The Northern Adventure

The Ride is on... a phrase used many a time before came true as I left on June 26 heading NORTH to points unknown, unless you count my preparatory reading and map studying. I t was 5:30 AM getting through LA without too much delay. Believe it or not it actually happened! Two and half days later I arrived the the Alaska Ferry Terminal and the real "soft" part of the cruise began cruising the Inland passage all the way to Haines Alaska! Great weather and new good friends made this a very fun experience. Add the scenery Whales, Porpoises and Eagles to the stunning landscape and you have a tremendous beginning of the Adventure!




After passing Juneau with its cruise ships Haines was only 6 hours north and the ride began in earnest. The Highway leading out of AK into BC was very scenic over mountain passes and valleys shaped by the Juneau Icefields. Then came the first time camping at a provincial campground called Million Dollar Falls!
Setting up my tent for the very first time took a bit but it was well worth the effort as the tent is big and comfortable! While at the site I noticed there was no water supply so off I went to borrow some from campers a little better equipped with a beautiful motor home parked a few spots from me. As it turned out they were Germans, a retired Lufthansa Pilot and a Master Violin Maker from Frankfurt. Instead of just getting my water we ended up "talking story" drinking beer until there was none left!
Again leaving very early on I went to Tok AK. The high winds prevented me from putting up my tent so I got a room at the local hotel and met up with friends, bikers from the ship for dinner!
And then it was on to the TOP of the World Hwy north to Chicken AK and Dawson City!

A Fall to remember A Christmas to Enjoy

Hey By now all of you have heard about our Heidi's health issues.
In August she was diagnosed to have Mat Cell. 3 surgeries later, the stress, the medications took their toll and her system totally collapsed to the point she could not even hold up her head!
But thanks to my Bea, yours truly, some really caring veterinarians and their staff along with all of you visiting and praying for her recovery, Heidi did not give up and began a long and painful fight to regain her health. Sleepless nights, discomfort, labored breathing all followed but finally last week we saw some real improvements.
First she scooted, then she sat up, and at last this week mom and I came back from our exercise walk, there she was standing wagging her tail and greeting us at our condo door! Yes we did have tears of joy in our eyes as did everyone at Acacia Animal hospital as well as at PAWS when they saw her walk, haltingly at first but with more and more confidence as time goes on.
She can now walk as much as 75 feet, does her business on her own and is starting to react to the sound of the fridge door! She is a Mueller after all!
She is being treated with Insulin as well medicine for Cushings disease and various vitamins.
All of this is now making her feel better and we notice a daily improvement in her stamina and balance.
Imagine 7 weeks not being able to move at all and then walk again!
Our little black furry family member is coming back and soon will be back to her old loving self!
12 years and she never asked for more than love from all the people she met and she deserves all the love we can give her.
For me this experience was very humbling and I pray should I ever be struck like her I will have the grace and determination of that little dog.
We love you very much Miss Heidi!
God gave us our Christmas gift a little early but it is the best gift we could possibly get!

A Fall to remember A Christmas to Ejoy

The Happenings in 2010

Hey as stated earlier though old age is creeping up on me there is still a fire for adventure and fun in me that needs assuaging! To that end I have used my new toy the earlier mentioned R1200GS (aka the Stinger) to explore new roads and some that my "Blue Flash" aka K1200GT would have had a rough time handling. Tackling those primitive back roads was nothing if not addictive and leaves me with a whole new Arizona & who knows what else to explore.
Add Mom's and my adventure drives and hikes in the Chiricahua Mountains in our trusty ICE Bear and a wonderful stay at the Sunglow ranch, mix in adventure and great dinners with all of our Tucson family (led by the Great Maxini), a visit by our Hawaiians here in Dana Point where Megan and Rachel lit up our days, one could say that would be a full first half of the year but alas.....




The Ancient one needed one more adventure, so he with a trusty band of Canyon Crazies took off for Utah and a canoeing/camping and hiking trip down Stillwater Canyon of the Green River all the way to the Colorado!
What a wonderful experience to glide down this canyon surrounded only by unbelievable nature and good friends. I was transported back to my youth ( although my bones and muscles told a different story) enjoying God's creation.
Sitting by the river at night watching stars so clear and close that you felt as if you could touch them, hearing the sounds of the lazily flowing river and the songs provided by our friends, human and birds alike made me think about an old German saying:
"Warum in die Ferne Schweifen, wenn das Gute liegt so nah!"
Why do you have to go afar, when so much beauty is so close!
I may never see some of the other continents but our own country has so much to offer and to enjoy that it would take lifetimes to see and appreciate it all!

One more little philosophical thought as ramble on:
The rocks we were looking at were billions of years old at river level and they were covered by layers created by earth movements, shallow and deep oceans vulcanic activity and alike. What makes us, the human race think, we are so important? Imagine if by our human stupidity we render the earth uninhabitable for a thousand years or more, Earth and the universe will continue evolve as in eons past and we humanity will be just a fraction of an inch of layered rock barely visible by whoever comes after us!

Anyway we are now back in Dana Point enjoying civilization good food and friends and looking forward to adventures and fun things to happen!

Note:
It has almost been 4 years now since I RETIRED and I can honestly say that there has not been a day that I missed my job. I only wonder how I ever found time to work at all for those 37 years of schedules quotas and 4 door sedans!

Opa's New Toy

I know I am getting older but probably not too much wiser as I succumbed to a purchase fever of yet another motorcycle. After watching "the Long way around" the "long way South" and reading the "Investment Biker" there I was searching the internet and my 2 favorite dealers for a late model R1200GS. I even test rode one and as you might have guessed fell in love with the bike.
That being said I called Iron Horse in Tucson and "LO" they had one there as well a 2008 version with all the good (necessary) equipment at a price only $800 dollars above the 2005 model I test rode. So after 36 hours of thinking I did it and bought the bike in Tuscon after reading about the upgrades on the 2008 models! More HP improved brake systems and new trip computer and improved suspension all of which I will use on my back road trips in AZ and beyond.
So if you see banners of dust on some back road trail in AZ NM and beyond it might just be your "silly Opa"
Wish me luck!

A new way to see the world on a BMW

Well, finally I started to read the book "The Investment Biker" Around the world with Jim Rogers.
I don't really know why I took so long to read it but once I started I was hooked. Here is a man who made a fortune on Wall Street, retired from there taught and still teaches economics at Columbia University, giving it all up for 22 months and spends it as an "Eco" as in economic traveler, going around the world with his fiance on BMW motorcycles.
Since he did this in the early 1990s things have changed of course but his description of financial opportunities along with the travel log shows a world few of us will ever experience. From the safety of the US to the dangers of the Sahara the jungles of central Africa the immense landmass of Russia and China to emerging countries of South and central America.
One thing is found throughout the book....."the less Government interferes with the economy, the more successful the countries become."
Sadly though he points to our country as one that is going more and more toward Statism and regulations. The fact that any country that loses its freedoms and its dedication to free trade is doomed to become a third world country.
His description of the countries and the people is marvelous and the closing paragraph of the book really hits home:
" If there is one thing I have learned in going around the world, it's that societies become rich,swagger around for a few years, decades or centuries and then their hour is done. The other thing I have learned is that when all the wealth is gone, life goes on.
More important,I've also learned that if you've got a dream, you have to try it, you must get it out of your system. You'll never get another chance.
If you want to change your life,do it!"

This is one professor that I would have loved to be my instructor as he practiced what he teaches!

Thanks Philip for letting me have this book!

2009 in Review

I realize that it is the middle of January 2010 as I am writing this but nevertheless the past year was truly memorable for Opa and Oma Mueller!
First off we were able to welcome our latest Grandchild Rachel. Eric and Melissa now have 2 little Hawaiian princesses. One sweeter and prettier than the other! What a joy to have been with them and spoil them.

Then of course there was our Tucson grandson ( The Great Maxini, emphasis on great!)
All year long he amused us entertained us and amazed us! He is growing so fast and is a real little boy now, no longer a baby!

Marisa and Guy took a huge step toward a family as they announced that they have started adoption proceedings! As Philip said some little girl somewhere just won the parents lottery!
We hope and pray that the process will be speedy and without problems.

Then there were the travels to Arizona Hawaii, twice to Alaska! One solo ride by Old dad and one wonderful cruise with my Bea!

Add to that marvelous hikes beautiful dives, great hikes bless it with GOOD HEALTH AND LOTS OF LOVE and you can see:

Opa Mike and Oma Bea had a great 2009 and are looking forward to the upcoming year again full of promise!