June's June Ride

Our day didn't begin the way we planned...but if we've learned anything over the last several months, it's that it's not about our plan...it's about God's plan. And, as always, he knew what he was doing.

We were to ride from Clinton, MO to Windsor, MO on the historic Katy Trail. The trail runs from Clinton to St Charles, MO, 225 across the state. June and I rode the entire trail last June in 5 days.

Donna and I had talked about how we wanted this to be a stress free day, we wanted to honor June by not having a schedule and just enjoying the day as it unfolded.

It's a good thing because we woke up to rain and my coworker who had agreed to come in early so Donna and could leave around 6:30...forgot and didn't show up until 7:30. Then I got the runaround from the Home Depot guy (and I didn't do so good a job of not getting stressed) when I stopped to get a simple bolt for my aero bars.

Donna has some wonderful oatmeal ready when I FINALLY got to her house and we lingered over coffee, waiting to see what the rain would do.

After consulting the weather we decided to head out. Our only goal for the day was to ride, be together and scope out a mile to adopt for June Marie.

It's about 80ish miles from Kansas City to the trail head in Clinton...about an hour and a half in the car. The bikes were packed with our cameras, sunscreen, extra beverages and lunch. We wanted to be free of schedules and not tied to a destination for eats. We did have a Dairy Queen stop in mind but we didn't have to ride that far if we didn't want to. As Ed says "lets just see what it all brings". We were on the trail by 11:30am.Hedda was along for the ride as was the Chicken...it just seemed right. Hedda was on the front of my areo bars...leading the way.I have a picture of June and I in front of this Clinton sign on the wall at home...there wasn't anyone around to take a picture of Donna and I together. Donna also has some great photos on her post.And off we went. We lunched on a shady bench with the chicken near the trail head in Calhoun. The miles we liked for our dedication are just to the east. Making access for all very possible. Donna did great on the ride even though it was her first time out this year. The first part was nice and cool but in the late afternoon it warmed up and Donna found her wall at about mile 26. She pushed though and we rode a total of 34.Mile 255 has a 'J' sign...we took it as a 'sign'. Mile 254 and 253 are the miles we think would be best but we're not sure which one we like better.
254 is close to the trailhead and offers quite a bit shade with a great view of a field with flowers and some cows.
Mile 253 is over a mile from the trail head in Calhoun, meaning that those who wanted to visit June's mile would really need to commit...something I think June would like. This mile is more secluded with less of a view but a little more shade. Both miles had great bird noise, no road noise and are just so beautiful.
We hope to choose a mile to adopt to honor her and place a bench for resting and remembering.

There was a lot of remembering.

Friends

I was the kid in elementary school who always felt like I didn't belong. I had friends in the neighborhood but never really any at school.

I didn't have what I would call a 'best' friend until Junior High. I met D the first day. Our lockers were close. She was also tall and she was nice. Soon we were attached at the hip. Lunch, weekends, summer.

I moved half way through 7th grade and she followed to the same neighborhood and school the beginning of eighth.

Several friends were added to our circle in the next few years and we have maintained that group for the most part into adulthood.

D and I went to separate colleges. She in St Louis. Me at KU. After graduation she moved to Boston and our friendship became once a year emails and updates from mutual friends.

Her mother died this week and several of us went over to the services.

As we were standing around after visiting and catching up all I could think was...

"OH MY GOD IT"S DONNA WITH RED HAIR!!!!"

The resemblance is almost creepy. Their laugh, facial expression, hand gestures. D is tall, majored in music, is the youngest daughter with two older brothers.

It seems...that I searched for my first best friend...and found my last.

Who knew.

There Is A Fly In The House

26 Things My Dog Is Afraid Of

See item 18.

Good thing she's cute...

Heeler Heaven

The first time I visited out friends John and Kathy I was so overwhelmed by the pups that I don't think I greeted a human for the first several minutes. I just sat down and greeted all the dogs. Back then Patch was still with them and with Mel that made four Heelers!This is my buddy Mel. His Mom is in heaven now so his Auntie Kathy and Uncle John are making sure he's loved and spoiled.This is Bud. He might be my favorite...but don't tell Mel. This is miss Zoe Blue. She's a mess...when they walk she spends the whole time nose down in the field. She's very sweet!
I love the look on Mel's face. This is the neighbor dog...I can't remember his name.

Lots of rolling.
More rolling.

Sniffing the other side of the fence...just in case.
And Kathy has to get Zoe from the field.

I know I've been posting erratically...but we've had a lot going on.

In my head I'm working on posts about not wearing bike helmets, how disappointed I am with my CSA, how I really don't eat much lettuce or bread and cooking at the fire station.

And I have some cute doggie pictures from one afternoon at the Belt homestead in Topeka.

I guess you'll just have to keep checking back.

And remember...it's all about the love.

God Speed My Friend

Only one year ago this week June and I were riding across Missouri on the Katy Trail.

Yesterday she began another journey.

We will miss her very much.

God Speed my friend, god speed.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Just like we've talked about...it's good to have a birthday...no matter the number!

And if you've seen this pic before it's okay...I think it's a particularly good one!

A Letter To A Friend

Do you remember learning to row. Feeling so confused about what to do with those two oars. And how much we laughed.

Do you remember that Wednesday night ride when we got so far behind because I was on my slow bike. And I kept trying to ride out into intersections and get myself killed.
And how much you laughed at me.

Do you remember that long ride on the Indian Creek Trail. We ran into that funny friend of yours...Bunny or something. Weird name for a guy. We talked about our divorces. Things hard for me to verbalize...and you got it. Eating lunch at that burger place and drinking so much ice tea we felt sick.

Do you remember the day you talked me into riding in the rain. And I had the spectacular bike crash. It was funny and scary at the same time. Riding through the puddles like little kids.
Again...there was laughing.

Do you remember all the crazy email banter last summer. You bored at work...me bored at work.

Do you remember eating chips and salsa for dinner on your screen porch and Mel barking at me because I stopped petting him.

Do you remember that crazy thunderstorm on the MS 150. Yikes! And how good those beers tasted.

Do you remember that ride with Donna and Ed. And we lost Donna. That's the night you told us you got into your doctoral program.

Do you remember when you and Jim came to the lake house last memorial day. We'd been sitting on the porch all day...ummm, drinking. And we ate burgers and that outstanding potato salad. I'm sure you were laughing at me again.

Do you remember the cute guys we met on the Katy Trail ride. One for me and one for you.

Do you remember kicking my butt in rummy five nights straight.

Do you remember that weird guy in the cot tent.

Do you remember being so tired you got your directions screwed up. That time I was laughing at you.

Do you remember waiting for two hours for that really lousy cheeseburger. No laughing.

Do you remember taking the dogs to the dog park. With Andrew. And he talked non stop. We laughed at him.

Do you remember leaving Mel at my house when you went to a wedding. I came home and he was gone...me thinking I'd lost your dog. You'd picked him up early. First no laughing...then relieved laughing.

Do you remember calling me...that crappy day in November. Me, calling back...unbelieving.

Do you remember.

I do.

I always will.

That's a promise.

Life's Little Challenges

Our trusty microwave at the station died this morning. Or...it's possible that it died sometime yesterday and no one noticed or they just failed to remember to tell us at shift change. Anyway...no magic box.

Did you know that you can make oatmeal on the stove...in a pan!

Or warm up leftovers in a small skillet.

Pop popcorn in a pan with a lid.

Melt butter in the same pan.

Crazy, I know.

It's just been comical how many times we've all walked to the microwave, something in hand, only to stand, puzzled as we sort out how to accomplish our task using 'old fashioned' methods. Challenging us to think 'outside the box'...literally.

I remember the first microwave in our family...well, it might not have been the first but it's the first I remember. It belonged to my grandma Petty.

Chocolate brown with walls several inches thick. The interior was very small. It made a strange humming noise. I remember being a bit afraid of it.

Now there is one in almost every kitchen. Some kitchens have a microwave and no stove!

My mother has a microwave that can do more things than the space shuttle. I have no idea how to turn it on. Mine is small and cheap (kinda like my house).

There are a lot of things I've decided to live without, and several things I could give up if I decided to get hard core.

I'm keeping my microwave!

Happy 40th Kathy...the best is yet to come.

Really.

No...really.

Seriously...would I lie?

The Two Towel Rotation

(this is either a post about laundry...showering...or the crazy humidity

...if the thought of reusing a bath towel uggs you out skip this one)

I reuse my towel. Have for a long time. Probably started when I lived in Philly where I had to schlep my laundry three blocks down to the scary laundry mat next to the Shop and Bag (we called it the Shoot and Stab).

It started long before I greened up my life. I probably use one towel four or five times...ish. I always sniff before I grab it instead of a new one. Nothing more disgusting than drying of with a mildewed towel and smelling mildewy all day.

So it's a green habit that I already had.

Most of you, my loyal readers...(there's a blog I read and she refers to her readers as 'Internets'. I guess if I had a bunch of readers I didn't know it might work for me but I know all six or seven of you...oh, a quick HI to my little cousin Amy, Manda's sis, in Birmingham...she left a comment and I was so excited! HI...)

Boy, I'm easily distracted today...

So.

Most of you live in the same crazy humid Midwest and know that this time of year things are slow to dry.

And this is also the time of year I often need more than one shower each day.

So there is what I have began to refer to as the two towel rotation. This gives the towels time to dry between uses.

I have, however, recently found that that is not quite keeping up.

Yesterday I needed three showers.

And today...at the station, where I only have one towel...I needed a second shower.

I need to buy some more towels.

Or move.

Some Old Friends

Some of my girls came for a row this morning...
Goofy but talented!
They're off in college now but they still come to see me.

I sure miss them!!!

My Little 'Sis'

Finally made it over to meet my new 'sibling'!

I introduce you to little Maggie Sue.

She's a doll!

For Ernie

A lover not a fighter (okay, so he was a bit of a fighter)

Hated snakes, bobcats, neighborhood dogs, grandma's cat, all cats really, grandkids and being disturbed while sleeping.

My aunt and uncle lost their little buddy today.

Hug your dogs and say a prayer for Ernie.

Coach, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

And so summer begins...

Question

Do YOU save taco bell receipts?

What are the most important momentos you have...you know, the things you'd want someone to save and pass on if something happened to you.

Is there something you don't want your mother to find?

I spent yesterday with some incredible people...incredible friends. Doing something that had to be done but that was absolutly gut wrenching.

Just wanted to give an internet shout out to team June. Ya'll rock.

Off to the farmers market...

A New Day

Hard to believe that yesterday he was unresponsive in the back of an ambulance...if you look close you can see the red squares left from the heart monitor patches.

Today was all about Popsicles, cold bottles of water, staying wet and taking inside breaks.

It was good day...

Fish, Sunburns, Snakes and Ambulances

(Mom, Sue, Janet....okay really all of you-Andrew is 100% fine. He did not get bit by the big snake. He's drinking some OJ, waiting on a waffle and watching Little Bill with his cousin Stephan)The boys spent ALL day in and out of the pool. They are playing together so well. Andrew has been waiting for Stephan to grow up just a little so they could play. Stephan turned 4 in January and Andrew was 6 in March.

There was much fishing, some floating in the lake, laughing, of course a trip to Walmart and just some general hanging out.

Then Charlie saw a snake.

Now anytime you are near the water there are snakes. We learned this in Arkansas when we were kids. Snakes just...are.

Charlie killed the snake that was in the brush pile after much too do. I was slow getting the camera so I don't have pictures of the three men...dancing around with their weapons.

It was a pretty big snake.

There is a hole in the base of this tree and the other snake retreated to it's hiding place. We knew it was in the hole so now the guys worked to flush it out. They flooded it with water (pumped from the lake so not wasteful)It wasn't working so Dad came with the bleach. Now this was probably not good in any way for the environment but...well...it was a BIG snake. In the yard where the kids are playing.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

We, of course, watched from the safety of the deck.The little boys were very worried.We waited. And out came the big snake. Quickly beheaded.
Now those are some dang BIG snakes.

I don't feel bad about that bleach at all.

Later in the afternoon...after swimming and playing, Andrew came in the house complaining of feeling sick to his stomach. We took him to the restroom where we were very quickly aware that he was in some real trouble.

He was showing all the classic signs of heat exhaustion. We called 911, stripped him down and started rotating towels dipped in ice water, no shivering, not very responsive.

I won't lie. It was so incredibly scary.

I wanted a paramedic. I wanted IV fluid, O2 and a look at what his heart was doing.

Knowledge is not always helpful. Sometimes it scares the shit out of you.

The paramedics got here quick. They were professional and kind. They got some O2 on him, got good IV access and started giving him cool fluid.

It was the LONGEST 30 minute ride to the hospital.

By the time we got there he was awake and talking.

They checked all of vitals, electrolytes, he even had a cat scan just to rule out any thing else.

This morning he's fine.

He will, however, quickly grow tired of us today.

It happened so quick. We were all here.

It was about 90 degrees but very humid. It's not like he was somewhere where no one was keeping an eye on him. They were in and out of the house, in and out of the pool.

Eating, drinking, peeing.

The little ones are very hardy, resilient. But they decompensate so fast. When things start to go south they go south fast.

Love them, play with them, kill the snakes, put the sunscreen on, keep 'em hydrated, bring them inside once in a while to cool off.

And the very second you think something isn't right. Call 911.

"here's my frisbee...I lot it a lot!"
"oops...if I drop it sometimes I can't find it"
"what was that...did Maggie just walk by?"
"Hey...I think Mom is over there...Hi, Mom!""Really...are you just gonna take her picture all afternoon..."
"if no one minds I'm just gonna go over here and lay on some nice comfy plants"

"yeah...maybe those mums"

"all that looking for my frisbee makes me tired"