Two Boys, Bikes and a Snake

This story should be a thank you to Elaine for suggesting that I not attend the Estes Park Wool Market this year. I’m not sure I should have stayed home.

The intent of my weekend was to finish a couple of projects I have going. I haven’t finished the kitchen remodel. I have a wood project I have been doing for the store, plus I'm trying to get ready for an open house sometime this summer.

The best part of the weekend was that it was going to be boys only. While the girls were going to Estes, Boy Twin (aka MiniMonner) and I were going to have a fun weekend, boy style.

I was building a new swift for the store. Boy Twin was out riding his bicycle. I was lost in my own world, just me and my sander. My peace was interrupted by the feeling that someone was staring at me. I shut the sander off to find Boy Twin, still on his bike, looking at me.

“Hey Monner, do you want to go for a bike ride?” he asked. I looked around hoping to find another Monner. No luck, he was talking to me. Realizing I have not been on my bike in the last two years, needless to say if I could have postponed the enjoyment of a very sore butt, I would have. “Okay, let me put my stuff away and get my bike”

Our driveway is about ¼ mile long. At the intersection of the county road and the driveway, a right turn will result in a rapid trip downhill on a gravel road. A left turn will get you a slow, leg burning, heart pounding trip uphill. When we reached the end of the driveway I asked “Which way?”

Boy Twin: Right

Me: Oh, great

Boy Twin: Monner, I’m scared

Me: That makes two of us (mumbled). Squeeze your brakes, if you think you are going too fast, we can walk down

Boy Twin: I’m going to walk

Me: That’s fine.

We started down the hill. I was squeezing my brakes like they have never been squeezed before. He was walking. I got a few yards ahead of him. About ¼ of the way down the hill, I hear something. The sound is getting louder. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Boy Twin on his bike, flying by me like a Ferrari passing a Volkswagen bus. Hey, I have this ego thing. I let go of the brakes. Together we fly down the hill.

Safely, at the bottom of the hill:

Boy Twin: That was easy! Hey Monner, do you think we will see a rattlesnake?

Me: It’s pretty warm out here, they could be sunning themselves on the road.

One mile down the road, (yes, with hills both up and down), a rattlesnake is in the road. This one was dead. A motorist was “nice” enough to smash it with a well-aimed car tire. Someone had cut of its “rattles”, which really disappointed Boy Twin. He wanted to do the same.

At this point we turned around and headed home. He ran out of steam on the way home and pushed his bike for a short time. Myself, I rode the entire distance. It is important that I note this because it feeds my ego.

I might go to Estes next year, my butt can't take much of this.

Our crazy lives!

Monner