When The Cats Away .....

Wow ... the temperature changes around here are epic this year.  I wake up to freezing cold, blowing winds and shivering in my boots, only to need the AC for an hour in the afternoon.  That is the beautiful desert for you!   I'm sure the desert is also where these beautiful colors came from.  It's going to be hard to remember to write 2025.

Just look at the morning light on this day.  The best news of all, it's cold enough at night that the critters don't come out ... at least not the creepy ones.  

Look the other direction and you see the birdhouses and feeding stations the Chance Restaurant provides at the front of the property.  On this day, Mr. Chance will be riding off into the sunrise.  

Let me just take a second to brag on my friends.  They purchased this place in Tucson while I was visiting them in the Grand Canyon where they both worked.  There was nothing but a house on a big hill.  Dan immediately built a garage fit for a King ... no kidding, I could live in that garage ... and an RV cover for their rig.  

In the meantime, he landscaped and rocked this place like a pro.  The concrete driveway is even lined with decorative pavers ... I'll have to get pictures.  There's a big greenhouse out back full of plants they grow, along with waist level planters for their garden.  

Add to that all the meals Chef Patty cooks for me while here.  She can make a gourmet meal out of a toothpick and a hank of hair.   She also makes quilts for children in need.  LOTS of quilts!!  If I'm in need of anything, they are quick to help me out.  Look!!  No more tipping Cooper's water bowl over.  They gave me one from their now-gone rig.  I haven't spilled a drop of water since.

And these ramps Dan says he no longer uses.  Much smaller and easier to use than my big yellow squares.

I think I've mentioned before that Dan and Patty were the builders and owners of their own Harley shop.  That's actually how we met many moons ago ... riding with a group of bikers all over the Central Valley in California.  Little did I know we would become life long friends.  

I quit riding several years back.  Dan however, still goes on long crazy rides, becoming part of the Iron Butt crowd.  This gorgeous "horse" is his newest ride ... and what a beauty she is.

And so I bring you to yesterday's adventures.  Dan took off on one of his rides heading towards the Death Valley/Nevada border area.  While the cat's away .......

The MICE will play!!  Patty and I drove to ANOTHER fabric shop.  I know, I said I wouldn't, mostly because I just don't have storage space.  However ... it's amazing just how much stuff you can STUFF in the crooks and crannies of this rig.

How could I possibly resist when Joann's was having an after Christmas sale.  Eight yards for .... I'm going to brag here ... $2.99 a yard.  Who could turn THAT down???  The gold was a little more, but perfect for my next project.  I don't know what that is yet, but I'll think of SOMETHING!!

Back at the rig Coop and I lounged for a while, before going inside just in time to hear the bad news.  

Mr. Dan called to say he was 2-1/2 hours out with a very big hole in his tire.  OH NO!!  There's nothing worse than sitting alongside the lesser traveled road with a flat tire.  When it's a big hole, the little air compressor doesn't work.  

I remember several flat tires back in the day, one blowout while going 65 mph down the freeway ... a FRONT tire no less.  Luckily we were able to stay upright, but stopped right in the middle of the freeway.  Talk about heart stopping!!  I jumped off and waved traffic over until my ex got the bike off the freeway.  We called one of the group, who drove his truck out to pick us up a few hours later.

It took several hours for Dan to get a tow truck for the bike.  Thank goodness he had a phone signal.  The bike tire shop said they would stay open and wait for him to arrive.  If not back on the road now, he's probably sleeping in the tire shop!!

Such is the fun and excitement of riding a Harley ... AND buying fabric while the cat is away!!!