the motorhome has wheels, so if it gets to cold!!!!!!

Until next time,

Dave and Sandy

Dave’s got a new toy.

There hasn’t been much leisure time for us in the land of “gottas”. Sandy has been busy looking at and ordering furniture for the living and dining rooms. Now she will start on the basement family room. Sure will be nice when these are done.

Last Saturday, June 5th I drove the motorcycle to Hannigan Motorsports in Murray, KY to get a side car put on the Motto Guzzi. They spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday installing the side car. Here is the tech, Austin, setting up the frame.

It has been 7 years since they last did an install on a Motto Guzzi. After it was done I spent Thursday and Friday driving home. I drove west a couple hundred miles to catch Missouri Hwy 19 which I followed north.  It was a much better motorcycle road than driving the freeways.

When I got home Sandy just happened to be coming home at the same time and quickly went in the house and got the camera to get this picture.

Now we will see if Sandy will get in for a ride.

Until next time,

Dave and Sandy

Sidecar driving school.

On Thursday the 23rd  Sandy drove out to SD to visit with her parents and sister for a few days while I went to Milwaukee to take a class on driving a sidecar.

Our classes started on Saturday morning with 4 hours of classroom training and 4 hours of on the bike training in the afternoon. Of course, it would have to rain when we got on the bikes.There was one other guy, Tom, taking the sidecar class with me and three taking the trike class; they were Betty, Holly and Don. Although the three on the trikes had never driven motorcycles before, everyone did well during the maneuvers we had to do.

Because we had a small class and everyone was doing so well on the maneuver training, we did not start classes until 10:00 on Sunday morning. I had time to take a drive to the Milwaukee lake front. Along the way I drove past a house that reinforces my belief in rules and covenants for home associations.

 

 

 

When we started at 10:00 we again had some class instruction and then took a written test in the morning. In the afternoon we had some more maneuver training and then were graded on our skills. Everyone passed with flying colors.

Here is Tom with a sidecar furnished by the driving school and Tom by his Harley with a Lehman trike kit.

Here is Holly with her Honda with a Hannigan trike kit.

Here is Betty with her Harley with a Lehman trike kit.

Here is our instructor, Warren, showing us the maneuvers we have to do.

Here I am with the sidecar rig furnished by the school.

I know one thing for sure after taking the class and that is it’s a lot better to be on a trike or sidecar when you lock up the brakes on a wet surface. You don’t tip over.

Now I just have to wait for the sidecar to be built and then I go Murray, KY and have it installed at the Hannigan factory.

Until next time,

Dave and Sandy

The final leg home.

It’s Wednesday the 31st and we are heading for home over the next two days. Here are Chuck and Lorraine seeing us off.

As we make our way with a stop in Murray, KY so Sandy could get a ride in a motorcycle with a sidecar, I had a brain fart and did not get a picture of that event.

Sandy took this thinking it was a pretty neat country driveway, maybe a little tight for our motorhome.

Some road construction we came across. We were pretty fortunate in that we did not run into a lot of road construction on this trip.

 

We did get to drive some on the Natchez Trace again. We’ll have to drive this sometime again when everything is green.

 

More trees blooming.

 

 

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

 

Bush stadium where the Cardinals play baseball.

It seems our friend, Richard, has made his mark all over the country.

Crossing the Missouri River.

As you can see, I am moving to the center lane. It looked too narrow in the right lane.

The campground we stayed in at Urbana, IA. We will be home tomorrow.

 

It’s nice to see this kind of temperature in middle Iowa.

When we awoke in Urbana, IA it was 56.3 degrees and when we got back to Lakeville the temperature got up to 81 degrees. This was the first and last snow we saw and it was just before we got to the Minnesota/Iowa border.

We are home!!!

It was a fun winter on the road, but it’s good to be back home.

We’re home now so we won’t be posting again for awhile.

Have a Happy Easter everyone.

Dave and Sandy