Been fairly busy with work, two weeks of business travel have lead to a decent back log of stuff to do. I just finalized all of our vegetable seed contracts for next year, so far the crops are looking good. It's been a little touch and go for the last couple of years with increased demand, a number of critical crop harvest shortages or outright crop failures and decreased acreage for production (everyone was growing corn when the ethanol craze hit). We might finally have hit the "sweet spot" with increased demand, good yields and available acreage. ***KNOCK ON WOOD!***

Hitting an open house at one of our local dairy farms today. Mainly because I like b.s.'ing with the owner and I know he's usually busy every time I see him. But also so my younger two kids can get idea where their milk is coming from and what's involved in getting it. They belong to a local dairy co-op, The Farmer's Cow, whose milk we buy at the grocery store. The kids always get a kick out of that. We'll probably top it off by using my UConn connections and getting ourselves into the dairy, pig and horse barns at the Ag School ending with a trip to their Dairy Bar for entirely too much freshly made icecream! Maybe even grilling some beef and pork this evening. :D

bump...

Spent 1/2 hour in sucky traffic coming into St. Paul on 52N on Tuesday...for what...I never found out...probably some duck family crapping in the middle of the highway. Then, about 90+ minutes on I-94 while 4 lanes of East-bound traffic was being held up by MNDOT and some brain-trust thinking they needed to block daytime traffic for 10 miles or so to paint numbers on the asphalt. THEN, just over the state line and 17 miles into Wisconsin, the WIDOT brain-trust (same DNA, just plain more stupid) decided that Tuesday afternoon (and not at night-time) would be the PERFECT time to REMOVE a semi-tractor-trailer that ran off the right side of the East-bound highway the previous WEDNESDAY (due to the high winds/tornado) evening... Yep, WIDOT waited almost a FULL WEEK before thinking that Tuesday afternoon's traffic wouldn't mind parking in the sun for about 2 hours. To top it off...someone got the bright idea to route traffic off the interstate at Exit 16 (about 1 mile west of the semi-party), but just as I was ready to work my way over to the ramp, the state-trooperette started waving everyone on through, as though the wreck had finally been cleared...but it wasn't and I ended up jammed, again, right under the Exit 16 overpass... One item of note: When EVERYONE finally got going, the ONLY overheated vehicles on the side of the roadway, puking their green little guts were the little FORD Ranger pickups. No less than 3 in those two I-94 Eastbound parking lots.

Now...for today...

Payday! Yeah! :thumbsup:

Rain today...sucks... :(

Still waiting for passenger-side window seals for the 107... :mad:

May just go for a 400+ mile "jaunt" around the SW/SCent. part of WI./NC Illinois this weekend...in the 107... :D :cool:

Try to stay dry!

And if your GPS shows you that you need to take a different route...don't try to be smarter than it is...take the detour...it might save you 3 or 4 hours of your life... :rolleyes: :o ;)

AFF! Woohoo! Supposed to get to 102 here in Washington, DC today, I heard. I have lots of projects around the house that urgently need doing, but ain't going to get done if it's really that hot.
Maybe I'll sit around the house and try to finally master using Turbocad. Anybody here know how to use that program? I am experienced with AutoCad, but have not been able to translate that skill to Tubocad so far. It's funny, my pencil, T square, and triangles all work the same regardless of who the manufacturer was . . . .

Okay, I'm a curmudgeon . . . .

Youngest daughter returns from Iraq today at 11 AM - Yes it's a fine day, I can start watching the news again.

Hey dad, good for you.
Thanks to her for her service.:):)

No relief at the shore. Temps to soar to near 100 tomorrow!!!! It may be too hot to go to the beach!
:(

Well, at least you can go jump in the water. I'll trade with you . . . .

BTW, Jim, which model Harley do you have? I was looking at bikes the other day and looked at theirs. Another brand I have noticed lately is Victory Motorcycles. Know anything about those?

I can't imagine the feeling of relief you must be feeling. Congratulations. I have an old friend in Arlington, whose older daughter is returning to Afghanistan for her second tour there. She has also done a tour in Iraq. I'd be a nervous wreck having kids in the war. Thanks to your daughter's service to our country.

Yup, I can stick a fork in it now its done - all three have gone to the sand box and served. Probably should count my son-in-law also, Four.:P

To hot to do anything outside, so I declared an indoor clothing optional weekend. May even let the wife in on it. I've been letting her sleep inside due to the heat. ;)

That's nice of you. Also, don't forget to crack the windows in the car if you take her out somewhere . . .

1997 FXDS... (Dynaglide Covertible). Good enough do it all light weight big (for its day)twin. Carbed with few electronic hassles. 5 speed Tranny. Rubber mounted frame (engine brackets) to handle highway vibration. Oil tank located under engine, not under the seat, like the softail line. Easy engine to work on. I haven't had any major problems with mine. The EVO was a very good motor.
Takes me everywhere i want to go.;)From Montauk to Mackinaw City & the UP to Key West & lots of places in between. Always brought me home ;)
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/1997_harley_fxds_convertible/1997_harley_specs.html

They discontinued the 1340 cc "Evolution" motor in 2000 or 2001 I think and the "convertible" concept somewhere along the line too. The HD market has collapsed...for new and used. Many dealerships have closed, including mine.
I can't tell you much about Victory, but the roadside is full of skeletons of bike companies that have come and gone in the last 10 or 15 years, figuring they could compete with Harley.
Here's a head to head review with the 2010 HD Road Glide.
http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/2010-harleydavidson-road-glide-vs-2010-victory-cross-country-89044.html

I have always been somwhat enamored with Indian. Don't know anything about how they are to ride or own, just think they're cool-looking.

A friend of my dad's had a pre-war indian chief. It's a very cool bike, I would not mind owning one.

Something like this:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.starklite.com/FORSALE/IMAGES/Emma_06-copy_copy.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.starklite.com/1938_indian_chief_emma.htm&usg=__qjbBzWZYj2b6ZLazjObYuaR0JLE=&h=336&w=600&sz=25&hl=en&start=2&um=1&i tbs=1&tbnid=lTcSlOVNS6QoSM:&tbnh=76&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1938%2Bindian%2Bchief%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DX%26tbs%3Disch:1

Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!