A Leo Update.

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

Even though I had early dismissal it wasn't early enough for me to help take Leo, our cat, to the Veterinarian. Leo has been dealing with an ear infection. He seemed to be getting better, and then yesterday not only did the turning of his head intensify, but he was definitely lethargic.

The good news is the ear infection is gone. More good news, Leo got got his ears flushed and a thorough going over. Of course, the bad news was he had to be anesthetized in order for that to happen. What then was causing these symptoms? Fleas. Our weather this year has been particularly good for fleas and ticks. We have a different type of drop to give Leo. Hopefully, this will work and bring an end to the story. It has been a long summer for poor Leo. As I write this he's hiding out under a dresser in the bedroom. With his reconstructed hips and nerve damage he is very wobbly. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes out during the night and tries to make it up on the bed. I, also, won't be surprised if he misses. By tomorrow I'm expecting he'll be very much better.

We have a lead on a Mobile Veterinarian. We are going to look very seriously at this as an option. We have a friend who uses this Doctor and swears by her. This might be an ideal solution for Leo. Stay tuned.

We are looking at a three day weekend. Every Labor Day weekend the Botanical Gardens hosts a Japanese Festival. Heather is involved with St. Louis Osuwa Taiko and will be performing with the Community Group and helping to sell tee-shirts during the Performance Group's shows. The weather forecast is calling for rain on the day she performs. She be sheltered. Me? I will pack my raingear.

• 75F/24C and hazy for the ride to work.
• 90F/32C with some clouds for the ride home.

Cooler

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

The car is fixed and more importantly it appears I've found the equivalent of Mike for my car.

It is a small family owned business.

Old school, but with all the modern diagnostic tools. It turned out I was right. It was the battery. Now it's been serviced, has a new battery, my insurance paid for the tow, and I'm set up with a service place which appears trustworthy. Nice.

I, also, sighted one very large flamingo.

Today, the commute was a little bit cooler.

It is more and more obvious the days are getting shorter.

Last evening it rained quite hard. I had a meeting and I was grateful to be back in my car.

On my morning walk-about I saw folks out and about enjoying the change in the temperature.

The evening brought more rain, but it was much more scattered than last evening. I experienced just cloudiness on the way home. Where Heather was it rained quite heavily.

I'm still surprised to see this empty patio. During the years of my commuting on evenings like this even with the threat of rain in the air this patio would be full. A couple weeks ago, suddenly, the Japanese restaurant which had been there for years, closed. For the first week every evening I would see people going to the door only to find it locked. I have no idea what the story is and probably never will. I just know the patio really looks sad to be empty.

• 73F/23C with patchy fog for the ride to work.
• 90F/32C and cloudy for the home ride.

Busy

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

I wasn't the only one! Coop, if you happen to stop by, that's the white Ninja 650 I mentioned in an earlier blog. I certainly think the new Ninja 300 is plenty of bike, but I doubt that comes as a surprise. I spoke with the owner the other day. She's plenty happy with it and that's what really matters.

My Toyota Yaris managed to find its way to a repair shop. I wasn't happy with the place I had been taking it. It just didn't feel right, but I really didn't have another place to take it vividly in mind. I suspect this was the main reason I acknowledged the warning signs something was going wrong, but didn't take action. I'll pay the price for that.

A friend at work suggested Marty's Auto Repair. He knew them and called forward to let them know I would be coming. The place has the feel of an old time shop with all the newest equipment, a face to face kind of place. We arranged for the car to be towed in and off I went to get the new brake pads put on the Kymco. When it rains ....

I'm taking tomorrow off. I suspected I'd be wiped out from dealing with the car. And I am. The anxiety of
going to bed last night without having a firm plan of action certainly didn't lead to a good night's sleep. Fatigue is not my friend.

The good news is I suspect all that's wrong with the Yaris is it needs a new battery and routine service. That said, I'll be happy when that is confirmed. And I will be even happier if my intuition is correct and Marty's is the kind of place a guy with a broken brain doesn't have to worry about being taken advantage of.

• 81F/27C and calm with a few clouds for the ride to work.
• 97F/36C (Heat Index of 111F/44C) for the ride home from Mike's. The new brake pads make a difference.

Plenty Warm

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

I rode last Friday, too. I had a little brain befuddle and didn't get a post made. It took me most of the weekend to completely recover. I'm much better now :^)

Today it was plenty warm and there wasn't much of a breeze.

The humidity made for some nice clouds.

Once again, it was the Chieftain, my Red Fox, and the two blue Harleys. I don't know who owns the other blue Harley, but whoever it is has been a regular of late. I see the bike at morning break and its gone before I leave in the evening. I suspect its a deputy, but it might be an attorney.

It clouded over briefly Downtown. There wasn't rain in the forecast, but with these conditions a thunderstorm can pop-up anytime.

For this reason, I was only mildly surprised when I got home to see signs it had rained in my neighborhood. Small chance of rain tomorrow.

Tomorrow the Red Fox is suppose to get new front brake pads. Now, I have a car that won't start as well. I may end up taking a couple a days off just to get everything sorted out.

• 82F/29C and mostly sunny for the ride to work (Heat Index was 90F/32C)
• 95F/35C and mostly sunny for the home ride (Heat Index of 105F/40.5C)

No Skulls?

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

It felt like Summer.

When I rode home the heat index was 105F/40.5C. The dewpoint was 73F/23C. It was too hot for Pee Wee to be sitting out on his porch.

But, last night he was out and had his bike out. Not his new Busa, rather his old reliable, the bike he rides to work. I hadn't seen it in a while. I asked him where the skulls were. He told me he'd taken off not long after his friend died. His friend had made a left into an oncoming truck. After his friend's accident he stopped riding for a time. He needed some time to grieve. Now he's back to riding and it seems to be a good thing. With the bike painted solid matte black the neighborhood kids have taken to calling it the Batman Bike. He guesses he'll leave the skulls off, well, at least for a while.

Richard, here's a photo from today's ride home. You commented on the light traffic in a photo I posted in an earlier post. This is more like what traffic looks like on a daily basis. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but not as light as the other photo made it look.

I didn't take a photo, but it was the usual three riders in the lot today. Chieftain Rider, "Blue" Harley Rider, and me. With there being 0% chance of rain, I thought there might be more. I guess it was, too, hot.

Tomorrow is supposed to be more Summer. I'm glad we got some before we were into Autumn.

• 76F/24C and partly cloudy for the ride to work.
• 95F/35C and partly sunny for the home ride.

Dry Today, But Stormy Tonight

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

Now there is a T-storm rapidly approaching, so, here's the days in photos.

Shutting down until tomorrow.

• 77F and mostly cloudy for the ride to work.
• 87F with a heat index of 94 and mostly cloudy for the home ride.

More Clouds

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

It didn't rain.

Rain was in the forecast when I went to bed, but the forecast was changed early enough so that Chieftain Rider and I had company.

Tomorrow the warm-up begins. There will be an Excessive Heat Warning in effect from 1pm Wednesday until 7pm CDT Sunday. Finally, Summer.

I had fun at Mike's. I had so much fun I'm going back next Tuesday for new front brakes. The rear brakes are fine. Soon she will need her belt replaced. New tires are on the menu before Winter. Ah, the joy of riding doesn't come free.

• 74F/23C with some clouds for the ride to work.
• 89F/32C with a few clouds and more humidity for the rides homeward.

He Appreciated It

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

The possible rain didn't materialize, again.

Tomorrow the Red Fox is getting her routine service. If it is going to rain this week, I'm expecting it to happen after work tomorrow on my way to Mike's.

Come Thursday the forecaster's are saying we are going to actually have Summer. Since it has been so mild the coming heat wave could be a killer, literally. Let's hope not. We're having enough excitement already.

As promised, here is the story of telling Deputy J the name of the color of his bike. It happened Friday after work. "I found out the official name of the color of your bike," I said.

"Cool," he replied, "People ask me what color it is and I never knew what to tell them. I say, 'Blue'."

"It's called Aqua Pearl," I said.

Silence.

I then shared with him my thought he might say, "Aqua Pearl," in the same voice the cowpoke on the salsa commercial uses when he finds out it was made in, "New York City!?". I was relieved when he laughed.

I, also, told him in my blog I refer to the folks who rode by make of their bike and used the example of Deputy Chieftain. But, since there are more than one Harley I would refer to the color of the bike. I then promised to not refer to him as Deputy Aqua Pearl. He really laughed and told me he appreciated it.

I'm not sure but I'm thinking when asked the color of his bike he may still respond, "It's blue."

• 72F/22C and cloudy for the ride to work.
• 88F/31C and brightly cloudy for the home ride.

It's Late

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

It is late and I just got in. It has been a draining and intense week here in the St.Louis area.

I did get a chance to talk with the Deputy about the color of his Harley, but that story must wait. I'm tired. Stay tuned.
65F/18C and beautiful for the ride to work.
85F/29C and overcast with a sprinkle or two for the home ride.

Figures

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

It was another beautiful day. I saw lots of scooters and motorcycles on both my morning and evening commute.

I rode the Red Fox today. I knew it was going to be a "long way home" evening. I left my camera at home this morning, but really didn't see anything that particularly caught my eye anyway.

And, no, I still haven't talked to Deputy Aqua Pearl. It could be days or even weeks before I see him. It works that way at the Courthouses. It can be months without seeing someone and then I see them everywhere for a while and then they disappear again. I do hope I see him sooner rather than later.

The forecast is for another beauty of a day tomorrow and then rain on Saturday and Sunday. Figures.

• 65F/18C and beautiful for the ride to work. 
• 84F/29C with a few more clouds for the winding way home.

Settling Into

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

No, I haven't had a chance to tell the deputy he has an Aqua Pearl Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. In my mind's eye I see me telling him and him responding in the voice of the cowpoke in the hot sauce commercial, but instead of yelling, "New York City!" he'll say, "Aqua Pearl!" Time will tell.

It was another beautiful day.

The morning commute wasn't as crazy. Hopefully folks are settling into their new schedules already.

 The days are obviously getting shorter.

There were no fire drills or evacuation of the building.

I had a meeting after work. No long way home.

Actually, I took the really short way home. I was so early there was no one sitting outside at this most excellent Italian restaurant. I'll bet later it was full. What a gorgeous night to eat under the stars.

• 62F/17C and fair for the ride to work.
• 82F/28C and hardly a cloud in the sky for the home ride.

One Can Only Die Once

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

School has begun.

Things are crazy. Suddenly school buses seem to be everywhere. Traffic increases. It usually takes about a week for things to settle down.

At least the weather continues to be wonderful. I was particularly grateful for the good weather today. We had to evacuate the Courthouse.

The last time we evacuated someone had accidentally set a microwave on fire. Today it seems someone pulled an alarm.

I will admit I didn't want to be inside. I'd texted Heather earlier telling her I was restless and wanted to be outside. I got my wish, but not in the way I wanted or for as long as I would have liked.

The afternoon brought clouds and a nice breeze. There was no way I was going to go straight home after work.

Taking the long way home definitely helped my mood.

Tarzan's Used Cars. 

Leo, the cat, wasn't so happy, but once fed he was back to his usual annoying self.

And, today I found out the official name of the mystery blue color of the Harley that often graces our parking area. Lady Trobairitz tells me it is Aqua Pearl. It seems her brother has expertise in things Harley and was the answer man. This puts me face to face with a dilemma. When I asked the deputy who owns the bike what year it was, I told him I was on a quest to find out what the color was called. I also told him I'd tell him if I found out anything. He said, "Cool." Hmmm, I wonder how he is going to react to finding out he has an Aqua Pearl Harley. Oh well, one can only die once.

• 65F/18C and clear for the ride to work.
• 78F/25.5C and a some clouds for the ride home.

Back to Beautiful.

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

It was another beautiful day here in the Heartland. We certainly have had our share and then some this summer.

I had a chance to talk to Deputy Mystery Blue Harley today. His bike is a 1995 Heritage Softail. He rode today. It was he, the Chieftain, and myself. Today there was a better than slight chance for rain. Tomorrow the forecast it completely clear. I suspect that will bring out some more riders.

• 72F/22C and overcast for the ride to work.
• 85F/29C and a few clouds for the home ride.

Not Alone

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

I wasn't the only one today.

The Chieftain was waiting when I got there.

Later we were joined by Mystery Blue Harley.

Chieftain rider probably got sprinkled on during his ride home. Not I. Dry both ways.

• 73F/23C and overcast for the ride to work.
• 79F/26C and mostly cloudy for the home ride.

Wet

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

I was the only one who did. The forecast was saying there was a 100% chance of rain, but I rode in on dry pavement.

Soon after I got to work it began to rain and it rained off and on all day long.

And I got a chance to ride home in the rain. If you look closely had the photo you will see the another scooter rider. I only saw one other on the road tonight. Of course, it was a 49cc. He was wearing orange rain poncho. I didn't get a good look at him, but it did appear he had a nice helmet.

Billie looks good wet, doesn't she?

• 73F/23C and overcast for the ride to work.
• 73F/23C and rain for the home ride.

No Rain

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

There was no rain where I was.

But there were flamingos. Not much of a flocking, but I guess the big dude makes up for it.

Lots of rain around the area. There was even a severe thunderstorm out west, but it petered out pretty quickly. The forecasters are saying the chances of rain are very good tomorrow and Friday. We still need the rain. A deluge, however, would not be welcome, especially during the commute times.

• 73F/23C and mostly cloudy with haze for the ride to work.
• 87F/30.5C and very cloudy, but not overcast for the home ride.

Thunderbirds

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

I woke to thunder. By the time I left the thunderbirds had moved on, but I could still hear them playing. I didn't have much rain until near Downtown. By the time I got the bike parked it was pretty much over. Still, it will be a help.

When I went out at mid-morning the sun was shining.

One look at the motorcycle parking area told the forecast.

If it is just Billie and the Chieftain there likely is a chance for rain.

I left work early in order to vote. On my way home from the Poling Place I saw this:

Kind of looks like the tree gave the car a ticket. I guess it was too close.

There is even a greater chance for rain as the week moves on. We still can use more.

• 72F/22C, overcast with some rain for the ride to work.
• 87F/30.5C and mostly cloudy for the home ride.

Just Another Day

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

The weather continues to be wonderful.

I saw this on my morning walk around.

Hugs and Kisses?

Oh, and the Deputy who rides the white Ninja changed her hair color. Yes, if you haven't figured it out already, it was a slow news Monday. Just another day of blue sky and sunshine here in paradise.

• 66F/19C and sunny for the ride to work.
• 89F/32C and a few clouds for the ride home.

Surprise

Yes, I rode to work today.

And . . .

The day began with surprise lilies (lycoris squamigera)

And . . .

A few puffy clouds.

The day ended with some light rain.

The rain wasn't really a surprise, it was just unexpected. Seldom does a 20% chance of a scattered thunderstorm turn into a gentle rather widespread shower.

The birds had it right. They were feeding on the worms coming to the surface as it rained just enough to flush out the worms, but not enough for them to seek cover. When I saw the birds I knew while I might ride in some rain my raingear wasn't going to get much of a workout. And that's what happened.

• 68F/20C with a few clouds for the ride to work.
• 77F/25C and hardly more than a mist for the home ride.