Motorcycle Ride
Pics here
On The Road With Dan - Follow my adventures on the road.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Two weeks in July 2011
Picking blueberries, party @ my Bro's, rhubarb pie and jam, crappy fireworks in Dayville, and lots of hiking.
Pics here
Pics here
Old Strubridge Village - April 2011
Went to Old Sturbridge Village... I totally love this place and managed to get some good shots as well
Pics here - set one
Pics here - set two
Pics here - set one
Pics here - set two
Winter 2010
We had a crazy winter! Soooooooo much snow... tooooooo much snow
Winter hike pics here
Sub Zero hike pics here
How much snow is too much pics here
Winter hike pics here
Sub Zero hike pics here
How much snow is too much pics here
Halloween 2010
Every year i try to do something bigger and better. By the way, no, Bella is not a cute bumble bee.... she's a KILLER BEE! Come on people...it's Halloween!
Pics Here
Pics Here
Fryeburg Fair, Me. 2010
Mat, Caitlyn, & I headed on up the the Fryeburg Fair. Sunflower Pizza was there!!!!!!! Yaaaa! They used to be at the Woodstock Fair every year but no longer.
Pics here
Pics here
Friday, August 12, 2011
The "Zombie" Chicken..... True Story!!!!!
The "Zombie" Chicken..... True Story!!!!!
Once again, it was a late night, about 3 am, bringing my ex to work in Putnam. We were headed down route 21....about 3 miles from her store... 50mph... when all of a sudden something runs out into the road.... whap! wtf! Oh no i hit it.... what was that? I creep to a halt... oh man there's feathers everywhere. I look back like 50 yards and there's the animal (roadkill)...... a chicken. The ex states...um i have to get to work. Ok, ok... let's go. I bring her to work. The whole time thinking about the poor chicken lying there lifeless in the road. I hope he's dead and not suffering i think to myself. I'm going to have to head back once she's at work and make sure it's not suffering. I drop her off and make my way back...15 min had gone by since the accident. Up ahead i see it.... oh man it's just laying there. Oh crap yeah it's a dead chicken i notice as i arrive at the scene. I decide to park the car and make sure it's dead, like the fact that it's been lying there in the road for 15 min couldn't tell me that. I exit the car...the morning is faintly starting to get lighter. I edge my way up to the carcass, feathers still blowing in the morning breeze. I do the curious extended neck thingy that people do as they get close to something curious. Yup def a chicken and def no longer suffering. I extend my foot out to move it out of the road.....all of a sudden! "BUCK BUCK BUCKOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" There was the loudest, craziest, chicken call you could ever imagine. I'm startled as i look and see the chicken leap up off the ground! It's eyes crazy with rage! "BUCKBUCKBUCK!!!" I jump back startled as hell as the chicken lunges at me! wtf! This dead chicken is now acting like a rabid dog i think as it's lunging after me! The only thing i can think to do is run for the car....i do so but this chicken is crazy fast! As i reach the car i can't get the door open as the chicken is right behind me...."BUCKBUCKOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I decide to run around the car! So does the the chicken, screaming its war cries! One lap around the car...look over my shoulder.... damn he's still there and coming closer! As i make my second lap i think, am i actually be accosted by a dead chicken? I look down...oh shit he's almost got me! "BUCKBUCKBUCKCOCK!!!!!!!!" As i make my third lap around the car i notice feathers flying in the air from his wings....i now have a quarter car length on him....i reach for the door handle... open the door.... jump in and slam it shut.... as i do i hear a thud on the drivers door and once again "BUCK BUCK BUCKCOCK!!!!!!" Then as if he instantly knew he could no longer get me, he stopped and leisurely walked off into the woods cackling.... I sat there for a few minutes thinking... did this just really happen? wtf! Who the hell is going to believe this?!? I shook my head in amazement as i drove off a battered and mentally scarred man......... This story i swear is true...if not, would i be man enough to say that i was terrorized by a chicken? So if you're ever driving out on route 21 in Putnam, Ct in the middle of the night, and if you should happen to see a chicken in or near the road.... put the pedal to the medal and don't stop....don't even look back!
The Story Of Stinky McFlurry
The Story Of Stinky McFlurry
It was many years ago now.... hmmm back in 1999 i think. I was bringing my ex to work. She worked at a local retail store but had to go in at 3am to move some stock and didn't want to drive. So i drive her into work and as i'm leaving the plaza i notice something moving in the exit-way. What the?!? All i could see was a McDonald's cup bobbing up and down...moving all over. Wait it was a McFlurry cup with those damn clear dome tops with the hole in it....oh wait...it's a skunk in the cup. His head's caught in it and the dome is keeping his head trapped! he was walking from side to side...cup going up and down... hitting the curb...backing away... in a frenzy. Oh no what can i do? I can't leave him like that! Ok, fine i'll help him!
I get out of the car...walk over. The skunk hears me cuz he stops short... i move closer... he gets at attention, standing on his tippy claws. He starts to turn his backside toward me... i run as fast as i could. He goes back to thrashing the cup on the ground. Hmmmm i need to try again. I edge up to him, now he's hissing and scratching his claws on the asphalt. He spins his backside around...oh shit! Damn i gotta get that cup off him! At this point i look behind me...there's a trucker sitting there in his truck laughing his ass off.. he cant leave because im blocking the only exit. He was dying laughing and now i was more determined to get that damned cup. I run up to stinky grab onto the cup and go to pull it off! Nothing he just comes flying towards me with the cup. Wow he's really stuck...if i don't get it off he's gonna end up dying. Now, at this point in time he's really pissed, scared, aggravated, and very on guard. All four paws are up on tippy claws and he's trying to get his back side positioned towards me to get me when i come up to him next time. Hmmm i'm gonna have to do this fast.... i run up again grab hold of the cup tightly...he lets out a squeal and "pop" off comes the cup but wait... damn the dome is still on his head.. i can't get that off. He can see me coming now... the trucker just about wet himself as the dome laden skunk and i shared a tense look at each other. He kind of looked like those dogs with the lamp shady things from the vets office. His eyes are huge and he runs off onto the brush.... dome and all. So one day if you're in Putnam Ct and you see a skunk with a McFlurry dome around its neck wave hi to Stinky McFlurry, just be careful he doesn't wave his backside at you!
Why A Hearse? People always ask.... here's the answer.
Fall 2009 *A Dream Come True*
More Pics here
The pic below is of Dolores, named after her first rider. A 1968 Cadillac Superior Hearse that i picked up straight from the funeral home. I always wanted a hearse since i was a kid in part because of my grandfather. We would always go out driving on the weekends in his 70's Dart and when we'd see a hearse he'd always say it was going to be a great day and have a big smile. Once day i finally asked him why he said that he just smiled and said it's gonna be a good day because you're not in the back of it. Ever since then i wanted one so that every day could be a good one.
Guess what? here's the kicker....this beauty was the actual very hearse that serviced my grandfathers funeral back in 79...his last ride so to speak. The funeral home just closed after all these years and still had it and put it up for sale!
More Pics here
Thursday, August 11, 2011
August 14th - Area 51 2008
Today we made our way to the little town of Rachel, Nv. It's not on most maps and has a total population of 89 people. What makes it so important? It's on the border of Area 51! There is a little hot spot The Lil' A' Le Inn. They serve alcohol, food, lodging, gifts, and sometimes local legends of Area 51 and the strange happenings at night.
According to the government it actually does not exist. They repeatedly state that there is nothing out there. Here's what we got.
n grid number 51 of the Nevada Test Site, so it's called Area 51. The United States Air Force Flight Test Center controls the base. It's best known for testing exotic aircraft and weapons. The base was
created in 1954 as a place to test the secret U-2 spyplane that was used to fly missions over the Soviet Union. Then it started to house the SR-71, A-12 and D-21 drone. The F-117A was tested there, also. In the 1980's the base increased in size, along with the runway (which increased to the present 6 miles). Then, mysterious lights began to appear, and armed guards known as the cammo dudes star ted patrolling the border. The government closed many viewpoints from which the Area 51 base could be seen. In 1989, a "physicist" named Bob Lazar claimed that he worked at a base south of Area 51 and also claimed that Area 51 was testing extremely advanced aircraft and UFO's they got by trading with the aliens. Since then, Area 51 has been thought to be the test center of captured UFOs because of the lights in the night sky.There are strange and anonymous security guards at Area 51. They are called "cammo dudes", because of the camouflage that they wear. Anyway, the dudes patrol the border with their white Jeep Cherokees or pickup trucks in two teams. They have been seen with automatic weapons. The cammo dudes are probably not
military guys, and no one knows who hired them. Perhaps they enjoy doing this. The rumors are as follows:
The Cammo Dudes are employed by:
The cammo dudes also have helicopters. They use the helicopters mainly for security purposes, but there have been a number of occasions when the helicopter would harass viewers at the border. It would fly a few feet above the viewers throwing up dust and other debris. This, of course, is not legal, even for a bunch of weird, anonymous, social outcasts that guard government military bases.
There are magnetic sensors. It's in a plastic capsule about six inches long and are buried beside the road. This capsule contains the batteries. A bucket-shaped container contains the transmitter. The wires running off to either side lead to sensors that are bur ied a few feet apart on the roadside. These sensors transmit signals as someone passes.
This makes it impossible to break into Area 51. It could lead to immediate arrest, immediate death, and/or an immediate fine of $10,000 or more. (If they kill you, they take your wallet).
So, what happened on our trip? We got to the Lil A'Le Inn and casually proceeded in. We sat at the diner type counter and ordered a burger & fries & coke...each. While waiting we talked to no one but listened to the workers talk to the "tourists". She spoke of not going out to the warning signs and taking pics since once you're at the Inn the government already knows who you are. She mentioned of weird happenings such as 10 to 15 Pepsi trucks leaving the dirt road that leads to the base all at once at 60-70 mph. Strange lights in the skies at night. Strange calls telling them to stop doing things they were doing as they were doing them inside of their homes. We just relaxed and soaked it all in. The employees were really nice but the customers gave me an uncomfortable feeling.
Our meals came...we ate and it was a really good burger. All-together it came up to $14 As he gave me the check and the woman behind the counted stated that they were closing early today since they have to drive 100 miles to fight against the state building a prison 4 miles away. So we made it just in time. I got up paid the bill and left a $5 tip and casually asked "if one were inclined to take some pics of non existent base where would one go?" He smiled and said he could get us to the rear entrance that not many know of, where, if we were lucky we could see the gate of entry. And also gave us the standard directions to the Restricted signs of the main entrance.
We said our thanks as they closed, bought a mug, posed for a pic with the owner, Pat and left on our adventure. We drove for miles and miles on a dirt road in the middle of no where in the blazing 111 degree heat of the desert. We finally saw a puff of dust in the distance. This vehicle was moving wicked fast toward where we were but coming from a different direction. We finally crested a small hill and in the distance....there it was. A guard shack a gate, a few red signs, and a few huge spinning radar type dishes. We instantly stopped the vehicle in the horizon sped in. We picked up our binoculars for a better look...we were about 4 miles away. They were watching us...binoculars met binoculars......ok time to leave since it would be too damn easy for some one to disappear forever out there. We sped out to the main road and up the road. About a half mile up the main road we noticed two white trucks in the distance. One pickup truck and another that looked to be a service truck. As we approached we noticed the service truck was a huge truck with an active spinning radar type dish. Were they listening to us? They were not there before but they were definitely watching us. This pretty much spooked us.
From here it was a few miles on the main road to the dirt road that leads to the front gate of area 51. Hell we made it this far why not go a little further. I always wanted to go anf now i was there. This segment of dirt road is 20 miles one way. We finally see a white truck far off in the distance. We pull over and use the binoculars...it's one of the "cammo dudes" but on a hill. We continue toward him since he;s like 10 miles away. He's on a hill to the right and the road veers down a small hill to the left. We round the corner and bam....there's the signs. Restricted, photography prohibited, use of deadly for permitted! U.S. Air Force Installation. We noticed something way out on the mt. above. I shot some long range zoom video as we crept closer...about 3/4 of a mile away...put the camera down...damn there's the "cammo dudes" now to our right above us waiting for us to move....ok that's our cue to leave. We hi-tailed it out of there at 70 mph. We were supposed to camp out there tonight but it was waaaaaaay to creepy. After all that happened in Niagara we weren't gonna push our luck.
The video will be uploaded soon!
August 10-13th 2008
On Sunday the 10th we made it into Yellowstone National Park. We spent two nights there camping out of the car (hobo style). It was great....we did both of the loops in the park, hitting every attraction along the route. We got so many pictures and lots of video to come soon. We saw many different kinds of animals....coyote, buffalo, bear, elk, etc. Almost caught a trout at the camp, but it got away! Words can not express what we saw! EVERY person should experience it least once in their life.
Click Here For Yellowstone Pics
We left the park on Tues. the 12th. We made our way through the Grand Teton Mountains. WOW!
From there we continued to Salt Lake City in Utah. Spent the night there to recoup from the road trip. I didn't really care for it there that much...i guess you have to be a Mormon to get the most of it.
The next day....today Wed. the 13th we made our way to U-Dig Fossils to dig up some fossils. This was a long trip through the desert. I think we met one car over 125 miles. Complete nothingness. Once we got to our final turn, a dirt road, the sign said we still has 20 miles to go! Seemed like forever. We finally made it and signed up for a 2 hour dig. It was so hot in the desert you can't imagine. I have never sweat so much in my life., but we got some really nice trilobite fossils estimated to be around 5oo million years old.
The owner was really nice and knew alot. I want to go back someday and spend more time. If your ever in the Delta, Utah area it's worth the trip and $28 dollars.
Click Here For U-Dig Pics
From there we made our way to a small western type town of Ely, Nevada. The main road was once again completely nothing for about 150 miles. You can easily reach speeds of up to 90-95 mph without any problems from the police since it's all straight and desolate.
Next up.....Area 51 and the Lil Ale e Inn in Rachel, Nv.
August 8th and 9th 2008
Well, the 8th was Stormy & Scott's wedding. It was beautiful! No one could have picked a better spot. Miles and i mean miles away from anything. We passed Hell's Half Acre, which is now closed but is where they filmed the alien scenes for the movie Starship Trooper. The lodge, Willard Springs, is located 8 miles above sea level.
Yeah i said above...not as much oxygen in the air. It took us 2 hours of driving down dirt roads in the middle of nowhere, crossing streams, traversing rough rocky terrain. Driving through the Hole In The Wall pass where infamous desperadoes such as Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, Kid Curry and his brother Lonny Curry, "Laughing" Sam Carey, Black Jack Ketchum, Elzy Lay, and George "Flat Nose" Curry hid from the law.
Totally amazing and i have to say i'm glad we got rental insurance on the car! It's not going back in the same condition as when we got it. It was pretty brutal but well worth the drive.
The wedding went perfect, everything was beautiful, and the food...Oh My God!
The BEST ribs ever created by anyone on this planet! Meat just doesn't get any fresher than on a ranch.
Camped out in the car.
The next day, today, we made the long trek northwest. Equally as long but even more treacherous. It seemed to take forever but the scenery was continuously breathtaking. It was an experience we'll never forget. We got video of the crazy journey that I'll add later.
Now we were heading to the hot springs in Thermopolis, Wy. We got there 3 hours after leaving the lodge...yeah the roads were that dangerous. The hot springs were neat but were looked through rather quickly. Not alot to do there and it smells like rotten eggs times 10.
From the hot springs off to Cody, Wy. where i am writing this blog now. The town was founded by Buffalo Bill! We got a hotel luckily, remember that this whole trip is being done on the fly...the only things in stone were the first 3 nights and the last 3. We went to Buffalo Bill's original hotel and they closed down the streets and had a gunfight with real guns....it was neat. Tomorrow morning we're off to Yellowstone! I have many more pics and video to post after I get home, and more to be taken...so stay tuned for more adventures.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Flew out to Denver, Co. yesterday. We flew Frontier and it was a smooth flight. Then came the drive to Casper, Wy. This was a 5 hour drive north on Rt 25, totally flat & straight. You could see for miles and miles and there was absolutely nothing! When we got to Motel 6 we were so tired.Today we went up to the top of Casper mountain a
nd went geocaching. More later.
nd went geocaching. More later.
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