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Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 In PIctures

Every year at the end of December I try and do a look back throughout the year to see where we've been and what we've done.

Historically I've written a little blurb and review for each individual month.  This year I chose to take a peek back at 2012 and post some pictures and let them tell the story.  I didn't pick my favorite pictures by any means, but just a variety.

Here they are in chronological order:

(In January I bought some Sidi Livia Rain Boots)

(In February I brought a Tahitian Sunset rose bush home on the bike)

(In February/March we installed cork flooring)

(I got dirty riding in the rain and hail)

(Experienced snow in late March - snow on blooming Viburnum)

(And snow in early April - a lot of sheep in our area)

(Experienced our yearly spring flooding)

(We took a ride with SpartanBabe)

(And a group ride - weather is looking up)

(Visited a plant nursery..... or two.... or three)

(I took photos of Squire Basil sleeping on the deck)

(We rode to Salem for a GoPro mount)

(I bought Beau - a used 2009 Bonneville SE)

(I debated which bike was more suitable and which was my favorite)

(I watched Troubadour take a Team Oregon Rider Skills Practice class)

(We attended the Oregon Vintage Motorcycle show)

(We painted and installed an adjustable GSXR shock in Max)

(We hosted Mr & Mrs. Everyday Riding)

(We rode to the coast in the mist and the rain)

(To see the Japanese dock that arrived after the tsunami)

(I took more pictures of Basil lounging on the deck)

(We rode the Aufderheide with SpartanBabe and her hubby)

(Troubadour found his beloved Scarlet on consignment at the Triumph shop once again)

(Max got new Shinko shoes - damn flat spot on the stock Dunlops)

(Our ride to the IMBC 2012 started off in the cold mountain rain)

(IMBC 2012 - Photo blatantly stolen from/received via email from Bobskoot)
(Erik, Trobairitz, Troubadour, Richard, Karen, Bobskoot, Sonja & Roland)

(The ride home from IMBC was much warmer)

(Bobskoot came to visit before heading home)

(We went to Seattle to meet friends from British Columbia)

(And we went back three weeks later for the Experience Music Project)
(This is me in the scary movie scream chamber)

(And we met Sonja and Roland n Tacoma the next day for the 
Ace Cafe Summer Shakedown at the LeMay Car Museum)

(We bought new luggage for Max)

(We rode to Salem to have lunch with my brother and sister-in-law)

(We discovered some kissing covered bridges)

(We rode to Saturday Morning Coffee in the rain - we do that a lot)

(And went for a hike)

(Troubadour and Me at the Team Oregon Awards Banquet - Photo by Pat Hahn)

(We got lost in the woods on Thanksgiving)

(Max picked up sticks with his kickstand)

(Troubadour got creative)

(We did a lot more hiking)

(We attended the International Motorcycle Show in Seattle)

(And Troubadour found a new pink hat at Eagle Leathers on the way home - no he didn't buy it)

So that is what we've done this year, not everything, but the most interesting of it at any rate.  Oh - and I should add that Beau went to his new home on December 23rd.  A nice lady from Springfield came and fell in love and rode it home in the rain.  Hooray.

We have a polar bear ride planned for tomorrow - New Years Day.  My first post of 2013 should be a ride report.

Happy New Year everyone and I am hoping for a great 2013 filled with dry roads, little traffic and abundant sunshine.

- Au Revoir

"Whether we want them or not, the New Year will bring new challenges; whether we seize them or not, the New Year will bring more opportunities." - Michael Josephson
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54 comments:

  1. Very nice! You guys are so creative.

    Happy New Year!

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    1. I don't know about creative, but we do like to have fun.

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  2. First, Basil is a gorgeous creature. Every time I see him he looks more beautiful. Or handsome- whichever he prefers!

    And I don't remember seeing your cork floor all done! Looks lovely! And I really like those small wood dining chairs.

    Thanks for sharing all those photos and memories. Looking forward to the Adventures of 2013 for us all. HNY!

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    1. Basil is cute, but he only uses his powers for good, not evil.

      I don't think I posted pics of the cork flooring in the main rooms. I think I did after the bedroom was complete The was the first room we did, the guinea pig. We are happy with it and I think it is saving on our heating bill too.

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    2. Oh - and those dining chairs are heavy as hell - imported Russian White Oak.

      Solid and damn heavy, just like the table. But they are durable and will outlast us I am sure.

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  3. A picture post, thats very creative. You must have learned from a master somewhere.....

    Nice post Brandy, you and Brad have a lovely new year and give that kiwi heaps of crap.

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    1. A post full of pictures telling a story, how original - not!

      We'll try and have a great new year and don't worry about Rogey, I am sure there will be heaps of crap flung. We all give as good as we get and we grew up with that Canadian sense of humor, which means no one around here truly gets us. We can crack ourselves up though.

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  4. Trobairitz:

    so many things to say but I can save most of them for this weekend in SFO.

    Congrats on selling Beau, I know it has been on your mind. I am sure the nice lady will enjoy riding her as it is a nice looking bike. I loved your cork floor, nice and warm if you don't have slippers on. I think Troubadour should have purchased that Pink Toque, remember you can't see the colour when you are wearing it and also Toques are a Canadian thing.

    I remember some of those iMBC2012 photos. Good memories and I hope we can get together again, soon.

    It warms my heart to know that I have friends like you. Happy New Year to you and Brad

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast
    My Flickr // My YouTube

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    1. We were pretty happy to sell the Bonneville. Didn't get what we wanted, lost a little money but we think of it as paying it forward. Brad got a really super good deal when he bought his Triumph and we were happy to make this woman's day right before the holidays.

      See you in five sleeps.

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  5. Squire Basil is very photogenic, do you think he knows by the way he looks at the camera?

    I like the picture of the bikes at the base of those tall, tall trees, and I especially liked the stick in the kickstand - shows that you are out there living the dream!

    Best of wishes to you and your guy for the new year!

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    1. Oh he knows he's cute. When he wants some tuna he looks at you with those big Bambi eyes. We just tell him he is lucky he's cute.

      Those tall trees were up in the cascade mountains. Lots of pine and fir over there. And the stick was in the coastal range - lots of wet evergreens that have smaller branches that break off in the wind storms.

      Happy New Year to you too in the great white north.

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  6. Great Memories. It's hard to put a year into one post when it was so filled with so many great times and places. Happy New Year to you - and for sure, here's hoping for many dry roads and great rides in 2013. It was my pleasure to meet you and Brad in 2012.

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    1. It was hard to pick pictures for one post. I narrowed it down to just over 40 pics. That was a job in and of itself. When I looked at iPhoto this afternoon and click on 'last 12 months' we have taken 4, 666 pictures. Not a bad haul for 365 days.

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  7. What a great way to summarize a very busy year. Happy New Year to you both!

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  8. I really like this Brandy, many thousands of words in these photos.

    Looks to me like Squire Basil has his world, and probably yours too, VERY figured out.

    Friend Mike is headed your way this summer, anxious to do both the ACE and Lemay museum.

    Happy to New Year to both you and Troubadour!

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    1. Thanks Coop! Squire Basil is spoiled silly and he wouldn't have it any other way. He rules the roost.

      I think Mike will be impressed with the LeMay Museum, they like to rotate some of the cars around in and out so the exhibits change a bit. We are hoping the Ace Cafe does another Summer Shakedown next year. I am not sure if it is an annual thing or not. It would definitely be fun to go again.

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  9. Happy New Years!

    What a wonderful collection of photos and associated memories.

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    1. Happy new Year to you and your family Richard. Hope to see you at coffee sometime this year.

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  10. Happy New Year - nice recap. It's been great following the adventures of you Northern Hemisphere biking bloggers!

    Hope you can get out on the bike soon!

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    1. Thanks Andrew, we like following your adventures down south too.

      We were out on the bikes this morning in the 26˚F (-3˚C) weather. One of the bike batteries didn't like the cold though so it wasn't a long ride.......details to come. beautiful sunny day though today.

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    2. Excellent (except for the battery issue)!

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  11. Have a fantastic 2013 all three of you!

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    1. Good wishes in 2013 to you too Nikos and Mrs. N of course.

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  12. I see you share the same passion as myself ,taking pictures. It's a great way to keep a diary too.
    Thanks for sharing, happy new year to you both!

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    1. I have always loved to take pictures. Back in the day I was assistant manager at a camera and photo developing shop. It was great fun.

      Happy 2013 to you too.

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  13. Wonderful post Brandy. Wishing you and Brad a great 2013 and looking forward to following your adventures in the new year.

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    1. Thank you David. Happy riding to you in 2013. May 2013 be a great year for you and your family.

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  14. Replies
    1. Hey we managed to make it to ride another year.

      Thanks for taking the time to hang out with us on your trip last year. It was a pleasure meeting you and Mrs. Stig.

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  15. Great Photos…. Great Fun…. Cool Cat… kind of looks like ours - Flat out but with one eye open and ready for bear.
    Hope some day we can all meet… Need to figure how to make my 110CCs get me over 50.1 MPH…
    At any rate, a very Happy New Year to you both.
    More adventures to come.
    Ciao.
    Mike.

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    1. Happy New Year to you and your family Mike.

      Basil sleeps with one eye open so that when you are petting him he knows where to aim to chomp you. Darn kitteh has sharp teeth.

      One day we hope to get out east to meet up with some more bloggers/riders. Unfortunately Basil doesn't do so well with a kitty sitter. We tried that last year. He is almost 8 and doesn't like most people, grumpy little thing. He does like Bobskoot and RickRick though.

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  16. Looks like you guys were very busy, I wish I had had the time to attend the blogger get together in July but unfortunately the dates didn't work for me. Love the picture with the luggage for Max. Beautiful pictures and you gave me an idea for a post too ;-)

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    1. We didn't think we had a busy year, but in retrospect I guess we did.

      It would have been great if you could have joined us in July, but we knew the timing was wrong. Next time......

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  17. Happy New Year! Lovely year review, it was quite a busy looking one! Hope you have many more happy adventures in 2013

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  18. "Canadian sense of humor". Other than Red Green, what does this mean? If you have listened to Prairie Home Companion, it's spot on about the northern Midwest humor (lack of it). I never knew there was this difference until I moved up here and started to put the pieces of the puzzle together (and finally felt at home and understood by a woman from the Deep South). The differences in humor DO exist as you go region to region in this country. And it makes a difference as to whether you are accepted or not.

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    1. I always think of the Canadian sense of humor more like the dry british wit and always laced with sarcasm and satire - also the ability to laugh at ones-self and not take things too seriously. When we moved down here we felt people just didn't 'get' our odd sense of humor. Red Green is always funny but also look up This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Air Farce and the Rick Mercer Show as examples.

      I am always amazed at the different types of humor in the different regions.

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  19. What a great summary (loving the cat on the deck). I hope that 2013 will be as pleasant as the previous year. Happy Riding!

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    1. Yes Basil is spoiled isn't he?

      Here's hoping to a great 2013 for everyone filled with lots of riding. All the best to you and Roland.

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  20. Lovely photos and to weed these out of 4666 pictures. I did like your bonnie but i see you sold it. All the best from Scotland for 2013 and i hope you get the other bike sorted.

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    1. Hey, thanks for stopping by...and wouldn't we all love to see Scotland by Bike..... It is on the bucket list for sure seeing as how hubby is Clan McLaren.

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  21. Great job on the pictorial of 2012! Happy New Year to you and yours!!

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    1. Thanks Pam. Happy New Year to you and hubby too.

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  22. Love the pics. You guys both clean up so well! I really enjoy your images and reading your posts. I look forward to more in 2013!

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    1. Thanks Kathy.

      Well Troubadour cleans up real nice, I'm still on the fence about myself. Not really a fan of that picture.

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  23. Hi. l enjoy to read our blog. There is so much heritage between both countries that i am sure you coukd trace his clan if you did visit.

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    1. I am sure we could. One day.........Scotland just holds such an allure.

      And since leaving Canada 13 years ago I miss hearing bagpipes.........

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  24. Ok. I can see looking back on the year using photos. That's actually a great thing about digital cameras. We can start to reminiscence immediately. "Oh look at us there. I remember it like it was 4 or 5 seconds ago!" Like I say, I get it. But what's all this stuff with motorcycles? :)

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    1. Too many pics of motorcycles for you Dan? Not enough miles ridden last year, but maybe this year will bring more.

      Instant gratification - that is what digital cameras bring. No waiting for your film to develop before deciding the pics were crap, lol.

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  25. Love your 12 month "flash to the past".......:-). Very nice and creative...:-). I might do something like that myself next time!

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    1. Thanks Patricia. I just find it is an easy way to recap the year.

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  26. Thanks again for letting me share in your adventures. It has been a joy.
    ~k

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    1. Thank you Keith for always stopping by with a kind word. All the best to you and Heather this year.

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