Summer is here!

This weather has been bizarre to say the least. It seems like we went from day after day of colder than normal temperatures and constant rain immediately into our typical hot/humid summer weather, with no transition. And today, its appears that we're back to rain--oh wait, no, now it's back to hot & humid... Needless to say, the weeds in my yard love this. Speaking of the rain, here's a funny joke that was passed on to me:

A curious fellow died one day and found himself waiting in the long line of judgment. As he stood there he noticed that some souls were allowed to march right through the pearly gates into Heaven. Others though, were led over to Satan who threw them into the burning pit. But every so often, instead of hurling a poor soul into the fire, Satan would toss a soul off to one side into a small pile. After watching Satan do this several times, the fellow's curiosity got the best of him. So he strolled over and asked Satan what he was doing. "Excuse me, Mr. Prince of Darkness," he said. "I'm waiting in line for judgment, but I couldn't help wondering, why are you tossing those people aside instead of flinging them into the Fires of Hell with the others?" "Ah, those," Satan said with a groan. "They're all from New England.... They're still too wet to burn."

The weather has afforded me an opportunity to get caught up on some stuff that I've been meaning to do, and I recently play musical handlebars on my bikes as I took the handlebar off my cyclocross bike (yeah, it's a flat bar) and swapped it with the bar on one of my singlespeeds and I did the same with handlebars on my other singlespeed and my geared 29'er. If that wasn't enough handlebar hi-jinx, I also re-wrapped the tape on my road bike. Add to that the fact that I recently replaced the grips on my freestyle bike (and repaired a broken headset spacer) and it's appropriate to say that the steering has been addressed on (most of) my bikes.

It's important to have good bike control as I've been trying to ride as much as possible. I did a great road ride the other morning (yeah, rolling out at just after 5:00am) and got hammered by my old friend Glen. It's good to have someone local to kick my butt back into shape AND someone who can ride in the wee hours of the morning. The ride was especially cool as I've tended to take the same routes on my road rides and Glen took me on some different roads. It's funny, I've lived here about 10yrs and he's only been here a few months, and he's showing me good road loops.

A couple of days prior to that I got to lead a group through some of the incredible singletrack out at Willowdale State Forest. I hadn't ridden with a group in a while and it was good to see Ron, Todd, Doug, Rob, Renee and the aforementioned Glen. It was the first ride on the SS with the new rigid fork and I loved it. The bike is light, tight, and outta sight! I can't wait to get back out there.

What's Up?

Okay, so it's been a while since I've posted. That means I've been busy! So busy in fact that I forget what's been keeping me so busy!

Well, we know that every other week I'm at work, and that pretty much dominates my life for seven days. I'm sure that everyone thinks that working 7 days in a row, then having 7 days off it great... well, it's "good," but I don't know about great. For those 7 days, I don't have time to really do anything BUT work. I wake up, head in to the hospital, put my nose to the grindstone for 11-13hrs (sometimes more), then come home, have dinner and crash shortly thereafter. Occasionally I'll get out for a ride or run, but usually not, and if I do, it's short. That type of all encompassing work schedule for 7 days translates to me "catching up" during my time off--paying bills, returning phone calls, etc, etc. Yeah, I'm not complaining, just stating the facts. This past week at work was ROUGH as Jean was away so I had extra dog duty. If it wasn't for our exceptional neighbor Chrissy, I wouldn't have been able to do it. THANKS!

The week prior to that was dominated primarily with me making sure that my BLS and ACLS certifications were up to date. I couldn't find any live classes so I did online recertifications (although I still have to make arrangements to meet someone face to face to push on the chest on a rescue manikin). The live classes can be boring but the online classes brought the word tedious to a new level. I *understand* that the classes have to take a certain amount of time to be validated and that I'm earning a certain number of hours of CME (continuing medical education) credits, but my God, the online versions were rough to go through. As an example, I'd be faced with a clinical scenario and asked what I'd want to do next (such as, a 60yr old man in the ER with chest pain and palpitations). My reply might be, "check vital signs," and then I'd be forced to watch a video of a nurse putting on a blood pressure cuff and pumping it up to get the blood pressure... just tell me the vital signs! That might sound petty, but imagine sitting through six hours of this. Enough said, I did my time and that's set until next year. As a side note, the image above appears to be of a guy choking another guy, and I didn't see that in the BLS or ACLS protocol anywhere...

Last week I also purchased some more lumber for the giant planter box project I've been working on as an extension off of my back deck. It's coming along well and I can't wait for it to be done and full of decorative shrubbery.

Of course, not time off would be complete without as much riding as possible. Jean and I hit the trails a few times and I took G-Pap on a trail that was WAY too technical, but it was a good opportunity to take a bike for a walk in the woods while feeding some hungry mosquitos.

Jean and I also went to the new Harry Potter movie--yes on opening day (but no, not at midnight). In the interest of full disclosure, I have never read any of the books, but I've seen the movies with Jean. I don't really know the characters, and I'm opposed to movies with snotty Brittish kids as the protagonists, but the effects are good and it's mindless entertainment. This most recent movie fit the bill and it's funny to see how the movie producers are going to keep these actors (who are probably in the 30's by now) looking like young teens. The guy that plays Harry Potter has the longest neck too. Anyway, as I was watching this movie, I was struck with an epiphany:

Harry Potter = Mr. Frodo



Dumbledore = Gandalf


Okay, maybe not an epiphany in the true sense of the word (defiinition: "a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience"), but maybe just an observation, and certainly not an important one.

I guess that's enough of a post for now. I'm going to let me external hard drive heat up while I back up my nearly 10,000 photos (Lightroom 2 is an awesome photo management program) while I go work on bikes for a bit. More ramblings later!

Boston Announces New Program to Combat Bike Theft

As part of an initiative to make Boston a world-class bicycling city, the Stolen Bike Alert program makes reporting stolen bikes easier and increases the chances of finding your stolen bike by giving you a larger network of search parties.

When you report a stolen bike, they send out an alert to the police, local bike shops, hospital and school security, and everyone who follows the city on Twitter or Facebook. All of these people will be on the look-out for your bike and the city will notify the police as they receive updates on your stolen bike.

Please take a few minutes to register your bike online right now.
Become a bike vigilante by following the city on Twitter, Facebook, or email.

For more information, contact Nicole Freedman, Director of Boston Bikes at: Nicole.freedman.bra@cityofboston.gov
617-918-4343

Week of 6/27/09

Well, these weeks off certainly fly by! This past week was pretty much defined by rain, but I was able to get some stuff done and get a few good rides in.

I started my "off week" by taking the 'cross bike out on an exploration ride into West Peabody on Saturday. Sunday it was time to help a friend with some algebra and then dinner with the in-laws.

What else did I do with a full seven days off? I finished moving some rooms around in our house. Our old TV room is now Jean's "project" room and our TV/sofa/entertainment center is now in the attic/loft which actually works out very well. I think that's what did most of Monday, and then Jean and I took an hour long cruise on the bikes just looking at houses and neighborhoods in Salem.

I also disassembled and boxed up a bike that I have been testing for Dirt Rag. Did I like the bike? Read the magazine to find out... writing that bike test was also something I did this week, in addition to writing something for Cyclocross magazine.

The dogs got plenty of exercise--and a couple of baths as they were muddy and stinky. That of course translated into me having a muddy and stinky car.

I also spent some time deconstructing my backyard deck to evict a skunk (see post below) which was a good way for me to stick around the house while I was waiting for FedEx to arrive with my repaired/cleaned camera. My beloved Canon G10 was making noises, so instead of waiting for it to really break, I sent it in for evaluation. Canon replaced "the optical unit" and cleaned it. I was so lost without my camera! Fortunately, I was able to borrow one, but it just wasn't the same. My camera and I are reunited!

On Thursday, I hit the road early (and, in the rain, of course) and headed to VT for a meeting and some riding. I met with a guy who will probably carve a small parking area on our East Burke property for me. Then I hit the the trails to see how well Kingdom Trails was holding up with the rain. Sloppy is the best way to describe the ride (see pics). I did about 2hrs and my pace was so off because of the mud/SLICK roots and overall slop, that I headed back to the car after only 13 miles. I felt bad about riding on those conditions as I don't want to contribute to any deterioration of the trails. I was able to see some friends up there though, so all in all, it was a good trip. I hit traffic on the way home, but was still back at a decent time. As I've said before, a bad day on the trails is better than a good day at work (unless you were Dr. William Masters).

Friday I actually slept in a bit and then Jean and I headed out for a 30 mile road ride ending with lunch in Danvers. It was SO nice to be out on the bikes and to have it be dry with blue skies above.

All in all, a good week. Back to work tomorrow!

Eviction Notice

As I mentioned a few days ago, a skunk has taken up residence in our back yard, under our rear deck, and Luna and Gary take great umbrage to this. Someone had to go, and I decided it was the skunk. I already had plans that would cover over his little hidey-hole once and for all, but being the gentle hearted man that I am, I didn't want to cover it over with him inside. I had considered a trapping service, but the $500 fee was a bit of a put off, so I decided to slowly open the planks on the deck in an effort to scare the little bugger out, at which point I would seal every back up and send his forwarding address to the post office.

The weather cooperated by giving me a gentle drizzle to work with. One by one, I backed out the screws from the decking (in retrospect, I'm SO glad I used screws instead of nails). After opening up enough sections, I'd shine a light down inside and VERY carefully poke my head in.. ready to retreat at any sign of activity. Of course, there were what seemed to be hundreds of squirrels frolicking in the yard, and THEIR activity (little claws scampering on the fence), made me a little tense as the sound made me think that skunks were on the prowl. In the end, I didn't find any evidence of current critter occupation (it could have slipped out the back when I wasn't watching), so I put the planks back down, and moved some wood scraps and pieces of cement in the only area where the skunk could dig in.

That's done, now if I could just get some dry days, I could finish the planter box and move on to another project!

Roads, trails, paths, and... mud.

Had a great ride this past weekend. Overall, my thoughts of good rides have turned away from the typical "25 mile road loop," or "drive to trail head and do a 10-mile loop." Sure, I still do plenty of rides like that, but if given a choice, I prefer to head out with no agenda and explore. The great thing is that, even though I grew up on the North Shore, and I've been mountain biking and road riding the area for 10 years, I'm still finding new stuff.

I seem to usually head towards Beverly/Topsfield/Hamilton/Wenham and points further north, but this past weekend I decided to follow the new bike path in Peabody and explore some of my old stomping grounds in West Peabody (although, I don't remember doing much stomping). The bike path follows an old railroad that had a fire road along side of it, and back 25+ years ago, I was cruising down there on my very first BMX bike, coaster brake and all. Those trails linked to another extensive network of trails that went all the way to North Reading and an area known back then as "Reading Track," because of the MX (as in motocross) jumps, berms and trails. Did any of that still exist?

Yes, but first I have to commend the City of Peabody for the great work it's doing on the bike path. Currently, it starts (or ends) by Lahey Clinic by the North Shore Mall and goes all the way to the end of Russell Street by the Ipswich River with the exception of a section that spits you back on to Lowell Street just before Bourbon Street. The bike path resumes just past the shopping center at Lowell and Russell Street. The path is paved, smooth, and will have a fence up on many sections. HOPEFULLY, people all across West Peabody will use this as a route to get to the mall rather than drive.

Anyway, I only rode a short distance on the bike path this past weekend as I popped off the path and headed up to Brooksby Farms as I recalled that there used to be some trails up there. Sure enough, they were still there and a VERY worthy diversion. After a couple of loops I got back on the road and then back to the path. I followed it to the end (although I did see some trails off to the side that I'll explore next time) and ended up near the intersection of Russell St and Birch St. I had to dig deep in my memories to think of the trails that were in that area, but my front wheel found them and soon enough I was skirting the Bostik plant's property following trails deeper and deeper into the woods--just like I did when I was about 13. Wild. I can't believe the woods hasn't become yet another cookie-cutter housing development with a fancy gate, a cul-de-sac, and a cheesy name reminiscent of the natural beauty that was torn down to allow for the creation of the look-alike homes that spread like a scourge defining the word "sprawl." But I digress. Apparently, motocross riders and quad riders have kept these trails alive. Unfortunately, I couldn't explore too thoroughly as I turned the corner on one trail and was faced with at least a 1/4 t0 1/2 meter of water as far as I could see. The mud below the water was soft and deep so I was thwarted.

I'm glad to see that the trails are still there. I'll work on linking them to Danvers Town Forest (which I hear has some trails) and then ultimately to Harold Parker. Maybe someday, the trails will be dry!

Radio Shack

Radio Shack is not my first choice as a store to buy electronics. To me, it's a store best suited for people looking for radio controlled monster trucks and HAM radio operators. But, when looking for odd cables and connectors, I can't think of a better place. As such, when I recently needed some coaxial cable connectors--so that I could cut a wire my cable TV cable in its middle, add a splitter, and have two ends--Radio Shack is where I went.

I explained to the Radio Shackologist what my project was, and after re-explaining it (by opening a box of coaxial cable and pantomiming the process of cutting), he sent me home with the connectors I needed. Or so I thought.

When I got home and got ready to cut, I did something odd. I read the directions on the back of the packaging for the connectors.

"Do not use on cable TV."

Well, I was fairly annoyed as I had explicitly explained that I was using this for splitting my cable TV connection. Back to Radio Shack I went.

I met with a different Shackologist this time. When I explained my situation, he said that these connectors are the right ones. Here's a paraphrase of out dialogue:

RS: These connectors should work.

Me: Then why would the packaging clearly state NOT to use these for cable TV?

RS: Maybe it would void some service agreement with the cable TV company.

Me: Um, well, the packaging then goes on to say, "For cable TV... use crimp-on or solder-type connectors, also available at Radio Shack."

RS: Yeah, the ones you have just sort of screw on the ends of the cable, for the others, you have to use tools.

Me: I have tools. Why are the other ones recommended?

RS: Well, maybe those give a more powerful connection.

Me: Oh, well I wouldn't want that. Especially not for the additional .79 cents...

I don't know if he appreciated my sarcasm. And, besides, I'd probably be willing to pay almost any reasonable additional cost if something was going to give me more power.

In the end, I got the correct connectors, I cut my cable, I used my pliers to crimp the connectors, and HD TV is working!

Mephitis attack!

Well, my Monday didn't start out the way I had hoped. It wasn't that great for Jean either, but I think Luna and Gary got the worst of it. Here's the scene. It's 5:10am, it's pouring out, and I'm up to get my day on. I go downstairs to start coffee, and of course I let the dogs out to do their thing.

Unfortunately, a skunk was meandering through the yard (to his home that I now know is under my deck). Gary and Luna BOUNDED off the back porch and into the yard, and within seconds, the melee was over. Gary actually caught the skunk and had it in his mouth. Needless to say, that didn't last long as the skunk defended himself the best way he knows how. Gary dropped it, he spit some white fur out of his mouth, and realization hit him. And Luna. And me.

Jean yelled down from the bedroom (she had been asleep) because she smelled it too. The dogs had been sprayed. Gary took the brunt of the assault, but Luna wasn't spared. I donned some latex gloves and went at it with Nature's Miracle, a product that breaks down the odor with natural enzymes. It usually does the trick, but you have to soak the dog in it, then let it dry. Not a chance of that happening outside with the pouring rain. I tried blocking the dogs in the shelter of the side porch, but they just kept pacing back and forth, crying, drooling. Gary had actually spent a considerable amount of time rolling in the dirt in an attempt to rid himself of the smell.

To make a long story short, I brought the crates downstairs, and we penned them up in the kitchen. Jean took the day off and was able to take Gary to get a de-skunking bath at a local PetSmart.

Despite my doing the best to shower and clean myself up, and being checked by Jean's super-sniffer, my co-workers were still able to pick up the faint (and maybe not so faint) skunk odor. Lucky me and lucky them,

All in all, we're all mostly de-skunked. The dogs are pretty good, and the house is almost back to normal.

The bigger problem is that this critter is living in our yard. I've suspected this for a while, but this is painful confirmation of the fact. I'll keep you tuned on my eviction methods. Until then, just be glad those pics aren't scratch and sniff.

A week in review.

So another week off is about to come to an end. *sigh.*

I guess I can't complain--I had a full week! First, on Saturday I started by taking the dogs on a great trail run at Lynn Woods. Then, Jean and I explored some of the killer singletrack at Willowdale/Bradley Palmer.

Sunday, Jean and I rode up to Gloucester to Sugar Magnolia--a little restaurant that offers a peanut butter/banana/bacon/honey panini. Mmmmmmm! We did some exploring in Ravenswood on the way back home and stopped for some pics along the way.

Monday was my "catch-up" day where I ran around like a maniac trying to do yard work, house work, review mail, make phone calls, etc, etc. I also spent some time getting gear together for a day trip to Vermont that I'd be taking Tuesday.

Yep, Tuesday morning, I threw Mike Lawless into the car and made the trek to Kingdom Trails in East Burke. We had a great ride and topped it off with a nice cold 1554 (that's a delicious brew that's not available in MA, but my buddy Mike Schnyder sent me a case!).

Wednesday, I was up EARLY to take Jean to the airport as she had a business trip to take. I went home and fell back asleep, but then put some hours in working in the Emergency Department at Addison Gilbert Hospital. It was hopping ED and I had a good shift!

Thursday I had an early meeting to attend at Beverly Hospital, then G-pap and I hit the trails at Willowdale again. The dogs had an extended play date with their best friend (well, at least Gary's best friend), Amboss, the 90lb rottweiler. Tired dogs are good dogs.

Friday, I was supposed to do an EARLY morning road ride with Mike Lawless, but he overslept. I opted for a run instead as that has the added bonus of tiring out the dogs. I wrapped up a few other errands (ordered some lumber for a building project, picked up dry cleaning, pick up dog food, etc), and now it's time to chill out with Lightroom and Photoshop... Back to work tomorrow...

Southwest Trip--Day 6 & 7

Thursday was the day to leave the grandeur and beauty of Springdale, and head back to the blight on the American landscape known as Las Vegas. We had ANOTHER breakfast as Cafe Soleil, then made our way back to Canyon Vista to do a phase 1 packing (not the final, "ready to board the plane" pack job), and load the up the car. The bikes were still assembled as we still had riding on the agenda.

We made a side trip through Santa Clara, UT, for Jean to look for some art supplies which eluded her. From there, it was back on Interstate 15 and Vegas.

Our section of I-15 rolled through the Virgin River Gorge, in AZ, but is otherwise not exactly noteworthy for its scenery. The drive was uneventful and we made our way to our hotel, which at the time of me typing this, I can't remember. I found the place via PriceLine because of Shatner's endorsement. Oh yeah, I think it was South Point...

Anyway, it was four stars of the typical Vegas "let's impress you with glitz and glass while we suck every penny out of you" design theme. Unlike hotels geared towards "guests," the hotels in Vegas are geared towards "gamblers," so to get to your room, you have to schlep your gear through the casino. At least the elevator was easy to find. I've stayed in some Vegas hotels where I'd swear the access to the rooms was behind hidden doors and secret passages (but while you're wandering, feel free to play a few hours of slots...). I hate Vegas, but I digress. The accommodations were adequate. We dropped our bags off and headed out to Red Rock Canyon to ride!

Red Rock Canyon is an oasis of natural beauty in a landscape covered by man-made overindulgence and pawn shops. It's also the location of a popular cycling route as there is a paved 15-mile scenic loop. The car traffic was minimal, the climbs were great, the heat was hot, and as advertised, the scenery was scenic.

When we finally got back to the car, it was time to disassemble the bikes to squish them into their travel cases. It's a fairly easy process, but doing two bikes while sitting on the ground in the hot desert sun isn't an ideal situation. But, if that's what has to happen so that we get to bring our bikes, pass the sun screen and tools. By the time the bikes were packed snug in their cases, the desert sun was setting and we dragged our dirty selves back to the hotel to finalize our other bags.

Sleep was next as our wake-up call was for 3:30am.

Day 7--Friday
Ugh. That damn alarm went off at 3:30am. There was a flurry of activity to get our stuff out to the car (after passing way too many people who's souls had been sucked out by sitting in front of slot machines overnight).

Our day went like this:

• return rental car
• shuttle to airport
• long check in line to check our bags
• long security line (yeah, I was pulled aside because my bike parts and tools required further inspection, but were ultimately okay'ed)
• packed into a tiny airline seat
• switch planes in Cincinnati
• finally land in Boston
• wait for luggage
• call shuttle to get to my car
• find my car in the Park & Fly lot
• pack up and head to Ipswich to pick up the dogs
• finally get HOME with our gear and dogs
• prepare to jump back in to work the next day
  

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, right? Well, I can relax when I'm dead, for now, there's too much to see and do!

Now, it's time to plan our next adventure...

Southwest Trip--Day 5

We woke to another amazing day in Springdale: cloudless skies, mid-80's and a nice breeze. Breakfast at Oscar's was first on the agenda and then it was time to get our day on.

Since Tuesday, the super steep hill that I believe the locals call Cry-Baby Hill had been taunting me. Mocking me. Calling me. I decided that I'd ride up it for no other reason than to give a proverbial bitch-slap to this geologic aberration. With no granny gear, the climb was tough, but invigorating at the same time. It took me less time than I had anticipated to make the climb, but once to the top, I took another trail that lead me out to the end of the mesa to I could look out to see where I started from. If you see a tiny white dot in the distance, that's Jean in the Rav4 patiently waiting as I battle inanimate land formations. Needless to say, the ride back down was brief.

After a quick shower, Jean and I made our way back to ZNP for hiking and photographic pursuits.

With no major hikes on the agenda, we took the shuttle to the end of the park (Temple of Sinawava), hiked in to the beginning of The Narrows, and then hiked back on side trails along the Virgin River. The lighting was tough for amateur shutterbugs so it was mostly an exercise in overexposed pixels. We'll eventually learn!

After another visit to the lodge, and more fluids, were made our way back to town and back to the B&B. It seems like it's becoming tradition to catch an X-Men movie while on vacation as well, so we turned our brains off to watch Wolverine. I also got to try a local Zion Brewing Company beverage--the Polygamy Porter (with tag lines that say, "You can have just one," and "take some home to the wives." Once back at the B&B, we did a little packing/organizing to prepare for our eminent departure and took some time to try out some star photography. I should note that when I went out to get the camera (after having it out for about a 30-minute exposure), I thought I was going to die.

Here's the scene. Pitch black night, me walking in an unfamiliar yard with eyes still unadjusted for the darkness. I'm unstrapping the camera from the fencxe that I had it set on when something large--knee height--and hairy, brushes against my leg. My mind screamed "what the F--- was that?!?!" Fortunately, I didn't squeal out loud. It was only Dexter, one of our host's dogs coming by to say "hi," but for a split second I had no idea what it was--mountain lion or skunk of unusual size...

When my heart rate settled back down to double digits, I was finally able to fall asleep. The next day, our B&B hosts got much delight from this encounter.

Southwest Trip--Day 4

Yeah--Gooseberry Mesa! Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself. Jean and I woke up to some a very cool desert sky, the lingering effects of a night that threatened to have some rain.

But that sky cleared up fairly early, and it was another beautiful day on tap in southern Utah. We filled our bellies at Cafe Soleil again and then made the arduous drive to one of the area's mountain biking mecca's, Gooseberry Mesa. While only about 15 miles from our B&B, the road to GB's trail head was a bit rough on our rented Rav4. There was an especially steep hill on Smithsonian Butte Rd, a hill that I believe the locals call "cry baby hill." It's almost 1,000ft (elevation) of nasty. Our little Toyota made the climb and we rumbled along miles of dirt roads to the GB trail system.

Gooseberry Mesa is a mountain bike "destination" and I was psyched to finally be able to check it off the "to ride" list. In terms of total mileage, the trail network proper isn't that large (maybe about 20 miles with the North and South Rim trails), but the scenery is beyond words (think "stunning," "spectacular," "OMG"). And, with the 4x4 trails and fire roads, you could here all day.

We did a short warm-up on the Windmill Trail, about 3-miles of great views, singletrack, slick-rock, and of course, one windmill. From there, we made our way over to the White Trail, Practice Loop and some of the North Rim., and we were rewarded with MORE great vistas. My trail speed is definitely inversely proportional to the amount of scenery I get on the trail, and this is exponentially slower when I'm taking photos every few minutes!

Anyway, after some great trail riding, we made our way back to the car and took the "long" drive home... longer by distance, but about equal in time. We parked back at the B&B and headed out on the bikes again--this time for a ride that was mostly on-road to the old town of Grafton.

Grafton was billed as a ghost town, but it was kind of a disappointment. First, we were thwarted on our ride. As the road made its transition from pavement to dirt, we encountered a sand storm, and I do mean sand storm! We were riding along when suddenly this looming cloud of sand started coming down the road towards us. We hunkered down and covered our heads/faces while we were pelted with sand. After a couple of minutes, the winds subsided. As we were talking about this bizarre event, the wind picked up again and another cloud of sand made its way down the road to us. After this cloud passed, we decided to head back to the B&B and attempt further exploration by car.

Of course, the drive to Grafton was completely clear-skied and calm.

Anyway, when we pulled in to the parking area, the first thing that hit me was that the windows on the building in front of me (church? town hall?) looked remarkably good. I think they should have still had their Anderson stickers on them! There were a few "old" farm buildings, but I was really looking for the OLD ghost town with saloon doors and horse hitching posts...

We explored a cemetery that had some headstones with the description, "killed by Indians." What strange time in history.

After our "ghost town" experience, it was back to the B&B for some R&R!