The Squamidian Report – Sept. 22 / 07
Issue #278
Also in this issue:
A Note From Vivyan
The Ontarion
Hi All,
We were going to head over to Vancouver Island last weekend, for the weekend, on the bike. But the weather forecast changed at the last minute, promising rain for the Sunday. And they were right. So instead we did a day trip out the Fraser Valley. After a nice stretch of warm sunny days and clear cool night it was a bit of a disappointment for the weekend to turn sour again, but that has been the case for many of our summer weekends here this year.
So anyway, we decided a nice Saturday ride would be fine and away we went. To head into the Fraser Valley from here we have only one choice of route. That is to travel the Sea to Sky into the city, then stay on Highway 1 (Upper Levels Highway through West and North Van) until we get across the Second Narrows Bridge. At that point we would stay on No. I if we were in a hurry, or we could jump off and take No. 7, also known as the Lougheed Highway, which we did.
Following No. 7 is a bit like driving along Highway 24 through Cambridge back in Ontario. Urban sprawl, countless traffic lights and congested traffic are the norm. You work your way through Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge before the sprawl eases up and the endless housing and shopping developments give way to open farmland, the banks of the Fraser and the backdrop of mountains. From this point on the ride is very pleasurable all the way to Hope. However, we only went as far as Mission. Mission is a small town on the north side of the Fraser River with a quaint little one-way main street lined with small stores and shops.
One of the shops is called ‘Stan the Leather Man’ and while very small, is crammed full of leather cloths, boots, jackets, gloves, belts, things I don’t know what they are and so on. They are known throughout the Lower Mainland for their biker riding apparel. This is where I had purchased my black leather biker jacket while on a ride in mid summer with neighbor Brian. Sue and I parked the bike and went in to have a look around. We found and nice woman’s biker jacket for her so I bought it. Now we can both be decked out in our black leather jackets when we choose. In fact, since I had bought her a pair of chaps at a leather booth when we were down in Halifax, we both have full black leather riding gear now, jacket, chaps, boots and gloves. Cool!
For the return ride we headed south over the river and into Abbotsford where we jumped onto No. 1 which is really the Trans Canada Highway, and headed back toward the city. Traffic along here is heavy and fast until it starts to back up several kilometers leading onto the Port Mann Bridge. Along here you can be right down to a walking speed or even totally stopped. Inching a big heavy bike along is not much fun, but as soon as you get over the bridge the traffic is up to 120 again and away you go. Being 2-up on the bike, we can use the HOV lane (High Occupancy Vehicle). In theory this lane is supposed to expedite vehicles with multi passengers through the congestion. I don’t know whether it actually accomplishes much at all but at least there is less traffic in it than in the other lanes, making it a bit safer. One of the things you always try to do on a bike is leave a safety zone around you. That’s fine in theory, but as soon as you leave ¾ of a car length between you and the vehicle in front, you can count on at least 2 cars trying to squeeze into that space. So when riding a motorcycle you use any means possible, including HOV lanes, to be as safe as possible.
Once we were back into the city we dropped down off the highway and into North Van for a bite to eat and so that Sue could poke around in The Bay. Guess she needed another shopping fix. By early evening we were back home after enjoying a great ride. Of course now the bike is a bit dusty and should probably be washed and polished again.
*
Snowin’ up on Brohm! That’s the name of one of the songs we do, and it is also what the weather did last Tuesday night. There was a fresh white dusting of snow over Brohm Ridge, Garibaldi Mt and over on Cloudburst as well as the mountain tops up by Whistler. I don’t know what gives but this has definitely been the ‘summer that wasn’t’. The weather has changed for the worse again and we are currently holding about 10 degrees C below normal and have been for a good part of the summer. Mind you, it’s been nice for working but it has been the pits for doing anything else. Most summers we need the AC in the machines just to survive. This summer we haven’t used it even once. I haven’t turned it on in the truck at all either. Add to that the fact that it never seemed to stop raining and this truly has been the ‘summer that wasn’t’ out here on the coast. Oh well, it will soon be fall and summer will be forgotten.
doug
****
Hi Doug,
Below is a note from Mom for today’s Squamidian. I forgot to mention to you that Al & I have a candidate for the country's worst Tim Horton's. We encountered it coming home from the east at Monticello, N.B. We arrived about 10:35 and found just 3 in the line before us and 12 people on staff (I know because I counted them as we waited and waited) Al wanted the breakfast sandwich as he hadn't had breakfast that morning. By the time we got to the front of that short line it was 11:01 and they refused to sell it to him as it was after 11:00. They only reason we stayed as there was nowhere else to go. Al ordered chili and I the soup they had posted. As we waited (and waited) in the next line for our food someone changed the names of the soups posted. When we finally were served she tried to give me a soup I hate and I told her what I had ordered. She said I couldn't have but I told her that someone changed the soup names in the 15 minutes we waited for our food. She basically called me a liar until I told her to ask the girl I saw change the menu who confirmed that yes she had made the change. Our server then said "I suppose you weren't wrong then". As the soup I ordered wasn't available and the others weren't one's I cared for I asked for chill instead. Since there is a price difference she said I would have to get back in the first line to re-order. I took a soup I didn't care for. The roll was stale. Now doesn't that make the worst Timmy's list?
It’s been a nice summer but it seems like it just started and we are already into fall. On Sunday, September 15th there was a fairly heavy frost but the leaves are so thick I think they saved whatever garden is left. We didn’t do much this summer. I went to the cottage for a couple of days and we went with Lorne’s octet and their wives to the summer home of one of the couple on Skelton Lake near Orillia for 3 days and then over to Jackie’s on our way home. It was a fun few days.
One highlight of the summer was the day Tara’s baby Ian was baptized at our church. We had the families all back here for brunch, about 30 of us. He sure is a great baby. Then, of course, we had the bocce ball at Gale’s. It’s always a fun day. On Saturday, September 15th Beth and Jamie had a house warming at their new home. It was another great time. It was good to hear Beth and Tim playing and singing. Their back yard is a rather steep hill going down to a green belt. There are steps going down. Three-year-old Ella wanted me to go down with her to catch a cat that we could see (she had been told not to go down alone). I said I didn’t think I could manage the steps so she caught my hand and took off saying “I’ll help you Grandma.” The next thing I knew we were down there. Some of the young people were down there by the fire pit with a nice fire going, but the cat had disappeared. I told Ella I was going back up so she took my hand to help and headed back up. Tim saw us and came down to meet us half way. His help seemed a lot more secure but we made it down and up with no falls. Beth has a nice home for a family to grow up in. The next day we went to Hespeler for Earl Constant’s 90th birthday. Earl is Dave’s father and is he ever bright and fit for 90. He still shuttles cars back and forth to Toronto from Cambridge and he doesn’t even wear glasses.
We were sorry we didn’t go to Nova Scotia for the reunion but we just didn’t seem to have enough energy.
I remember as a child complaining about how slow time went when we were looking forward to something. My grandmother would tell us that as we got older time went faster and faster. I know what she meant now as I find one year has just started and it seems it’s Christmas already and I accomplish less then I used to because each day is gone almost before it started but Teddy and I still go for our walk each morning. I find that most days I lie down for a few minutes after lunch to straighten out may back. I better go now and get some work done before I find out that it’s already tomorrow (or next week).
****
Hello
everyone!
We’re
into September and enjoying the best weather we’ve had all summer. The sun is
shining every day and the temperature is in the mid 20’s so it’s totally
comfortable. This is some of the best motorcycling weather available. It’s also
the best convertible driving weather as well. Carole and I spend as much time
as we can cruising the countryside in the MG this time of year. The most scenic
of drives can be had right here in southern Ontario. The Orangeville area along
with Hockley Valley makes for the most colourfull forested pleasure driving of
all. The leaves are just amazing with their brilliant red yellow and orange
hews glittering in the sunlight of a fall afternoon. It’s a photographer’s
paradise when you get deep in the forested areas of the province. I’ll be sure
to take my camera along when we go cruising in the coming weeks. If the weather
could stay as it is now for the full year I’d be happy for sure.
*
We got
some good news from Carole’s brother last week. His son Kyle has been drafted
to play hockey in the Brockville Braves organization. He’s 17 years old and
well on his way to a career in hockey. He’s always been an “A” student as well
as an excellent athlete and we are very proud of him. He has to live with a
family in Brockville for the full hockey season as well as attend his last year
of high school at a school he’s not familiar with. He’s a tad homesick but he
says he’ll get over it shortly. He plays defense for the Braves and I know it’s
early in the season but they’ve already won their first two games. I hope for
the sake of all the players on the team they do well but of course our hearts
and cheers are backing Kyle to do well. He’s a young man that realizes that
hockey can be a lucrative profession but he’s also smart enough to know that
it’s possible that he might get hurt and an injury can end a career before it
really gets rolling. He wants to make sure to continue his education so he’s
got a future if the hockey doesn’t work out to be the career he’d like it to
be. We’ve never been much in the way of sports fans so it’s something new for
us to keep track of his team and follow their progress. We’re going to attend a
few of his games this coming season and show our support for him. I’m sure
it’ll be a moral booster for him to see some familiar faces in the crowd at
some of his games. It’ll be a weekend away for us as well to head to Brockville
and see him play. We’re really looking forward to doing so and to seeing Kyle
in person as well. We’ll be sure to let him know ahead of time that we’re
intending to come see him play and that’ll give us a chance to arrange to take
him out to dinner while we’re there as well. We wish him the best of luck both
in his hockey career now and in the future and will be cheering for him all the
way!
Time to
go for now. Thanks for tuning in and I look forward to talking to you all again
next time in The Ontarion Report.
Bye for now… GREG.
PS:
Something To Think About>
A hockey
career in the NHL lasts an average of 5 to 7 years.
****
The Family and the Squamidian sites:
http://members.shaw.ca/doug_b/ and http://www.thedougsite.ca
Have a good one..
the
doug
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