The Past and Future

"Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening." Barbara Tober

Well, have to say we broke from tradition. NEMBAfest was held for the first time at Bear Brook State Park on October 4th....and it was a great success! There were about 30 vendors, 350+ riders, and lots of fun to be had! Chuck Webster, the local GT rep, was there with the 2010 demo bikes. After the riding, I spent time talking with him about the bikes and even rode the Zaskar.....nice bike, but I still prefer the Marathon. I think this will become an annual event, at least for a few years.

This weekend we will be installing 3 bridges in Bear Brook at part of a Recreational Trails Program grant that I applied for. This grant uses federal dollars to help build and repair trails. These 3 bridges are located on a beautiful trail around a pond by the campground and have fallen into disrepair. The hard part is going to be carrying all that lumber into the site.....about 1/2 mile on trail!

Hoping we get lots of volunteers and have a fun ride and BBQ afterwards!

The End....

"God is great, beer is good, people are crazy."....some country singer

Yes, I've found myself listening to country music again. I find it funny and trite, and typically upbeat, especially compared to pop music. And this got me wondering.....are people who listen to country music generally happier then those that don't? And taking this a step further (follow my logic here), are people who are more conservative happier than those that are more liberal? (this is making the assumption that people who listen to country music are more predominately in the South and those in the South are more conservative). It does seem that more liberal minded people are always worried and predicting doom and gloom. On the other hand, conservatives generally don't think there's a problem and resist change until the problem blows up in their faces! So enough of my ponderings....

There have been a couple of ends this week. On Sunday I completed my final race of the season at the Fort Rock Revenge. Rain moved in overnight and the course was wet and slick. Because of the weather, the race was small. I was once again very pleased by how well the Marathon did in those wet conditions. I finished first overall for the women.

On Monday, when I returned from my morning run, I noticed my horse (Rosie) was down in the pasture. When I got to her she was in obvious pain, breathing very hard, and barely able to get herself upright. I put her to sleep and she is now buried in the corner of the pasture. I've had Rosie for 18 years, and she's seen me through multiple life changes. She was a constant in my life.....I feel as though I'm free falling a bit without her.....

But life goes on, and this week I've been busy working on the organization for NEMBAfest. This is the first time it's been held at Bear Brook State Park, and I'm in charge of organizing volunteers and marking the loops. I have lots of people helping me and I truly appreciate all the effort everyone has put into this. The weather is looking up for Sunday, so I'm hoping we have a great turnout and lots of fun.

And then it's back to the real world.....