" Cold rain and snow...."

Been dipping into the 20's, Fahrenheit...a few nights recently below the freezing mark of 32 degrees...tonight will be in the 30's...about 52 degrees at the present ...with cold rain falling in the valley, and snow in the mountains. Winter is settling in with a vengeance it seems...small groups of homeless Sacramentens huddle under eaves of closed shops...having been run out of the 'McCafe'...after pushing the limits of the no-loitering signs... Having finished my burger and salad, I nurse my coffee and bury my head in my computer...hoping not to be noticed when my 'time-limit' expires...

In a foul mood to match the weather...another day of work ...then will head South to my mother's to do some needed work there...it'll be a bit warmer near Monterey Bay...though lately not too much...seems some cold Artic air has found it's way down to Northern Californy...

There is a lot to do at her place...the important stuff like getting the furnace working correctly, and fixing or replacing all the plumbing that required attention, and chasing down some minor roof leakage...is done. Now it's the cosmetic stuff...painting, weed control, trimming of shrubbery, one cracked window pane to replace...and the ants...( life would be a picnic, if it wasn't for the ants...some one once said...was it the punch line for a vaguely remembered R.Crumb cartoon? probably not...)...maybe it went, It wouldn't be a picnic...without the ants....  a bit of clear silicone here and there to seal off the ants entry points....seems to be working at any rate...

Been buying on E-Bay....a lot of Honda CB 450 parts. It started when I spotted a 450 crankshaft that appeared to be in good shape, at a good price. Decided to buy it and begin again on a long stalled 1971 Honda CL 450 project of mine. I took the bike apart years ago, when the pistons started hitting the head...due to extremely worn out connecting rod big ends...more about that some other time...

I might even put it back to it's original configuration...always loved the sound of the Scrambler pipes. When last I rode it, it was in a CB configuration and for awhile it had a sidecar fitted...to be continued...