Hap-Hap-Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween. With plenty of wild animals wandering around our urban environments it is surely scary. But don't worry, the DNR has told us all that a pack of twelve coyotes spotted near downtown would never attack anything bigger than themselves and that they only eat rodents. And after claiming for years we have no mountain lions in Wisconsin the claims are now that our cougar population is on the rise as cattle and horses are being attacked.

Election day is coming...    BOOOO!

But what is truly scary is the London 2012 Olympic mountain bike course where switchbacks are referred to as zig-zags and almost no pure single track exists throughout the whole course. Nothing is more underrated, demanding, and fulfilling as running a tight series of switchbacks on a climb or descent. But the true horror... the majority of the mountain bike course will be artificially surfaced.

Since Easter we have been certain that the chocolate bunny was up to no good. Teaming up with the jack-o-lantern we were certain we had met our match. But coming home it appears they had a falling out, or perhaps a difference in tastes would be a better word.

And the next morning...

We often listen to Lady Ga-Ga in the car on the weekends when we are working. We like some of her music but cannot stand her music videos. I'm certain if I watched too long my head would start spinning around. We took out her CD and put in some more uplifting music and the machine kept spitting out the new CD. Then all the radio/CD controls on the steering wheel stopped working. I tried and tried but the CD kept popping out working the controls manually over and over. Finally we put the Lady Ga-Ga CD in and everything went back to normal. Scary? True story? Yes. But it happened some four weeks ago.

The holly, an evergreen, is starting to fill in the corner after some two years. We have been promised rain many more times than we actually received rain and hollies will appreciate filling up with water before the ground freezes. The buttercups are dead. They spread quickly and grow thick but always need watering to look attractive. Those tiny roses were a gift I threw in the ground and never expected much from. They sure bloom nice and strong. That wind storm was the second largest storm in recorded history. If it were a time of year for rain or snow we would have been in big trouble. Much of our roof was scattered across our lawn as many old shingles were ripped off. Cold and barren has hit just in time for the holiday.

The economy is tough, but some odd jobs will get us by some medical bills I have this month. My hands, wrists, and elbows are just recovering from digging trenches in hard clay soil. Not to conceal any evidence of nefarious activity or hide some evil talisman but to confine currents of an electrical nature. The work kept me from the gym this week because of time and aching muscles.

It used to be that the whole month of October was filled with Halloween type parties. But over the past two years we have found that the vast majority of people coming out in costume for parties has been confined to a single weekend. And the majority of that activity to a single weekend evening closest to the date.

And you can get my book for a discount (see previous post) or buying it on Amazon would be a big help in moving it up in the rankings.

Happy Halloween and don't forget to vote Tuesday.

Wild Things

Here is one of the photos from the Wigwam MTB Challenge I haven't uploaded to flickr yet. Have to get that done. Got out for a good ride before some rough weather moves in. Combined the ride with errands. On my way back I ran across this coyote on the path. Couldn't get my camera out quick enough and had to wait and move around to get a good shot.

The days are getting shorter and the weather more harsh. Soon it will be the time of year when most spend a lot more time indoors. But now many are spending more time outdoors as they have to care for their yards and gardens before Winter comes. Went up on the roof to temporarily take down my scaffolding as we are expecting extreme winds for the next two days.

Misao was recently marveling at the comfortable lifestyle the rabbits had been living in our back yard. She keeps putting food out for them. But they have become scarce, either out of an intelligent awareness of their surroundings... or not. I caught a shot of this ring tailed hawk near our home. He was well posed right in front of our house but again I couldn't get the camera out in time. He flew off to some higher more secluded branches.

Getting to the gym a bit more but it will be a while before I go regular. Hope to buy a trainer this Winter though the finances haven't improved much. I skipped the Metro Mountain Bikers most recent exercise in public drunkeness; the Fall Social Ride. More doctor visits and an adjustment in my cpap machine based on some test results may bring an improvement in my sleep. Not sure if I will paint the entrance canopy this year as the weather could go bad quickly. After sanding it was recommended that I treat the old gray wood with a mixture of turpentine and linseed oil. It will rejuvenate the wood and make for a strong bond with an oil based primer. Otherwise the paint will just peel away in short order.

Yes, there is still time to purchase the first edition of my first book. You can use this code 9SV48YZ9 for a $2.99 discount on my e-sales site only. I plan to make a few changes and change the title of the first story in a second edition when I finish my next book. If ever I become famous I'm sure those first editions will be valuable.

Wigwam MTB Challenge

 

Yes, I made the Wigwam MTB Challenge. The weather could not have been better and word was WORS had ordered up the roots extra bumpy this year. Many, but not all the photos are up already on our flickr page. It will be a while before I sort through the video. I took quite a bit and would put up a choice clip but I cannot get blogger to upload any video from my computer. Not sure what the problem is. I did get one clip up on you/tube and posted on the Metro Mountain Bikers Ning site. It seems popular.

We had to get four new tires. An expense that put us back again but will give a feeling of safety as Winter driving is just around the corner. A big holiday weekend means we will be busy with our business. Then Sunday we will celebrate Misao's birthday. Sushi has been declared the only dining option and I'm not sure if we will go to a movie. "Hereafter" and "Secretariat" top the list if we decide to splurge.

I would like to be spending more time writing but have work to do on the house. I highly recommend if you are removing old paint from wood you use a heat gun. Scraping paint off the entrance canopy on our home has been transformed from an unending hellish torment to a path towards proud accomplishment as I can now see how the job will reach completion in short order before it gets too cold to paint. Thanks to a buddy from the gym for lending me his.

I was about to dump the pots into the compost bin when I noticed the peppers have produced a second crop. A few new peppers and many little flowers suddenly appearing. We didn't give much attention to our potted tomatoes because they didn't taste good but the bush in the small garden proper is still full of tomatoes.

The days are getting shorter. I need to get out much more on my bike in these final days of autumn. Hopefully finding scenes to take pictures of, capturing the beauty of the season. This last weekend the bicycle movers and shakers in Kenosha were, many in costume, riding in large hordes from bar to bar. I have to remember to take my camera with me on these October nights as many strange sights will manifest until All Saints Day.

Oooops, forgot to mention a facebook contacts ride for diabetes.

October

WORS GoPro HERO Cam: Darrin Braun Elite Sheboygan - complete 1st lap from Team WORS on Vimeo.

Looking at the video of the Wigwam MTB Challenge in Sheboygan (not a suburb of Kohler) sure makes me inspired to race. However we have decided I will only be taking pictures, not participationing. The Alterra pictures are up on my flickr page. The riding is taking second place to home repairs as is going to the gym. The gym will be a Winter endeavor as October weather is very beautiful. Hopefully we will see wonderful colors when we drive up the 55 miles for WORS' final event of the season. When the days become too cold I will be focusing on weight loss with the gym taking second in fitness priorities, as it seems the more I exercise the more I eat.

I took the car in for an oil change last week, taking with me "Modern Bird Hunting" to read while I waited. Then afterwards riding the trails along the Menomonee River I came across these ducks. The trails were clear and in good condition as far as I saw. It was a good ride and I need to get out for many more. And again last week, yes last week, I took this photo of the spider that has set its traps under our front porch. Currently we are scraping paint and looking to paint the front porch.

October is one of the best months of the year and Misao's birthday. She demands Sushi. I don't know if there will be any good movies that weekend. A chance to splurge a tiny bit. I asked if she wanted this shirt for her birthday and she said, "No way!" But I did buy myself a beinie to keep my head warm while riding in the Winter. Didn't test how it will fit under my helmet.

The book sales are there. Friends have stepped up to buy and promote from literally all across the country and world. But not too many sales so I have a good idea of who has bought and who hasn't. All sales through Amazon United States. I guess Amazon US is accessible from most anywhere. It is also available in the U.K.. People have told me I must be a good writer because my book made them cry. I hope they are not letting people read the whole thing with the 'look inside' feature on Amazon. We could sure use the sales. I know there are a lot of you out there that haven't bought yet.