cowpuc

Kev,, I will take this one if I have anything to say about it = "happy they found it.... excited to be able to follow you through this adVenture." , as that, besides maybe warning someone else about this stuff, is the main reason I am posting it up!! and you can count on this = What I will do is smile thinking of the guy I met in The Dalles and think of you and Tippy often and hope to see you ad another chapter to this thread frequently. I hope the HEALING starts soon.

Thanks for the thoughts and the feed back on my posts Oldgoat!! Never did hear that before about Olivia,,, learn something new everyday!! Now I gotta dig out her original Military maintenance manual and see if it says anything in there about it.. If it does I will snap a pic and post it up for kicks!! Brother,, you give that Great Uncle a hug for me and tell him I said THANK YOU for his service to the country (if he is a Vet) and that he is welcome to come by and lay hands on that Olivia ANYTIME whether he is a Vet or not!!

Ya got that right "Son"-shine!! Nothing but a small pit stop in that outstanding ride across your beautiful country and up into ALASKA - yeeeeeeeeehawwwwww!! YE BE WARNED!! Dad

PERFECT!! :clap2: Right back at you Eck and alll my family here!! Puc

This is pretty crazy stuff... After all kinds of blood tests,, CT Scans, MRI's, Brain Exams, nose probes, swallowing massive amounts of anti-biotics and shooting steroids into my nostrils I am now on my way to the University Of Michigan... Apparently, the U of M is the closest brain fluid repair/replace joint to us here in West Michigan.. Everything we are being told sounds pretty promising,, its some rare stuff but not totally brand new.. Other than a little tiny sign that read "GONE BIKING - MAY NEVER RETURN", the MRI showed my brain pretty normal.. However,, it does appear that there is a suspicious spot in the lining that holds the fluid in around the brain - a tear if you will... As always,, thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated - THANKS TO ALL!! I wanna share some insight into the symptoms of this path,, certainly NOT to scare anyone or to sound morbid, but strictly to inform!! For a while now I have been smelling weird smells (wires burning, hot fiberglass) noticed a feeling of confusion and just feeling down - not my normal sunshiny self.. Also sensitive to sounds, unusually irritable.. Headaches when standing up or moving my head around. Here is a kicker that I never really thought about.. I also noticed on a number of occasions that I could be standing around talking to someone and my nose would just start dripping,, not the normal mucussy stuff,, more like clear water... It would stop just as quickly as it started.. The ENT nailed this "tear" by me answering yes when he asked if my runny nose ever tasted real salty - it did.. A brain MRI confirmed it all.. Apparently, the fluid that your brain rides in and spinal fluid tastes very salty,, go figure.. A tear in this lining can come from many sources, from whip lash to a bonk on the nose and can go undiagnosed for years, until symptoms start showing up.. Fun eay,, NOT!! On another note,, THANK GOD we have the medical society that we have here in our country - I take this moment to thank ANY of you involved in the medical field in any form - THANK YOU!! Inspite of all the turmoil and changes we have faced thru the years, some out of greed, power struggles and all the nay sayers I still contend that our country is second to none in its compassion and care.. It's a blessing being an American and I am proud to be one!! As I walked into the bathroom after meeting with the surgeon I noticed a small, simple note hanging on the restroom wall.. It read "TAKE WHAT EVER YOU ARE IN NEED OF",, below the note were tear off tabs with little words written on em,,, they read "strength" - "healing" - "peace" - "forgiveness" - "a hug" - "joy".. As I removed the "healing" tab I was reminded again how wonderful it is to live in a place on this great planet where, just like family here on VR, people still really do care... Puc

Lets all send Annie a snowman!! Here ya go young lady!! ENJOY!!

Following right along with ya Carl!! Another thing I learned thru the years, having to do with what you are talking about, is what I do with Salmon.. After brining, rinse it off with cool water, dab it dry with a towel (being careful not to use one of my garage towels that is covered with brake fluid or fork oil - although WD40 aint that bad), let the fish set at room temp until it forms a actual glazed cover over the meat (someone once told me what that covering is called but I could never pronounce it).. Smoke at 160 till the inner meat just reaches 160 degrees,, OUTSTANDING STUFF!! Do the same with poultry - I found out the hard way that I was ALWAYS over cooking stuff.. NOT NO MORE - now even turkey is still wet inside!! PS - Tippy LOVES the smell of yours truly after sitting around a camp fire, cookin hot dogs and yappin with friends... She is a true,, outdoors kinda girl,, with a slight twist of leaning toward the craziness of chasing the front wheel and living off the land... My kinda lady!!!

I knew it,, I just KNEW it!! That Lenny,, he is my kinda guy!! Bottom line,, no matter where ya go - having fun and seeing beauty is a choice.. Each person has to CHOOSE for themselves whether they are gonna make the situation worse by falling prey to negativism or make it better by looking for and finding those golden nuggets!! Couple years ago,, Tip and I are standing outside a joint in Stove Pipe Death Valley.. People running inside screaming -- its to hot,, its to hot.. I looked at Tippy,, smiled and yelled - at least it aint snowing :cool10: as I calmly walked over and started talking to a young man dressed in Military clothes who had just gotten home from Afganistan where, in his words,,, "death valley heat was like a warm summer breeze compared to where he had just came from".. WELL PUT LENNY!! Personally,, I cant WAIT to go back to Vegas!! Now I gotta a "Son" out there that I am gonna go see,, me and Tip are gonna rock-a-bye his new baby girl, play ball with his boys, meet his wife, find some aliens on Nellis (you all KNOW they really do have some out there dont cha?) and go riding with Tech Sargent Coffey!! Probably all go out for Ice Cream afterwards too!!!

Why is that so Boomer? That is the kinda talk I have always heard.. Is there something wrong with the meat in those boars? Why cant ya just go nail one,, I mean "harvest" one, or two or 20 and have a great big perpetual pig roast?? Open a side of the road cafe,, like some of you suthena's do with boiled peanuts (yuck,, this ol carnivore didnt much care for that stuff) and turn them little squealers into CASH!! Use the $$'s ya make to buy a new bike - when life gives ya lemons (or pigs) make lemonaid so to speak.. I get feeling better I will come down there and show ya'll how its done!! Shoot them suckers,, I mean "harvest" those hogs when they are even just little piggies if that what it takes,,, 20 little piggies when they are still good eatin is better than lettin em destroy stuff.... Sorry,, fingers got away from me... Anyway,,, so when ya nail,, harvest, a sow do ya hafta hang em upside down and drain em right away like I have heard they do with normal Pigs?? Or can ya just pop it, pull out the inner workings, take it home in the garage, skin it, slice it up and go to grinding for sausage?? Also,, I have heard that the best time to hunt them is at night? Can you go out on state land down there, shimmy up a tree (like we do here for deer), take a night vision scope (cant hunt deer here after hours but have done a LOT of racoon nite hunting) and a rifle and hunt em?? Man that sounds like a LOT of fun!!!

Way cool on the kids there Yammer - tell em both CONGRATS for me will ya!! I was a very avid deer hunter here in Michigan all my life,, my kids were raised on venison.. "Harvested" (Politically Correct verb for the day boys and girls) many with both bow and gun.. Always processed our own too,, shoulda seen Tippy carve up a hind quarter,,, good enough with a blade that it'd scare ya.. Boomer,, you just answered a major question that I have always wondered about.. All the talk thru the years of "Hogs Gone Wild" down there,, being a hunter a heart - I ALWAYS wondered if there was something "different" about them that made em not good eatin.. I ALWAYS told Tip,, if we lived down there I WOULD find a way to "Harvest" those suckers and keep the freezer full of HAM, BACON, BBQ'd RIBS AND HOG ROAST!! My little smoker would be running 24/7 PACKED with ribs...

WOW,, THAT WAS AWESOME!!! You could tell,, seeing his old car was like seeing a long lost close friend,, it about knocked the wind out of him... Family love is sooo cool!! GOOD ONE RANDY!!!!

Kinda had me going there for a second Bum,, I thought ya had lost it or something... I thought to myself,, "that Saddlebum,, he's kinda different,, how could anyone not know the difference between a human bean and big ol turkey?".. Yea,, ok,,, kids use to tease me back in my school days and, among other things, would mistake me for a turkey but, what the heck,, that was back before I grew my beard and started wearing a Harley hat... Then it dawned on me Bum,,,, ok,, maybe not all turkeys I have seen have had beards but indeed, most of them were wearing Harley hats,,, TAKES ONE TA KNOW ONE YA LOP EARED, TROUBLE MAKIN VARMINT!!!

That sounds insane to me too BJ,,, especially in the environment that a tractor runs in.... Hmmm,, aint no farmer but it seems like 100 hours would even be high...

I dont cook much and never have been much of one either.. I do like to torture stuff with my smoker occasionally though.. Salmon, Venison, Turkey, Chicken, Pork or anything that happens to be laying unmarked in the bottom of the freezer are all prime candidates for my little smoker.. The more of an adventure the better!! Many years ago an old geezer stopped by at my shop to pick up a 69 Honda CT-90 I had sold him.. I had an old gas stove that I had converted to a smoker sitting there puffing away on the slab out back ,, stuffed with salmon as I recall.. As Rich, one of the guys who worked for me, was helping him load the bike up I could hear them yakking about the smoker.. I walked out back and the old man asked if I had brined the fish properly.. I gave him the look I always offer up when I have no clue of what someone is talking about.. Told em I never did brine nuttin.. He explained to me his method of properly brining meats in preparation for smoking... He taught me to "float" an egg in what ever juice I was using as brine.. The trick being to get just enough salt mixed into the juice to get the egg to suspend lightly - "you dont want er floating like a bobber" he said,,, "ya want it suspended so it hangs like the worm that is attached to the bobber".. Never forgot it!! He also got me started using Apple Juice for brine!! Over time I have experimented with a variety of juices to add flavor to what ever is going into the smoker.. Tippy and I came across a really good deal on some Pomegrantates at the store earlier today.. They also had some last minute deals on bags of Citrines (really sweet little Oranges).. Tip has been trying to talk me into smoking up a turkey for Thanksgiving,, the :lightbulb:came on as we walked past the deal on the Pomegrantates and Citrines.. Other than hearing that Pomegrantates were suppose to be juicy and sweet I have never met one.. After getting them home I think I discovered why these critters were only 10 cents each,,, they are not the friendliest fruit on the planet - THEY ARE GOOD THOUGH!! The mix coming out of the blender between the them and the Citrines sure taste like something that is gonna make for some yummy good smoked turkey!! It has to brine now for a couple days,, than into the smoker (will snap some shots of that too) for a day,,,, hopefully it turns out ok so we dont get stuck eating Peanut Butter sandwiches.... Hmmmm,, now there's something I havent tried to smoke yet!! Happy Early Thanksgiving Ya'll!! Puc

YAOWWZZAAAHHH,,, makes me cringe in pain just readin this MM!!!! THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS UP FOR YOU!!

Got almost half a page into my competition with that auto-poster thingy in our Ebay Links,, was on a roll - mine were ALL bikes too - but now Tippy is DEMANDING I take her grocery shopping!! One of you other troublemakers will have to take over if you dare to join me in my endeavor to out post Mr. Hair Trigger :rotf: Ouch,,, Tip is pulling my ear.....

My winter project is to follow Bongo around on these forums and post right after he does.. I do this for a couple reasons,,, 1st and foremost - I LOVE teasing that tenderhearted Bongo - he is SOOOO much fun... 2nd of all,, I know by following Bongo around I will make it to spring too!!

Yep,, should be good to go Sea Puppy,, what makes the diesel oil work for us is the lack of additives found in "automotive oils"... Those additives do not seem to be clutch friendly - I actually can attest to the fact that using automotive oil WILL make your clutch slip.. I just use the cheapest available at the time but Tweeks has gotten treated to Castrol a couple times and I thought it worked great (it seems like I always find Rotella cheaper than Castrol).. Also have used "store brand" stuff (Super Tech from Wally World, Meijer Brand from Meijers,,, even Dollar General generic),,,, all seemed to work great to me as long as its Diesel... I have noticed some major differences in tranny smoothness if I run 20/50 instead of 15/40 in tempts above 70 degrees, especially in the desert tempts... Tweeks has had a steady diet of this mix of cheap stuff oil and is well above 250k miles.. While I do change my oil pretty consistantly,, always within 5k miles,, I have never been one to stick to one brand,,, thinking it all comes from the same "vat" if you will... I know NOTHING of modern super oils/synthetics.. I am to "old school" for my own good and just could never get into the idea of running my bike 6 to 10k miles without an oil change,,, paranoia just wont let me do it..

:stirthepot: Just a few miles from "The Strip" is some kind of Pecan Orchard or something (not really sure what kinda trees these were - I aint much of farmer..), good place to snooze... If ya like gambling,, this spot offers chances of getting nibbled on by rattle snakes and scorpions... Prices for breakfast in North Vegas have sky rocketed,, this same breakfast was 99 cents back in the late 80's,, now its almost 4 bucks (comes with air conditioning so its still a good deal)....

That Yammer was probably sittin right there yappin with you guys and didnt even notice he was missing while he was back home snoozin...

Yep,, THAT is our Skid,, notice how he positioned his head jussst right so he has blonde hair hangin from the right side out from under that hat??? Pretty tricky there Skidster!! CLASS ACT THERE MY MAN - A VINTAGE TOM SELLECK COWBOY LOOK WITH AN EASTWOOD SMIRK TO BOOT!!! Hope that benefit was productive! Puc

I try Carl,,, I really really do,,, I just got this tricks are for kids, , cant personality that has never been able to leave well enough alone.. Its not easy being a Puc,,, gotta shovel a LOT of snow brother!!

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PIC OF A GREAT GROUP OF HEADHUNTERS!!! 92 years old and your Dad is still at it - IT DONT GET NO BETTER THAN THAT UNC!! Tell you one thing,,, I couldnt keep that gorgeous Cabin if it were mine cause I would never be able to use it - with a town name that I couldnt pronounce I wouldnt be able to find the spot again after I built the cabin - IT IS GORGEOUS UP THERE!! THANKS FOR THE PICS AND THE STORY!! Puc

As long as the humidity is low,, those kinda temps are just about perfect biking for me.. I LOVE desert riding,, no shirt, pair of shorts, ol sweat soaked Harley hat, sunproof lip protector on the lips - nose - ear tips - forehead.. Until ya have to stop,, its like heaven,,, its when ya gotta stop for gas or food that its like that other place Toss in 70% humidy and I am done at 100!!! Now Tip,, she's got that light skin Dutch blood thing going on (my great great grandfather was 100% American Indian),, she has to do that sticky sun screen thing BUT,, she still LOVES the desert riding too!!

:clap2: THANK YOU MATE (hope that is proper Aussie talk) for the detail in your explanation - I appreciate it!! Cause of kind people like you,, an old like me can learn something new around this place everyday!! One last little question for ya Spear,, is that "£" symbol something you have on your keyboard? I had to copy/paste it from your posting - I have a "$" sign on my keyboard and am curious if your Aussie board is different? I KNOW I am a pest,, you are lucky we are just "cyber" family members.. I about drove Annie crazy having her say "that's not a knife,, this is a knife" (like Crocodile Dundee) over and over again:Laugh:....