Gm nostr. Back to the grind today.

GA nostr. Made it home safely a bit ago. The final tally was 3947 miles ridden in 8 days, covering 10 states, and about 14,000 ft of elevation change. No rain or mechanical issues, but the motorcycle is definitely due for some service.

13392

Gm nostr. Riding north to visit my friend and his young son, who has been in the hospital for over a month now with intestinal issues. This promises to be an emotional homecoming day.

Golf also has enumerated woods, if memory serves.

Gn nostr. As of today I have been in all 11 western contiguous US states this year. Only a few hundred miles from home after a 735 mile day. Resting easy in Oregon tonight, after a brief ride through the People's Republic.

13040

My enumerated wood species should be just fine then!

Gm nostr. Desert solitude.

12305

Species 1. Species 2. Species 3. There, I named them. If you don't like my names, gfy. Serialization is good enough for now.

Gn nostr. Had a great afternoon in Vegas catching up with a childhood friend, and got to visit the resting place of another of our friends that is unfortunately on the other side of the lawn.

12030?

Gm nostr. Vegas, baby!

Gn nostr, from Flagstaff, AZ. 657 miles ridden today, the last half of it chasing rainclouds but not getting wet, only a few droplets.

12029

In Taos, NM. I dig the vibe here. Too bad I'm just moving through.

Gm. Onwards! New Mexico or bust!

11372

On the topic of doing hard scary shit.

I thought uphill switchbacks at relatively low speed wouldn't be that hard.

Until I took the first 10mph buttonhook turn steep uphill on the inside radius. Fuck me! I made it, barely. Gravity, road at a slant, trying to turn a motorcycle and balance while forward momentum is being sucked away by steepness... scary shit.

It was hard. I kept going. It isn't getting less scary or hard if I give up. Some turns I almost lost it. A couple I had to go into the oncoming lane at the end, luckily with no downhill traffic at the wrong moment.

I'm no pro at this shit.

I made it to the top. Now I have to go back down the same turns.

This felt scarier. I took my time at the top. Told myself I would pull off at the pullouts to cool things down (brake, clutch, etc). I was worried, for sure. This was going to be hard.

And shit you not, it wasn't. So much easier. Having momentum and gravity working together on your side is so much nicer. Sure, I took things slow, pulled off a couple times to let cars pass, no big deal. I got to the bottom, no problem.

All this shows sometimes what we expect to be no big deal ends up hard and scary, and vice versa. Either way, DO IT ANYWAY, because not doing it won't get you anywhere.

Doing hard scary shit will change your life, and rarely for the worse. Fear is fine, as long as you don't allow it to paralyze you.

Pike's Peak pow

Gn nostr.

Today's travels led me to Cripple Creek, where I found a rad museum dedicated to mining and the Victorian era in the west.

Then on to Pike's Peak, elevation over 14,000 feet. How many people have ridden a motorcycle to the top? Some, to be sure - there are motorcycle parking spots. But not many. And I am one.

Tomorrow, New Mexico. Looks like Taos and Gallup, not sure how much further I'll get.

Gm nostr. Mountain climbing.

11143

Guilty of also being PNW based for a lot of years, but my understanding has always been that hemp's utility as an easily (and quickly) renewable industrial good would far outweigh its medicinal uses. Both hemp fibers and seed oils have been used for a very long time, snd hemp plsnts hrow to harvest much quicker thsn trees. I remember seeing something on hemp-based building materials (like lumber) being a real thing.

I don't know much about sustainable growing practices, though - I might assume thst monocropping hemp would result in similar deficiencies in the soil as what we observe with soy, corn, or wheat. Maybe our Canadian friends could weigh in here, as I believe Canada has industrial hemp production, at least in some provinces.

Gm. Made it to a (for me) random nostr/lightning meetup in Colorado Springs. This should be interesting. Sitting out front, enjoying the day. #coffeechain

Gm nostr. Much to see and do.