Well, I am back. It rained all day so I finally have time to set down here and do more than check up on things.
Heres some more pictures of Glaicer Park when I was there earlier this year.

As I believe I said before, the motorcycle was a great way to take in the park. I could see everything without having to peer out a bug splattered window and I could pull off the road anyplace I wanted to check out a flower in the ditch or an animal off to the side or stop and dig out the binoculars for a look through a valley for Grizzlies. Didn't see any bears but I looked.

The road in was all up hill, through tunnels and switch backs. I felt like I was almost on top of the world at some points! From the top where I turned around I let the bike coast witht he engine off. It was wonderful to coast down in silence, 50 MPH and the wind blowing around me, I was able to make it almost all the way back coasting. I drove 80 miles one way and 80 miles back (including side trips and such) and when I was done I filled up with gas and calculated that even with all of the climbing of hills and the small amount of luggage on the back weighing me down I still got close to 300 miles per gallon worth due to the coasting. I usually get 130-150 mpg with that little Honda and just me cruising down the highway with no coasting.

Now, on to more recent things.

I've been working very long days (and some nights too) at work mostly hauling grain witht he semi to town from the combines. It's fine work as long as I can keep awake, which I have serious trouble doing after midnight when driving. That long day+ night stuff ia pretty much over though and I'll be in the tractor doing field work until freeze up. The tractor has auto steer so all I have to do is set the thing up and make sure things are working ok which leaves me bored and I fall asleep so I have to take something along to do. I read some but the ride is bouncy enough that I can't do that long. I think I will start taking my violin along next week so I can practice that for several hours a day instead of not at all like I usually do.

Earlier this summer I found a really good deal on chicks so I thought I would get a batch and have some layers for next year as well as a bunch for me to eat this fall and winter. I ordered 200 and soon after they called me and told me they were out of those breeds so I told them to just cancel the order. I never paid anything so I figured I would just live with the chickens I have already for another year. Well, a few weeks ago I was getting ready for work when my phone rang and the post office said I had chicks in. This was a surprise for me as you can imagine, I thought maybe Kyle or someone else I knew was playing a joke on me and had ordered me a few chicks or something just to see my reaction. Well, when I got to the post office the noise made me decide this was a collossal sized joke if it was one at all. Turns out the hatchery I had cancelled my order with months before sent me 200 chicks anyway, all roosters and all of one breed, an egg laying breed! Now 200 free chicks is fine but all roosters and all egg type? And, I was really not prepared for chicks at that time! Normally I would have a pen ready, feed on hand, feeders, waterers, time to deal with them etc. I had none of this and I was going to be gone for 2 days that next day! I took them to Kyle's and he took care of them for me and when I got back I was able to set up everything for them. Now I am glad to have them, or I will be until I have to butcher them all in January.

Today I ran into my brother Samuel in town and since it was muddy and we both were driving our 4x4's we decided to go mudding. I found an old gravel pit and we tried to see who could climb the steepest part before flipping over. He has a jacked up and souped up Dodge diesel pickup and I have a great big 4x4 Suburban (for winter and snow, hunting and emergency"just in case" rig, NOT a daily driver.) I was able to climb the sides of the pit until the front end was coming off the ground and threatening to tip over end to end backward, then I got to the top and the front end fell down with a crash over the edge and I got over. Samuel's engine is a lot heavier than mine so he has more front end trouble with that sort of thing but he made it quite well most places. It was really fun to take some time out and practice extreme driving. I think it's a really important skill. Afterward Kyle got out his 4x4 and he joined in the fun for a bit.