Some noteworthy things have happened on August 20 over the past 150 years:

• In 1866, President Andrew Johnson formally declares the Civil War over.
• In 1882, Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” opens in Moscow.
• In 1920, the first US commercial radio station, WWJ (Detroit) begins daily broadcasting.
• In 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously says of the RAF: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
• In 1955, NBC weatherman Al Rokeris born.
• In 1965, the Rolling Stones release their single, “Satisfaction,” in the UK.
• In 1980, Reinhold Messner of Italy is the first to solo ascent Mt. Everest.
• In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada rules that Quebec cannot legally secede from Canada without the federal government’s approval.
• In 2011, celebrity booty model Kim Kardashian marries basketball player Kris Humphries; the marriage lasts 72 days.
• And, in 2015, three guys, all set to begin a 2,000-mile Harley excursion, decide to stay in Lake Arrowhead, relax, and leave tomorrow instead.

With yesterday’s blog build-up, you’d think Dave, Scott and I would be in the Sierras by now. Not to worry. We’ll have plenty of time to ride, beginning Friday morning.

So today, we cool our jets, fill our tanks, explore Lake Arrowhead on the Bowman’s pontoon boat, have our last home-cooked meal (Dave’s “world-famous” ribeye steaks) for 10 days, and give you the day off from reading this blog.

We plan to leave bright and early tomorrow. See you then.