Wilsons Sandbox

> I recall seeing very small plastic padlocks for sale somewhere that > would work great on my Happy Trails panniers. I can't for the life of > me remember where I saw them. Does anone recall seeing them and can > point me in the right direction. These were not plastic coated and > weren't backpack locks or TSA luggage locks. I can get a 4 pack of > keyed alike brass locks at home depot but if the price was right the > plastic locks sounded like a rattle and clank reducing option. > Thanks, Ken >

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "revmaaatin" wrote: > > Yes, there is a God. > Nice day, bright sun, 45F. Gumbo-based gravel roads are 86.3% > dry...release the hounds. Out of combat storage--ready to ride, just > take time to 'unpack' the storage--comes the KLR650 and two of the lil' > bikes--the XR100R's for the little people. We got a couple of hours > between Sunday events...yes, release the hounds. > > Most of the time, the conditions allowed us to putz along at 30-35 mph- > indicated along the gravel roads. Plenty of Blake's edge traps where > the trucks have pushed up 3-4" vertical walls of gravel/gumbo. Need to > pay attention to that! > > We passed by all the unimproved prairie section lines (66ft of public > right away--nearly every mile or so), as many of them were still snow > blown and those that didn't, had standing water in them. Not at my > riding ability--or should I say, at my picking up ability. > > Many ditches are blown in with snow, and I start thinking, hmmm. Looks > like a playground. Others post pictures of their bikes in snow...why > not me. I distinctly remember many photos seem to have the > KLR 'parked' with snow all around it. I reflect, and wonder, why they > all look like that? > > Driving along, I see many a ditch, full of snow. Some has standing > water. I am to smart for those! It may be a ditch, but standing water > looks like an opportunity to take a bath! Again, I pass many an > opportunity, but, this next one, looks promising. I slide down the > edge of the ditch, to where the snow [appears] is about 4 inches deep > and immediately discover that I don't have nearly enough forward > speed. Get on the throttle! BLIP-BLIP-BLIP. ARgh.... The bike slows > as the 4 inches goes to 12 inches of snow or more...then all stops. > Hmmm. The little guys are following--but smart enough not to follow > down in the ditch--watching from the road, but not amused. > > I am now nearly high centered in the snowdrift. I rock it back and > forth, and get it moving forward again, only to change the angle of > attack of the rear wheel...which moves the front end closer to the moon- > -it all looks like I am beginning to look like I am popping a wheelie. > > After several solo attempts to free the pig, by now, I am wheezing, > sucking wind and wondering where the help is. They are all at the side > of the road, taking it all in, taking a whiz. Nice. You can read it > in the paper. > "Dad dies while wrestling a Green Pig while kids WhiZZ!" > > Come here my little chuckleheads. > Sure dad, what can we do? > > Rock, pull, drag, 5x and finally I/we am nearly free. > "DaD, the bike is on fire!" > No. Just steam from the head pipe plowing snow. > > They ask, "What do you want us to do now?" > smile. > PUSH when I get it moving forward! > > Fast forward, cough, maybe spit.... > > Did you know, that a KLR would royally roost little people pushing form > behind? I bet you did not know that. (Equally true for big people as > well) > > That's what they tell me. Course, it could that they just told their > mother such tall tales when we got back to the house--just to make me > feel bad. > > Then, how did they get their riding gear all speckled? Some things are > best to remain a mystery. > > When they thought I was not listening, > "Mom--Don't let dad go out by himself." > Great. Now I have to have 'child-supervision." > smile. They have played right into my trap. > shrug. > > I think I adequately answered the question, "Elephant Ride?" > No, don't think so.... > > revmaaatin. > > PS--I think busting snowdrifts must be a young man's game. I tried, it > and once is enough...until tomorrow. >