The dogs are dozing – Jack in his kitchen kennel and Pete at my feet under the table – while I enjoy my mocha cappuccino and contemplate my day. (I just discovered that the free GIMP image editing software includes some nifty special effects, like the filmstrip you see here.)
Jack, our Aussie pup, talks in his sleep. He just let out a series of yips, suggestive of a bad dream. I called his name and he cast a sleepy glance in my direction, as if to ask why I disturbed him.
The burning of the big oak stump is proceeding well. I kept the fire going all day yesterday and we stoked it well before going to bed last night. It’s hard to tell just how much of the stump we’ve destroyed because the process generates so much ash. The ash holds glowing coals, so I’m loathe to brush them aside to assess the damage. I’ll wait until rain halts the burning process, possibly as early as tomorrow.
I fished the tire gauge out of the rear pouch on my K1200GT’s Marsee tank bag Sunday and noticed that the pouch’s seams have come apart, threatening to spill the contents – a tire patch kit, several CO2 cylinders, a solar-powered calculator, tire gauge and other odds and ends – onto the roadway as I ride. The fabric is unraveling and would not lend itself to an easy repair, so I decided it was time for a new tank bag.
I emailed several friends for suggestions, including Harold Patterson, who once had a bike like mine. Turns out Harold still has the Marsee tank bag he bought with his GT and offers to let me have it. Free. All I have to do is go to Indiana to claim it. I’m going up next month to see Indianapolis News compadre Skip Hess inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, so I can pick it up then. Problem solved and $100+ expense averted.
Well, my cup is empty and it’s time to tend the stump fire.
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