Change in Weather, Change in Plans

It looked like it was going to be another sunny gorgeous day, but shortly after getting up this morning, the thunder started, followed by the rain. For obvious reasons, working on the roof in the rain isn't the smartest thing to do. So, my oh so creative hubby decided to take on a different project.

As summer winds down, our thoughts have been turning to various winterization things that are needed around here, including a way for the dogs to get from the deck to the back yard to take care of doggie biz (either that or one of us will be collecting frozen poop-sicles all winter long...no thank you). So, using a little ingenuity, he built a covered bridge for the pooches. They sat and watched him while he worked, in their usual curious way. He was a little concerned that they might be afraid and need coaxing to actually use it. When it was time to unveil it, though, they thought it was the best thing ever and happily raced back and forth, back and forth.

While the hubby went to town to acquire the needed materials, I decided to check out the Powder Mountain Motocross races. We went last year, but I didn't have my camera with me (can you even imagine THAT?!), so when I heard the races were in town again, I knew I couldn't miss it. 

The photos pretty much speak for themselves. The races are wild, the riders fearless.  It's crazy how much air they get as they come off the bumps. Sadly, one of the riders, a 16 year old from Arizona, died in a trial run yesterday. 

OK, first off, the idea of throwing yourself 50-60 (or more) feet into the air on a dirt bike is beyond me, but then to turn around and see who's coming up behind you seems insane. (In the end, this seemed pretty tame compared to riders who like to do little tricks, like kick their legs off to the side of the bike, etc.)

There's a reason they're called DIRT bikes...

When I got home, my husband asked me about the races. I told him that I watched several races, the last one being the ProHeat and that some guy named Jeremy McGrath won. Little did I know that Jeremy McGrath is one of the TOP pro motocross racers in the country. The race was fast and furious and fun to watch...

the riders were all clustered at the start... seemed insane to me....

 That's McGrath in the lead...#2... and that's where he stayed for the duration of the race...

Talk about catching a little air...

 Like popping corn coming off the bumps...

 Rider bites the dust...literally...

...thankfully, uninjured and no-one else was hurt  as a result of his fall.

 And another one bites the dust...same deal...everyone else seemed to manage to avoid the downed rider and keep on going.

More air!!

Their shadows on the ground remind me of ET for some reason...

The checkered flag and one last soaring jump takes him easily into first place... 

 

...and he glides to the ground and off the track. Congrats on that round, Jeremy McGrath! I guess the official race (the one for the money) is on Sunday. I won't be there.

Oh, and by the way, if you think this race is only for men, I watched an earlier race with little kids, and I do mean little. And here's a shout out to the women who were racing later in the day. Here's a cute mother/daughter team gearing up for their run. Good luck, ladies - I hope you had a great (and safe) race. 

(To see more pics of the races, click here.)