Bullfighting...

I recently made a statement that might have raised some ire, there are only three real sports .  Motor racing, mountaineering and bullfighting.  These sports can leave you severely damaged or dead.

I might concede that bullriding with the accompanied bullfighting are a true sport. Bullriding is decidedly in the bulls favor, the rider is tied to the bull with the bullrope and hopes to spring free of the beast after a glorious 8 seconds. However,  this is not a decided fact which is why I never tried it. The bull then does his best to kill you which does happen on occasion.  But, I digress....

I have never been to a bullfight but I do have some experience with bulls.  No, not the Spanish fighting bulls who are bred to kill you, ....the "domestic" type.  You never really domesticate a bull, you can demasculate them and make them a steer but that is a whole other thing.

I have climbed and I have motor raced unofficially. I have never been to a bullfight, but I have been chased by Black Angus cows with calves which will leave you maimed or dead as well.  I have also experienced real bulls up close and personal with no fence between us, they are fierce and they will kill you. 

I would like to see one before it's over.  I may not even like it ??

If you have any desire to understand this sport then read Ernest Hemmingway's, Death in the Afternoon.

Also the website thelastarena.com on the breeding of these bulls.

 

Leah..

Leah and our mom

When I wrote "it's mine" it reminded me of all the people I have know who did not think that way...Leah has always been a giver of her time, love and whatever else is needed, but she isn't foolish.

My sister Leah is an amazing and generous person.  I have watched her for years as she gives of herself without ceasing.  

She was a very successful lady in business and worked at Dell for years.  You want to talk about carrying your own water, there is a whole story on her success at Dell. She traveled all over the world and made friends everywhere she went AND she still writes to them (and me) and sends greeting cards that she personally makes.  I recently posted a picture of a  house in Ireland that stood out to me on my Facebook page.  Leah's daughter April replied that they had been to that town and liked Ireland as a whole!  How cool is that ?

Leah was always there for my mom and went out of her way to see that mom did some traveling and was treated like royalty !  Speaking of my mom...she was a great lady but my dad wore her down with everything and she got tired.  Leah is married to her high school sweetheart Jerry and he loves her and makes her life as it should be.  Thank you Jerry!  Be careful who you make your soulmate !

Leah and Jerry have traveled great distances to visit older friends, even as far away as Sweden.  When I had cancer they came to see about me.  I was going through chemo at the time and was pretty sick and I told her not to come.  She came anyway and made herself a part of our household and brought her joy of life with her.  Thank you, that meant a lot to me.

When my brother David died last December, Leah and Jerry were in New York state visiting a close friend who had gotten older.  Leah lives in Texas.  When they heard that David was dying of COVID they rerouted and drove to Michigan to see him and to then assist his wife Heide.  

When David passed away, they rerouted again and drove Heide to North Dakota for the funeral.  All of my family is buried in Steele, N.D.   

Keep in mind, this is December in North Dakota and Michigan.  They then drove Heide back to Michigan and spent time helping her sort out David's estate.  To my knowledge they had never even seen Heide before this.

Right now as I write this, they have driven to Michigan and picked up Heide and then drove to New York state to see their good friend Bob who is getting older.  Then they drove back to Michigan and are once again helping Heide with some things.

As a side note:  make a last will and testament and include your spouse in all of your financial and life arrangements.  Tomorrow may never come !  Don't leave them with nothing but questions and problems.

I don't know how to end this, so I will leave it open.  Safe travels my friends...........................

Jerry and Leah..married for 50 years in December

 

It's Mine !

We all know the story of Wile E. Coyote always trying to get the Roadrunner...if you don't, you should.

Always pursuing  but never obtaining...

"It's mine" is the most common cause of strife in this world.  It's my land, it's my stuff, its mine!  It has never ceased to amaze me of all the people that I meet with hoards of things.  Will you sell that old motorcycle, car, whatever...no it's mine and I'm going to restore it one day.  No...you aren't or you would have done something with it.  Sitting out in weather is not preservation and neither is sitting in the back in a damp shed!

I know an older man than I am, who has a huge stash of very desirable motorcycles and other cool things.  He won't sell even one.  They don't run and never will.  Recently his good "friend" who he trusts, graciously traded him an old Harley Davidson that doesn't run for three of his motorcycles and a pile of cash.  Be careful who you trust !  They will take mine and make it theirs without a second thought !  Trust takes courage, be sure that you trust those who are generous with their time and resources.

People who won't trust who they should trust... trust the wrong person, and that, as they say, is that!

I had a very dear person in my life who I loved greatly, but she hoarded everything. She would not give you anything even for financial compensation.  Her house was packed full of "stuff" and she hid money everywhere.  It's mine !  When she died her house was sold and everything was liquidated and blew away in the wind....

When I leave here shouting, I want everything that I own be left to someone who doesn't see dollar signs.  Otherwise, I'll just liquidate it all and leave the dollar signs....

I have heard a saying for years.  "never close your hand tight, keep it open to give and receive"

Learn how to be generous and carry your own water.........

 

BSA 441 Victor

 Let me start by saying that I have never owned one of these, I have come close...but it didn't happen.

I am about to get educated on the ins and outs of this historic motorcycle.  It was developed in the 1960's to replace the iconic Goldstar.  Jeff Smith needed more to keep winning and BSA delivered with the 441.  The GP was not sold in the states and this was the bike that Jeff Smith was winning on.

The reason that I have never owned one is that they are  notoriously hard to start and have massive compression so when you kick start it you had better get it right! 

 I have a friend who has two Victors and he wants me to finish the wiring  and electronic ignition conversion on the one that he wants to ride.  Lucas electrics were used on these vintage machines and if you are acquainted with" The Prince of Darkness" then you know that the electrics can be improved with modern electronics.  I have found that for myself, personally, I prefer sorting through the original electrical system and they usually are fine if maintained in good order.  Electrical tape doesn't solve every issue,  good clean and tight connections make an amazing difference.  Take each connection apart and clean the oxidation and crud off the wiring and then use dielectric grease when re-connecting.

No doubt I am about to get schooled.....

Be Strong...

High waters and holey pants and still smiling !

Strength..

It is an amazing discovery that a sword is both fragile and strong.  The secret is in temperance.

The edge is fragile so that it can be sharp and cut

The spine of the sword is strong and much softer than the edge so it won't break...this is the strength of the blade

We can be gentle and still have the edge to go to battle....
 

I'm Tired of Cancer !

 I have decided that we should remove the word cancer from all the languages of the world...

I am tired of it!

I am tired of it taking our young and our old..

I am tired of the endless scans, chemo's and pain...

I am tired of neuropathy and chemo brain...

Yes, maybe we should remove it from our languages, however... Grace said that wont work ?

I'm still tired of it !

An Ode To All the Scary People....And the Bold

 

Joey Dunlop

Bold, brave and generous

Lord, deliver me from the scary people...

Scary people scare me !  

Too scared to make a decision, because they made a bad one before !

Too scared to fail or invest because it didn't work out before !

Too scared too trust because, well, trusting takes courage !

Please don't go to battle with me, you will turn and run when I need you...I'd rather go alone!

I'll never forget my brother David wading into the fray, you could count on him in a tight spot, oh yes you could !

 No, please don't go to battle with me!

The scary people think that everyone wants there stuff so they hoard it, and when they die it all blows away....they hold everything tight to themselves.

No..give me the fighters, the scrappers and the bold !

The bold will get up and try again, they are generous and they are the givers in this life!

Deuteronomy 20:8  "what man (or woman) is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart"