The Blog of Blues

[dr_bar]

Talking about 20cm on the Coq today/ tonight. Be careful...

(Approx. 8 inches for those of you south of the 49th...)

[blues2cruise]

Probably go Hope Princeton unless that route has problems.

I'll be checking the road and weather report before I leave.

I'm always careful....but thank you.

[blues2cruise]

Per a request for a photo.....

This is from a place nearby called Serpentine Fen. It was getting late and the last bit of light made for some nice silhouettes.

[Hanson]

Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

Safe Travels,
Richard

[blues2cruise]

I travelled home yesterday from Penticton (in the Okanagan area of BC) to the lower mainland (on the coast ). It was snowing in Penticton and kept lightly snowing most of the way until Hope...except in Manning Park, where the snow was heavy.

Manning Park had a lot of snow.....and some icy and slushy spots. We saw three separate incidents of vehicles that had slid into ditches....One of them being a pick up truck that obviously didn't like the slower speed I was going....A short time later we saw his truck laying across a snow bank hanging over a ditch. It was resting on its chassis....

Hope Towing was sure busy yesterday.

As we kept going, there were quite a few emergency vehicles heading North from Hope to Manning Park.....as well as the tow trucks and the sanding/plow trucks....they were earning their money yesterday. The plow trucks were driving back and forth constantly keeping the road clear.

Unfortunately.....ice is still ice....and deep slush can make your car slip....regardless of whether you have 4 wheel drive and winter tires........so it's necessary to slow down....

This picture will give you an idea of what it was like in Manning Park...

That is NOT a black and white picture.

Here is a picture from Highway 3 by Green Mountain Road.....Everyone who knows me, knows I like horses....so of course I had to stop...fortunately the friend that was travelling with me is a photographer...so he was happy to stop , too. Luckily, I had my winter boots with me so I could walk down into the ditch and through the snow to get to the fence....

Along the way home we stopped at a lake called Yellow Lake....I have no idea why it's called that, because it is not yellow.

The parking lot at the rest area had about 4 inches of fresh snow.....and no other vehicles around....the child in me surfaced....and did doughnuts (donuts for those south of the 49th) in the snow.....then I hit the brakes hard to test out the traction control and ABS.....I have to say...they both work well. It's good to know what your vehicle will do or how it will behave if you ever need to stop in a hurry.

I was in Penticton for Christmas at my brother's place. His daughter (my niece) was there with her new baby. He is 2 weeks old in this picture. He resembles his 4 year old brother. Already has similar facial expressions....

[Hanson]

I grew up in western Massachusetts, and that first photo reminded me of my childhood. Thanks B2C.

Safe Travels,
Richard

[blues2cruise]

[sv-wolf]

Wow. Glad you got home safely, blues. The roads must have been pretty tricky in that.

Love the pony.

And a happy New Year to you!

[blues2cruise]

Thank you. I have a good feeling about 2015.


Now...for something on the lighter side....

Do you think the sign maker had a sense of humour?

[blues2cruise]

Here's the horse in the landscape.

As you can see, it is definitely winter.

[blues2cruise]

I came across this video clip.....I clicked on it because of the title....something about being Canadian....

We are a rugged bunch, aren't we?



http://unofficialnetworks.com/2014/11/c ... e-Canadian

[totalmotorcycle]

This picture will give you an idea of what it was like in Manning Park...

mist and snow on trees.jpg

That is NOT a black and white picture.

A super great photo! Andrea and I will be travelling to Toronto on the 11th for 5 days, I hear they have snow... I haven't personally seen snow since we moved from the UK 3 years ago... Is snow still cold? lol.

Mike

[blues2cruise]

... Is snow still cold? lol.

Mike

[blues2cruise]

When I went to the motorcycle show this year, I did not feel inspired to take any photos. There were some notable absences....

Ural was not there.
The custom section was not there.
There were a couple of booths that displayed a couple of bikes...but the big section that is usually there was absent this year.

The show was definitely smaller than in the past but at least Yamaha still had it's kids section and there was an outside tricks demo.

Although my bike show companion for the day was highly critical of this bike (granted he didn't like much of anything).....I thought it looked cool....it doesn't mean I want to ride it....but I liked it and the way it was presented. It's a Honda 700 decked out with a big fairing.

On our way out there was a motorcycle with a milk crate on the back.....I was too tired and it was raining too hard to bother taking a picture. Some of us can be very practical when there is no extra cash to spend.

One thing that could improve the show is to have a few benches or chairs available to take a break. I'd probably have been able to stay a bit longer if there were a place to sit here and there. My back doesn't like the shuffle walking and standing on a concrete floor.

[blues2cruise]

Today I had a glass of wine for supper and then a piece of cake for dessert.

It's not every day we mark the passing of another year....or is it the beginning of another year?

Last weekend I worked as a volunteer for an event out at the Abbotsford airport. They were short of volunteers so I spent the whole day out on the tarmac....It was so sunny, I actually got some colour on my face.

By the time I got home I could barely walk straight I was so tired. I sure did sleep well, though.

The next day wasn't quite as long....Monday at work, though....I had trouble staying awake.



Soon...very soon...I should be able to buy insurance for my bike and get it on the road. I had a few expensive items to buy so I'm short of cash. I needed a crown on a tooth that was living on borrowed time and I needed some new glasses.....sigh....there's always something....

[blues2cruise]

My cousin, Steve, has sold his motorcycle business. He has had Steve Drane Harley Davidson in Victoria BC for 40 years. He has decided to retire.

Barnes Harley from Langley BC is buying Steve's business. Steve is well known in the motorcycling community in Victoria.....I'm sure he will be missed.

[dr_bar]

Forty years is more than long enough to be working, good on him for making the big decision...

[blues2cruise]

At last.......I finally got my bike on the road for this year. Today was my first ride....I rode to work and back.

I had other things that came up that needed financial attention and insurance for the bike had to wait. Such is life sometimes.

On the weekend I got the bike charged, tired inflated, fluids checked, etc. everything is fine. I just need to take it in for a normal service and oil change when I get the chance.

Soon....very soon.....I should have some pictures and stories to share.

[Hanson]

Woot ... Blues is on the move! I look forward to your stories and photos of your moto.

[blues2cruise]

It was day 2 of riding to and from work. I also rode into a neighbouring city after work to go visit a friend who is in the hospital. It's a good thing I have opted to start slowly building my bike time....My neck and shoulder hurt. I probably was not as relaxed as I think I was......

When I take my car to the hospital I find street parking a few blocks away so I don't have to pay for parking. Parking at the hospital is expensive. Tonight I decided to park at the hospital though....because it would be more secure for my bike.....It was free..... There is a space for motorcycle parking immediately inside the gate.....The space to get in is just big enough for a bike to get through so the attendant doesn't have to open the gate.

Today I phoned my usual motorcycle dealer service department to book an appointment for an oil change and service.....I called three times......they never answered the phone....You know what happens when you don't answer the phone? Your customers go elsewhere.

So....I called another place....it's a small independent shop.....I have an appointment for Saturday morning.....I've bought some stuff from this place and had a few things done....they are qualified.....he deals in second hand bikes and also has every parts and accessories book you can think of.....if you need something, he'll get it.

When I first took my bike out yesterday morning for my commute....I was pleased that I rode off as though I had just ridden last week instead of 8 months ago.....although.....I did miss a couple of shifts during my ride.....my timing was a bit off. My shifting was much better today.

I am now back in the land of helmet hair......

I got the riding game going again....

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=37027&start=640