Goodbye Ben, Hello Year of the Wood Dragon

February 10, 2024 

Hello friends and family! 

I hope you are having a worthwhile 2024 thus far.  How was your 2023?  2023 had some good times and sad times for me.  A friend of mine and a former college roommate, Ben Kroeze, died last year. 

He was 50 years old. We had a lot of fun times together. He and I did a bit of biking together: Indian Caves back in the 1990s, el Nacho Ride and un Taco Ride in 2011 (con accentes, por favor).  

Also just around town.

 More recently we’d been out on a few local rivers with kayaks and my inflatable SUP. 

Ben was the best story teller I knew and he always had a unique perspective backed up by personal, intelligent ideas. He enjoyed outdoor activities and expertly completing home improvement projects for himself and others. When he and I became roommates, we needed a place to keep our bikes. I showed him a few options we could have mail ordered through a bike catalogue, but Ben was having none of that. He looked over the designs in the catalogue and then we headed over to the lumber store to grab some 2x4s and then over to his family garage/shop. We had ourselves a nice rack put together within a few hours. It’s heavy and reliable and I’ve still got it on our back porch where it typically supports one old bike and several garden hoses, although it could hold up to 4 bikes, if needed. 

One of our most memorable experiences was a trip with the Outdoor Adventure Club back in college. We went spelunking at Devil’s Icebox near Columbia, Missouri. It rained a lot on the way out, but it was clear by the time we got to the park to set up our tents. Ben and I stayed up late smoking and chatting with a few of our fellow spelunkers. 

The next morning we canoed into the cave system for maybe a quarter of a mile or so and then left our boats to explore the mazy subterranean realm. We slid, waded, and climbed through many tight passages. We found a seedling growing in this place devoid of sunlight. 

I think we spent half a day or so underground before we paddled back out into the surface world. I emerged with a deeper appreciation of the natural world and caves in particular. Because of that trip I try to include a visit to a cave in family vacations whenever possible. There are caves on the moon, Mars, and possibly on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. 

 As you are likely aware, it is now the Year of the Wood Dragon! 2024 is expected to be a time of visionary leaders, innovators and problem solvers. 2024 is also predicted to be a great year to start new projects, explore new opportunities and create value for yourself and others. It is a year to pursue your dreams, express your ideas and expand your horizons. It is also a year to be generous, compassionate and loyal to your friends, but shouldn't every year, Ebenezer Scrooge?  There is apparently a Dragon bicycle company in Seattle.  Here is a photo of Woody Harrelson riding a bicycle. 

Although he’s not really dragon-related, as far as I know, he was in a movie called “Out of the Furnace” that could be considered fire-related. 

Taylor Swift also has been known to ride a bicycle. 

As she may be the most famous person in the world, there are also many predictions as to how she and the Year of the Wood Dragon will get along. Apparently her song “Long Live ” refers to fighting dragons, but she enjoyed it, so it could be a good challenge/opportunity for her. 

Here are a few things I might try this year: 

1. Retaining wall work (the contractor quote was way too high so I will attempt to accomplish some/most of this as a DIY with help from friends. 
2. Maybe a few other DIY projects around the house/yard 
3. Loess Hills Enduro coming up in May! 
4. Some mountain bicycling now that I’ve got a pretty good setup in place for the Santa Cruz Superlite I’ve been using lately. 

Now that the streets are snow and ice free I've been enjoying some nice bicycle riding and quite a bit of Pokemon Go playing.  I hope you have been enjoying some quality outdoor time too.

Whatever it holds in store for you, I hope the Year of the Wood Dragon provides the opportunities and challenges necessary for you to grow and thrive. And hopefully a nice cave visit as well. 

Many blessings to you and your loved ones. We'll miss you Ben.

BSO