A few years back while living in the Conejo Valley, one Friday at about 6 AM I walked out to get the morning paper and found clear, calm blue skies, and a nicely temperate temperature. Why so many move to SoCal. By 10 AM, everything changed. The typical slight southwest wind reversed itself into a Santa Ana condition, a high gale coming from the northeast, with gusts up to 70 mph. And I was headed into the wind that afternoon, leaving for a…
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image from radiumhotsprings.com
When Angels Ride Along
As did nearly all bikes back then, my Honda 350 Scrambler had a chain drive that needed daily maintenance—lubing and tightening the chain. Well, I’d fallen in love with the unity of biker, bike, and the road, and did more riding than maintaining. The bike rode well, even though it was loaded high with a backpack strapped to the sissy bar. Pulling out of Banff on highway 93 in the magnificent Canadian Rockies, heading for Idaho, I took full advantage of the bike. Heading into a long, sweeping turn to the right, I barely noticed the 35 mph sign, doing at least 60. OK, maybe more. But I had a good line, until…
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Just Don't Say No...To Temptation
May I assume the headline got your attention? Here’s the back story. On a recent fishing trip I had a conversation with a fellow fisherman who turned out to be a fellow follower of a guy who knew a lot of fishermen. He acknowledged a struggle with alcohol overconsumption, “It’s so hard to say no. The angel on one shoulder says ‘Just say no,’ and the demon perched on the others says ‘Just say yes.’” So, in a flash of either idiocy or brilliance, I responded, “Just don’t say no…to temptation.” His look likely appeared like yours at reading the headline. But...
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