USMB Coffee Shop IV

[gallantwarrior]

I guess I've been AWOL again for a while. The year advances and I'm flowing with it as it moves along. It's colder than usual for this time of year but things are melting. Goats are being brats, jumping their fence and tearing up my hay. I'm glad to see y'all here and going strong.

 

[Oddball]

Flew my PG today for the first time in two years.

Was a a little hesitant and rusty as I got the canopy overhead,....But was able to forward kite for the 100 yards to the edge of the hill, so I just hucked it and flew off.

So nice...So smooth....So great to get back in the air.

It must feel amazing. I used to spend hours on the top of Sandia Crest, our Albuquerque mountain, watching the paragliders launch and play in the thermal currents until they headed out into the city. I'm too old now to learn/risk it, but when I was younger, if I had had the opportunity. . .I probably would have opted to be over water though.

Never too late to get a tandem with a competent experienced instructor.

Hips and knees, Oddball. We don't bounce like we used to. Old bones snap like dry twigs. But is sounds like fun. The closest you can get to flying.

I am hoping to go ballooning for my birthday, in May. I wanted to do it last year, but lockdown. I may not have any better luck this year, but there' still a chance.

It is flying...There's no "close" about it.

When you fly right, nobody bounces...And this is especially so when doing a tandem from a highly qualified pilot.

 

[Foxfyre]

Flew my PG today for the first time in two years.

Was a a little hesitant and rusty as I got the canopy overhead,....But was able to forward kite for the 100 yards to the edge of the hill, so I just hucked it and flew off.

So nice...So smooth....So great to get back in the air.

It must feel amazing. I used to spend hours on the top of Sandia Crest, our Albuquerque mountain, watching the paragliders launch and play in the thermal currents until they headed out into the city. I'm too old now to learn/risk it, but when I was younger, if I had had the opportunity. . .I probably would have opted to be over water though.

Never too late to get a tandem with a competent experienced instructor.

Yeah but I don't know any competent experienced instructors around here.

 

[Foxfyre]

View attachment 474698

Kittens and baby ducks have to be the cutest critters babies of all.

Yesterday, bright and early I went to the chicken pen where 3 small adult ducks live in peace among the big black roosters and black, brown, and white hens. I noticed the 4 inch by 30 inch wide child's dollar store wading pool had a hole in it' so I hopped in the truck, went to Tractor Supply and found a super sturdy, small field stock watering trough that now serves as their pond and hopefully will last them a lifetime on account of its cost. It was a joy to see them swimming around in it an hour later after feeding and watering the chickens. Both yesterday and today the hens gave us 22 eggs both yesterday and today, which reminds me I need to wash, carton, and refrigerate before hitting the sack. The boys put the little pedal boat together, but I'm going to wait till tomorrow before I pedal around Freedom Lake behind the house but is west of the back forty ....okay 40 square yards....

I haven't seen the great white egrets this year but did see the blackest heronlike bird a few weeks back. Not sure what it was but for several years a mauve "blue heron" visited Freedom Lake's eastern shore.

It's so good to see everyone here at Foxfyre's masterpiece usmb coffee lounge. Time to wash some eggs. ♡♡♡

We play 42 every Thursday with some folks who live in Corrales, a small village with rural flavor nestled between Albuquerque and Rio Rancho that form one big metroplex--sort of like Dallas/Fort worth but not nearly that big. Anyhow our friends have a couple of acres or more of land as do most folks in that area. For the last several years, a flock of sandhill cranes have taken up residence to winter in their backdoor neighbor's back yard. The neighbor makes sure they have food and water of course. It has been fun watching them all winter when it is our turn to go there. Yesterday though they were gone no doubt headed north somewhere to their summer nesting and hunting grounds.

Guess they'll be here shortly. We have lots of sandhills here and their passing in Spring and Fall makes a notable signal of the changing of seasons.

Wow. I wonder if any of our sandhills make it all the way up there. That would be what, over 3600 miles from Albuquerque to Anchorage?

 

[Foxfyre]

Flew my PG today for the first time in two years.

Was a a little hesitant and rusty as I got the canopy overhead,....But was able to forward kite for the 100 yards to the edge of the hill, so I just hucked it and flew off.

So nice...So smooth....So great to get back in the air.

I used to fly at Sand City across the bay from Monterey. I buddy of mine had one of the original Icarus models, built it in his garage. We flew that from a hillside down the coast. What a trip.

I have a daughter in Marina just north of Sand City. . .works in Monterey when she isn't working from home. We've been out there now and again running up and down Hwy 1, but I don't think I saw any paragliders.

 

[Foxfyre]

Here's a pretty good video providing what paragliding off Sandia Crest is like. Obviously with terrain like that, you really have to know what you're doing. Good sound track too.

 

[Mortimer]

I have that priest neck thingy... Does that look good?

 

[Mortimer]

 

[Mortimer]

 

[007]

So how the hell has everyone been?

Hey, 007! How have you been? Long time, no see.

Been having a couple minor issues but, I was trying to self medicate and avoid the covid creepy crud, so I started taking extra vitamin D and C. Well, come to find out, too much vitamin D can be detrimental. It can cause irritability, stomach pain, nausea and constipation, all of which I experienced. So I laid off the D and started to feel better within days. I also had to lay off the coffee. I grind my own beans and love the stuff, but alas, I think it's the cause of the anxiety I was having once and awhile. I haven't had any coffee for awhile and no anxiety. So right now I'm back on my gym, lovin' life and feelin' great.

Sometimes, trial and error help define what works best for each of us. I am doing loads better since I sent the partner packing and had my hip surgery. Work is actually a lot more fun now. And, I lost enough to buy myself a new pair of work pants for my birthday, I'm down from a 38 to a 34 sized pant. Even though we now have a Duluth Trading Company outlet here, I had to order them. I'm pretty jazzed about losing that much weight and many inches.

Well hot damn brother, that's awesome. In the past 15 years I've been on a slow weight gain. When I came back to Wisconsin from Nevada I was about 195 lbs and wore 36" waist pants. Now I'm around 213 and wearing a 38". Last year I got up to 221 lbs and was so disgusted I dieted down to 202. I was back in my 36" waist jeans and loving it. Planned on keep going back down under 200 but, couldn't keep up the dedication. Now I'm back up to around 213, but I've been hitting the gym pretty hard for a good year and half now and have packed on some muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. Still got too much around the middle but, IDK... I eat very healthy food, I work out daily, so I'd say regardless of few extra pounds, I'm pretty dang healthy. Nurse took my blood pressure the other day at the clinic and it was 124/78. Can't beat that. Summer is almost here though and I always lose weight because I'm outside busting it. I get the tractor on the 9th and I have two or three projects lined up waiting for it, and even with the tractor I'll be humpin' it. I love it though. Working up a sweat where it's just pouring off you makes me feel great. Have to remember to take my wallet out though, otherwise that gets soaked.

I've been trying to lose weight for years now. But when it looked like the 38's were going to have to become 40's I started a low carb lifestyle. I can still have such things a chips and bread as a treat but they are no longer staples. Plus, I stopped drinking beer a week before my hip surgery and haven't started drinking is again since. A "no beer" diet, I guess. I miss my beer but the changes are significant. I went from around 190 and am now down to about 150, and is shows. No more blood pressure issues and I feel so much better. I'm not doing so badly for my age, either. I just wish so many of our friends here in the CS could be doing better, as well. Cheers up!

How 'bout that... I quit drinking too. I had been slowing down quit a bit since new years before last, and on my birthday in July I only had a couple beers, and that was it. I just quit drinking. No fan fare, no big commitment stuff, just quit. Quit the occasional smoking too, and quit the oxycodone. What I enjoy is not feeling like I'm going to die with a horrible hangover and not wasting 2 or 3 days of my life laying around recovering. 60 somethings shouldn't be partying it up like they're 25. I've had three good friends, including my neighbor, all very close in age to me, die just recently within the last year. Kind of a wake up call. Knock off the funny business while I still have a semblance of good health. I take no daily medicines at all, and I want to keep it that way for as long as I possibly can, and since I live alone, that's part of the reason I have the gym. I have to be able to look after myself, so staying fit is very important to me.

Haven't really missed having a cold one. I do enjoy beer but not to the point of craving it. Haven't looked back yet and am looking forward to a summer of work with water from the well as my favorite beverage.

Yep, I have my own well also, and the water is so good it's almost sweet. Have an ice maker in the freezer too so a big awesome glass of ice water is always just a few seconds away, love it.

I'll no doubt get a lot more done around here this year not suffering from the ails of frequent hangovers. The auction for the loader/backhoe is Friday, and I'm pretty excited about that. That thing has my name all over it and it's coming home with me. Every day I'm outside I find something new I can do with it around here, besides the big jobs I've been thinking about for years. Yeah so not drinking is surprisingly easy. I don't even think about it. The only thing I miss is the occasional socializing at the tavern, but don't want to hang there even if I didn't drink with the covid still raging on. Thank God I've got a little land to play on and a nice shop to putz around in with projects. Pretty easy to stay busy around here. There's plenty to do and no reason to be bored.

 

[007]

Gotta take off here in about half an hour to get the ole eye balls checked out. I get them checked every two years. Got a lot of what they call "strings" in my right eye. It's fractures in the gel inside your eye that appear as strings. Wish there was something they could do about the damn things. They sure are aggravating. Need a new pair of prescription shades too.

 

[Dragonlady]

I'm off to spend the day with my friend who lives around the corner. She has a large patio set she wants to sell, before they come to install her new windows. I'm going to help her list it on the local buy and sell. And she's going to start my seeds for me.

I bought an ounce of Lemon Haze from a grower in BC last summer while waiting for last year's crop to mature, and it was amazing pot. It was also full of seeds. I got about 60 of them, so we're going to sort through them, sex them, and she'll start them for me. I have no success at all with starting seeds. She buys seeds off the internet that are all guaranteed female. But they're $20 each.

The little shitheads from Meth Manor who jumped her fence and stole plants last year are of no concern. One is doing 3 years less a day in the Provincial lock up, and the other is having his arm amputated. Heroin use will destroy your veins. His fence jumping days are over too.

 

[Dragonlady]

On Day 1 of our third lockdown, I give you a sign ‘o the times in Ontario today:

 

[Ringel05]

Just finished up cooking a pound of bacon as bacon bits. I think there's about an eighth of a pound left after taste testing........... It's important to make sure they're done properly........

 

[Dragonlady]

Just finished up cooking a pound of bacon as bacon bits. I think there's about an eighth of a pound left after taste testing........... It's important to make sure they're done properly........

Mmmm, bacon. The reason I will never be a vegetarian.

 

[beautress]

Minnesota high school hockey tournament was a but of a downer this year....Now crowd in the arena because of covid panic porn.

But at least we still have the All-hair team to maintain a measure of normalcy....

Aaaaaaaaay! For your home teams, Oddball.

Haven't been able to attend for the fourth year now....Miss my superfan buddies that I've become accustomed to seeing and chatting with at the games.

I vow to make certain I go to the tourney next spring.

Hope they work hard and win.

 

[Foxfyre]

On Day 1 of our third lockdown, I give you a sign ‘o the times in Ontario today:

It seems that way sometimes Dragonlady.

 

[Ringel05]

Couple of days ago I scored a 5 pound prime rib roast for $27. Cut them into 10 steaks today and had one........ That was good!

 

[007]

Well... no tractor. I knew it was coming by the huge size of the crowd. There just had to be someone there with more money but less brains than me. $10,000 would have been high for this older tractor, and I pushed it further than I wanted to. But when it got back to me at $14,750, I backed out, but, I made that prick pay for it. He paid $14,500 plus 5.5% tax, so over $15,000. No way in hell am I going to pay over $15,000 for an old 1970's something, two wheel drive loader, back hoe, even in good shape. So even though I didn't get it, I made someone else pay more than it was worth. You can find them much, much newer with a cab, radio, heat, A/C, 4 wheel drive, starting at around $20K, so, I keep looking.

 

[Foxfyre]

gallantwarrior 's comment about the sandhill cranes in Alaska got me curious enough to do some research re where our New Mexico cranes go in the summer. And they have indeed found tagged birds from Alaska and even Siberia Russia who return to our Bosque del Apache refuge area south of Albuquerque every winter. I suppose if I could tie a message onto the leg of one of them, it would be a real stretch for GW to find that specific bird in Alaska though.

Sandhill Cranes In Flight at Bosque del Apache

The annual winter migration has brought sandhill cranes, snow geese, and ducks to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Bird-watchers brave the cold winter morning temperatures to photograph and catch a glimpse of the magic.

www.newmexico.org