jadaservicesllc.com

When Dane was looking to restart his business in TN, we were working on a name. JADA stands for Jennifer and Dane Alexander. Symbolically, the name is associated with purity, wisdom, tranquility, serenity, good luck, and prosperity. All good things we aspire for in life and business. So we named the business JADA Services. Tires are the core of our business, but we named it "Services" to leave room to broaden our scope. This site is for our business, as well as our personal blogs. Please have patience as we know nothing about creating a website!

Jennifer’s Blog

  • Trip West Day 4

    Day 4 – The 25th anniversary of 9-11. We began the day driving through the Badlands National Park. It reminded me of Death Valley in many ways. There was a red wind alert today. Pretty much a steady 20+ mph wind with 40 mph gusts. We had a picnic lunch, but it was very difficult to eat with the wind trying to blow everything away. 

    See a quick video of Dane showing the wind as we tried to get gas. This was how it was for much of the day. We had planned to camp in Custer, but with the wind, we opted to find a room.  

    When you exit the Badlands, you end up in Wall, SD. There is a famous place called Wall Drug Store. It is about the size of a city block, and within that area there are hallways with many kinds of gift shops. It reminded me of Gatlinburg in the old days. I saw souvenirs of every kind: western wear, trinkets like keychains, a variety of items with your name on them, turquoise jewelry, rocks, jams and honey, and yo-yos. The yo-yos were Duncan’s, and they lit up. Dane and I both recall having those as children.

    From Wall, we drove to Custer SP and took Iron Mountain Rd, an adventurous road with curves and twists, corkscrews, and carved tunnels. Two of the tunnels frame Mt. Rushmore.   I was not that excited to go to Mt. Rushmore. But since we were so close, we had to stop by. I pictured it like Chevy Chase at the Grand Canyon in National Lampoon’s Vacation: he drives for hours, then jumps out of the car, smiles, nods his head in a funny Chevy Chase way, and jumps back in.  But the visitor center was nice, and we enjoyed hearing and seeing about how it was done. It was pretty incredible.

    After that, we headed toward Rapid City, where they still had decent rooms available at a reasonable rate. Since it was Friday night, rooms were harder to come by. We’d also seen most of what we wanted to see in the Custer area, so we headed toward Deadwood, Sturgis, and the Spearfish area, which is our next stop anyway.

    Today I took some photos with my good camera, but I will likely not have time to upload them until I get home, so I also tried to take photos with my phone to share here in the meantime. We have been very lucky so far on this trip, except that our timing has been off with the sun’s position. We often find ourselves shooting into the sun.

    Click here to see some photos of the day

  • Trip west – Day 3

    Day 3 – We made it to Sioux City, Iowa last night. Before we headed out of town, we shopped at Walmart to stock up on supplies and stopped by a bike shop, Albrecht’s Bicycle Shop. It is 105 years old. It was a Schwinn dealer back in the day and still had Schwinn signs. The place was huge. They had a basement with new and used bikes and parts. On the main floor, they had a large inventory of bikes and all things bike-related, plus an area with coffee and beer for group rides. I took lots of pictures. Non-cycling friends can skip past them.

    Next stop was Sioux Falls, SD. They have a park called Falls Park that highlights a section of breathtaking falls on the Big Sioux River. We stopped and strolled through that area. We didn’t ride there, but it is part of 36 miles of paved greenway that would be fun to explore. Another classy town!  

    The interstate speed limit in SD is 80 mph. I love it! There is so much to see and do, but only so much time, so we’re trying to balance the “driving to” with the actual “seeing and doing”. But we are even enjoying the interstate. We cannot stop and photograph every interesting, beautiful thing we see. We have seen so many old farmhouses, old barns, unusual trees, windmills, ponds, lakes, and one very old rusted Pacific locomotive that had been put out to pasture decades ago.

    We could not pass Mitchell, SD, though. We had to stop and see the world’s only corn palace. It is definitely CORN-y and a-MAIZE-ing. The place smells like popcorn. We purchased two caramel corn cobbs to try later. It’s a fascinating historical place. They have a book for you to sign, and the farthest place someone listed on the page we signed was Switzerland!

    SD has very nice rest areas. We stopped at one overlooking the Missouri River. It was a place where Lewis and Clark had camped. It had an enormous Native American statue and a stunning view (trying to use verbs other than beautiful, lol). As soon as we crossed the river, we started seeing a few random small black hills. 

    We made it to Kadoka, SD, and are staying at Grandpa Joe’s Place, an old motel run by a nice couple. It is very old-fashioned, in an X-Files sort of way, but quite lovely and possibly the cleanest place I have ever stayed. There is one restaurant in town. Just after we were seated, crowds of people, with funny tan lines, a certain physique, and some of the men had shaved legs, bombarded the place. We knew they were serious cyclists and wanted to learn more. They were a Trek Travel group cycling from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. I would love to be back in good enough shape to do that. It was once a realistic dream. Oh! And the weird picture at the end is of a place called Firehenge, near where we are staying.

    Another great day behind us. Tomorrow we will reach the Badlands.

    Click here to see photos highlighting today

  • Trip West – Day 2

    Before we left Rocheport, we decided to take a short ride on the Katy Trail, a 265-mile-long rail trail along the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad line. I rode the entire trail back about 19 years ago. Today, we went west and experienced another big tunnel. This one wasn’t nearly as dark or scary as yesterday’s tunnel. Then we went back east from Rocheport to explore. There, the Missouri River ran along one side and a rock cliff on the other side of the trail. We saw a place on the cliff side where a hole had been drilled to provide a waterspout. Above it was a carving railroad workers made in 1908.  

    Next, we loaded up and headed to Kansas City for a trail ride there. We consider riding at least 5 miles as riding in a state. We crossed into KS to ride at Leawood Park. Kansas City is a beautiful city. The park, greenway, and the surrounding homes were very nice. When we arrived, the radar showed rain moving into the area. So we didn’t change into bike clothes, grab water bottles, or anything. We knew we were doing a hurried 2.5-mile ride out and back for a total of 5 miles just to check it off our list. It was perfect timing. We got back to the car and were rolling north just as the rain started. We enjoyed their greenway but were content with the bit we saw, knowing better rides are ahead. From there we headed toward Omaha and Council Bluffs. Along I-29 we saw amber waves of grain. Thousands of acres, just like the song describes.   We took many photos from a moving car through the windows with our phones, so no award-winning photos, but we still enjoyed the beauty and captured snapshots for the memory.   We saw some RR lights flashing across a field, alerting us that a train was coming, so we jumped off the interstate to film it. The John Deere tractors here are quite different from the ones you see around home! Took some photos of those behemoths. Later we caught and passed the same train we had seen previously, as the tracks were back alongside the interstate. Eventually, we made it to Council Bluffs, IA, and rode along the greenway across the river from Omaha, then crossed a beautiful pedestrian bridge and rode in NE. Omaha has become a beautiful town since I was last there in the late 90s.

    We can now checkmark IL, MO, KS, IA, and NE as states where we have ridden our bikes on this trip!

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/m5yb4sLnR81zhrVE9

  • Trip West – Day 1

    Day 1 was fun. We stopped in IL and cycled on the Tunnel Hill trail. We went through a very dark tunnel. I have a headlight on my bike, but it only makes me visible to cars and didn’t help me see in the tunnel. It was so dark. The tunnel was straight, so I could see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. I could not see the ground or anything else, total blackness. And it was very cool inside. Near the end, I stopped and took a picture of Dane, who was ahead, stopped, and had turned back to take a picture of me. Afterward, we rode a short distance, and Dane said, “That is crazy. I never saw that man in the tunnel that you were talking with.”  Well, I was surprised because I never saw a man or talked with one! I let my imagination run away with me.  Ooooooo-eeeeeee-oooooo-eeeeeee

    After that, we made it to Rocheport, MO, where we are staying in a boxcar at a trailhead on the Katy Trail. In the morning, we plan to take a short ride before heading west again toward Kansas City, then Omaha. This is a cycling town. Bikes are everywhere, both with riders and as décor. We had a great dinner at a local place where Dane had the best tacos of his life.

    Click here to see photos from Day 1 – Sep 8

  • Continuation of Big Boy trip – videos!

    At one point, we actually paced with the Big Boy. I had mentioned I wanted to include Ryan’s video, and I finally got a copy. But also, unbeknownst to me, Dane was filming me. He was in the back passenger seat. Ryan was in the back seat behind me, train side. And Milton had the front passenger seat, as our navigator. He is only 15 but is excellent at cross-referencing rail lines to roadways to get us around. And me? I drove. I managed to keep the Big Boy in sight as long as possible. I was outmaneuvered by some, but I had precious cargo on board and had a backseat driver keeping me in line. I could not watch the train. I focused on driving!

    Below is Ryan’s video. I think his video better captures the energy and excitement, as you can hear the wind blowing and him hooping and hollering. His is in two parts. Here is part one.

    And the continuation here in part 2.

  • Baby birds in flowers

    Baby birds in flowers

    This spring, we had three different broods of birds, house finches. It is so interesting to watch these families. Just like people, they have different personalities. The first was a more experienced couple. Both the mother and father contributed. They were confident and kept a clean house.

    I went out to water my geraniums. I set the hanging plant on the ground. I saw what I thought was grass and tried to pick it up to throw it out of the pot, but it was a nest with three eggs in it. Oops! So, I immediately put it back and hoped the mama bird would come back.

    A few minutes later, I heard a ruckus outside, and the mother and father were perched on the pot, looking down and carrying on back and forth. I imagined the conversation. One said, “I told you this was not a good place to build our nest!” The other replied, “No, it is fine, see! The eggs are still there! Everything is good! Just chill out!” She later added two more and incubated five eggs in all. All five baby birds survived. At one point, when the birds were first hatched, I noticed them out there with another couple, all perched around the pot looking at the nest and babies. It was funny. But it seemed like they wanted to show these other birds what they had. Maybe they were trying to educate a younger couple on how to do things properly.

    Click here to see pictures of birds in a flower pot

    We had two more broods with fewer eggs, little help from the fathers, and mamas who were more nervous. They also made a huge mess. I did not get any pictures of the second. They were burrowed further down in a pot, so we could not see them well enough to get a good photo. I got a few of the third. They were in our carport area on a security camera. It was dark, so that made it difficult. Also, the mama was very nervous. I was afraid she would leave and not come back if I messed around too much. These birds stayed in the nest until much later. You can see in the photos.

    Click here to see photos of baby birds in the carport area

    I read that they will often move to a tree before they are fully grown. I think the ones in the pot did that. I later saw the whole family at the feeder. For a long time, they hung around the front porch, like a big, cheerful family.

    We had such a great time worrying and watching over these birds. During a few storms, the pot was swirling and blowing everywhere, but all we could do was look out the window and worry. Dane saw the mama teaching one that was struggling to learn to fly.

  • Bucks in the yard

    We made it back from St. Louis safely on Monday. And there has been nothing much of interest to report. But this morning, we had four 8-point bucks in the yard in the velvet phase. Most people reading this probably already know what that means, but I did not. I asked AI. For other unenlightened ones like myself, the velvet phase means the antlers are still growing and have a fuzzy, velvety-looking covering. That covering is packed with blood vessels and nerves that rush essential minerals and protein to build hard bone.  The soft hair acts like a sensory radar to help the buck avoid hitting trees and hurting his sensitive growing rack.  Once the rapid growth phase ends, the antlers start to calcify, transforming them from softer cartilage to hard bone. I took a few average-looking photos. I hope they come again tomorrow morning, and I will be ready and may be able to get better photos.

    Click here for photos of the deer from this morning

  • Trip to St Louis – Final day

    First thing, we went by the Arch. Parking became a hassle, so I let Dane and the boys go walk around and look at it, while I stayed with our illegally parked car. It was new to them. I was up in the Arch about 20 years ago, so I was fine not getting an up close look again.

    The actual Big Boy Exhibit was extremely hot, crowded, and nothing we had not already seen the day prior. The only good thing is we got lucky and snagged a free street parking spot rather than pay $20 to park, like everyone else. They did not even have souvenirs for sale.

    After that, we went to the National Museum of Transportation. It was very nice. The boys got the last two T-shirts in their size. We were short one, and a lady in line overheard us talking and showed us one that was out of place. Another stroke of good luck! The shirts said Two Big Boys in One City. They are cool! I am so glad they were able to get those.

    Railfans are like cyclists and most serious hobbyist groups. They have their gadgets, like radios to hear the rail yard talk, their own lingo, and, due to their common interest, have a family-like camaraderie.

    I met a fellow from Queens, NY. He was at the arch yesterday evening and, as he put it, Ed Dickens (the engineer of the Big Boy) pulled up in the Big Boy for a photo op. He shared his photo with me, and I will put it on here. We also met a lady named Cindy from Nashville, and Ryan shared his video with her.

    You cannot help but get excited for everyone here. They are as thrilled to be here as I would be on the Alpe d’Huez watching the Tour de France.

    The boys said this trip was the GOAT (greatest of all time). They saw all the class I railways – CSX, Canadian National, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, BNSF, Canadian Pacific, plus Amtrak and some regionals, all on one trip.

    You heard seeing the Big Boy described repeatedly as amazing and a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. One more eloquently expressed reaction to the Big Boy trending across social media – “The whistle echoed through town, the earth shook beneath our feet, and the sheer power of this incredible piece of history was absolutely exhilarating. ” Well said! Alas, all good times come to an end.

    We head back home in the morning.

    We capped the night off by visiting the Union Station Hotel light show. I was really hot and tired most of today and was slack on taking photos, but here are a few.

    Click here for todays photos

  • Trip to St Louis – Day 3

    Today was the day the Big Boy arrived in St. Louis. We traveled west to see it moving. Tomorrow, it will be stationary all day. It was a crazy day! I have included pictures. But the best is a video that Ryan took as we drove alongside the train. It will be after he gets back home before he can post it. But I will include a link when he does. We began the day just looking at tracks around here, so I included a few photos of engines we saw parked. Then we went to a crossing area to wait for the Big Boy. It ended up stopping there, which was not what we wanted. They did that because there were parallel tracks and they needed to let an Amtrak train going the other way by. So we took off to get ahead, then waited in the car so we could travel alongside him. You can see the crowds at the crossing and all along the track where it comes through. It has the loudest horn! Two of the photos below were taken by Ryan. The one where the engineer, Ed Dickens, is looking dead at the camera was taken by Ryan. He also took the one that has the arch sticking above the train. I focused more on driving than photography. I only brought my phone camera, but it has me excited to pull out my good camera and try to get back to doing some quality photography again.

    Click to see Chasing the Big Boy photos

  • Trip to St Louis Day 2

    St. Louis has an area, Forest Glen Park, that was part of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, which was huge. It is still over 1300 acres and includes a zoo, a history museum, and a very nice art museum. We made quick visits to the history museum and art museum this morning.

    You can tell that St. Louis was once a grand city. The downtown area seems empty and not the safest place to be. We have driven through some neighborhoods that you can tell were once home to elegant, stately homes on beautiful, tree-lined streets. Sadly, most are in such disrepair and decay that they are beyond restoration. I looked online and learned this is the second-fastest-declining city in the US. What a stark contrast to Nashville! As much as we all complain about growing pains in TN. A growing economy is definitely best. Seeing this place makes you appreciate what we have in TN.

    We met up with Milton and his parents. I had learned about St. Louis-style pizza. According to Wiki, the pizza typically has a thin crust made without yeast, is topped with sweet tomato sauce and Provel cheese, and is cut into squares or rectangles. We ate at a local chain called Imo’s. I like to try new places. It was good…my favorite pizza EVER is still NY by the Slice in Hartsville, SC though!

    Then, after an early dinner, we went back to the area of the UP train yard and actually drove on the yard for a bit.

    Below is a link to some photos from the day. I also showed a couple from yesterday that I forgot to include yesterday. One of me cleaning the car windows at a gas station. I had to take a picture in honor of my nephew, Andrew. If you ever travel with Andrew, he will make sure your car windows are clean! The other showed some flooding. We did not get the best pic to show, but they had flash flooding yesterday. It was odd because it did not rain for long, but it came down so hard and so fast that the roads were flooding. It was scary at times because we did not know the roads and could not be sure how deep it would get.

    Tomorrow, we try to catch the Big Boy Steam train in transit.

    Click here to see photos from the day