Brianna the Graduate and Marco the Biker

Here are a couple of videos from the week we moved back in June. The first one is of Marco - a friend gave us her son's Power Wheels Harley for him - he loves it (I need to get a new battery for it) as you can see. Brianna graduated from Pre-School....yes, they have a graduation ceremony for Pre-School. As silly as that sounds, it's very sweet and we really enjoyed it. Brianna was so proud.

The New Ride - well, almost

Next Tuesday, I will be picking up my new motorcycle - a 2009 Kawasaki KLR 650. This is a dual sport style bike. It's street legal, and made to also ride off road. The KLR is one of the most popular of the single cylinder "thumper" Dual Sports. One of the reasons is because it's probably the best of the bunch on the highway. Many of the Dual Sports are nothing more than dirt bikes with turn signals. This bike is very capable of long trips on the Freeway. Another reason it's so popular is because it's been around for 22 years, has been proven out, and is basically recognized as being a bullet proof bike. So much so that our Government actually has a fleet of them in service with the Army.

They come in 3 colors - Red, Blue, and Black. We had a little family debate about which color to buy - everyone seemed to have a different opinion. Well, they say, Red is always faster. So, Red it is. I am adding the factory luggage which includes side bags, the tail bag, and tank bag. I plan to use this as an Adventure Touring bike - with a combination of both on road and off road riding. There are many trails in North GA - one person I met at the dealership told me you can ride off road from Atlanta all the way to Gatlinburg TN if you want....that's cool! Looking forward to Tuesday!

2 more Videos of the bike

I will miss this bike - it's been a joy, fun to customize (not too much but a little) and a blast to ride - some great memories of riding with my Florida buddies on this bike. But, I move on...will be picking up my 2009 KLR 650 Dual Sport Tuesday! I can't wait to start riding some of the awesome trails in North GA. I desperately need to find some "biker friends" up here!

Motorcycle is Sold!

Well, that didn't take long. I posted the bike on Craigslist and the next day I had 2 offers. I almost got asking price - very nice! Here is a short video I took with the FLIP just before "Art" picked it up.

Time to Upgrade - My Motorcycle is For Sale

Time to upgrade. I have a 2009 Kawasaki KLR 650 already picked out and the deal negotiated at the local Kawasaki Dealership - I just can't make up my mind between the blue one or the red one...Marco says get the black one but man that red sure stands out! Anyway, getting the full set of factory luggage and tank bag too. Ready to do a little light off road riding up here in North GA.

BUT - FIRST I HAVE TO SELL MY BABY! I posted it to Craiglist for $3,790. Book value is less but it's got just about evey option you would want including: Windshield, Backrest, Luggage Rack, Vance & Hines Exhaust, Kuryakyn Floor Boards, Highway pegs, engine guard, saddle bags and the hardware, tons of Kawasaki Chrome pieces, and an almost new rear tire. If I don't get any bites in a week or so, I plan to do an ebay auction, which is how I sold my Harley a couple years ago.

4th of July Weekend

What a great holiday weekend! I took Thursday and Friday off, my parents came down to visit, and our friends the Quick family stopped by for a visit too! We started the weekend off with a visit to Dahlonega, GA. This town claims to be the first "Gold Rush" town in the United States. I am guessing that there are a few towns out west that may dispute that. Anyway, it's a very picturesque town with many shops and restaurants. On Friday, myself, dad, and the kids did a little fishing on the lake. Friday night was the fireworks display in town and Saturday morning was the 4th of July parade. Saturday night we went over to the neighbors and let off our own fireworks.

To cap off the weekend, on Sunday Hal and Darlene Quick stopped by for a visit. They were neighbors of ours in Florida and moved to Augusta GA a couple years ago. We are glad to be closer to them - we enjoy their company and our kids play well together.

4th of July Steam Engine Parade

Our town held a very nice 4th of July festival. There was a fireworks show on Friday night, and a parade on Saturday morning. There were apx. 30 antique steam engine tractors, old cars, fire trucks, bands, etc. We all really enjoyed it. The weather really cooperated too - it was hot, but the humidity was much less than what it has been lately.

The Lake

We have a nice little lake behind out house. Some of the people who live on the lake have cleared out the brush and trees and some have left it natural. The people we bought the house from didn't really use it so they left it nature. So, the kids and myself have been working to clear brush, blaze a trail down the hill, and clear an area for fishing. I also bought some treated lumber and built a simple bench. It's great for the kids - but, I think I should have used a little bigger board for the seat - it's a little narrow for my behind! We love the lake - it's so peaceful and stocked with plenty of fish. I am really enjoying spending time back there with the kids. Antonio is all about the fishing and eager to learn. I plan to get the family a small row boat at some point. It's work in progress for sure.

There is a Gazebo at the opposite end of the lake too. So far, we have caught several pan fish and a few bass.