• For Sale: 1999 Road King

    Posted on by dp

    I hate to do it but I can’t ride it because of health issues. Here’s the details:

    • 1999 Road King, Mystique Green
    • Approx. 50,000 miles, 8,000 on engine
    • 103 Cubic Inches
    • CNC Ported Heads
    • SE Performance Mufflers
    • 45mm Mikuni flat slide carb
    • SE 258 Cams
    • New Starter Motor Bendix Drive
    • Adjustable Push Rods
    • Low-miles on tires – less than 10 miles on the rear, 2000 or so on the front
    • Removable tour pack, luggage rack with passenger backrest, Mustang seat

    I’m asking $5,500. What is it worth to you? Contact me at dp@TheVirtualBarAndGrill.com

    And here’s some pictures (This could be you!):

    When new with only 500 miles on the odometer. It still looks that good!

     

    Grand Tetons, 2006 EKIII Run
    Grand Tetons, 2006 EKIII Run

     

    Near Banff
    Near Banff

     

    Glacier Parkway, BC, CA
    Glacier Parkway, BC, CA

     

    Glacier Parkway
    Glacier Parkway

    Or visit the album at http://thevirtualbarandgrill.com/gallery2/v/personal01/dp_gallery/rtts2000/

    Or visit all my albums at http://thevirtualbarandgrill.com/gallery2/v/personal01/dp_gallery/


  • Darcy Hager

    Posted on by dp

    We lost a great friend and rider today (July 22, 2014). Darcy was killed in a collision in Edmonton, Alberta this morning. It appears a Jeep left its lane and struck Darcy head on. Darcy will be remembered for his quiet wit, his miracle hat, and his love of riding. It was my great pleasure to ride with Darcy and to share stories at the end of the day. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him and shared the blue highways with him.

    Darcy Hager


  • Run for the Border, Blues Fest, and Poker Run!

    Posted on by dp

    North Central Washington State – This is so cool, lots of hard work is going into this – The weekend of May 17 – 18, 2014, two great events come together for a fun time for Blues fans, bikers, wine aficionados, and people who love nature and meandering country roads. The Rally At The Border Blues Fest at Oroville’s Deep Bay Park is happening on Saturday with live music from 2 to 10 PM. Lordy, you have to be here for that! The Oroville Chamber of Commerce is fully behind this and has thrown out the welcome mat as by special arrangement, overnight camping for riders is available at the park.

    Blues Bands from around the Pacific Northwest will blow you away, and the local wineries, restaurants, and miles of back road riding will provide for a very memorable weekend. Vickie Hinze, proprietor of the Pastime Bar and Grill (Link) in Oroville has been working with the city and local businesses to pull this event together. Local musician Mark Morris of the Deepwater Blues Band (Link) is rounding up the talent and his band will also be playing at the Blues Fest.

    Also on Saturday, the Columbia River H.O.G. Chapter (Link) is holding the 12th annual Run for the Border from Wenatchee, WA north to the Canadian Border at Oroville, WA. The music should just be starting when the two-wheel fun is over.

    On Sunday there will be a Poker Run, route is TBD at this time, but it is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM. I’m kind of hoping it winds up through the Okanogan Highlands as that area is gorgeous. Update: I get my wish! (Link)

    Additional details should be available in the coming week and will be published here. Please visit the Rally at the Border Blues Fest (Link) web site. Also visit the FaceBook page (Link) and browse the Okanogan Gazette-Tribune (Link) for additional information about the area.

    Here are some details for Saturday.

    SATURDAY May 17, 2014

    10:00 AM Columbia River HOG sponsored 12th Annual Run for the Border departs from Wenatchee for Oroville
    2:00 to 10 PM Blues Bands play at Deep Bay Park
    1:00 to 5 PM Local Wineries Barrel Tasting
    5:00 to 7 PM Cruise-In Car Show by North Country Car Club
    Gold Digger Park on Main Street
    10:00 PM – 2 AM Post Blues Fest Jam Session at Pastime Bar and Grill

     

    Scroll down to see the posters – Please print and distribute them!

    Posters suitable for printing and sharing:

    Rally at the Border Blues Fest

    Rally at the Border Blues Fest
    Rally at the Border Blues Fest

    Columbia River H.O.G. Chapter 12th Annual Run for the Border
    Map to start of the Run for the Border, Wenatchee Food Pavilion (Link)

    Run for the Border Poster
    Run for the Border

  • Fresh Coffee

    See the update at bottom

    There’s a continuing conversation among the circle of friends regarding coffee – home roasted, in particular. I’ve taken it to the next level and grow coffee at home and today was harvest day. I live in the Seattle area and coffee trees won’t survive outside all year, so my trees are indoors most of the year. And the yield is light to non-existent, but we do get 2 crops per year on average. This harvest was 24 beans about half of which are peaberrys. A peaberry is a single bean – normal beans come two in a cherry. Peaberry beans tend to taste better though, and command a premium price.

    So here are the picked beans going through the post-harvest cycle.

    Fresh picked cherries
    Fresh picked cherries

    The cherries are plump, firm, and a warm red color when ready to harvest.

    Cherry hulls
    Cherry hulls

    This is what is left after the beans and mucilage are removed. This can be recycled.

    Fermenting beans with mucilage
    Fermenting beans with mucilage

    The beans soak in water for the better part of a day. This allows natural processes to separate the mucilage from the bean. Not everyone does it this way – you can dry the beans in the mucilage but you get a better product by separating them before drying. Either way you have to remove the mucilage before roasting.

    Update: It’s two days later and the fermenting is ended and the mucilage has been removed and the beans are now very dry. In the next image you can see the remaining endocarp, or parchment that still encloses the beans. In some cases this is split as seen. The parchment is removed and finally we see the actual product. A thin layer remains and is cooked away as chaff during roasting. Nature has done a good job of protecting this little jewel.

    Dried beans in parchment
    Dried beans in parchment

    TaDA! A bean with parchment removed.

    Bean with parchment removed
    Bean with parchment removed

    Update March 2, 2014

    Today was roast day for the home-grown beans and the kitchen is swathed with the aroma of fresh hot coffee bean smoke. I had enough beans for two cups of home grown Joe and one is steaming next to my keyboard now. I have to say, it is delicious and far far better than I expected 8 years ago when I planted the first tree. This is the first cup after all that time – what the hell’s the rush! It is also the most expensive cup of coffee I’ve ever had in my life.