The Squamidian Report – May 10 / 08
Issue #311
Including:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
Well now, it’s been another quite, non-newsy week out here on the coast. The only big topic around is the weather. Or the lack of springtime to be more precise. Everyone is asking the same question… “where the heck is spring and is it ever going to get here”?
According to the scientists, we have been having the coldest spring in over 300 years. And it sure feels like it. Once in a while we will get a relatively nice day and then the temperature will go back into a tailspin. Our April temperatures were colder than what our normal January temps should have been and it just won’t quit. Many parts of BC are looking at close to total crop failure because it has been so cold that the bees couldn’t come out and to their pollination duties. Blossoming time is long since over and the bees still won’t brave the cold and come out. Global Warming my ASS!
We have been braving the cold to fit in some nice runs up and down the highway on the bike. Rather than go down to our pathetic excuse for a Horton’s, we go to either Whistler or Horseshoe Bay for a coffee a couple evenings per week. It’s a beautiful ride either way, with mountain scenery if you head north and ocean scenery if you head south. But without our heated riding vests those runs just wouldn’t be possible. With them the rides are actually quite comfortable. And the added bonus of the arctic air is the fact that there is absolutely no danger of the bike’s air-cooled engine overheating.
*
On the topic of over-heating, there were a lot of over-heated tempers on the highway last Monday morning, Sue’s included. We have been living in and putting up with a non-stop construction zone for a couple of years now and it won’t end for another year and a half. The highway all the way from West Van at Horseshoe Bay to Whistler is under construction. The end results will be great but for now we must put up with delays and torn up sections and more delays and dust and holes on the road and backed up traffic. There are often full road closures during the night making it impossible to get into or out of town. The closures are posted ahead of time and are supposed to be cleared up by 5am so commuters can get through.
Sue had left for the city about 5:30am because she had a 6:30 meeting. (Normally she would have been heading to the airport). She came upon stopped traffic just south of Lion’s Bay. The construction company doing the work in that area had blasted away the side of the mountain above the highway and brought down tonnes of rock and debris, trees and hydro poles, telephone poles and fiber optic lines. It was a huge mess to say the least. It was what is called an ‘over blast’ and it happens way too often.
The highway was finally opened to single lane traffic just before 9 after a path was cleared through the mess by a fleet of loaders and trucks. When Sue went through there were still rocks the size of small cars on the road as well as logs and other stuff. Some to the rocks had punched holes into the road surface that could swallow a car.
The construction company pays big fines to the government when this kind of thing happens, but it is the government that pockets the fines, not the inconvenienced business people who were left to sit and stew. Such is life when there is only one highway through an area and it is being re-built.
doug
****
****
Hello
everyone!
I was a
tad worried that our May would be all “April like” weather but it seems we’re
back to nice sunshine once again. I’ve even cut the grass twice in the past
week or so and it’s growing like a weed. We’ve still got a section at the front
of the lawn that is spotty with brown grass. I think it’s some kind of root
chewer. Maybe grubs or something of that nature so I’ll have to see if I can
dig up a bottle of my favourite insecticide and give it the old 1-2 treatment.
They say if you just wait, the grubs will turn into June bugs in June (when
else?) and fly away and your problem will be solved naturally. I tend to think
that if I wait that long, the whole darned lawn will be a brown spot! HOWEVER,
now that I think of it, the region has outlawed insecticides and that would
make me a criminal if I sprayed my lawn! Hmmmmm??? I guess I’ll have to find
another way to rid the lawn of these critters, any suggestions? Speaking of
outside work, we’ve been doing all that’s necessary to make the yard and house
look good for another year. Adam and I moved a ton of limestone rocks from the
back of the pond to the front yard and placed them in a ring around our white
birch tree. Carole wants to fill that ring with good soil and plant a few new
flowers etc around the base of the tree. The larger rocks that we put there
look great and I’m sure the flowers will look amazing when she gets them
planted. I installed the new pump system that I told you about three weeks ago
in the pond and it’s working like a charm. The large sand filter and two horse
power pump that is circulating the water is really keeping the water clean and
clear. It’s amazing the difference. I guess when you’re running the entire
contents of the pond through the filter 10 times a day you’re bound to see
better results. It’s been running for almost three weeks now and I still
haven’t “backwashed” the filter to remove the impurities from the sand. Maybe
I’ll do that tomorrow just to see if I’ve managed to catch any dirt ‘n stuff.
I’m sure the filter is removing most of the impurities in the water because
it’s never been so clear and I’ve only treated the water with algaecide and
chlorine once a week since starting the system up. Tomorrow’s backwashing will
tell the tale I’m sure!
*
The
motorcycle saga continues here in Forest Heights. We now have three motorcycles
as you all will probably remember me saying in past Ontarions. I have my new
machine, Adam has his new machine and he also has his 2005 Yamaha V Star 650.
He’s got that one for sale and we’ve been parking it on the front driveway with
a “For Sale” sign on it for the past month and a half. We’ve had a few people
look at it but it seems they all think they should have it for nothing! Hmmmm?
I would think it should be obvious that it’s NOT one of those items that people
put at the curb to be taken away for free on weekends! Nobody’s tried to heist
it into the back of their pick up truck yet but ya never know, that could
easily happen! Adam has reduced the price to a more than fair one and we expect
it should sell real soon. If any of you know of someone looking for a
motorcycle, please give them our number, we’re running out of room in the
garage and I still have to bring the MGB home from it’s winter storage place.
LOL! Maybe we need to buy a farm or something so we’ve got more land on which
to store all these toys! LOL!
Speaking
of toys, my latest acquisition the Kawasaki has a new windshield on it! I
decided that the one that came on it from the factory was too small. I looked
at dealers and on the internet and found several after market models that are
made for this bike. I didn’t like the looks of any of them and figured that if
I bought one, they wouldn’t take it back if I didn’t like the looks of it once
it was installed. The other night I was out in the garage and spotted the
windshield from my old Suzuki hanging on the wall. When I traded it in on the
new bike, the dealer didn’t want it so I removed it before closing the deal. I
took it down from its perch and held it in place on my new bike. Lo and behold,
it looked like it would be a perfect fit! I mentioned it to Adam and he
volunteered to help me check it out. We removed the stock windshield from the
bike and held the old one to the brackets. We marked the hole placements for
the screws with a black marker. Adam said he thought we’d have no problem
drilling the plastic with a sharp new bit. We took it to the basement workshop
and sure enough, the drill passed through the plastic with ease. With the holes
in place, we screwed the windshield to the bike and it appeared to be a great
fit. When I tried to turn the handle bars all the way to either side, they hit
the edges of the windshield. We figured we’d have to saw about a half inch
slice off each side of the shield. Once more we removed it from the bike and
headed to the workshop, hacksaw in hand. We marked the amount of plastic that
we wanted to remove from each side. I suggested to Adam that we try sanding the
plastic off with my bench mounted belt sander. He figured that it would just
melt and distort the plastic but we decided to give it a try. We had lots of
excess plastic to test it on so, what the heck! I fired up the sander and Adam
began sanding the edge of the shield. To our delight, the plastic dusted off
just like that from a piece of wood! He continued to sand and about 10 minutes
later, both sides were down to our marks and the windshield looked like it was
made by a professional. With a bit of light 220 grit sand paper Adam rounded
off the edges and back up to the garage we went. Once the shield was back on
the motorcycle, you would have sworn it was original equipment! I’m very happy
that we tried our hand at this renovation and especially that it worked! Now I
have a custom crafted, one of a kind windshield that nobody else will ever
have! What a blast! We took the bikes out the next day for a run through the
country side and the windshield works just great. It keeps all the wind off my
face and chest as well as the shoulder area which the original one did not. It
just shows what you can do if you put a little thought and effort into
something. Along with a new motorcycle comes a need for new accessories of
course. Carole had purchased me a high quality leather jacket when I bought the
first Suzuki three years ago. It is an actual “motorcycle” jacket and did it’s
job very well. I actually have only worn it about a dozen times a season since
getting it. Most of the rides in the summer were short and the heat was too
much to bare wearing heavy leather. So the jacket is virtually like new. I have
lost about 20 lbs since first getting the leather jacket so it’s now quite a
bit too big for me! I made a comment to this affect when I went for the first
ride on my new Kawasaki. Carole and Adam agreed that it made me look like a
toothpick wearing a tent! LOL! (My words not theirs!) Adam and I went to a sale
of motorcycle accessories at a place in Guelph last week and I found a jacket
made of synthetics and Kevlar that is designed to take the “ouch” out of
skidding down a roadway on your back or elbows, just what I need! It’s also
designed in three layers so you can wear it three ways. One, as all three
layers, to keep you safe, dry from the rain and warm with the inner insulated
liner. Two, as a protectant and a rain jacket and three as just a light but
protective riding jacket. It’s designed for all seasons of riding and it fit me
like a glove! I went home and was telling Carole about it and she and Adam
surprised me by buying it for me the next day. I had to wait a week until they
got one in from the manufacturer for me but the wait was worth it for sure. I
picked it up two days ago and am looking forward to wearing it for the first
time tomorrow. This style of jacket is designed as I said for all seasons of
riding and even in the hot weather it will be wearable. They incorporated
vented material into the panels of the jacket so the breeze will flow through
the lining to keep the wearer cool on hot days. I just know it’ll kick the
sleeves off my heavy leather jacket. Now, if only the weather man cooperates
and brings the sunny days he’s promised over this weekend I’ll be a happy
rider!
Guess
that’s about it for this week!
Thanks
for tuning in and I look forward to talking to you all again next week in The
Ontarion Report!
Bye for now…. Greg.
PS:
Something To Think About>
Where
there’s music there can be now evil!
****
Have a good one..
the doug
The Fine Print!
The articles in these issues are the sole property of the persons writing them and should be respected as such.