50 days till departure

Since the last posting we had planned to get some miles under our buds, test out the loading of the bike, run the tires a bit more down so that the replacement is worth while, and in general shake down our winter stiffness.  Also we wanted to have some trials in putting up and down our new tent, and some other stuff we had acquired for our trip.  Now it all has come other than thought.  All the preps have come to a screeching hold when I was ordered on a business trip two weeks ago, and the return is quite uncertain.  So the bike is parked safe in the garage and on the battery tender and covered, all our goodies still stashed in one corner of the study room, and the maps and travel books scattered around and no progress is made on the route back to the East through Canada.  Figure that will be the part of the real adventure as we need to go "by the flow" as Elke would say. But there are 50 days left, and if my return stands as planned (but what are plans?), we should have some four weeks left to prepare the rest.  Not much and certainly not as good of a start as one would like, but that makes the Adventure, doesn't it?  Our spirits are unbroken (yet), and with great anticipation we are looking forward to the departure date, Saturday June 14th, 2014, shine or rain, Elke and I will be on our way to Alaska.