Basic Rider Safety

I recently attended a Basic Rider Safety (BRS) course for motorcycles taught by Doug and Kat from the Oklahoma Rider Education program. The program uses material from the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation). The course is about 70% riding, and 30% classroom. I rode a dirt bike as a teenager, but I felt the course taught many valuable life-saving skills like emergency stops, swerving, better cornering, and better low speed control of the cycle. In short - well worth the money. We rode Honda and Suzuki 250 cc street bikes provided by Green Country Honda (thanks guys!), but if you enroll, your course could use other brands. In Oklahoma, the Basic Rider Safety course can stand in place of the driving test required to get a license.

As a follow up to the license issue, you must take the BRS course, go to a public safety examination officer and receive an official form removing the "A" restriction, then go to the "Tag Office" to get an updated license.

If you ride a cycle, I would recommend that you take either the Basic or Experienced rider course. Our Basic course was held over a two day weekend, provides a bike and does not assume any prior experience. The Experienced course presumes 6 months or more of riding experience, and riders provide their own bike. As a fringe benefit, it lowered my cycle insurance, and it might even lower my auto insurance because of the defensive driving component.

The MSF also offers a Dirt Bike School, but not in my immediate area.

We have hummingbirds

Since I have not been able to find a swarm of bees, I have slightly changed the focus of my blog to "Country Life". About 3 weeks ago, my wife saw a hummingbird at our sliding glass door and remembered that her cousin had given her a hummingbird feeder. She sat the feeder on the back steps, and had 2 or 3 birds sipping away! Three weeks later, and we have a plant hook (from Walmart) screwed to the side of the house, with a feeder right outside the door, and a double shepherd's hook (from Atwoods) with two more feeders. We have 8 or 9 hummingbirds visiting nearly every day. It really is alot of fun! The birds really seem to like the First Nature Nectar (the 16 oz bottle is cheapest). We are using the simple and functional hanging feeders with a red ring at the base, but Amazon offers some very attractive feeders too. Don't forget that ants and other pests want that nectar, so look for a feeder with an ant moat, or buy a moat like the cute umbrella below. If you choose to join us in feeding hummingbirds, please read the care and cleaning information that comes with your feeder. Keep our feathered friends healthy.