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I believe I've mentioned on here before that the wife and I try to live the "100 Mile Challenge" as best and as often as we can. The premise of the challenge is to buy as much of your food and goods as possible from local farmers and manufacturers within a 100 mile radius of your home. With that in mind, I set off on a ride today in search of tonight's supper.

First stop was the Pine River Cheese factory, which is well within the 100 mile limit. I decided to take the long way, heading west on Grey Rd 4 from Durham to Walkerton, then hooking up with HWY 9 out to Kincardine. From there it was a short hop south on HWY 21 to Pine River... where I was dismayed to find out that the factory was closed and had been for awhile due to a massive fire that all but destroyed it. The good news is that construction was almost complete on the new store and a sign proclaimed it was to open on May 21.

I headed east on Bruce Rd 6, passing through the towns of Kinloss, Teeswater and Mildmay, where I hooked up with HWY 9 again, only this time heading south. At Clifford I hung a left onto Grey Rd 10 and went north into the charming village of Neustadt, where I stopped to purchase the refreshments that would accompany my meal....


From there I headed east on Grey Rd 9 through Ayton and out to HWY 6, where I turned north and headed for my next stop at West Grey Premium Beef...


They also had several cheeses from the Mildmay Cheese Haus and I selected a small brick of their Pepperjack. I had no idea Mildmay had a cheese factory; I didn’t see it on my way through the town earlier so I think a ride out that way is in order for tomorrow.

When I got home, I fired up the BBQ and a little while later feasted on the end result of my 190km round trip quest...

That's really cool... So the idea of the 100 mile challenge is to put together a full meal then? Is that a local beer can there? It looks like home brew with that label on it!

Mike

totalmotorcycle wrote:That's really cool... So the idea of the 100 mile challenge is to put together a full meal then? Is that a local beer can there? It looks like home brew with that label on it!

Mike

The 100 Mile Challenge is about trying to get as much of your food and supplies as possible from local merchants within a 100 mile radius of your home. Supporting the local economy, in other words. Yes, the beer is local... from the Neustadt Springs Brewery, less than a 15 minute ride from my house. They don't bother with fancy labels and graphics on the brews they sell onsite, only the ones that go to regional liquor stores get that treatment.

Where's the veggie and salad?

Heart healthy

Johnj wrote:Where's the veggie and salad?

I'm pretty sure the cow brushed up against a carrot or stalk of celery while it was out wandering around in the fields.

Angie made me another awesome brekkie this morning. I gave her a hug afterwards and her hair smelled like bacon. I love her.

Two more days and we're saddling up the Harleys and heading west out to Saskatchewan for a two week vacation!

Gummiente wrote:Angie made me another awesome brekkie this morning. I gave her a hug afterwards and her hair smelled like bacon. I love her.

Geeze, Mike! What if she wore beer-scented cologne, too??

Had a big day today... started my vacation by giving notice at Kriska this morning, then got hired on by another transport company shortly afterwards, then came home and packed for our two week motorcycle trip out to Saskatchewan. We're leaving tomorrow morning and will have limited internet access for at least the next four days, but I'll try to pop on and post pics of the trip whenever I can.

In the mean time, here's the truck I'll be driving when I return...

Well, it has been two years since I last posted in my blog. Much has changed since then.

The trucking job at Hyndman went well and lasted till March of last year, when I handed in the keys and left the industry entirely to start work at my dream job. But more on that in a minute. The trucking lifestyle had its ups and downs (mostly downs) and it's unlikely I'll ever pilot a semi-trailer rig again, but I've kept my licence just in case. I did get to see much of central and southwest USA, plus most of Ontario and a bit of Quebec, and I have many photos and memories to last a lifetime now. But those two years in a truck took a toll on my health and accelerated a major problem; back in February of last year I was diagnosed with diabetes and had to make some drastic changes in order to stave off the effects of the disease. I've lost some weight and have altered my eating habits since then, with the result of cholesterol levels being half that of what they were a year ago and blood sugars dropping to a more sane level. However, the disease is here to stay and despite my efforts I've probably only bought myself a few more years of living. Not trying to be melodramatic, but I’ve known two people who are no longer alive because of diabetes and both of them had less than 5 years from diagnosis to deceased.

Anyway. I’m still married to the same vivacious, lovely blonde and we still spend much of our free time motoring about the countryside on our Harleys, so it’s not all doom and gloom. I also have a new canine companion; while nothing could ever replace Hector The Wonder Dog, this one is a gem in his own right. His name is “Sir George of Grey County”, he’s a three-legged English Bulldog that I got from the Bulldog Rescue located a few minutes from where I work…


He’s still a pup, only 17mo old at this point, and although I’ve only had him since January he has fast become a major part of my life. His story is that when he was 3mo old, he apparently fell off a bed and broke his left rear leg. His owners immediately surrendered him to the local pound, apparently unable to afford the surgery. They operated twice, but the break wouldn’t heal and on the third try they decided to amputate it halfway up the upper leg. He was then given to the rescue, where he spent nine months waiting for a new forever home because nobody wanted a three-legged dog. Until I met him, that is. I took one look at him and somehow just knew that this 50lb of goofy in a 60lb bag puppy was a keeper…


He’s adapted quite well to his new home and has already blossomed into a couch potato like me…


And he is a very good passenger in the sidecar, having quickly assumed the title of Loyal Sidecar Ballast and picking up from where Hector left off…


He also has another title of “oVc Shop Dog”, where he spends all his days with me at the motorcycle shop where I work…


Yes, my dream job is working at a motorcycle shop. After years of riding and wrenching, I’m finally getting paid to do what I love to do the most – play with bikes! oVc, aka Old Vintage Cranks, is the dealership where I first started my Ural adventure back in ’05. Ken, the owner, has been a friend ever since he handed over the keys to my then new Ural Tourist and when he told me last year that he was looking for reliable help to manage the shop with him, it didn’t take long for me to jump at the opportunity. I now spend my days selling and servicing Ural, Royal Enfeld, SYM and KYMCO motorcycles and scooters, as well as installing Texas Sidecars, Cozy Sidecars and Champion Sidecars on a wide variety of bikes. Including my beloved Road Glide, which has been repainted and renamed as the Blackbird Stealth Bomber…


So if you’re ever in Ontario and find yourself heading northeast out of Toronto, stop in at the shop in Hillsburgh and say hi!

Gummi- so good to see you back here on the forum! Congrats on the new pup, too. Mrs. Stark sends her greetings to you and the "vivacious blonde". I looked at OVC's website, that looks like the real deal. Wish we had that kind of dealership around here.

Are you still living in the same place as before? Seems like a bit of a hike from there down to Hillsburgh, no?

Best wishes to you, the Blonde, and the pup.

JS