Here she is......Meet Ellie!

Here she is folks!  41 years young Honda CB500K.  This is my finest work to date.  A complete frame off restoration.  You name it and it was probably repaired, restored, or re-fabricated.  I purchased this bike last summer from a neighbor.  It just sat in his front yard for a few seasons.  I finally caught up on my other projects and started this bike late in the winter.  It really came together a lot quicker than I ever expected and sold even quicker.  Monday it went to her new home.  Here are a few pictures I took and had an semi-professional photographer touch up.  I submitted to a popular motorcycle website......I'm hoping they do a feature on her.

Clean power plant...

I love the vintage Honda wing...

Digital speedometer.....very sleek design.

Truly a street tracker....

Before and after.....quite a change.

Good Times with Grandpa, Great Unlce Brad, and Winnie

It was a treat to be in NC for two weeks and give Grandma Mawtha a chance to go be with Mags/Mara/Matt/Honey.  We had some crazy times. That house is nuts for sure. I fully intended to give Dad/Brad/Winnie a little vacation(stacation) TLC, but you know the Big Boss Beez in me couldn't just let it be all fun and no work. So, we had very busy days and I was sad when time was up.

My first night in town...Brad wooed me out onto the deck for a cup of coffee and a photo shoot to make Connor jealous.

Great Uncle Brad is very proud indeed!

Breakfasts included buttermilk waffles, biscuits and gravy, pancakes/berries/whipped cream (well, most foods included whipped cream if dad had anything to say about it), strawberry scones...just to name a few.

It was definitely time to clean and stain that deck!

Pedicures...

Haircuts...

Sunhats...

Dad's favorite perch... I think the cleaning/staining did it some good!

He is a very pleased Grandpa...he boasted about Mara to ANYONE who came to the house.

Birthday party for Granddaddy... I made a picnic lunch and coconut cake.  Grandmother was too tired/ill to join us, but it was still fun!

Winnie was looking for mom...she got groomed and wanted to show off how pretty she was.

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I have never grilled in my life...but I mastered that baby while I was there! Charcoal and paper and a few cuss words.

Salmon and potato dinner one night... we also had burgers/kielbasa, chicken, pork tenderloin, and steaks!

A common view... but I added new runners down the hallways and got rid of Martha's orange yoga mats. It was time.

Dining al fresco...

Brad did pretty well with me being home and invading every inch of the house. I am a cleaning machine, so I go a little overboard. I take "deep cleaning" to a whole new level.  Brad does tend to get a little stressed when I make him throw away things...but he made up for it by going out and buying 11 newspapers in one day...he has a habit.

But this closet hasn't looked so good since we were home for Maggie's wedding and I made him clean it out...

One of many beautiful scenes. Pictures do not capture it...

Morning sunrises were so fresh.

The woods were alluring but there was never enough time for exploring...and Winnie is such a dumb ass that she goes running home at the slightest fright.

Winnie and I walked down to the goats almost every evening.

This tree is always so beautiful.

Lizards like to hang out with dad on the deck...I did make some time for hula hooping.

Mawtha has the place coming up in all kinds of petally pretties.

Baby bluebirds!! Gave me and Dad quite a scare. We thought the mom might have abandoned them... but everything was ok!

Couldn't miss giving mom a pedicure/spa treatment before I left.

And we did a flower walk...here is the happy grandma smelling the ?old man's beard? tree. Smells so sweet - like honeysuckle!

Mom had a "Mara" pedicure ala Amber-style with the alternating colors.

Marion is my favorite spot...I am so glad that we will get to go there for years and years to come.  Love Drive is a little bit of heaven on Earth.

What To Do???

Newaukum Lake....just a beautiful view!

This is just what I was wondering when Marie told me she was going to Marion to help Papa Chuck, Martha Sue, and B-Love. Two weeks is a long time to be with out my Lady Marie.....so, what to do?  Well, I need to work (bleh), garden, tinker on bikes, give the cats some attention, and brew some fine beer. 

Growing strong!

The hoop garden is really taking off this year.  I started about a month earlier than last year......inside there are Walla-Walla onions (sweet), snap peas, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, corn, dill, sunflower, red potatoes, and a whole lot of volunteers from our compost. 

I just dream about riding...

Local sign shop made the vinyl number plate decals....73 is the birth year...

I've been hard at work fixing up "Ellie"......I can't wait to take her down the road.  I already have a buyer for her and I know he is eager to take her off my hands. 

Dry-hopped English Bitter Ale

I've been doing some brewing this spring and haven't mentioned much of it to my viewers.  Last Sunday I brewed batch #46.....Session-able IPA.  I really have enjoyed low alcohol content brews.  I love a mug of fine home brew while gardening, tinkering, or just relaxing on the weekend.  Brews in the past have been in the 7% alcohol content......to me that's just too high, so I have been aiming for the 4.6-5.2% content.  That way I can have a couple mugs and not get the head buzz.  

Mash temp is holding...

Randomly adding the hop mix...

#46 Session-able IPA
10# Two-Row
1# Munich
1/2# Crystal 60L
60 min infusion mash
.5oz Warrior 15.4 AA  60min
The remainder of the hops were randomly added from 35min - 0 min  (Dogfishead technique)
.5oz Warrior, 1oz Simcoe, 1oz Amarillo, .5oz Citra

Dry hopped .5oz Citra

White Labs California Ale yeast.

I can't wait to keg this and quaff!

Quaffn' a Bitter...

#45 English Bitter Ale
9# Two Row
1# Munich
.5# Crystal 40L
2oz Chocolate Malt
60 min infusion mash

1.5oz EKG 90
.5oz  EKG 15
.5oz  EKG 5
.5oz  EKG Dry Hopped

washed yeast wash used from batch #44 Old Cantankerous Ale

This brew was fantastic!...I kegged it and have shared with friends......almost gone though.

Old Cantankerous hop varieties

Music....Active fermentation!

#44 Old Cantankerous Ale
6# Two-Row
5# Marris Otter
1.25# Carastan
1.5# Munich
1 # Vienna
2oz Special B
2oz Chocolate malt
60 min infusion mash
90 min boil
.5oz Magnum
1oz N.Brewer
1oz Saaz
1oz Hallertau
1oz Spalt

pitched British Ale yeast.

This brew turned out well, its full of malty, bready, sweet flavor.  I'm letting this one lager until the cooler months.  I have probably consumed half the keg....note that I brew 4 gallon batches.

My favorite session lager to date!

#43 Jamil's German Pils
11# Pilsen
60 min infusion mash
90 min boil
1oz Perle 60min
.5oz Hallertau 15min
.5oz Hallertau  1 min

haha....don't remember the yeast. I think it was Bavarian though???

sun bathing....

time for shade...don't want to get burnt...

Keeping cool on the concrete...

Statue....

Lazy Sunday...

The kittens missed Marie so much!!!......but not near as much as I did.  I am thankful she was able to help our family, but even more thankful she came home to my arms!