Mr Murphy, strikes again.

Late November

Yeah yeah yeah... for all of you that thought this move to the far east, would result in winter burial of 20 feet worth of snow... for all of you that warned me about getting stuck for days on end, for each of you that remembers only the news clips shown on late night television... for anyone that doubts there is such a thing as "murphy's law", I say.... behold the wonders of nature.

Sure, when I previously lived out here during the 80's, there were indeed winters that buried cars and buildings with snowfall.  I remember clearly walking over top my buried 7' high fence, riding my snowmobile across a car with only the tip of the antenna protruding next to my ski.  When we would see days without being able to leave the driveway.  Moncton dumped on with 65cm one day and another 75 the next.  Enough snowfall to supply several ski hills.  Sure there were winters with little snow, not even enough to shovel.

Late December

Early January

Mid January

Just to prove that I am well acquainted with Murphy, I will try to illustrate how little control we have over such things.

We live in the country.  People would refer to it as an acreage.  I call it "property"  To me an acreage is that new house just down the road.  An acre perhaps, in a square, cut from a surrounding potato field.  Tha's an acreage.  Our place is an elongated, obtuse capital L, with a shallow valley leading down to some dense trees, which is part of a forest of perhaps 200 acres.  Our own place is just shy of 20 such acres, mostly rolling hill, but plenty of nearby tree cover.

In anticipation of living on a country property, I bought a self propelled 2 stage snow blower, picked up a long track Polaris snowmobile, and just recently a Yamaha 4X4 all terrain vehicle with an attached 5' wide snowplow.  I even transported my snow shovels from Calgary.  It began snowing here at our property late in November.  The first few snowfalls were of 6-12" depth, nothing the little blower couldn't handle with a little work.  Once I bought the Indy Lite, it snowed less and melted more.  Since buying the quad... it's only been melting.

Mid January

This morning January 31

As you can see from the photo array, this is what I woke to this morning... 10 degrees C and very little of the white stuff left.  In 24 hrs, pretty much all of it has done a Houdini into the earth!


Is it over?  I doubt it... but just goes to show, you can never be quite sure of what Mother Nature brings to the table...

January 31, 8 am.

Touring... is a state of mind!

SO... yes I know, you never begin a sentence with but or so, but... this is my blog and I can do what I want... so...

1973 R60/5

I bought myself a used Yamaha 350 Big Bear recently.  Four wheel drive with a snow plow.  In fact, there were three consecutive snow falls in the week before I was to bring it home.  Since then, nada, nothing, gooseegg!  In fact, it was 6C today! Go figure.

1976 XS 750 triple

A n y w a y... have been thinking of the upcoming spring.  It's been 38 years since I first saw this little Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  Rode the Beemer across this immense and entertaining country.  Maybe time to do another ride once again.

1990 XT 600

Phoenix is an all day jet ride from the East coast, but I am planning a trip for early April.  Maybe detour to Calgary on the return leg, and ride the Road Star back.

1983 GL 100 Aspencade

 

Although I have been across Canada 12 times by road now, this would only be the second time on a bike.  Things have changed greatly in 4 decades.  In them days it was surprising to see another bike on the road traveling.  Motorcycling was anything BUT main stream back then.  Touring type bikes were few and very far between and riders even more so.

I bought the Beemer because of its reputation as a reliable and comfortable long distance bike and in fact it and the Italian Moto Guzzi, were the only available shaft driven bikes then.

1984 Venture Royale

1978 RD 400E

Today of course all this has changed.  There are many purpose built long distance bikes with shaft drive and of course bikes although not exactly main stream, certainly have become much more popular.  

1986 SRX

Then a guy riding a chopped hawg was most likely to wear colors... today Harleys and their various clones, are ridden by dentists, accountants and even cops off duty!  The "real bikers" are wearing suits and controlling vast illegal enterprises.  Times have changed.

1984 Virago 1100

1981 RD 350 L/C

Just prior to moving I traded my beloved MGB on a Yamaha Roads Star Silverado midnight edition complete with leather bags, 'police style' windshield, alarm system and floor boards.

1978 MGB

The bike is being stored at long time friend Tom's place, waiting for a spring sale.  Maybe I'll detour my planned Phx trip to return through Cowtown and load my duffel bag on the sissy bar and ride the brute back east.




After all... it took me 38 years to finally ride a 600 all over Europe... maybe time to ride the Silverado to the new homestead.

2003 Road Czar 1600

Flashback. Biting the bullet in Baja.

I'D driven the Ford towing the Terry Resort, equipped with my 10' Waldron kayak and 1992 XT 225, fighting stiff Santa Anna winds for days, the trailer like a 4500 pound boat anchor on wheels, cruelly destroying my fuel mileage.

I was finally on the beach, camp nicely set up.

Before heading south, I had the choice of the Chevy Blazer or the pick up.  I could very easily have slipped the boat on the roof rack, the Serow on the rail and towed down my tent trailer with me, cutting in half my fuel costs.  The sole reason for the travel trailer was my expectant company.

That's where I am heading. Sierra Giganta's range

Then girlfriend Barb, with ticket in hand, was flying down to meet me in a few weeks.  I knew she would appreciate an indoor privy and tub/shower.  Plus of course,  there was just plain more room for two than in a crowded tent trailer.



Before her arrival I had several chances to knock about the familiar hood around Mulege on my trail bike.  The 223cc Yamaha is about ideal for this type of riding.  Light weight in case you have to drag it around some obstacle, of which there are plenty in Baja, fast enough not to worry about getting run down by the Express bus on the Trans Peninsular highway 1, and frugal enough to make long distances on the fuel range away from rare Pemex stations.  Besides that, I'd had the bike since new, and knew it to be utterly reliable.

Typical desert road signage

Days before her scheduled arrival, I was packed and heading for an overland trek the 'long way round' to Loreto, where her flight would arrive 4 days hence.  I planned on a route carrying me across the Giganta range heading first south, along Bahia Concepcion before turning inland on the La Purisima/San Isidro road west, and then south towards Rancho San Cristobal... to ride the spine of the mountains.  I was somewhat familiar with a portion of the route, having ridden it in 2004 on this same bike. (see Canadian Biker May 2005 "Another Canuck Amuck")  However I was going to choose another southern leg on this side of the mountain range that would wind me eventually to Loreto on the Cortez coast.

Of course, it was hot, brutally so once away from the breezes of the gulf.  I turned off on an unnamed desert track crossing dry riverbeds with huge boulders strewn about, up and down narrow trails across lonesome ridges.  No water in sight, not a bird in the sky, no trees, just the odd cacti and chirping cricket... or was that the sound of my four stroke engine cooling while stopped?

I'd followed much of the dry riverbed down from the north in the distance

The entire round trip, with an overnight in Loreto was two full days and over 250 km.  Doesn't sound like much does it.  You'd be surprised!  Somewhere about half way perhaps, after a particularly rugged, loose and winding uphill, the rear wheel slipped up on some gravel over rock and the Serow tossed me into the ground, "smack"!  It happened so quickly, I didn't even get a leg down off the pegs (I was standing much of the route as per usual).  The impact brought my right shoulder rudely against the ground, and caught my right leg under the bike.  We were on a slight uphill, and I had crossed from one rut to the other.



I lay on the ground for only a moment or two wondering what had happened?  It was instantaneous. Fortunately I was able to flick the kill switch and slowly extricate myself from under the light bike (230lbs mas o menos)  Had it been my 600, I'd have been in worse trouble me thinks.  Standing myself upright, I immediately felt the sharp pain in my right ankle.  Stabbing hot like a searing scimitar strike... I knew I was in trouble but didn't come to grips right away.  I hobbled over to some tiny shade under a creosote bush, where at least I had a (very) tiny respite from the sun.  Helmet came off, Baja vest next, I had to get back over to the bike to get the canteen, nearly puking my guts out from the pain and exertion.

The spot.

My vest mounted thermometer said 110F.  It was early afternoon.  I stripped off everything, right down to my boxers, trying to stay as cool as possible under the little shade I had.  I pondered my situation.  I had plenty of water, food in the form of fresh fruit and energy bars.  Spare gas.  Tools, tape.  Not knowing the extent of the injury, but thinking it was a sprain, I gingerly got my stuff together, patched up the two broken turn signals on the right side, and re started the engine.  No problem there, no punched crankcase or spilled gasoline.  The trail I was on was very narrow and to my right was a shear drop off of maybe 300 feet.  I rode onwards about a quarter mile, sitting on the saddle keeping the weight off my right leg.  Here I found a flat area with some taller bushes where I stopped and thought over my predicament.  I was 40km off road in the mountains and about 25 kms from San Jose Comondu by my calculations, then another 40 or so into Loreto.  I had never been on this track before so of course I did not know what lay ahead other than the rather steep loose hill directly in front of me.

Wounded Serow

I did know the route I'd cross.  Rocky, mostly single track trail that an ATV would have a hard time negotiating.  No way a Jeep was getting in the way I'd ridden!  The trail was wide enough, but in several washouts at the base of the mountains, large boulders had blocked part of the trail.  I hadn't seen a single vehicle or habitat or ranch or person since leaving the highway.  Back at Las Cocos, they knew generally where I was going but no one expected me back until late tomorrow night. 

I was on my own.

Welcome to my World!

I dream.  A lot.  In fact I'd say, every night I have either a series of foreign shorts, blockbusters, musicals or spoofs. Sometimes it's action adventure, others... staid, simple boring stuff.  Sometimes I spend countless hours in deciphering what in the hell that was all about?  Other times I just wake up with a smile on my face.

Very often I have these nightmarish things that seems to run in an endless loop.  Like when I was a kid and someone would chase me every night. On the other hand, later as a young adult, someone (usually very attractive older women) would chase me every night!



I've dreamed that I could fly, pedaling my legs like on an invisible bicycle... strange creatures on the ground in in the air snapping their oversized toothy jaws at me, this in my early Nintendo days... but of course everyone has those dreams.

I had a recurring dream for years of being a motorcycle riding, aero engine mechanic on the Western front.  My job was to keep the Spads and SE 5's and Nieuports running.  Occasionally I'd take one up for a hop.  On one such occasion I ran into some Fokker's flown by real pilots, and was shot down in flames.  Scary stuff, being dead.

 

Once in awhile I have a dream that makes no sense even to me.  I mean it makes sense in so far as I realize what the dream was about, but the content leaves me scratching (my head).  Last night I had just such a dream.  Let me tell you a little about it, maybe it will make some sense to you.

Here's what I remember clearly.

*The protagonist was a guy we'll call Don.  Don lives just a few miles from a small regional city.  Beautiful place really, nestled in the Rockies, not too far inside the B.C. border.  About 3 hours drive from Calgary on the Trans Canada highway.  Don's job, as it has been for three decades, is to clear snow from provincial highways in the immediate area.  For anyone that has traveled this route in winter, avalanches and heavy snow fall are routine.  He's the guy that goes out there with some piece of heavy equipment and clears the road of whatever debris is blocking it making things drive-able for you and I. 

Given Don's location, he is required by his employer to have a grader or loader backed into his yard just in case he gets a 4 am phone call to "get rolling"  Now keep in mind, this is a dream I am having last night, its not reality, its dreamworld... but I digress.

Phone rings.  Don, is up in an instant. "Yeah, sure.  I'm on it."

He dresses, has a cup of joe, fills his thermos and lunch kit and fires up the yellow terror Caterpillar.  Blade dropped, he clears the 4 foot drift in front of the machine and heads out on the road.  Same as he's been doing since Roy Rogers was a youngin' (if you need to ask...)

Don finds himself the center of an official complaint one day.  Seems someone has brought it to the attention of his superiors (I use the word loosely) that he is using government equipment to clear his personal driveway.  He tries to explain his predicament, but to no avail.  He is supposed to call a private company to travel the 10 km to his place on a snow packed highway with 10 foot high drifts, so someone other than himself and his publicly funded snow machine, clears his 300' foot deep drive.  Don gets suspended for a month without pay.  Case closed. Of course, in order for the private guys to get there, said highway must be cleared.

See the dilemma poor Don finds hisself in?  
 

Now remember, this is coming out of my sub-conscious in the form of an ongoing feature length dream, its NOT true.

Well, our hero, ends up buying a Yamaha ATV mounting a whopping big snow blower on the front end so he can do the job himself.  Problem solved.  Or is it bigger than Don... 


 

Anyway, in this dream, my thoughts are, how close is this to reality nowadays, when political correctness becomes the bottomless pit for bureaucratic idiocy.  Now this is a ficticious story, it in no way resembles a real person or situation, but could it?

I leave that to you.

Sleep well tonight!


*Any similarity to persons living or dead, is purely co-incidental.

Yup, feels like Chinook!

Having lived in Calgary Alberta recently, longer than anywhere in my life to boot, I am no stranger to the strange phenom known as a "Chinook"  I've been told before, by those seemingly intelligent and in the know, that this unique weather shift occurs in as few as 8 places on the planet... and the only urbanized center is southern AB.  Has to do with warm winds brought in by the jet stream from the Pacific and then dumped via natural valleys into the interior. 


It isn't uncommon to be stuck in freezing temperatures like Phoenix has been lately, and within a very short period,  experience a fluctuation of as much as 40 degrees from the extremes.  Very unusual to come home, park the car in a blizzard at 20 below zero, to wake up to warm winds and 20 above!  Everything melting.

Chinooks don't occur in Eastern Canada officially.  However in recent weeks we ourselves on this little Island no doubt buffered by the mass of New Brunswick/Nova Scotia, and the surrounding waterways, have experienced similar "mini" chinooks.  A few days ago it was plus 10C and yesterday while at the southern end of Malpeque Bay while loading up a used Big Bear, it was absolutely frigid.  Doesn't help that we were standing about 100 yards from the frozen bay with not a twig in sight for 500 miles, the chill cut through me like the proverbial 'katana'!



Arriving home (where your helmets are) we commented on how warm our little valley is.  Facing south, our huge windows gather heat from the Sun, and to our north we sit nearly at the base of a 300 foot high wooded hill.  We sit rather in a sun bowl!  Well sheltered and gathering whatever rays the sun has to provide, we must have been at least 5 degrees warmer without the wind howling across the pond, so to speak.


Anyway, the Big Bear is in pretty decent shape given its age (14 yrs) a little crusty and in need of some TLC, but overall seems like a good buy.  Although PEI has no public land for off roaders to use, we have 20 acres (of our own) of undulating terrain, with about 5-6 acres of trees, part of a forest of perhaps 200 acres covering the nearby hillside.  The quad has a large blade, which will certainly come in handy, and is mostly why I bought it, for clearing this rather large driveway. 

Beautiful sunny morning again today, crisp out -15C, but from in here I can already feel the rays warming us from the east facing windows.

Life, as they say... is great!

Chinook?

TEN degrees!

You read that right... several inches of fluff came down over the last 3 days.  For example, yesterday I get up in the morning.  (it's true, even retired I rarely sleep into till 2 pm.) I fired up the blower and with my Yamaha snowmobile duds on, went out to clear the driveway.  That lasted about 3 minutes.  Not the driveway but the gear.  I had to strip several times until I was wearing little more than  my boxers, rubber boots and a T shirt.  Okay... I had pants on, but really, I was 'sweating' buckets.

'Ski-doo-ing'

Don't know what the official high was forecast but my back door thermometer read 10-11C.  That's 50 degrees F.  Practically pool weather! Phoenix wasn't much warmer last month!

The Cub Cadet in 6th gear (shades of RD L/C's) made short work of the driveway, and having time on my hands, I fired the Indy Lite up with a twist of the key... and took Anna girl for her very first ever in her life, snowmobile ride.  We wound our way through the yard before heading up the hill and onto the grain fields beyond.

Few would remember, but our property used to be part of a larger parcel  known as Woodlands Heights campground and (drum role) Ski park!  That's right, the hill to our west was one of PEI's rare ski hills, complete with several runs and rope tows etc.  We bought the campground section and below us was a swimming pool, movie stars (j/k) and campsites.  Very cool.  Our road is the Island's version of magnetic hill.  Oft times we see cars on County Line rd doing their thing.  Of course its no where near as popular as Moncton's World famous Magnetic Hill, but never the less, its almost as entertaining as seeing the Calgary Transit buses on Silver Springs Blvd during a snow storm!

Woodland Heights campground circa 1970's

Yup... pretty darn exciting living out here in the 'country'...

Yesterday's heat wave melted all the recent snowfall and then some.  The fields are bare once again.

Woke up today dreaming I was riding the Cabot Trail.  Now there is a piece of roadway that rivals some of the best anywhere.  I mean really, I've ridden the Angeles Crest highway, the Pacific Coast highway, the Blue Ridge parkway, Sea to Sky, the Alps... the CT although short, is not only exciting but breathtaking as well.

Can't wait to gear up the T Bird this spring and travel the Maritimes once again.  Been a lonnnng time coming.

Cheers f.

It was a wonderfully sunny day... my partner exclaimed loudly with gusto... "I LOVE IT"

"WHAT!!"

NOT certain if little Phoenix would agree, but it was a lovely sunny day.

Being a cat, he's pretty much content with stuffing his face with kibbles, the rare morsel of cooked ham* and sleeping most of the day.  There's no point in telling a cat that he/she is sleeping away most of their lives, they'd only answer you with "we've got nine, what's the Big deal?!"

It's been more than a week since B and I had traveled to the east end to pick up this used Polaris Indy Lite long track.  I'd originally thought it may be great for a budding young Anna to putter around the yard with.  Course I soon realized just about 20 minutes into grunting my guts out to get 'unstuck' from a snowdrift, that leaving her to her own devices was just asking for trouble.

From the day on which we purchased the
 s n o w m o b i l e (it still drives me nuts when I hear riders telling me they 'drive their bikes', those twits calling all machines 'ski doos or watercraft, 'jet skis') several warm days and rain had knocked down the 2 odd feet of snow to mere inches with bare patches on the potato fields in the hood.

This day though, during our hour long local exploration of the trails and woods, it was gorgeous out!

Yup, I agreed... it was beautiful.  Being a week day, we were the only ones puttering around out there for miles.  We had to skirt some dry stretches and I had a genuine concern for the slides, but long years of previous use has not fallen on my deaf ears.

Sleds ride like tanks.  Takes nearly 40 acres to turn around, you easily over balance and are always in the 'am I gonna tip over onto my head' mode, and on icy trails you wonder if you are actually going to make that turn or what.

Our yard looks much different under a blanket of  snow... you have to admit its durn pretty!

Not having a particularly hectic schedule we can enjoy the outdoors when it suits us rather than the other way round.  I suspect, if I can keep this machine in decent shape over the years, we'll find lots of use for it, even if its only to explore the surrounding hills.

Anyway... Brenda had her turn, actually many turns, with me clinging to her, ahem... hand holds that offered little in the way of actual grip, pleasant as they were.  Not wanting to fall off prematurely, I went back to the bar behind me, much of the time.

The more difficult parts I managed myself, after all, it was her first time piloting and I didn't want to wear her out.

Now that we've got this base covered... it will be motorcycle lessons in the springtime.  I have the perfect little training bike (DT 50) small light and legal, I still have pylons and even remember a thing or two about motorcycle training...

Peace!

*I buy cooked ham now just to treat Phx.

So this is Christmas....

YUP... it's been decades since I lived here.  I do still remember it pretty well, okay, very well.  I remember winters that weren't... and others that were so deep in snow, it would take a bucket wheel excavator to dig you out.

Today, Monday morning, it's 5C and has rained pretty much all night.  A few more days of this and the 2 feet of snow on the ground... will be a running stream underground!

I sure hope I get to ride my newly acquired Polaris Indy Lite some...

Home sweet home...

HOLLY jetted in for a very short visit on my Birthday.

She's off once again to Dal (housie) for her last semester.  Hard to believe the time has flown by, like an SR71...

My little haven, the den.

I'VE been asked for more pics of my (almost) finished house.  Unfortunately I have very few.  I will spend some time once the place is presentable and snap a few more digital images.

Here's what I do have, for what it's worth.

Downstairs TV room.

Downstairs shower and loo too.

Self explanatory

Spare room futon, Hol was the first guest.

BOUGHT a sled this week, a small used (340) Polaris long track.  No time yet to ride it, but maybe tomorrow I'll get out and about the hood here.

Plenty of snow on the ground, and I do after all, live out in the country.  Every day 'bilers are rushing by either in the fields or along County Line rd.  It's not plowed past the neighbor place.


THE cold that attacked us viciously just before Christmas, is still lingering.  We go through bouts of hacking and sneezing.  My nose isn't running right now, but it is jogging!

Weather has been particularly mild.  Zero to minus five or so, the odd night 10 below.

Brn and I went for a country walk this afternoon, several kms, quite pretty, calm and mild.




PUSSY cats are doing fine, all settled.  maybe a bit perplexed that the tree is gone...





HAVEN'T had much inclination to write, not a whole lotta fun being sick and all.  Will try and get out some more stuff soon enough.

Submitted another story to Canadian Biker.  Editor Campbell thought it was 'terrific'.  Gives me incentive to do more this coming year.

So... that's all for now... maybe tomorrow a little tale of riding the snow!

:)

Well...

It's the third of January, 2013.  The world has not come to an end.  We're still looking for Atlantis, and I've just seen my 58th Birthday.

 

That's right, I'm officially a year older today.  Of course, yesterday I was only 57.

Hard to believe that young man, who rode his R60/5 across this immense country at age 20, is sitting here today, with a garage full of motorcycles, nearly forty years on, writing this blog. 

Back in Calgary, I have a 1600cc Yamaha Midnight Silverado.  A full 1000cubes larger in it's twin cylinders than that old (then new) Beemer.  Who knows... maybe this year I will ride that bike across the country once again.

All the best in 2013

White Out/not ink.

FOR those of you that have asked about the missing picture in my last blog... its not missing!

That is a reasonable facsimile of a northern blizzard white out.  I admit I used some poetic license to illustrate my point, being thus.

If you drive in North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Anywhere on the CDN prairies or out here on occasions.  You will experience the dreaded white out. (no... its not a KKK convention) Lacking an artificial horizon in my Chevy, fighting to tell your brain, yes... you are still moving even if it feels like you are at a standstill, you just grip the wheel (tightness depends entirely on visibility)... hope you don't run into someone and no one rear ends you in the process.

One year, while creeping out rte 2 to my shop in Miscouche, I came across a small car with its nose totally buried in a drift about 6' high.  No shovel, no warm clothes, no winter emergency gear, having traveled from the mainland going to family up west* and entirely clueless.  Had I not happened along and been able with much effort to pull them free using my 4X4... they would have been stuck there till spring or until a snow plow operator bunted them off the road, dead.

Just for tech effect... I'm reprinting Saturday's "white out" pic.

This is what a white out looks like from the driver's/pilot's seat!

Happy New Year!

*up west here on PEI refers the the western part of the Island ie: Oleary, Alberton, Tignish.