The Blog of Blues

[dr_bar]

Dag Blues, if you're 55, I take my hat off to you. Whats your secret?

She gets a bit younger every day she climbs on that VStar...

[blues2cruise]

Most of the time I commute to work by transit. I ride my motorcycle to work only once or twice a week. I leave it at home for the main reason that it gets covered with construction dust when I leave it at work.

On Monday I rode my bike to work for the sole purpose of being able to go for an after work cruise.

I rode over the Knight Street Bridge and headed west onto Highway #91. I then exited onto #99 to head for Steveston. Steveston is steeped in history from the early days of nomadic natives who fished and then from the cannery that opened.
The village is mostly a nice place to go for tourists now, but if you want to buy fresh fish, you can still do so. The fishing boats come in to the dock and sell salmon or the catch of the day right from the boats.

My goal today though was far less "romantic". I merely wanted fish and chips.

I parked at the beach and watched the kite fliers for a while. Some of those acrobatic kites are spectacualr to watch. One fellow had a kite big enough to pull him along on something similar to a skateboard with bigger wheels.
I then rode through the village and parked near the pier. If you enjoy people watching, this place certainly has an ecclectic mix to watch. I walked the length of the pier to the float that has the fish and chip place.

I sat on the pier and watched the world go by as I enjoyed my grease for the week. Of course a meal at the oceanside would not be complete with ice cream....so before heading home, I indulged a little more.

I went back to my bike and was intending to head straight home, but as I started riding east, I made a snap decision and went south through the tunnel instead.
The glow from the setting sun on the boats was so alluring, I made my way to the marina on the river. After a quick perusal of the scenery there, I rode into Ladner. Ladner is another small town with some history in the fishing industry as well. The small museum there highlights the lives and people who lived and worked there years ago.

From Ladner I decided to take the scenic route home instead of the highway. River road is a popular route for riders becuase of it's gently winding curves and somewhat less traffic than #99.

I would normally exit to head over the Alex Fraser Bridge, but tonight I carried on through Delta and Surrey. I figured I would cross the Pattullo Bridge for a change. I stopped a couple of more times looking for something to photograph because the lighting this evening was magical. I then decided that I had finally had enough and made my way home through New westminster and beyond.

When I got home, I felt so much more relaxed and refreshed in the mind than I have for a long time.

Note to self.....Go ride alone and explore more often...especially after work.....it's great mental health therapy.

[blues2cruise]

Blues

You are amazing!

Sounds like you had the worst of both worlds, a load of sexual harrassment AND the belief that you were unattractive.

But frankly, the 'saucy' photos only go to confirm what comes across quite clearly in other pictures you've posted. I saw one somewhere of you in a haybarn (I think it was a haybarn - you see, I didn't notice the background!), and did an immediate double take.

A big heart and those kind of good looks are a great gift to the world. It's just a pity the world doesn't always respect what it is given. Be strong, enjoy and feel good about yourself.

I know that feeling bad about the way you look really can drag you down. I've seen it over many years. Di had the same problem. She had a very beautiful younger sister and in comparison she came off second best. Her father, who she never got along with, used to tell her that she was 'plain'. She wasn't at all - when we got together I thought I was the luckiest man alive. Apart from her looks she had a smile that could light up a room the size of the Albert Hall. But for a long time she believed what she had been told and felt insecure.

Sounds like you are repossessing what is rightfully yours. All power to you!

Best wishes

Richard

Thanks for the post. Yes, indeed, it is a shame when people get bombarded with criticism from an early age because it is hard to overcome the feelings of inadequacy for the rest of your life.

....and, yes, it was a hay barn......

[blues2cruise]

Dag Blues, if you're 55, I take my hat off to you. Whats your secret?

Thanks.

Clean living, healthy lifestyle....and some laughter every day....

[fireguzzi]

I saw this bike on the weekend.


I stopped to talk to the owner. It's a rare bike here. It was popular in Japan, but never gained much poularity in North America.
For a 1986 machine it sure looked good.

I have an 87 SRX 250, they are really great bike and would love to get the 600. I have pretty much gave it to my brother who is turning it into a pretty sweet cafe' racer. Gonna post pics of it soon.

Sorry to jack the thread but I don't get a lotta chances to talk about my great little bike.

[blues2cruise]

Trying riding with the Southern Cruisers again

I stopped going on the Saturday rides with the Southern Cruisers because of the insanely fast pace they rode. I went so far as to write to the first and second officer to let them know that I didn't think I could ride with them anymore.
It's not that I can't ride that fast....but I don't want to ride that fast...and I'm not comfortable with always having to wary of police because of riding 100 in 60 zones.
The last straw came when the Road Captain forgot about the group behind him and got into an altercation with a transit bus. I don't want to be part of that.

I also didn't like being given a hard time because of being a bit slower on some of the really twisty sections of highway.

I am guessing that I was not the only one to feel that way, because the turn outs for the Saturday rides were dwindling. They must have re-evaluated the way they ride on "club rides" because I was encouraged to come along on this last ride. They said they wanted EVERYONE to be able to enjoy the ride.

The speed was kept to an acceptable 10kmh over the limit. It made for a very enjoyable day.

2 of our group while we wait in the border line up.





Our ride along Highway 9 was short lived due to construction. We had to detour along some nice country roads. Suddenly we were at a crossroads and there was no sign to indicate which way to go. RC had a 50/50 chance of getting it right.....NOPE! We ended up on a dead end. So, we u-turned and headed back and were riding happliy along when we came to another crossroads. RC stopped someone in a truck to ask for for directons....and they turned out to be wrong...or at least missing some piece of information.
So, we sat along side of this unknown road pondering the next move. The other woman and I were quite willing to go to the house nearby and ask for directions, but, oh, no-o-o-o, we had to sit in the baking sun and wishing we were near a bathroom, while the men folk figured out what to do.
Finally KS got out his GPS and entered something and it showed where we were.
Yippee! We were quite close to the highway. We started up again and sure enough, the highway was only a few minutes away. We turned into a gas station to top up the tanks, get some drinks and yes, get to a bathroom.
The ride along highway 9 was lovely. We took a side trip on Park (to lake Whatcom) and went to little shop called Scooter Stuff. It's kind of like a destination accessories shop, because it sure is off the beaten track. It's a nice scenic winding road to get there, though.

After a couple of our group bought the t-shorts they wanted, we headed back to the main highway and back tracked a few minutes to go to "The Blue Mountain Grill" for lunch. It had been open for only a couple of weeks, and I suspect it will become a favourite place for bikers to stop and eat and for those that imbibe...to have a beer.
The food was good and the staff very nice.

Here we are unlayering gear outside the cafe.



and here is another rider who just finished lunch....It must have been good....look at his smile.




After lunch we carriedon sought via #9 and went to Mount Vernon so we could get to I-5 and the junction for Highway #11...the Chuckanut. The Chuckanut is a popular drive for both motorists and bikers alike.

RC and the other woman ahead of me. It's not easy taking pictures while you are riding....actually let me rephrase that....it's not easy getting "sharp" focussed pictures while riding.



We stopped at a viewpoint along the Chuckanut.....I think it had more to do with RC needing a smoke break than wanting to see the view...


While we were at the view point, someone expressed a desire for an ice cream cone. So, once we were back into a town, RC pulled into the first place he saw. Unfortunately they did not have ice cream cones, but they did have awesome milk shakes.

While we were at "Win's" having our milk shakes, RC asked me if he was slow enough today. I told him the pace and the ride were great today. While we had been at lunch back at the Blue Mountain Grill, he quietly said to me that he was glad I had come along with them today. I thanked him for that.

I beleive we were in the historic district called Fairhaven. It's just outside Bellingham. You can see by the red brick buildings and the faded mural that there is history here.
The mural you can see is only one of about 6 that were on the side of that building.






After we finished our refreshments, RC and the purple HD guy, headed to tthe Fraser Valley border crossing, while the other 3 of us headed to the truck crossing. It took about 20 minutes to get through the border line up and then the 3 of us had a nice brisk ride back into town along highway #99 to 91. Once we reached the north end of the Alex Fraser Bridge, we went our separate ways home.

It really was a good ride today despite the wrong turns.....We had no agenda and no time frame so turning the wrong way on the back country roads just added to the adventure.

I believe I will ride with them again.

[NorthernPete]

Nice Pics Blues.... I envy all the group riding you get to do.

[blues2cruise]

Nice Pics Blues.... I envy all the group riding you get to do.

Are there any riding clubs near you?

[old-n-slow]

For the most part I'd have to say the the SCRC rides here are generally within the speed limit or at about ten over. Glad to hear that there are some who recognise that not everyone wants to fly along the roads. Not so easy to enjoy the great surrounding when you are at warp speed.

You mentioned the smoke breaks. I notice that we have a lot of them in the group here as well. It appears that we have a higher percentage of smokers in the group then what the per capita average is proclaimed to be. The thing I dislike about the group rides is that when they stop, it takes forever to get them going again. Stop for lunch and that's usually it for me, I can't sit around and socialize like the others do so for as long as they usually do so I'm generally gone by the time they get back on the road.

The other thing about being on the south end of the island is that it limits the options that we have for rides, we either head up island or we head up island or........ I think you get it

Garry

[NorthernPete]

Nice Pics Blues.... I envy all the group riding you get to do.

Are there any riding clubs near you?

Kinda sorta, there is a GWRRA chapter here (just started up, as well as a Southern Cruisers Chapter that doesnt really meet or do anything...