Made in Sweden

here it is Dakota, your homework assignment for dad while your in Sweden! My neighbor had this laying around & we got to talking about it & he gave it to me.

it's a Primus No. 71 brass camping/backpacking stove in a self-contained container that acts as a pot holder

has an adjustment key attached to a small brass chain

I'd like to know what type of gas it burns, how it lights & if it's safe to use. It appears to be from the 1950's or so, a really neat stove, just wonder if it's got any life left in it.

Where's there's smoke...

...there's fire! In this case mulberry wood in the business end of...

...my smoker pit! Yeah, when you see or smell smoke in my backyard you know I'm studying & trying to perfect the fine art of pit-smoking 101, DO NOT confuse pit-smoking with BBQ'ing 'cause it's NOT the same, ask any Texan!

and if you happen to stop by to learn some pit-smoking 101 be sure & bring something cold to drink as it's a HOT class, in the case of smoked pig ribs, some Shiner 101 really compliments those, AHHH...another summertime treat!

Summertime staples!

Fresh salsa from the garden, unfortunately it arrived the weekend after Dakota left for Sweden, she was waiting for this stuff, don't worry Dakota, we'll get a salsa garden in for you next year, hopefully earlier so we can bring you some salsa along when we come pick you up from the airport!

Grillin' & chillin' with shrimp/beef kabobs & veggies along with my very own jalepeno poppers filled with cream cheese/montery jack cheese, cumin & garlic, bacon wrapped & grilled, watch out for the HOT ones!

this one is part of our Mennonite heritage, watermelon & roll kuchen with peanut butter frosting, think Indian fry bread with frosting, GREAT STUFF!

and finally, the first BLT of the summer with fresh tomatoes out of the garden along with "roastin' y'ars", potatoe salad & sweet tea, MMM! MMM! the joys of summer!

My new hero!

Here's my daughter Dakota & she's my new hero! For a long time now she's wanted to experience life in another country, but a simple couple week trip would not suffice for her, no siree, she wanted to learn the life, food, culture, history & eventually the language. Well with the help of a local rotary club about a year ago she started her journey!

I think the real journey started though on this day, July 28 when we drove her to Lincoln to put her on a jet, her first time flying by the way, to begin her journey for a year to Helsingborg, Sweden, where she will dive head first into learning their culture, I'm so proud of her & what she's doing I know this will be a life changing experience for ALL of us!

Mom had no worries at this point but that soon changed, & yes, even dad shed his share of tears!


luckily this wasn't the plane she had her first flight in!

This was the first one she flew in, Lincoln to Chicago, short layover before heading to Frankfurt, Germany then another layover before the final leg to Copenhagen, Denmark, then a ferry ride to Helsingborg, Sweden to her new home. Good luck Dakota, we all love you & miss you but can't wait to see where this takes you someday, & yes this blog may start getting some crazy posts on it besides cycling related issues because this will be a way for my daughter to see what her crazy dad & family is up to as well as some of the things she may miss, it will all be here next year when you get back Dakota, enjoy your experience!

Full moon fever!

with the heat wave we've been having night time is the right time to ride, a full moon makes it even better

Kendell & I

Lane choosing to cross it up on the canal, Kendell & I chose the fat tires of the singlespeed variety


riding steel, packing iron!

shadow riders

Project America Run

This is some of the local Paxton runners putting in some miles with Mike Ehredt (in the yellow shirt) who is running from Astoria, OR to Rockland, ME to honor fallen soldiers in Iraq & Afganistan. He's planted a flag every mile he's covered & read off a name, rank & town of a soldier who's made the ultimate sacrifice. Check him out at www.projectamericarun.com & show him some support if you see him out there, truly one of the "good guys"

Sunsets & no camera!

Yeah, I'm a sunset kind of person rather than sunrise. Just can't get up in the am after 6 years on the graveyard shift, perhaps someday I'll adjust. Anyways, I've seen some of the most incredible sunsets this summer & have yet to have my camera along when I'm out there pedaling into those sunsets. We've got a great background with the hills in the distance & we've had some AWESOME looking distant storms that brew up some GREAT thunderheads in the evenings, this is when I like to be out there turning over the pedals taking in all the marvelous sights.

Also seeing plenty of wildlife & have had TWO rattlesnake encounters thus far this summer, more than I've had in the last 5 years! I guess I'll start carrying the camera more as it's all right out there to enjoy & record for some lasting memories.