Toronto Bike Show

The first objective today was to NOT get to the Motorcycle Supershow in Toronto too early. The VROC supper was planned for 7:00 PM and we have, in prior years, been ready to leave the show and had a long wait until food time.

To fill the morning, Sandy and Heather watched a TV series of TV shows on brides and their wedding gowns while I blogged. Then we made a run over to the TD Bank so I could get some cash, Heather could do some Association business and Tom could pick up his car the the Hyundai dealer next door. On the way back, we stopped at the Pancake House Restaurant for a late breakfast. This place had very generous portions, the food was good and prices were reasonable. Thanks for the grub, Tom.

We left for the show at 2:00 PM. A traffic snarl-up on the 401 saw us get off on Mississauga Road and follow Derry Road to the International Centre. On the way, we had to make room for a couple of fire trucks that were in a hurry to get somewhere. We hoped it wasn't the show and it wasn't. They turned north on Airport Road. At the Centre, we found a parking spot not too far from Door 1 and found no line-up to buy tickets. This was unusual.

I think we entered Building 5. Almost at once, we ran into Jack and Deb, rally friends from London who ride with the CMA. Then we met our friend Di, who is now wearing a CMC (Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers) patch from their Barrie chapter. Di is one of the Fry crowd but has been out of organized riding for some time, so it was really good to see her back in the game.

Sandy and Di

We were surprised to see a large part of one of the buildings given over to new and used motorhomes. There were used and new Class C and Class A units including one diesel pusher. and the prices were good. I judged there were even some better deals than the one I got last fall. Oh well.

Walking around, I judged there were substantially less booths than in prior years. Despite the inclusion of the RV's and other non-motorcycle displays, there was still an open feeling and the crowds were down as well. In fact, the usually crowded food court was 2/3rds empty and you could have swung several dead cats in Building 1 where the club displays are usually packed in.

In building 1, we stopped to talk to the GWTA rep about Wings and passed some time with Steve, an old acquaintance who was manning the Americade booth. We also bought new Big Skinny wallets. I needed one because it was time to retire my STOP badge wallet and I had so many cards that it took a second wallet to keep them all in line. Without the badge, all my cards fit in the new folder with room to spare.

Large Boss Hoss (v8 Chevy engine) bike display

Tom on a new Kawasaki Vaquero

Large Indian display

Heather tries on an Indian for size

Nasty looking Yamaha V-Max

A list of all the stuff on the V-Max

A trailer EZ might recognize

Probably the best booth in the place was the one designed by VROC member Dave (Rudeboy) for the Canadian Sidecar Owners Club. The theme supported our military and the sacrifices they have made on behalf of us all. Although Dave wasn't able to be at the show or dinner today, my hat is off to him and the other CSOC members who put this all together.

Canadian Sidecar Owners Club Booth

An excellent theme, well executed by a friend.  Let me echo my thanks to all the citizens, past and present, who have served on behalf of us all.

After a few hours wandering about, we had our fill of the show.  With the apparent decrease in both exhibitors and attendees, I have to wonder if it is a sign of the current economic situation or is this event losing out to the December show, which is a flashier deal downtown and is supported by the manufacturers?

Sandy and Heather resting their feet in the nearly empty food court

We left in time to make it to the Mandarin for 6:45. Guns normally organizes the dinner but wasn't going to be here, so Tom took over. He had a reservation for 7:00 and, when he checked in, they said they would call us then. Unlike prior years, we were down to seven with the four of us, Mike (RCAF) from Ottawa and Roger (Big Grouch) and a friend from Windsor.

Mike arrived just before 7:00. Something must have happened to Roger because it turned out he was conspicuous by his absence. We stood in the crowded waiting area listening for our group to be called. Something didn't go right and Tom and Mike took turns checking with the lady who was keeping the list. She kept saying "You're next" but they kept calling other parties. I have no idea what was up with that but finally, after 7:30, they called one more (not us) group and we got fed up. After a few words to the lady at the podium, who didn't seem to care, we left and went over to the Woodbine Racetrack and Slots for their buffet.

One funny thing.  Heather got pulled aside as we entered Casino and carded.  The security guard thought she might not be of age to enter a gambling facility.  He was very surprised when her Driver's Licence indicated she was 29 and would hit the magic 30 in three more weeks.  As for Heather, she wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or pleased.  This beats her Mom's record of being carded on her 25th birthday.

The Woodbine buffet didn't have nearly the choices the Mandarin does but it was good and the price was less. The roast beef, especially the second serving hot out of the oven, was excellent. As usual, i ate more than I should have. I was amazed at how many people were there, dressed to the nines, playing the slot machines. I hope they spend lots because the government is the beneficiary.

After we ate, we headed back out to the van, walking gingerly because there was some very slick ice in the parking lot. The trip back to Woodstock was uneventful and we arrived home about 10:45.

Thanks to Tom for doing the organizing and Guns for all the years he put this dinner together. I think, though, that the Mandarin has worn out its welcome and Heather says they will check out some other alternatives for next year. She will also be writing a nasty letter to the Mandarin management, something she does quite well.

Today's Route (162 miles):


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Sudbury Ontario to Woodstock Ontario

It is time once again for the Toronto Bike Show and VROC Frozen North Dinner weekend. We'll head to Woodstock today, take in the show and dinner in Toronto tomorrow, spend tomorrow night back in Woodstock and come home on Sunday.

Over the last day, perhaps two inches of light snow drifted down in our area. For some reason, the city felt it necessary to mobilize the plows so I took some time to clean our neighbor Gwen's driveway. I just used the scraper because it wasn't worth getting the snow blower out. Sandy told me it was -16C, still above the seasonal average but below what we have experienced so far this winter, and clear. I think this is only the second clear day in a couple of weeks.

The last few trips south, I have driven all the way to Toronto and taken the 401 instead of using back roads. Fuel mileage for the Caravan, usually about 23 MPG (US) on the highway, was down to 20 MPG or less and I was getting concerned. Mileage drops as the temperature goes down but this was way too much. Usually, to Toronto, I drive 18 KPH over the limit and then flow with the faster traffic on the 401 (which usually means 130+ KPH). Today, I will slow it down and see what happens. My plan is 100 KPH in the 90 zones and 105 in the 100 zones.

We hit the road at 9:20. The pavement was clear but wet. The 100 KPH must have been a good speed because we didn't catch up to anyone of get caught up to for the first 40 miles. Near the Key River, we had some very light snow crystals falling from the blue sky and sparkling in the sun. Just another one of Mom Nature's beautiful sights.

South of Parry Sound, the weather changed. The sky clouded over and we rolled into typical Georgian Bay snow squalls. They weren't bad overall, but there were a few patches where they got quite intense, and the road became snow covered while visibility dropped to almost zero. Still, there wasn't too much accumulation and, slowing down a bit, we were able to continue without much difficulty.

Snow squalls along Highway 400

By Waubaushene, we cleared the band of squalls and the sky cleared again. The wet roads were taking a toll, though, and the windshield washer fluid light came on after less than 150 miles. The tank had been full when we left Sudbury. I stopped at the Esso Station at Waubaushene and bought three jugs, putting one in the tank and holding the others in reserve. We would probably need them before we got home. I remember my older vehicles where the washer fluid tanks didn't hold a full jug. The larger tanks on the newer vehicles, which hold a whole container, are much more convenient.

Travelling at my new 105 KPH pace on the slab kept me in the right lane most of the time. Trucks in Ontario are supposed to be governed at 105 KPH (thanks, Premier Dad, for saving us from ourselves yet again) so we didn't cause them any problem. I fired up my Atlas Shrugged audio book on the Zumo and listened to Ayn Rand's classic tale for an hour or so as we cruised along. In Toronto, we exited onto the westbound 401 and found traffic our direction moving well, although the eastbound lanes were dead stopped. It was only 1:30 so I can only guess there was some kind of accident ahead of them.

In Cambridge, we stopped for fuel and I found my slower speeds seemed to be working. I got 24.7 MPG (US) for the run. This was not a record (that was achieved on a day of running back roads at 80 KPH), but was much better than average. Interestingly, my elapsed time wasn't too far off the faster runs. With gas in Sudbury costing $1.15/liter ($4.36/USG assuming the dollar at par), I will be trying to keep the speed down in the future.

We arrived at Kim's shortly after 2:30. Mike was at work and Jolene was at daycare so we visited with her and Baby Robyn, who is getting much more animated as she gets older.

Momma Kim and Baby Robyn

I left Kim's at 4:45 to pick Heather up at her office in Ayr and take her to Cambridge to get her hair done. I stopped on the way at a Tim's for a snack wrap and wondered why someone who was buying coffee for a whole crew (nine coffees and a bottle of juice) would tie up the drive through instead of going inside. I picked up Heather and we got to Cambridge early, so we stopped at Starbucks. Heather had to order for me since I don't speak barista. We sipped coffee and discussed how here job was going before going to the hair place.

It took an hour and a half for Heather to get done so I sat in the van and listened to Atlas Shrugged while waiting. One quote jumped out at me. One of the arrogant academics who was screwing up the economy said "We must control men to force them to be free". I am enjoying the book (again) and seeing that, while the world it describes is out of date and fictional, many of the situations she describes hold true today.  Especially the feeling among the liberal elites that the average person is not capable of taking care of themselves.

When Heather was done, we returned to Kim's to get Sandy. Mike and Jolene had gotten home but we missed Jolene because she was already in bed. Sandy says she is now getting into the Terrible Twos and got some photos of her before she went to bed.

Wild Child Jolene

Who says static electricity can't be fun?

Leaving Kim's we drove on to Woodstock, stopping at McDonald's to pick up supper. Once again, I am really impressed by the layout of the new house. Tom was home and we watched some TV before going to bed.

A Curious Day

I had a weird day on a couple of fronts.

First, the blood sugar.  I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago.  My only medication is Metformin.  Although my quarterly A1C blood tests show that I am in good control, I have periods where the blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day without regard to what I have been eating.

Last night, I worked as a volunteer for Action Sudbury at the Boardwalk Gaming bingo from 6:30 until 8:30.  Because I had not had a full supper before, I picked up a Poppa Burger and onion rings at A&W.  I know, way too much salt among other bad things but I really like them.  Lately, I haven't been paying much attention to hydration and went to bed dry.  I woke up in the morning a whole lot drier.  My blood glucose was 9.8 (176 by US measure) compared to a normal limit of 6.0 and a diabetic target of 7.0.  Unacceptable.

Being dry, I downed three of my large 16 oz mugs of water.  Two hours later, a retest showed the glucose level had dropped to 4.7 (85).  I checked it twice to be sure.  The standard lifestyle change for diabetics involves proper diet and exercise.  They say to drink water but I never realized what an impact hydration versus dehydration has on the sugar levels.  You can be sure that I will be more attentive to this in the future.

The second thing happened when I went to give blood.  I had been scheduled back in December but had to defer due to being ill.  I wandered in about 10:00 AM and found a bunch of high school students, mostly first time donors.  This is great to see since I heard only 4% of eligible donors in Canada actually give.  The only problem was that first time donors take a little more time to get through the process.  As a veteran (this was my 90th), they bumped me ahead.

There was new reading material to study.  They streamlined the iron testing, finally, and the screening by the nurse went well, although my blood pressure was high (there's that A&W salt again).  I got to fill out the manual questionnaire because the interactive computer system was down.  Then it was on to the chair where the extremely cute Kelly took the actual blood.  Excellent.  Five out of five for the needlework.  I filled the bag in five minutes, and declined a wrap for my arm.  Then I headed for the recovery area where Bill got me a couple of slices of pizza (Thursday is pizza day courtesy of Mr. Toppers) and a coffee.  I was cool, the old pro among all these kids, including the green looking one laying on the cot with the cold compresses.

It was about now that it diverged from the normal experience.  I noticed the band-aid wasn't sticking well and went to press it down.  That was when I saw the dark spot and then dark red blood started to run out from under the band-aid and down my arm, a substantial flow.  I grabbed napkins for a compress and told Bill I had a re-bleed.  He had special absorbent pads in his pocket for just such an occasion and gave them to me, asking me to try to keep the blood of the floor because the clean-up procedures for blood are pretty intensive.  They walked me back to a chair beside the green kid and gave me more pads to keep pressure on the leak.  We joked around  for a while allowing the blood to clot all over again, and then did a full wrap with that self sticking wrap that eventually rips all the hair off your arm.  Ninety donations and this was the first time I ever had a problem.

Back at the table, I didn't have any more trouble and enjoyed the pizza while I caught up on things with Bill, who I haven't seen for a while. The rest of my universal O-Negative blood stayed right where it was supposed to.

My closing thought is that if you are eligible to give blood, please consider it.  It only takes a short while and it truly is the Gift of Life.

R.I.P. Shoe Tree

The Shoe Tree (I know there are many shoe trees but I think this was the most famous) was located on US 50 (the Loneliest Road in America) east of Fallon Nevada and pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

Over the last few years, we have stopped here a number of times for a break and to wonder why all these people threw their shoes up into the tree.

No more. Some miserable vandals have cut the Shoe Tree down. I was surprised at the amount of anger and sadness I felt hearing this. It makes me wonder what was going through the minds of the vandal(s) as they sawed it down and think that this is a small example of the callous nature that too many humans exhibit. Those that do are a waste of good skin and air, a matter that should be rectified as soon as possible IMHO.

Goodbye Shoe Tree. We will miss you.

Happy New Year

It is New Years Day, the start of 2011. Some people have said they were happy to see 2010 over with and I understand there were problems for others during the year. But, for Sandy and I, it was pretty good. New granddaughter, lots of travel, good friends and a new (to us) motor home. I hope that this upcoming year is half as good.

It has been unseasonably warm and even foggy the last few days. My yard is almost bare. I'm glad I sold my sled.

Our yard on New Years Day

We spent last night over visiting friends Doug and Carol in Hanmer. The also invited their neighbors Don and Pat. Don worked in the Inco Smelter Process Technology Department and was also a USWA 6600/2020 steward so we crossed paths regularly back in the day. We had a chance to reminisce and catch up during the evening. carol laid out a nice spread of finger food including a large shrimp ring and we had some hot wings to top it off.

Sandy, Carol, Pat and Don

Doug's Biker Santa - Anyone think this looks like Normie?

We all left shortly after midnight and Sandy and I made our way home carefully through dense fog.

We would like to wish all our friends a Happy and Successful 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Season Stats

Gold Wing Stats:

Mileage travelled: 30,278 Kms (18,815 Miles)
Fuel Burned (USG): 479.84
Miles/ US Gallon: 39.21
Mileage at end of season: 226,051 Kms (140,468 Miles)

Motor Home Stats:

Mileage travelled: 3,636 Kms (2,559 Miles)
Fuel Burned (USG): 279.38
Miles/ US Gallon: 9.16
Mileage at end of season: 102,772 Kms (63,863 Miles)

Dodge Caravan Stats:

Mileage travelled: 18,350 Kms (11,402 Miles)
Fuel Burned (USG): 586.90
Miles/ US Gallon: 19.43
Mileage at end of season: 170,019 Kms (105,650 Miles)

Woodstock Ontario to Sudbury Ontario

We were up, packed and ready to roll by 7:00 AM. After saying our goodbyes to Heather and Tom, we were rolling by 7:25 under clear skies. I planned to avoid Toronto because it would still be Monday rush hour when we got there. The slower route up Highway 24 looked preferable. Than Sandy pointed out that many of the Hogtown people would be taking Monday off to compensate for Boxing Day, so I took a chance and followed the 401 all the way to Highway 400. Sandy was right. There was less traffic than on a typical weekend.

We stopped at the King rest service centre for a break and then rolled on to the Tim's south of Parry Sound (I think I will start referring to this as the Seguin Tim's since the Seguin Trail - pronounced See-goo-in - runs right past it) where we met our friend John from Ottawa. Long time blog readers will remember John was the unfortunate soul who took the spike through his tire in Hendersonville, NC on our ride to Georgia a few years back. John usually visits family in Sudbury over Christmas and stops by but we weren't home. Today, he was on his way from Sudbury to visit his brother in Hamilton so we arranged this brief meeting.

John, Sandy, Jan and Harry at the Seguin Tim's

We made it home without incident by 12:37 and found no new snow since we had left.

Today's Route (316 miles):


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Boxing Day In Woodstock

Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, is one of those holidays we don't share with the USA. It seems to be confined to some Commonwealth nations and its origin has been subject to much speculation.

We got up late this morning but had a mission to accomplish. Unlike Sudbury, where shopping is prohibited on Boxing Day (giving rise to much acrimonious debate from both sides), Woodstock finds itself in the 21st Century and Boxing Day sales are the norm. This is probably the closest thing to Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, in the US.

Tom was already up and lined up at Staples when I got up at 7:30. He was trying to nab one of a limited number of Acer Netbooks advertised in their flyer. That left it up to Heather and I to get to Canadian Tire before it opened at 9:00 AM to get two motorcycle lifts on sale for half price. It was damp and cold as we picked up the CTC flyer from Tom, where he was well positioned near the front of the line.

There were about twenty people lined up at the Crappy Tire store when we arrived at 8:45. The line built quickly but, other than one guy in a CMC vest ahead of us, nobody else looked like bikers. When the doors opened, there was no stampede like seen in the Black Friday videos. True to Canadian style, we were very orderly as we filed in. Unfortunately, this store has an unusual layout and we didn't scope it out before Christmas, so it took a while to find the lifts. In fact, I saw a guy with one in a cart and he pointed me down an aisle saying there was only one left. One left? Maybe they only had two. We grabbed the sole remaining lift and then Heather went to look for a trouble light that was on sale. Imagine our amazement when we saw cart after cart carrying lifts. There was even one grey haired lady who looked like she was 70 pushing one. I blame myself for making the same mistake as Custer at Little Big Horn. Always scout the territory in advance.

We got the lift back home to find that Tom had been successful in his Netbook quest. Lucky for him he only needs one lift next summer for maintenance. The second one was so that both bikes could be stored off the ground. He has almost a whole year to find another sale.

We spent the day watching the recorded Big Bang Theory marathon. I hadn't seen most of Season One so these were new to me, but I enjoy the show so much I don't mind watching reruns. I also got some work done on the blog, which is way behind. The rest of the day was pretty quiet, with the last while spent packing and getting ready to head for home tomorrow.

Christmas Day in Cambridge

We were all up early this morning.  Heather and Tom would be spending the day with his family. The rest of us left about 7:40 AM for Cambridge, arriving at Kim and Mike's shortly after 8:00. Jolene was already up and playing with her large Santa gift, a complete play kitchen. We immediately got into the opening of the rest of the presents.

Jolene doesn't need help opening gifts

The girls examining the tree

Jolene watching over her little sister

And helping out

What is she looking at?

Oh, it's Dad playing with her toys

In fact, some toys require a team effort

Sandy and Mike working on dinner

Jolene in a pensive moment

It was special to have Great Grandma and Great Grandpa there

Robyn looking chipper

Jolene looking not so chipper

It reignites all those old Christmas feelings to have young children around. I never imagined how much I would enjoy being Grandpa, especially since I never really grew up.  I like this. It made it extra special to have Jan and Harry there so we could share the day with four generations.

 Mike and Sandy put together a fine supper that included two whole chickens, stuffing, potatoes and veggies.

As the day wound down, we took our leave and headed back to Woodstock, arriving at 9:30 (just after Tom and Heather). Heather had recorded a first season marathon of Big Bang Theory, one of our favourite TV shows. Harry had never seen it so we watched a couple of episodes before going to bed.

I hope each and every one of you reading this enjoyed Christmas as much as we did!

Christmas Eve in Woodstock/Breslau

Heather had to work today but Tom did not. I headed over to McDonald's and picked up McMuffins and things for breakfast while Tom replaced the donut spare tire on his Hyundai. He and Heather blew a few days ago on the way home from work.

Kim called to say that she and Mike had come down with something last night and were now quite violently sick. Based on the description, it sounded like a food issue rather than a viral thing, which would be good because it would not be contagious and they should recover more quickly. Since they would be hosting us tomorrow and were obviously not able to go out grocery shopping, Sandy took down the list and said we would pick up the necessary items.

We headed across town guided by the GPS to find the Zehr's grocery store and managed to pick up almost everything on the shopping list. The only thing missing was Ensure, which we got next door at Shopper's Drug Mart, along with four Lottomax tickets. I normally shun lottery tickets, viewing them as a tax on people who don't understand probability. But the prize was maxed out at $50 million with a load of $1 million dollar bonus prizes so we figured that a long shot is better than no shot at all.

On the way over and back, I tried the new audio book. It was just fine but it seems Sandy either doesn't like audio books or doesn't like Ayn Rand. Either way, I will have to listen to this while she is sleeping in the passenger seat. That should still allow lots of listening:-)

Heather got home from work early.  After getting dressed up (a pretty limited exercise in  my case), we all jumped in the van at 5:30 PM and headed for Breslau. Zofia was laying on a traditional Polish Christmas Eve spread and had graciously invited all of us to join them. The Polish tradition features a selection of sweet and sour dishes. The only meat in any of the dishes is fish. One nice touch happens at the start of the meal when each participant takes a wafer and individually approaches each other person. They each break off a portion of the other's wafer and say some personal words.

Heather and Tom dressed up for Christmas Eve

The table is set

Zofia prepares before an appreciative audience

And here it comes

After the excellent meal, Tom's brother Greg and new wife Tyna stopped by. Santa delivered gifts to each person and we shared some stories. It was a memorable evening and a chance to see some of the special traditions Heather has married into. Thank you, Zofia and Stan, for your gracious hospitality.

We were back in Woodstock by 11:00 PM and watched a TV show on people who were creating those garish, over the top Christmas light displays for their home before turning in.

Sudbury Ontario to Woodstock Ontario

We suggested Heather's Christmas idea to Sandy's parents, Jan and Harry, when we got back from the last trip. They liked it so we headed south this morning to all see the kids for the holidays.

I was up at 6:00 AM. One of these days, I may learn to pack the night before a trip but I doubt it. By 8:15, we had picked up Jan and Harry and were headed south in a minivan loaded with people, luggage and Christmas goodies. We made one stop at the Tim's south of Parry Sound and another at the service centre in Vaughn where we had lunch at another Tim's. Then it was on to the 401 and west to Cambridge. I took a detour down Townline Road to show the in-laws the large homes on Avenue Road.

I noticed the Compass signs had the message "Driving while suspended risks vehicle impoundment". Risks? Impoundment? I have some strong thoughts on this matter and believe that anyone driving under criminal suspension, usually for impaired driving and often without insurance, should face a mandatory permanent seizure of the vehicle. After all, the court suspended their licence for dangerous behaviour and their choice to continue driving demonstrates a total lack of respect for the law and other drivers on the road. I hope that, after I do suitable legwork, Action Sudbury will support an initiative to bring this proposal to the government.

We arrived at Kim's around 2:00 PM. Jolene was at daycare and Mike was still at work so we had a chance to visit with Mom and new baby Robyn for a while before they got home.

Proud Grandpa and Baby Robyn

Mike got home with Jolene about 5:00 PM. She was all smiles as usual. Although her birthday party was a couple of weeks ago, she was actually born on this date two years ago and we brought her a few gifts.

Grandma and Jolene

Opening a birthday gift

Modern and simpler version of our old Etch-a-Sketch

Is this the start of a musical career?

After a while, we moved on and met Tom and Heather at the TOA restaurant in Woodstock where we had supper and had fun with an animated conversation with the server and some of the other patrons. Then we went on to the house where we got Jan and Harry set up in the 2nd bedroom while Sandy and I moved onto the futon in the 3rd bedroom/office.

Heather and Tom's house - Woodstock Ontario

(Photograph by Tom G)

We watched TV for a while and visited. I discovered on the CNN site that audible.com was having a free trial offer download of an audio book in .aa format. While many audio books exist in MP3 format, the Zumo requires the .aa file type to take advantage of the audio reader features like bookmarking. I downloaded an abridged version of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged narrated by Edward Herrmann because I thought it was time to revisit this great work. The abridged version, at 11 hours long, was only half as long as the unabridged version and would refresh me on all the significant details.

Eventually, we all toddled off to bed.

Today's Route (321 miles):


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Happy Anniversary

Who would have believed anyone could put up with me for thirty years, not to mention the extra five before we tied the knot.

Happy Anniversary to my dear wife!!!!!!

Why I Am Not A Mechanic

Anyone who knows me understands that I should not be trusted with tools. Bring me a shoe box with a year of receipts and I will construct you a set of books. Let me play all day with my spreadsheets and charts. But don't let me try to actually fix anything.

I bought my snowblower in 1992. Two carriage bolts hold each of two skegs on the bottom of it and are slotted to set the base clearance. I adjust them between my driveway and the neighbors because my crusher dust needs a layer of snow cover and her paving stones don't. Bolts were rusty, hard to turn. Rather than use penetrating oil, I use brute force and ignorance. Three bolts tighten, one breaks off clean. I buy four new carriage bolts and nuts, might as well replace them all. One bolt broken, two removed successfully (again without penetrating oil). Fourth one starts turning, either the square shoulder of the carriage bolt or the square hole in the snowblower bale  rounded off. Borrow nut splitter from father-in-law (who knew they made a neat tool like this?), crack the nut and remove bolt. Snowblower hole rounded off, of course. Buy regular bolt and install it. This one will take two wrenches to adjust from now on.

The not a mechanic part isn't about the skill level I fail to display, though. It is more because I got absolutely no level of enjoyment out of the tinkering. Red Green would laugh at me........

(Note to self:  Think about getting a new snowblower before too long.)

The End Of A (Personal) Era

My first ride on a snowmobile was brief. It was 1963 and my father was testing a new type of machine he hoped would make life easier for his exploration people in the winter bush. The Snobug was a single ski contraption with  an engine in the rear. The operator sat inside it on a bench seat. I got a short ride around a field.

In 1971, my mother bought a 10 HP Skidoo Olympic that I rode from time to time when I got back to Sault Ste. Marie for visits. Then, in 1978, Sandy and I bought a pair of 22 HP 275cc Arctic Cat Lynxes. While the Broder-Dill Snowmobile Club maintained a small network of trails heading from the south end of the city to the Killarney Road, that was about it for organized trails nearby. Once a year or so, a few of us would take a compass and map and, using topographical maps would try to get from here to somewhere else.  It was a challenge.

In 1988, organized snowmobiling took off big time in Sudbury. I fell in with the leaders of the new Sudbury Trail Plan Association which had been founded by a group of visionaries led by Don Lumley. Large grooming machines and interconnected trails saw the association grow to include eight local clubs responsible for a network of over 700 miles of trail. I upgraded to a Polaris Indy Trail 488cc Sno-Pro sled (designed for cross country racing) and threw myself into helping the system grow and improve.

STP was a revolutionary umbrella association that allowed the eight united clubs to accompish far more than they could individually. We went from one Bombardier BR60 groomer to a whole fleet of Tucker Sno-Cats, tractor conversions and Bombardier BR160 and 180 machines costing over $100,000 each.  I started as vice-president of the association and then, after I spearheaded a reorganization, VP - Operations before replacing Don as President from 1992 until 1995. I also served as District 12 Governor on the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs provincial board during 1994 and 1995.

In 1992, we started an experiment to improve snowmobile safety by training volunteers as Special Constables to augment police snowmobile patrols under the innovative Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol (S.T.O.P.). I represented STP as an Operational Manager through the pilot project phase and then served as the first OFSC Provincial Coordinator when the program was expanded, finally stepping down in 1999.  The last few years, partnered with OPP Sgt. Lynn Beach, was a very rewarding time as we carried the Gospel of S.T.O.P. across Ontario..

At our peak, our family owned four operating sleds but the more I got involved in organizing and administering, the less riding I did. After backing away from the work side of things, I discovered the hunger to ride was substantially diminished. I ended up with one snowmobile, a small '98 Skidoo MXZ 440 fan that had belonged to Sandy before she decided she didn't want to ride any more. In 2007, I applied to be reinstated as a S.T.O.P. Officer on Normie's team to see if I could recapture the old feelings. I enjoyed my time back on the trails even though my sled was by far the smallest and slowest one out there.

But recently,I found the spark was gone again. Last season, I missed the first part of the season due to family issues. Afterwards, the changes proposed to the S.T.O.P. Program by the OPP and the unwillingness of the OFSC to take a stand in defence of the vision we had built the program around, completely sapped my motivation to stay involved with a sport that I have enjoyed for so much of my life. This, coupled with the fact that this was an activity that Sandy didn't share with me, convinced me it was time.

I resigned from S.T.O.P. at a regional meeting last month and let it be known that my last machine was up for sale. I hadn't even advertised it when I got a call from Tim, who said he had heard from Normie that I had a sled for sale. It was a bit of a blow to my ego to hear that he was looking for one for his 12 year old daughter, but it was realistically an excellent machine for her.

Last night they came over, looked at the machine and gave me a deposit. Today, they brought a trailer by, loaded the Skidoo on it, paid me the balance in cash and I waved goodbye as my last link to the snowmobiling lifestyle rolled away.

The '98 Skidoo MXZ 440

Life is full of changes. We do things for a while and then, when they don't satisfy us any more or circumstances make them impossible, we move on to other things. This is another one of those times. While I may miss riding over the packed snow from time to time, I can always rent one for a few days and get it out of my system. And now one less thing ties me to Sudbury and the Frozen North.

Woodstock Ontario to Sudbury Ontario

Today is the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Day That Will Live In Infamy.

Schools were closed for a second straight day even though the snow here was nothing like what London was getting. We left Woodstock before 9:00 AM and rolled through Toronto onto Highway 400 North. Despite the heavy snowfall in SW Ontario, there was nothing on the ground as we passed through Halton. I'm not sure what the Torontonians were sniveling about because we didn't see any evidence of the heavy snow the television news had been reporting. At least the mayor didn't call the army out this time. Of course, the Mayor of Toronto doesn't have the authority to mobilize the army but Mel Lastman did it anyway a few years ago after a heavy snowfall. And the army responded. Strange things are often done in the Big Smoke.

We stopped at the service centre near King Road and I installed a new rear windshield wiper. The old one had virtually disintegrated. Then we started up the 400 as conditions deteriorated and the accumulating snow made the roads greasy. No problem as long as everyone slows down and drives accordingly.

Traffic moving slowly on Highway 400

A gang of snowplows

The snow was worst around Highway 89 but tapered off once we got north of Barrie. The ski hills at Mount St. Louis were making snow like crazy and I can just imagine the smiles on both the operators' and skiers' faces.

One thing I noticed on the way back (I should have noticed it on the way down) was that the old Petro-Canada gas station and adjacent liquor store trailer at the Highway 64 turnoff had been leveled. Another familiar landmark gone.  Over the years, we have seen one gas station after another on Highway 69 disappear. Now there are just two left on the 100 mile stretch between Parry Sound and Sudbury.

On the way up, it looked like the lakes were freezing well. It is important to snowmobilers that lakes and swamps freeze and that the ice thickens before they are covered with an insulating blanket of snow. Otherwise, they will face a winter of slush and unsafe ice. So far, so good.

We reached the Sudbury SE bypass at 2:10. Unlike some areas in the south, there was very little snow to be seen. The new hotel they have been building on RR 55 has now been unveiled as a Marriott TownPlace Suites. I've never heard of this brand before, but it looks very nice. After years of having no new hotels in town, they are now rising up everywhere.

I still feel pretty rough from the lung infection but am hoping it clears up soon.

Hanging in Woodstock

We had planned to head home today but Heather asked us to stay one more day. She and Tom had to work today and the plumber was scheduled to come by to connect the water softener. Coming from Sudbury, with its water coming from lakes nestled in the extremely old Canadian Shield, hard water is not a concern. Down here, with the water supply provided by wells drilled into limestone, water softeners seem to be mandatory.

The plumber arrived fairly early and set to work. He knew Sudbury quite well, having spent many summer visits at a friend's camp located on West Bay of Lake Wahnapitei. He set to work and was finished in no time. The only mishap occurred when he was soldering a pipe and set off the new high tech talking smoke alarms. We paid him with a blank cheque Tom left and he was on his way.

We spent the rest of the day napping and watching TV. While Woodstock wasn't getting hit, just 30 miles away London was being inundated by a major snowstorm. Schools and businesses were closed and the people were trying to shovel out from under more snow than they received all last winter. A big low pressure system over Quebec was driving the cold weather all the way down to Florida.

After Heather and Tom got home, we had a supper of perogies that Zofia had made for us. Then, braving huge fluffy snowflakes, Tom and I headed out looking for the right kind of salt for the water softener system. We found lots of salt, but not the kind specified in the owner's manual. We returned empty handed, but Tom went out again alone and found what he needed.

Before we went to bed, Heather broached the idea of bringing Sandy's parents down for Christmas. It sounds like a good idea and I hope we can persuade Jan and Harry to join us.

Visiting the Scottish Rite in Hamilton

Heather is a member of the Association of Administrative Assistants, presently serving as the national treasurer. Before we came down, she asked us if we were interested in joining them for the Hamilton Chapter Christmas gathering at the Scottish Rite Club in Hamilton, the place where they hold their regular meetings. This would include a brunch buffet and a play, A Christmas Carol. We said we'd like that and she ordered tickets for us.

We left Woodstock about 10:00 AM and drove into Hamilton on the 403. One of the great things about Woodstock is that it sits almost equidistant from the Tri-Cities, London and Hamilton and is joined to each by a first rate divided highway. We arrived early at the building and had no problem finding parking.

The Hamilton Scottish Rite building is awesome. It was originally built in 1895 as the home of the Tuckett family who made their millions in tobacco. It was bought by the local Masonic Scottish Rite leaders, substantially added to, and dedicated in 1923. The old stone architecture imparts an air of solid elegance and they rent the club out for a number of social activities.

After meeting some of Heather's compadres from the AAA, we sat down to some fine food and good conversation. Following the meal, the club offered a tour of the building and we took advantage of it. We even got to see the Masonic meeting room up on the top floor. My father and grandfather were Masons but I never felt the calling.  I almost feel now that I missed out on something.

The tour complete, we adjourned to the theater for a good rendition of Dickens' famous Christmas play. Most of the actors carried it off well and Scrooge was particularly excellent. The interludes featured Christmas carols sung by the club choir. I'm not sure why, but the strains of the old English ballad Barbara Allen seemed to keep finding their way into the organ interlude.

After the festivities, we returned to Woodstock via Cambridge, where we dropped off two surplus bats of insulation and a couple of unneeded tools at Rona.

At home, we spent a quiet evening watching TV before turning in for the night.

Moving Day In Woodstock - Part Deux

Today was a slow one for me. My chest was still hurting from the hit it took from the rogue futon yesterday and I was still coughing some from the bronchitis so I took it easy much of the day after we returned the truck to U-Haul and picked up the last few items from storage.

Tom's old friend Remi came over to help him insulate and drywall the garage and they got right down to work. Remi's wife Lisa went shopping with Heather and Sandy for window blinds and other household articles.

Later in the day, Kim, Mike, Jolene and Robyn stopped by for a visit. Jolene is usually a holy terror as her inquisitive mind pushes her to check out everything she sees, but she was so enamored of her new squeaky shoes that she pretty well ignored all the open boxes and things piled throughout the house.

By the end of the day, the guys had finished the garage and it looked pretty good. Tom was pleased with himself since the total cost was only a fraction of what the contractor quoted for doing the job.

One thing I did accomplish was to remotely winterize the motor home. When I left it in Alabama, I just drained the fresh water tank, thinking that we were in the deep south and freezing would not be an issue. When I got home, I checked the climate for Centreville and found that winter nights can get pretty chilly. Record lows for December were in the 10 to 15 degree Fahrenheit range and next week they were forecasting low 20's. This was not good since the lines were full of water. I had called Blondy and asked her to pick up a gallon of pink RV antifreeze. Today, i talked her and a friend through the best winterizing process I could. Open the low point drains, empty the water heater, fill the P-traps with anti-freeze and split the balance between the black and grey water tanks and drain the water pump. We weren't able to blow the lines out with compressed air but I'm hoping it all works out for the best.

Thanks again, Blondy.  I won't ever leave the unit again without winterizing it, no matter where it is.

Moving Day In Woodstock

By the time I got up, Tom had headed over to the local storage facility where much of their things have been kept since they left the condo. When he got back, we headed one exit back on the 401 where all the restaurants and stores are located and picked up some things at Canadian Tire. Then we went on to the storage facility and crammed as many of the small items as we could into both vehicles. Returning to the house with breakfast from Tim Horton's, we unloaded and then prepared to go and pick up the U-Haul truck Tom had reserved.

While we were out, the excavator operator had started to take the pile of earth in the back yard and back fill the freshly poured foundation next door. Watching this guy work for a bit, I developed an appreciation for his skill at working the large machine in close quarters.

Excavator working in the back yard

I drove Tom in search of the U-Haul shop which he thought was out in the country off the first exit from the 403. At the exit, we turned left and proceeded a couple of miles until we saw the 401 crossing over ahead of us. Tom figured we had turned the wrong way, so I was in the midst of making a U-turn when I saw orange and white U-Haul trucks across a field on the cross road ahead of us. Abandoning the turn, we continued on and found that, while we had in fact turned the wrong way for where the business used to be, they had just moved to this new location. Talk about luck.

The luck did not seem to be holding when we found that the 17' truck Tom had reserved had been taken out of service the previous day. All they had were two 26' units but the lady let us have them for the price of the smaller unit. I also insisted we rent a fridge cart because of some of the heavy items we had to move.

Our 26' U-Haul truck

Strangely, the truck was registered in sunny Arizona

Tom followed me back to the house where I left the van and we took the truck back to the Tri-Cities. Sandy and Heather stayed behind to wait for a delivery from Sears and a visit from the Rogers cable installer. Our first stop was The Brick furniture store in Kitchener, where we picked up an electric fireplace. Then we went on to Zofia's in Breslau where we loaded a washer, dryer, couch, love seat, box spring, mattress and containers of clothes and other small things. Considering there were just the two of us guys plus Zofia, we did pretty well getting it all stuffed into the truck. The last stop was at Rona's in Cambridge where Tom picked up insulation and drywall to finish the inside of the garage. About now, we realized that what we thought was bad luck in not having the smaller truck actually worked in our favour. I don't think it would all have fit into the 17' unit.

Back at the house, I was thrilled to see that son-in-law Mike had showed up. The two younger guys did the heavy lifting getting things into the house. Sears had been by and dropped off the fridge, stove, dishwasher and TV. Unfortunately, the master bedroom suite would be delayed for a week or so. On the plus side, the massive fridge fit into its space, but just barely. The Rogers installer was also there hooking up the cable TV, Internet and phone. (Two out of three ended up working but the phone ended up requiring a visit at a later date by a regular installer who pointed out the errors made by the contract guy.)

Rogers installer - we thought he knew what he was doing

About the time that the truck was empty, Tom's two brothers arrived so we headed back to the storage building for the rest of the stuff. After I caught a corner of a futon that swung open into my sternum, causing me to wonder for a bit if I had broken a rib or two, I played a relatively minor role in the loading. When we were done, there were only a few glass items left to be picked up tomorrow. Back at the house, the young guys again emptied the truck and then we took the it over to the TOA parking area for the night.

Heather or Tom ordered pizza which we enjoyed as things got sorted and assembled. By the end of the night, we had an electric fireplace and large screen TV functioning and were connected to the Internet. Zofia also stopped by with some more things and helped start the unpacking process. By the time everyone headed out, the snow had started to fall. Large fluffy flakes were landing in Woodstock but Mike called back to advise that the 401 to Cambridge was snow covered and experiencing whiteouts. The northwest wind was coming in across Lake Huron and Georgian Bay bringing heavy lake effect snow, while Woodstock got a break because it was in the shadow of the Bruce Peninsula.

Sandy and I had a bed but no curtains and, by virtue of the slope in the back yard, looked directly out on the sidewalk on Finckle Street. This was no problem for an exhibitionist like me, but Sandy was careful changing.

Sudbury Ontario to Woodstock Ontario

We are heading south to help Heather and Tom move into their new house in Woodstock, about 30 miles west of Waterloo. Since they sold their Waterloo condo in August (they got virtually their asking price four days after listing it) they have been living with Tom's parents. That started out at their home in Waterloo, not far from the condo, but moved to Zofia and Stan's new home in Breslau in September. By now, I figure they will be happy to relocate to their own castle.

Sandy and I set out from Sudbury this morning after I went in for an ultrasound of my arteries to make sure that I didn't have an aortic aneurysm. I had no symptoms but my doctor figured it would be good to check it out at my age. "At my age". Those are three scary words. In any case, the lab tech told me my arteries were fine and seemed exceptionally clear considering i have been a smoker for 40 years. We got underway by 11:00 AM under partly cloudy skies with a little snow on the ground. Both of us were still suffering from colds and I was on antibiotics for the bronchitis mine had turned into  but we felt (hoped) we were on the road to recovery.

We encountered the usual snow squalls on the way down, a lake effect feature of the winds blowing across Georgian Bay and then meeting the shore. As the snow started to accumulate on the road south of Parry Sound, I slowed down. Unfortunately, a couple of other drivers didn't and put themselves off the road.

Driver off the road near Moon River

A second driver who forgot how to drive in winter

Driving conditions near Waubaushene

South of Waubaushene, the road improved and we motored right along. Because of the time of day, I elected to follow the 400 all the way to the 401 in Toronto, the fastest route if it isn't rush hour. I won't go into the difference of opinion I had with the bozo in the blue Durango who figured that he had some kind of divine right to hog the left lane, but I did make my point to him. We arrived at Heather's office in Ayr at 4:00, picked up the keys to the Breslau house and then went back and picked Tom up in Cambridge when he got off work at 4:30.

From Cambridge, we stopped at the Breslau house where Tom picked up a few things and then we went on to Woodstock. The new house looked great and I really like the open concept layout. I think the double garage was a wise choice. They are still building on both sides and there was a huge pile of dirt in the back yard from the foundation excavation next door.  Landscaping will have to wait until spring but the interior of the house is very nice.

When Heather got home, we went over to the TOA Family Restaurant. I finally tried their chicken fried steak. This is the only place in Canada I have ever seen it on the menu, probably because it caters to American truck drivers. It wasn't the best I have had, but it wasn't bad, either.

Back at the house, there was no furniture. Knowing this, we brought our air bed down from Sudbury and set it up in the second bedroom while Heather and Tom slept on the floor in the master bedroom. Since there was no TV or other entertainment and expecting a busy day tomorrow, we turned in early.

The new house in Woodstock
(Photo by Tom G)

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