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What's happening?

First off, even you don't like to ride motorcycles, go out and get the December 2008 issue of "Rider" magazine. Then after you look the magazine over a bit, check out the story that starts on page 46. Titled "To Yaak and Back", it describes the writer and his wife's travels around and through our area. Stacy and I have been on several of the roads he talks about and rode himself. The road that gives the story it's title, the Yaak River road, is as good a motorcycle road as any I rode back in California. And when that road winds down and then follows Lake Koocanusa, a very large lake in Montana, you'll get to see how this truly is some beautiful country around here!

Weather wise, well, no snow before Halloween this year for our area. Out in Iowa Laura said they've had some there, and we're expected to have our first dusting by Monday. The long range forecast for this winter is still less snow but colder temps. We'll see!!
Back in the 'old area' today is the first day it's getting more fall like according to Sandy and Sean's reports. I know from checking that until the last day or so, its been hanging on to summer and around the low 90's in most areas there!

Last weekend we got pretty well caught up with the woodpile. We're now up to about 4 cords of wood cut, split and stacked which should get us through winter pretty well. Still have a little to do but we were able to get the majority of our pile done in one weekend. While we have gas furnaces for those REALLY cold temps, our primary house heat is two wood stoves. I know they work great because it doesn't take Stacy long to get the house up in the low 80's she likes best. I'd be wearing shorts by then! I'm happy at about 68 to 70.
While we were working I had one of the last still alive wasps flying around near me, they go dormant or die off as it gets cold. I attempted to kind of wave it away, and noticed it had 'disappeared'! Looking around quickly, I took a look around my gloves. Well it had gotten caught up between the cuff of my long sleeve shirt, my glove, and my watch. I started smacking my wrist but it was too late. Now she didn't sting me, really good since I am VERY allergic, but it did 'bite' me in three places under my watch band before she was sent to bug heaven. I would never had thought that such a small amount of wasp 'spit' would have caused the reaction I got. Today, 5 days later, the largest of the three bites is still a bit red. Two days ago the area around the bite was not really swollen, but it was bright red about six inches long and wide and about 5 degrees hotter than the rest of my arm. Had I really been stung, with the tail end, I would have had a trip to the emergency room on tap.

My increasing sensitivity to bugs goes back to my real motorcycling days of my youth. Those days I didn't have the protection from things like bees and wasps like my current Gold Wing does. My first five stings were while on my Honda 550 back in the late 1970's. It seemed to happen almost every year, bee smacks into the fairing and on the way getting blown back it would get sucked into the vacuum created by the fairing, swirl around and almost always wind up landing in the area of the gas tank or my pants, or near my crotch. Most I noticed and swatted away, but a few, well, they took their last act of defiance and would sting me on the thigh. Luckily none got higher up!! The first three hurt but no reaction. Number four I had hot and cold flashes and didn't feel to great after it. Number five was the first one I probably should have gone to the doctor for. A few more stings over the years while at work with the last one being a wasp that had gotten up in the sleeve of my shirt and got me good by my arm pit. Getting severe reaction by then, so I go to the emergency room and they treat the bite and tell me I'm almost to the point of needing to carry an "Eppi" pen or two with me should I be in a situation that I could get stung. So, I've tried to be careful!!But I guess next month when I have my 6 month blood work and doctor visit I'll ask for a prescription for a couple of them again. We used to carry them with us on trips, just in case.
Another thing that has bothering me a bit more lately is also from those "formative youth" days of riding motorcycles almost all the time or flying planes without hearing protection. One of those things most people didn't even think about back in those days like they do now. I have a constant companion in the form of a tone of Tinnitus. So it hasn't been totally quiet for me for a long time. Always a single tone to listen to. Can't sleep in total silence for that reason also, so I always have a fan or sound machine going at night. Stacy's had to get used to it over the years. I'm glad she did! The last fifteen or so years though I've been trying to keep my hearing from getting any worse, foam ear plugs by the case, sound reducing head phones, even a set that electronically limits to 85 Db and also a set with a built in AM/FM radio that I use mostly of late, like while using the riding mower, chainsawing or using the wood splitter.

So what can one learn from this post?

Keep away from things that sting or bite, and if you get a reaction GO to the hospital!

Start wearing hearing protection NOW, as it is never to late to start saving your hearing!

And lastly, if you have extra money, buy stock in hearing aid companies since the younger generation has a much better ability to make themselves deaf than we did! And from what I've read, many are well on their way!

Until the next post, Tad

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