Third "Spring Dust-Off"

Gordon, I'm not going to rub it in (ok, maybe a little ), but we're well into spring.  My azaleas are a few days past peak and dropping blossoms, particularly in today's rain.  Oh yeah, the rain.  That's why I'm not rubbing it in.  We have lovely weather Monday through Thursday for several weeks now.  The weekends, not so much.

I get great views of the lovely weather out my home or office windows when I'm working.

Saturday I adjusted the Spyder's valves and rerouted the oil cooler lines to make getting at the passenger side valve cover less of a hassle.

Sunday I rolled her out for the shakedown/warmup run and then turned the screws on the carbs after that.

That’s OK, @Lane Anderson, you can’t rub it in with your azaleas.  
I can almost remember what “work” is.
Almost, but not quite.   It’s been quite a while, now.

Awww, azaleas. I always loved the Steve Martin line in "The Man With Two Brains," responding to his new wife regarding the servants waiting to welcome them: "Those aren't a**holes. It's pronounced "azaleas"." I remember cold weather...

Azaleas as of last weekend.  They're in need of some trimming after the blossoms are gone.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

So back in late January we had a warm spell (like 60F) and then it rained, washing the salt brine off the streets so I got Pearl started and warmed up and headed out for a tri-town ride of 25 miles or so.  Then it got cold and the Briner trucks re-appeared.  😡  
We haven't had a lot of snow this season, but off and on rain which freezes at night, hence the Briners.

The same thing happened in late February - It got warm then rained like crazy, the streets got washed and I got out there again.  😃
Then it got cold and the Briner trucks re-appeared.

So here we are in late March, it was warm early in the month and I gave Pearl a nice Spring bath and certified her as mouse-free.  It's been raining almost as frequently as last summer (like every couple-3 days since last May) and the salt is long gone but it was in the upper 30's, so I headed out this time to Northeast Connecticut for a couple of hours of delightful, back-country, winding roads.  It was running OK, considering I have a lot of seafoam in the gas, but it'll sound sweeter once that stuff has gone through the system and I get a tankful of Spring gas in there.  Seafoam cleans things out but I swear that it lowers the Octane rating and I can sometimes hear some minor pinging back there, but I can live with that - It'll get better with new gas.

Hang in there, Speedstah People, The new season is upon us!  
_{(Possibly excepting you'se Canadians who probably still have to get through a cold April)}

Yeah.  We got 3-4 inches of snow yesterday, but it will be gone this coming week with temperatures nicely above zero.  Up to a whopping 46F by Wednesday.  But it's been a very 'unwinter' Winter, with only two large snowfalls, and a March that was as warm as May. 

For the past two or three  years, Winters have been mild, and our pond really hasn't frozen enough for anyone to venture onto it, and that's not normal.

But the climate isn't normal these days.

Aaaaand we're back to just about freezing with a glaze on the back deck and expecting rain/freezing rain all day until tomorrow.  BUT!  The Ski Resorts up north will get up to 2 feet of new snow!

Welcome back to Winter!   _{(and I'm so glad I got a ride in yesterday.)}

Near 80 F in Cocoa Beach today....

@David Stroud IM Roadster D

Hey, I thought you were a Flagler Beach kind-of couple!   🤷‍♂️

Have you seen any rockets going up at Canaveral??

Southern Ontario Canada I haven't had to shovel a single time this Winter, not a single time.

We had the one well-documented killer deep-freeze in January. The snow-blower ran pretty continuously for 4 days. It snowed the day we left to go to Chicago (3 hrs away) in mid-February to fly to Miami for a Caribbean cruise. Cruising the Caribbean, it was drizzling and 60 for the first two days, then pleasant and cool (70?) the remaining week. Back here it was 65 deg. Earlier this month we broke records -- 75 deg, or something. We were as warm as Miami (I still had their weather on my phone).

It's sunny and brisk this morning (33 deg), but the grass is hard green and will need mowing this week.

The weather has been odd, but one of the nicest winters I can remember. Everybody feels differently about climate change, but for an old man in the upper Midwest -- this is almost like heaven.

@edsnova posted:

Saturday I adjusted the Spyder's valves and rerouted the oil cooler lines to make getting at the passenger side valve cover less of a hassle.

Sunday I rolled her out for the shakedown/warmup run and then turned the screws on the carbs after that.

That sounds really good, Ed. Very, very healthy. That car is scaled perfectly to you.

@Stan Galat posted:

The weather has been odd, but one of the nicest winters I can remember. Everybody feels differently about climate change, but for an old man in the upper Midwest -- this is almost like heaven.

I love climate change. Maybe in another 10 billion years my house will be waterfront.

While @Lane Anderson was posing before his Village-sized Azaleas, one of his Dachshund sentries was lying in wait, deftly hidden by the flower blossoms, silently plotting to run out and attack Lane's shoelaces as practice for an upcoming Chipmunk encounter.  

"Dachshund Diligence"   The only thing between Chipmunks and back yard chaos.

Sleep well tonight, Anderson Household.  Your back yard is well protected by:

Dogs on Patrol....

@David Stroud IM Roadster D posted:

Near 80 F in Cocoa Beach today....

Convenient that you are there the same time as the female slightly clad Spring Breakers !   

If you have not witnessed a Kennedy Space Center launch, I hope you get the opportunity it is a fantastic experience especially at night.... I saw a shuttle night launch years ago .....first the night becomes almost daylight, then the sound and the rumble of the earth beneath your feet...

Lastly you are a short drive from one of the best classy Italian places I have ever been to ...   Villa Palma Ristorante ... Connie and I highly recommend it !

https://www.allmenus.com/fl/in...lma-ristorante/menu/

@Stan Galat posted:

We had the one well-documented killer deep-freeze in January. The snow-blower ran pretty continuously for 4 days. It snowed the day we left to go to Chicago (3 hrs away) in mid-February to fly to Miami for a Caribbean cruise. Cruising the Caribbean, it was drizzling and 60 for the first two days, then pleasant and cool (70?) the remaining week. Back here it was 65 deg. Earlier this month we broke records -- 75 deg, or something. We were as warm as Miami (I still had their weather on my phone).

It's sunny and brisk this morning (33 deg), but the grass is hard green and will need mowing this week.

The weather has been odd, but one of the nicest winters I can remember. Everybody feels differently about climate change, but for an old man in the upper Midwest -- this is almost like heaven.

It's not the winters that get you, it's the summers. Although, hot summers equal good business in the refrigeration trades, eh?

@Michael Pickett posted:

It's not the winters that get you, it's the summers. Although, hot summers equal good business in the refrigeration trades, eh?

I had a long and involved answer all typed out, but I'm not gonna' do it. Love 'ya, Mike.

I'm proud of you, Stan 😄

@Gordon Nichols posted:

@David Stroud IM Roadster D

Hey, I thought you were a Flagler Beach kind-of couple!   🤷‍♂️

Have you seen any rockets going up at Canaveral??

We used to be regulars at Flagler but now use St.Augustine and arrive and depart point and store our trailer there, stock up etc. for a few days and then spend most of our time in Cocoa Beach for about 3 weeks or so. Repeat in October. We've seen launches right from our trailer and there's another tonight.

@Alan Merklin posted:

Convenient that you are there the same time as the female slightly clad Spring Breakers !   

If you have not witnessed a Kennedy Space Center launch, I hope you get the opportunity it is a fantastic experience especially at night.... I saw a shuttle night launch years ago .....first the night becomes almost daylight, then the sound and the rumble of the earth beneath your feet...

Lastly you are a short drive from one of the best classy Italian places I have ever been to ...   Villa Palma Ristorante ... Connie and I highly recommend it !

https://www.allmenus.com/fl/in...lma-ristorante/menu/

Thanks for restaurant idea, Alan. We'll be at a buddies house for Easter dinner in Satellite Beach and we'll check it out.

We got in heavy traffic jambs ( jams ? ) at Spring Break near New Smyrna beach earlier and won't do it again but I know what you mean about the spring breakers...awesome butt just wild traffic. We find the North end of Playalinda Beach more to our liking

Saw something today I've never experienced before. I'm in Advance Auto parts today for some gasket maker. Got to the cash ( two with pretty long lineups ) and it turns out they were short on small bills and the computer was down while trying 3 credit cards. No dice any way and I had no small bills. Some big dude behind me asked how much it was. I turned around and there was some huge rapper type guy with many gold teeth and other flashy accessories. I said 14 bucks and he just said he'd cover it and have a good day. I know he wanted to keep the line moving anyway but thought that was pretty nice. Outside I found him, thanked him again and he just said pass the favour along when you can. Pretty nice indeed.

@David Stroud IM Roadster D, while in Cocoa Beach, did you check out Ron Jon Surf Shop?  It’s a little bit of a tourist trap, but is pretty cool.  I remember when the place was a single shop in a strip mall, now it’s the whole mall.

@Michael Pickett posted:

I'm proud of you, Stan 😄

Well that's enough for me. Have a great (and warm) day.

@Stan Galat posted:

The weather has been odd, but one of the nicest winters I can remember. Everybody feels differently about climate change, but for an old man in the upper Midwest -- this is almost like heaven.

Yup. 50 years ago, we used to shovel off the river near the dam and ice skate. Now it freezes every other year and not good enough to walk on. I used my snowblower twice this year, and the second time I didn't really need to.

My local Lions Club sets up a rink for the kids under the pavilion in town. Every February they even sponsor a curling event.

This year the rink never froze. Yeah, it's been mild. I had my Spyder out a couple weeks ago, as I mentioned in another thread. Waiting for the second warm, but we won't mow for a good while into April.

@LI-Rick posted:

@David Stroud IM Roadster D, while in Cocoa Beach, did you check out Ron Jon Surf Shop?  It’s a little bit of a tourist trap, but is pretty cool.  I remember when the place was a single shop in a strip mall, now it’s the whole mall.

I’m kinda bummed. My favorite T Shirt, bought there when I went to the Rolex24 in 2017, is relegated PJ/auto mechanic duty now. It’s my favorite. I guess I should have bought 2 and saved one.

Luckily, my beach towel is still in perfect shape, and hopefully will get some good use this winter in San Felipe.

@LI-Rick posted:

@David Stroud IM Roadster D, while in Cocoa Beach, did you check out Ron Jon Surf Shop?  It’s a little bit of a tourist trap, but is pretty cool.  I remember when the place was a single shop in a strip mall, now it’s the whole mall.

Yep, we get in once every time down here. Right close to the Sandbar Beach Bar....good food and excellent happy hour stuff. Years ago we came down to there in the Speedster ( on the way to Carlisle ) and stayed at the then named Comfort Inn within walking distance to the Sandbar / Ron Jon  area. The maintenance staff was impressed with our  trip and the car and parked us right beside the entrance to the maintenance shop / storage area. 24 hr guard on duty. We tipped them well and took them for a ride one day.

Aaaaand now that it's turned cold again, they salted the heck out of the streets.

Again......      

Surely some other parts of the country could use all this salt instead of us.

The good news is that Ski country got another two foot shot in the arm and it will surely rain again here in the coming week.

So, we wait.  

I can drive out to see the O'Brien Truckers panel truck returned home from fresh paint this week.

I got warm for a bit, but it’s been cold for a couple of weeks. The resorts have between 1-5 feet of new snow in the last two weeks!  Today was one of those strange sort of days, sunny and gorgeous between snow squalls.

Milo wasn’t thrilled at having to wear his parka.