Today we headed south for a seven hour drive to pick up our new puppy. After meeting mom's new puppy yesterday, we were hoping for another wonderful addition to the family. The drive was long and the anticipation built as we got closer and closer to our pick up spot. When we got to within an hour of our pickup point we called the breeder. She agreed to meet us an hour north of her hous
e to save us a couple of hours coming and going. We got to the Walmart pick up point and waiting...and waiting....and waited. FINALLY she arrived and we met our new addition. She was clearly sweet and energetic. She was wiggly and excited. We finished reviewing the puppy's health with the breeder and headed back on the road. But befo
re entering the expressway for the seven hour trip home we made a stop at the Harley dealer to pick up T-shirts to be a reminder of our visit and puppy pick up. While in the Harley store, the puppy threw up her breakfast - not once, but twice. Oh, well! At least I was hopeful that she had nothing left on her stomach and the trip home might be free of such activity. T-shirts in hand we headed to the car and the expressway to head north. The trip home was long and snowy. The puppy bonded with us right away. With great company and the Steeler game on the XM, the time flew by, until we got to the Ohio border. Once home we settled the puppy into her new environment and introduced her to her cousin, Abby, and other two older sisters. It has been many, many years since I had a puppy. Let the adventure begin.
e to save us a couple of hours coming and going. We got to the Walmart pick up point and waiting...and waiting....and waited. FINALLY she arrived and we met our new addition. She was clearly sweet and energetic. She was wiggly and excited. We finished reviewing the puppy's health with the breeder and headed back on the road. But before entering the expressway for the seven hour trip home we made a stop at the Harley dealer to pick up T-shirts to be a reminder of our visit and puppy pick up. While in the Harley store, the puppy threw up her breakfast - not once, but twice. Oh, well! At least I was hopeful that she had nothing left on her stomach and the trip home might be free of such activity. T-shirts in hand we headed to the car and the expressway to head north. The trip home was long and snowy. The puppy bonded with us right away. With great company and the Steeler game on the XM, the time flew by, until we got to the Ohio border. Once home we settled the puppy into her new environment and introduced her to her cousin, Abby, and other two older sisters. It has been many, many years since I had a puppy. Let the adventure begin.
d us to forget the whole thing. However, we couldn't forget the request as it was evidence of what we already suspected, she was wanting "company" in the form of a dog. She had a Yorkie several years ago, but gave her up. Now she was seemingly longing for another Yorkie. So, the hunt began. We contacted a breeder near the breeder we were going to see tomorrow hoping we could pick up two pups in one trip. When that didn't work out, we turned to the want ads. There to, our delight, we were drawn to two different breeders. After two calls, and two messages and no return calls, we were worried that our desire to surprise my mother-in-law was not to be. Then the phone rang. We were off. On our way we stopped at Taco Bell for lunch. There, while we began to eat in the car and get back on the road, the phone rang. It was the second breeder. This time, we were drawn to this breeder first. After an hour we arrived at the breeders house. Once inside we were introduced to two female Yorkie pups, seven weeks old. While this 
breeder generally doesn't let the pups go prior to eight weeks, she was willing to let us take the pup after we shared with her that she was going home to two other mature Yorkies and a new pup that we were picking up tomorrow. After reviewing the pup's health record, we got back into the car and headed home to let our girls out prior to taking the pup to my mother-in-laws. We were already scheduled to pick her up so she could stay with us for a few days. We arrived at her house, with the pup wrapped in a blanket. She thought it was one of our dogs, so when we handed her, what she thought was our dog, we unwrapped the blanket expecting the find our dog, only to see a new pup with little bright eyes looking at her. She immediately thought we had gotten our new pup a day early. We corrected her and shared with her, that it was her new pup, Abby. She hug Abby and began to cry. It was a very moving moment. She was speechless and in disbelief. She was very grateful for her Christmas gift.
f states in the United States. Where I live now, the annual snowfall pales in comparison to where I use to live. What we get throughout the winter was often the total snowfall for a week in January. However, the excitement and beauty is no less amazing whether it be 25 inches a year or 125 inches a year. Our first "accumulating" snow fall this year occurred at night, adding to the wonder and beauty. A walk around the neighborhood revealed an enhanced beauty as the snow was illuminated by the Christmas lights that adorned many, many houses. While I eagerly await spring and opportunities to bike and ride my motorcycle, I will pause and take in the beauty of the season.
are so special and warm a very dark time of the year. They remind me of the Light of the World and how his birth brought light into the World. I love the tree. A symbol for me of the living that continues to shine during a dormant time of the year. Each year I look forward to putting up the Christmas tree. Each year the ornaments remind me of "our favorite things". Each year, like so many years since my childhood, we add an ornament to the tree to continue to remind us of our favorite things. Once the tree is decorated and lite, I love to sit nearby and view the ornaments and reflect back upon the 
wonderful events, places, and people they symbolize in my life. Often, each ornament reminds me of multiple memories that I pray never fade as they serve as a gentle reminder of how precious life and people have been and remain so to me.
ium I scoped out my seat and then looked for my "not so traditional" Thanksgiving Day "dinner". Thanksgiving dinner during my childhood was always "timed" for half-time. After some contemplation about waiting until half time, I found my "choice"....a polish sausage and nachos. Definitely a break from traditional food. The Lions haven't been a good football team in a while. The game today marked the 70th time the Lions play
ed on Thanksgiving Day and the 19th time they played the Packers. This year, with the economy, seats are easy to come by. Those seats are often taken up by fans from the opposing team. In my section, Packer fans and Lions fans were 50-50. Had the game been close, the atmosphere would have been interesting, but the game was never close - well, it was at the opening kickoff anyway. The kickoff gave Lions fans hope. The kickoff was fumbled by the Packers. After the recover, Lions rookie quarterback, Matthew Stafford led the Lions on a five play 20 yard drive for a touchdown when Calvin Johnson caught a one yard pass in the endzone. The ever stead, veteran, Jason Hanson kicked the extra-point. I was feeling good. The w
eekend before the Lions had defeated the Cleveland Browns with no time left on the clock when Stafford hit a receiver in the endzone for a touchdown. The extra point helped the Lions win for the second time of the season. While their record isn't good, it is better than 0-16, which was their record setting record from the 2008 season. My optimism was short lived. The Packers quickly gained control of the game by holding the ball and steadily moving the ball downfield. At half time the game was tied. By the end of the third quarter we all knew the Lions would loose. I enjoyed watching the Packers AJ Hawk play. The former Buckeye was a popular player while at Ohio State. The Lions rookie Louis Delmas from Western Michigan University also provided a ray of hope for the Lions' future. While it took me over 40 years to be able to attend a Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit, it was worth the wait!
eason tickets select seats at center ice. I prefer seats behind the goal. It seems to me that the most action and most interesting moments in the game occur around the goal. These seats give me the greatest chance to see the events unfold at me. Tonight the Walleye hosted Cincinnati. Cincinnati shot out to an early 1-0 lead. The Walleye tied the game up midway through the second half. That goal was answered by Cincinnati with three straight scores to post a 4 to 1 lead. Just when the crowd through the game was in Cincinnati's win column, the Walleye posted two straight goals bringing them to within one goal of a tie. However, that is where the game ended with Cincinnati notching a 4 to 3 win. Four of the seven goals were scored on power plays. The game also included a lot of "extra-curricular" action as well. In the first period alone, there were eight penalties, compared to six penalties in the remaining two periods.
Wynonna. The DVD concert told the "story of her life" as she began her solo career. My best friend and partner absolutely loves Wynonna, so it was a natural Christmas gift to give the gift of a concert. Wynonna began the show with a Christmas song set that showed off her beautiful, expressive voice. Her passion and emotion bubbled through each song and transformed the casino all-purpose room into an intimate setting that felt like she was in my living room performing just for us. After a well developed set of faith-based Christmas songs, Wynonna took us down memory lane by performing some of her favorite songs. Her choices showed her range of music ability by performing songs from her country, jazz, blues, and pop selections. After her 100 plus minute performance show turned back to her Christmas songs to close out the show. Her mov
ing performance of Silent Night left the audience and myself with tears in our eyes and joy in our hearts. Perhaps when I consider future concerts I need to remember the venue is far less important than the heart and passion of the artist.
ring the second half of their show. Their talent was amazing. The vocals with one exception was pure and powerful. The show began with a couple of their signature songs prior to heading into their "Christmas Show". Upon the conclusion of their two hour Christmas special I was ready to stand and cheer and find a great place for dinner, only to sit back and enjoy another 60 minute segment featuring their new releases from Night Castle. Just when I thought their Christmas show couldn't be topped, they topped their own show with the amazing lights, vocals and music from Night Castle. If you have never seen the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and you love Rock - you need to go see them. Their tickets are pricey, but when have you ever gotten to rock on for three hours straight with no breaks?
aves and dragged them to the "burn pile". Then we added to the pile all of the tree and bush cuttings from throughout the summer and fall. We saved the burn pile for after trick-or-treat on Halloween. It was there, unlike Linus who waited in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin, we gathered waiting for the roasting of the marshmallows and fresh apple cider after walking what seemed like miles and miles for candy. Today, I had to be thankful for a leaf pile that the township would pick up since 
burning is "illegal". However, I was able to enjoy six hours of raking and reflecting upon Halloweens past. After finish the raking, I settled in for handing out candy. I still enjoy seeing all of the little kids and their costumes as they approach the door. Our neighborhood kids are still so polite. My two terriers often assist me in handing out candy. I typically dress them up and let them enjoy the fun. My littlest terrier stands at the top of the stair way looking through our glass door at the children. As the night continues on and she sees that they are just getting something from me, she makes her way down the stairs only to stand at a distance and watch them. My oldest terrier clings to me. With terrier in one arm I had the children candy with the others. Often they ask me why she is dress up or if she went trick-or-treating. It is so fun to watch their faces light up at the site of a terrier dressed for Halloween.
wasn't even close. However, today I was able to see them in Detroit. I was sure it would be a Steeler "blow out". I am, common on, the Lions were 0-16 last year. Yes, the beat the Redskins this year, but it isn't like the Redskins are that good. The Lions first draft choice was even injured. So I was sure I was in for a boring game. It was anything but boring. The Steelers won 28-20. Great game. Even better, Ford Field is a GREAT venue to see a game. There seemed to be as many Steelers fans as Lions fans there. Steeler fan travel well. The Lions were in it, until the last two minutes when the "Steel-Curtin" showed up and sacked Daunte Culpepper two times when the Lions were on the Steeler end of the field. Thankfully, the Steelers won again. So far, every where I've seen them play, they have come out winners.
t there are several side trips into a metro park and back through a housing development to a second metro-park. All-in-all, it is a flat 30 mile ride. The morning began mostly cloudy with a good wind. One of the reasons I enjoy riding early in the morning is that I often am able to miss some of the stiffer winds. This morning was an exception. I headed east so I was aware that my ride back would be into a head wind. The trail was very lightly traveled early on and the users began to steadily increase as my ride moved into the second hour. While, I was expecting a head wind on the way back I was not prepared for the fatigue I felt. I certainly did not lack the 
motivation to ride, but was wondering whether or not I had the physical strength to complete the ride. I found that the ride quickly moved from a physical "challenge" to a mental one. I found that this morning was a great time to practice the mental messages I send myself. I kept reminding myself that I just needed to keep my feet moving. I legs where fatigues and I felt the "crash". I was surprised because I thought I was well rested from the week. But for some reason there was just no reserve of "energy". Even a short stop for a power bar didn't help. The ride was scheduled to be an easy ride, so I didn't worry about the time and even reminded myself the longer I was on the bike the more calories I would burn. I continued to focus on technique and form and continued to remind myself to keep the feet moving. As I practiced the mental portion of the ride, I quickly noticed that I was approaching my beginning point. Relieved when I was two miles from the end, I decided to see if there was anything left for some short sprints. It didn't take long to be content with just finishing. It is days like this when I am reminded that participating is something enough. I look forward to a mid-week ride to see if the energy comes back.
f the growing number of geese that inhabit our camps. This time of year, the geese begin to thin out as flocks of them slowly begin to leave to make their southerly migration. Today there were a number geese who were walking me across campus. Generally they walk away when I walk by, but today they seemed to be interested in gain my attention. They are beautiful, graceful birds. But the evidence of their presence isn't always welcomed. 
to Fostoria. Just east of Fostoria we traveled along US 224 until we turned south on state route 61. Our journey along SR 61 took us through Amish country. The rolling hills and beautiful farm land, lush in fall splendor, made for beautiful scenery, enjoyed more because the route is lightly traveled. We joined state route 39 and road until we entered the Mohawk reserve area. We found our way to Pleasant Hill Damn where we stopped for an hour to enjoy the beautiful of the water, foothills and lush forest. After an opportunity to explore some of the footpaths we made our way to the Mohawk lodge for a light lunch. After lunch we returned north, retracing our journey along SR 39 until we came to Mansfield. At Mansfield we pick us US route 30 and traveled along 30 until it merged with 23 where we continued along 23 until it ended at Interstate 75. At Interstate 75 we headed back north on the heavily travel freeway. What a wonderful way to enjoy a fall day while exploring north Central Ohio.
pected. One of our interesting discoveries of the day was this little gas station - general store located at Russell Center. The gasoline pumps were vintage - they were the turn sprockets and only included two sprockets; so the pumps didn't register dollars. Hence the pump always read .XX. Upon entering the store, it was clear that the inventory was old and hadn't been updated in several years. The soda may have been more recently, but even that wasn't guaranteed. We entered the store hoping for hoagies. The clerk encouraged us to walk across the road to the ice cream stand where the food was "fresher". Her advice was taken. We did purchase chips to go with our hot dogs. During our break we planned our route to DeBois, Pa. We mounted up and continued along route 948 until we came to route 219 that took us into DeBois. As we entered town we found the local Harley-Davidson where we made our second Harley stop of the day. From there we sought out a hotel and a place for dinner before retiring for the evening.
if I was traveling by car. The breakfast stop was one of them. Homemade food and a tremendously reasonable price. A great way to fill my tank before hitting the road again to continue our journey along Lake Erie. From US 2 we traveled along US 6. This route provided us some great views of Lake Erie. The route wandered through some quaint little (and some not so little) towns. The homes were beautiful. Just befor
e Cleveland we wandered to Interstate 90 to continue our journey to Erie, PA. Traffic on the interstate is always busy and this Monday provided no differently. Once past Cleveland we made our way back to US 6 to continue into Pennsylvania. Our late day stop took us to "Geneva on the Lake". Once there, we stopped at Eddie's Grill, where we filled up on chili dogs and ice cream. Upon leaving Geneva we headed for Erie, Pa. Our trip through Pennsylvania was short and we quickly clipped the Pennsylvania shore along Lake Erie as we traveled into western New York. Once in New York I was surprised at all of the grape fields and wineries. Our travels into New York were short as we stopped in Fredonia where we found a wonderful hotel called the White Inn. The architecture hinted of the White House in Washington, D.C. This little Inn provided to be a gem. We found a lovely meal after which we took a casual walk through the town before retiring for the evening.
g on the fuchsia plant. I have never seen, let alone photograph a hummingbird sitting still. To learn more about the 
between the Indians and A's, the Cleveland Indians changed, at the last minute, their "Rocken Blast" fireworks show to a more timely tribute to Michael Jackson who passed away recently. Beginning with Slider, the Indians mascot, doing the moon walk with a white sequin glove on his left hand, and ending with a fire works finality, the Indians honored the "King of Pop" with a lot of pop and circumstances. That capped off a night where the Indians beat the A's 15 to 3. The MVP of the game was Shin-Soo Choo who in addition to a two-run homer had for hits and seven RBIs. Travis Hafner contributed a solo homer, making all in our party happy, since we are all Hafner "groupies". When the A's took a 2 to 0 lead after the second inning on two solo h
ome runs, we were all wondering if the only fireworks we would see tonight were going to be after the game. However, I "worry" didn't last long as the Tribe batted around in the 4th and added five more in the fifth, thanks in part to a two-run double by Cabrera and a three-run homer by Choo. The fire works had now begun and the ones after the game were even more amazing.