It's October and the season is over for me!

It's really hard to believe that this exciting year of riding is really pretty much finished for now. It's hard to believe that my intention to blog about each ride lost inspiration, making way for the riding instead. And I sure did put a lot of miles on that lovely Little Hussy of mine... actually over 9000 km!

For a while I figured that I'd be able to catch up on the blogs... look back over the photos (especially those in my friend Flo's photobucket), and catch up on the rides. But the truth is that the rides became so familiar by the last few months that I no longer needed to sit down and talk about what I'd experienced or learned. Riding has become second nature. I get on the bike, and though I might have a butterfly or two during some traffic situations, I don't have a whole bunch of them flittering around in my stomach before I start out.

One of the last rides I enjoyed with friends was just a week ago. Mir called early one morning and suggested we meet in Mill Bay. We joined up with Jenn after we'd had a coffee at the Timmy's and the three of us headed off to lunch in Cowichan Bay. On that morning ride I realized the season was pretty much finished for me. My fingers were losing their feeling, and riding requires good hand control of throttle, clutch and brakes. It was much better when it warmed up and the sun was so gorgeous too. Trees changing colour, and the beauty of the snappy fall weather are wonderful, but honestly a little hard to enjoy when you're too cold. I'll need some kind of heated clothing to take weather below 10 degrees C. Yep, pretty much finished.

There was one special thing that I need to mention here. I rode my bike on voting day. Yep, I arrived at the school in full leathers and got quite the happy looks from some folks... and a little mis-judgement from others. The thing that struck me though was the fact that my very first ride of the year was on International Women's Day (IWD)... and it looks as though my final ride of the year might just be Election Day. On IWD, I clearly remember thinking how it was a true privilege to be able to ride as a woman, and how there were still countries on this planet where women don't have any rights yet. On Election Day, as I rode I remembered that first ride and thought how here I am so priveliged as to ride to vote, as well as to vote, and that's something that Canadian women didn't get to do until about 70 years ago. What a great start and end for this 57 year old woman.

Yep, I've put more than 9000 km on my bike. I can ride! I have my class 6 license. All in all, it's been a great year.

Labour Day in Port Alberni with Robocop

September 1, 2008

I thought I was ready for this event, but though I thoroughly enjoyed the ride to Port Alberni (it really is such a scenic and wonderful ride with loads of twists), my shoulder wasn't ready for the parking lot practice.

One of the PA riders, Chevy, has set up the parking lot by the College and Multiplex in Port Alberni. It has the slowcone weave, figure 8, slalom, intersection, and even a snowman marked out in paint, and Chevy (aka Wayne) also brings small traffic cones to really help with the visuals. The end result is a perfect "Ride Like A Pro" practice lot. It was terrific to see the huge turnout, and Dave Hay, the RCMP Motorcycle Trainer here on Vancouver Island, was there to give us his experience and some terrific training. He ended up setting up another rather difficult practice pattern called the Texas Star as well.

Stephen excelled at all of the patterns and sure made me proud. Vic does well with his riding too. I started the slalom and the off-set cone weave, but my shoulder was just bitchy with ache and the slow friction zone maneuvering wasn't kind. Oh well, it did give me the opportunity to watch everyone else and to sit and chat with friends.

The PA group is wonderful, and they had a barbecue set up cooking hotdogs for the riders and a huge cooler full of very icey water to keep us all hydrated. What an incredible day for all of us. We ended it with a ride to Starbucks and another delightful gab session before heading out to the highway and home again. Memories are made of days like this and I'm sure thrilled to have become a member of this fine group of people. Gosh how I've changed. I can remember driving to BC in 1992, and as I got to the midwest, I began to notice more and more motorcycles on the road. By the time I got to the Dakotas I couldn't find either a restaurant or a motel that didn't have more bikes than anything else in the parking lots. I actually started to feel nervous about this. After all, I was driving through the States all by myself. Where were all these bikers coming from? Where were they going?

Now I realize they were the best safety factor for me on this solitary journey. They were all heading to Sturgis where every year a good half-a-million riders come together to celebrate their bikes, each other, and all things to do with riding. Maybe some day I'll make it to Sturgis and enjoy that celebration with them... although maybe that's more bikes and people than I can cope with. It's something to think about.

This Much Time Has Passed?

August 3, 2008 -- Rod Wiseman Memorial Ride

Well holy Hannah, I had no idea that it has been so long since I took the time to add to my blog. All I can say is that riding became a lot more fun and much more important than keeping track of it all. It seems every time I go out the door, provided it's not raining, it's on my Little Hussy.

There was a stretch of almost a month when I didn't do much riding because of a shoulder injury. That truly stressed me out. After all, this is still my first year as a rider, and I sure didn't want to be stuck here at home unable to go out.

I took part in the Rod Wiseman Memorial Ride, meeting riders from Victoria through to Cobble Hill in Ladysmith to head out to the parking lot at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo. That was on August 3rd... and it was great being with so many of our biking community here on the island. It tugs deeply at the heart to know you're riding in memory of someone who spent so much time on a motorcycle. There's a truly emotional ache when you put your passenger pegs down in honour of that rider who is no longer with you. Rod was a motorcycle instructor, and many of my friends learned to ride with him and his wife Wendy.

On our way up island, we encountered an accident in Nanoose Bay, and we were fortunate to get past before all the emergency personnel came to slow traffic down to an impossible and impassable crawl. We'd broken up into 5 or 6 riding groups with a leader and tailgunner for each group. We did a nice little ride around Schooner Cove before getting back on the highway in Parksville and heading to Qualicum Beach... yep, to the Beach Hut. Oddly enough, thinking that we'd slowed some because of our little detour, we still managed to be the 2nd group in. And the waiting began! And some more waiting, and waiting. Another group finally arrived and informed us that they'd been held back because of the accident in Nanoose Bay.

Things became even sadder as we waited because the next group to arrive informed us that there'd been a crash between a couple of the bikes. It had happened just as they were heading out to the highway from Nanaimo. It was really shocking to hear that one of the riders had run into Wendy Wiseman, Rod's sister-in-law, and her new Harley. She was wearing all the right gear though, and despite minor damage to the new bike, as well as having her jacket shredded to the arm, she wasn't too bad. They did have to take her to the hospital and it sure put a damper on all of us to hear about this happening.

At this point I realized that my aching shoulder wasn't going to let me finish riding all the way to Campbell River... which also meant a three-hour ride home after that... so I said my sad goodbyes to all the great folks on the ride and headed home again. It was actually the start of a real slowing down for me, though I wasn't aware yet that it would mean no riding at all for a little while. But that's another story.

Road Test Passed

July 22nd...

Well I headed off to Courtenay fairly early, not sure what kind of traffic I might be up against, but knowing I was to meet Flo at Courtenay Motor Sports (CMS) at 1:30, and my test was scheduled for 3:30, meaning I had to register at 3:15.

The ride up was delightful and I took the more relaxed ocean route for most of it. And so I actually got into town at 12:30. Time to stop, tank up with fuel (God forbid I should run out during the test cause that would be an automatic fail), and to have a bagel and coffee at Tim Horton's. I was still a little early, so I thought I would check out the leather shop, just a little way up from CMS. As I was looking at gloves there, who rides up? Flo... she was early too and spotted my bike. We stopped in at CMS and then headed into town for some practice. Flo thought I should do a few u-turns, and well, would you believe on my first attempt I actually dropped the bike. I was so freaked. She made me do about 12 more. I finally agreed that they weren't great, but they were more than good enough to pass the test and it was time to quit trying them. It made me feel sick that the one I had done on the previous test had been so perfect, and here I was struggling to make them smooth. Crikey.

We pulled into the access centre after I had some milk at the A+W just down the road from it. I felt I needed to settle my stomach. Nick spotted me fairly quickly and was really friendly and seemed glad to see me there. Before I knew it, I was miched and on my bike and off to do another test. We started out on a different route than the previous week, and before too long I was going up a hill and the lights turned yellow. I glanced in my rearview mirrors and decided to stop. It wasn't easy, but I managed to stop before the line. Phew.

On we went, me following directions, and yes, we did do the turning lane again. No problems there! Then my bike stalled at an intersection... oh my guts! I was freaked. But we carried on a little way and then he told me to park. I had a sick sensation at that point, but backed my bike into the 45 degree angle as if everything was fine, then turned her off expecting to get off, and suddenly I heard: "that's fine, just pull out again when you're ready." Wow, no needing to talk about hazards? I was so surprised. Off we went, and out onto the highway. By then we'd done the roundabout, done the slow speed playground areas, and I figured we were getting close to the end of the test. Sure enough... we headed toward Cliffe Avenue, and that's when I felt the dang earpiece slipping and couldn't make out for sure what Nick was telling me to do. I tried to shove it back and heard: "don't worry about it." Phew.

We were back at the Access Centre within a few more minutes, and Flo was there taping my arrival. And so was Judy, who gave me one heck of a great hug. What a relief, I not only passed, but got told I did a really good job. In fact, before it was over, Nick actually said: "excellent." I'm now official. I have achieved my class 6 status and all restrictions have been removed. Woooohooooo.

The Day Before the Road Test

July 21st

I just had to get out and do some riding in Nanaimo. I wanted to find streets with lots of stops and opportunities for right and left hand turns, and uphill starts and areas to do u-turns. Most of all I wanted to find my comfort level back again. I had a test ahead of me the following day. I also wanted to spend time with Vic. Phew, I'm so glad we had this day. It all came back, the ease, the comfort, the ability to feel like I could handle my bike. Yep, definitely turned it around again. Got myself mentally ready for that test. And one of the things that helped me get there was finding my leather legs... they're just so wonderful! They keep my legs protected from any gravel or stuff. They give me a sense of se curity, and as nice as they look in this image, they're even better over my own red Doc Martens. And they're so great when the weather is too hot for chaps. They come from a great guy, Scott, who makes them to measure, and they feel great.

Saturday and Sunday Rides

July 19th and 20th, 2008

On Saturday I headed out to the Beach Hut... yep, Qualicum Beach again. There was to be a ride with a bunch from Victoria and Port Alberni, Courtenay and Campbell River. What a shock then for me to see a whole crew of riders passing me as I was riding that part of the town close to our meeting spot. I honked and some waved at me and they kept going. I was stunned. I tried to turn around and follow them, but because traffic was heavy and it took a while for me to turn around, I lost them. I didn't know what to do. So I thought well I might as well have a coffee before I head home.

When I got to the hut, and was standing in line, Ms. Bling, Lisa, was suddenly there, and so was Dogdrifter. They explained that Eric needed something and though they'd been riding past me, they were coming back. What a relief.

We soon went off for a ride to Nanoose Bay and then down to Schooner Cove. I had no idea that there was such a twisty road back there, and Schooner Cove is absolutely gorgeous.

We really enjoyed that ride, but there was a very frightening moment for me at one point as I was rounding a curve: I hit one of those oil snakes with my back tire and suddenly felt my bike trying to slide out from under me. I thought for sure I was going down, but somehow managed to come out of it. Flo was behind me and was so proud of the way I managed it. The trouble is I really don't even know what I did right. All my actions were suddenly just based on instinct and I think pure luck.

When we got back to Parksville, I honked and turned off leaving this fine group and heading back to Vic. They were on their way back to QB, on their way home eventually, but since I live South, I felt it was time to part. I wasn't feeling fantastic anymore, that oil snake made me very unsure and I just wanted to get back to Vic.

Sunday ride to Cowichan Lake with Vic

On the Sunday afternoon, Vic and I took a ride to Cowichan Lake. I really wasn't feeling great. I couldn't find my wonderful leather legs anywhere, and still felt unnerved by the oil snake experience. But the ride was uneventful for me. Not so for Vic... he experienced one of those oil snakes. I guess in the hot weather they become more slippery, and it seems to me that they were fresh too! He didn't have any real trouble, but did tell me he felt his tire slipping on the thing. We had a much nicer ride coming back then going up... we used the main highway to get to Cowichan Lake, but came back by the Skutt's Falls Road which got us to Duncan. That road has a few very nice curves and the speed is slower and it's much prettier riding. But for some reason, I just wasn't having my usual amount of fun, and I was glad when we made it home again.

Port Alberni Practice Lot

July 17th

I rode to work on Wednesday, but there's nothing special to tell about that. Golly, just riding that kind of ride is no longer exciting, though it feels way better than having to get there in a cage. What was exciting all day long was the prospect of riding to Port Alberni together to do the RLAP practice session.

Wayne actually set up quite a wonderful lot, using pylons as well as paint on the lot next to the MultiPlex. Vic and I headed off for this ride about 5:15 and by the time we got there, quite a few of our riding friends were already hard at the practice.

I was pleased that I managed the slow cone weave... actually did quite well on it. Also managed the other cone weave, well at least in one direction. The second set seemed closer together to me, and to everyone else as well. I think Wayne's going to check it and see whether it is somehow different.

I tried the figure 8 again, and though I can make one of those, it sure isn't the one intended. I'm way wide of the mark. I suppose I just need to keep trying. It sure is harder than it looks. I'm not even going to attempt the corner maneuvering yet. That's just so darned difficult.

We had a quick stop with the PA bunch at Starbucks after it was all over, and then had to head home, hoping to make it before dark. I should have brought my cell phone with me, but went as lightly as possible. I don't know why I even worry about it. The examiner at the road test laughed at me for it when I said I wanted to be free of the after dark restriction, saying: "It's not dark until 10:00 pm, and even then, who is going to stop and ask you, you're a really good rider."

It was just a few minutes after 10:00 when we pulled into the driveway. Mom was freaked. I guess it seems darker in our backyard, but it wasn't at all dark riding on the roads. For one thing, we didn't just have street lighting, we had an incredibly full moon. Certainly nothing to worry about.

The road to Port Alberni is an absolutely wonderful ride and the people that we ride with there are among the best of the best. What a great bunch, and they're all working so hard on that practice lot. Flo had a rough go of it this evening. I think she's putting a ton of pressure on herself to do it perfectly, and the result is that she was struggling. But she has more guts and determination than anyone I know, and soon she'll be dancing that bike through these courses. Donna Palladino makes it look like the bike is walzing. It's great to watch her! I sure hope my skills develop to that level in the next couple of years.

Gold River and the Fracking Road Test

July 15th...

The test ahead of me, we started the day by riding to Gold River. What a great decision. It kept my mind focused on riding for sure. It's not surprising that this is considered one of the ten best motorcycling roads in BC: there are so many twists and turns, and it's absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous.

Flo decided to give me a beautiful leather vest in anticipation of my passing the road test. I wonder if that jinxed me? The ride was fantastic, and I felt so very confident when we finally headed off to Courtenay. Mind you it was cold up there in the mountains, and the wind in my eyes really hurt too. Flo loaned me a great pair of goggles and that really began to help.

We got to Courtenay on time to do a little more work on my u-turns and I felt truly relaxed and confident getting ready for the test.

Everything seemed fantastic. I made sure of my signaling and shoulder checks, made certain to stop at intersections before the white line. I slowed down to appropriate speeds in playground areas, and followed all the instructions. In fact I followed one of them too well. I heard: "take the next left," but when I looked it was just about 3 feet ahead of me and so I was looking up the road, scanning for the next available left. I put on my signal and went to make the turn and realized I was on a double left turning lane. Crap!

I was already into the turn, so I felt I had no choice but to complete it. The examiners didn't stop me, so I rode on. We did all the stuff that I'd heard about, some of it before that fracking lane showed up, much more of it after. We even went onto the highway. When we got back to the Access Centre, I parked the bike properly and got off smiling. That's when I discovered that I had failed the test! That one error is considered a traffic violation and an automatic fail! The instructor, Nick, actually said: "You're a really good rider." But nevertheless, I failed.

I could have been knocked over with a feather. Tears sprang into my eyes. I stood there dumbfounded. He left and I looked up to see my friend Judy standing there with a beautiful pink long-stemmed rose. Yep, she thought she was coming to congratulate me, and suddenly she was having to comfort me instead. Flo also arrived, and she was as dumbfounded as me. I think she was ready to deck the examiner. We talked for a few minutes, and then, with my back to the car the examiner had walked away from just a few minutes earlier, I said: "He's gonna call and try to get me in next week. He was really very nice." And suddenly I heard: "Yes, I'll call you." Phew... good job I'd just finished saying he was nice. If he'd come just a bit sooner, he'd have heard Flo ready to deck him. Oh my goodness, what a day.

We left to go to Courtenay Motor Sports, and I discovered that word about the fail was already spreading. I got hugs from Mark and Carl, and then we were going to do some riding and meet up with folks later that evening. Flo took me on a rather punishing tour through town. She wanted me to regain my confidence and feel more comfortable in Courtenay. We also rode out to a beach in Comox. It was really nice, but after four long days on the bike, and feeling so disappointed in myself, I can't really say I was into it anymore. For that matter, Flo was pretty exhausted too, so we both decided to call it a day.

I was lucky enough to spot Vic's bike in Qualicum Beach at the Beach Hut, and the two of us rode on home. It was after 8:00 before we made it. Man, talk about tired and sore.

The examiner did call the next morning, and I get to ride the test again on the 22nd... the only drawback is that it will be during rush hour. Ah well, he said I'm a good rider and I know that to be true. I feel ready to do it and get it over and done with.

Campbell River to Nanaimo & Back Again

July 14, 2008

Four American guys that are touring Canada had contacted the forums to see if anyone wanted to ride with them. Grizz and a friend met them in Victoria. We'd originally planned a ride to Gold River, Vic, Michael, Flo and me. But when the posts about the 4 guys came, Flo felt that we Canadians should reciprocate the hospitality she'd been shown south of our own border.

Vic left Nanaimo, riding the slab (the fast highway) all the way to Campbell River. He called us from a gas station, and we rode out to meet him. Poor guy didn't even really get to finish his coffee before we hit the slab heading right back to Parksville. We'd heard from Grizz and now had plans to meet them there at the MacDonalds. Not exactly the ride Vic anticipated, and even while we were having lunch, he began to think about things that were waiting for him at the studio. More phonecalls with Grizz and we learned that they were just sitting down to lunch in Duncan. So we got on the bikes and rode to Nanaimo to Chapters to meet em there. Had a really nice coffee break and Vic decided to head back to the studio. I was kind of bummed at that, but did understand. He also understood Flo's need to return friendship to riders from California, so we waited. Flo and I both used the parking lot at Woodgrove Mall to good advantage, practising our u-turns. I actually managed to keep my turns within three parking spot distances and felt really good about my improvement.

When the guys arrived, we talked, took pictures and finally got under way. I told Flo I'd need to stop for fuel in Lantzville, but since she really didn't know where I meant, I ended up taking the lead for a little while. She took over again once I got my 94 octane at the PetroCan (the champagne of fuels for a motorcycle). And we took the ocean route all the way out to Campbell River. I couldn't believe how much it clouded over! Holy cadoodle, it got sooooo cold on that ride.

We got the boys to their gorgeous campsite, but they weren't interested in doing Gold River the same day. I think they just wanted to set up camp, and have a few drinks and dinner and get ready for their morning ride to Port Hardy. We tried to talk them into doing Gold River first, and Chris, one of the guys, really wanted to, but was outvoted. So we determined we'd do it ourselves first thing the next day.

Taylor Flats

July 13, 2008

Five of us managed a ride to the Taylor Flats on Sunday, and it sure was wonderful getting out there. I did forget to stop for fuel before we headed out though and I have to admit that I had a few moments of grave concern. I actually decided to put her on reserve when we made a brief stop. I figured we must be getting close to a gas station soon. Much to my amazement, the Little Hussy didn't even take $10 worth. I'm so confused about how the gas usage seems to fluctuate. I suppose it must depend on the kind of riding I've been doing, and perhaps on how much idling is involved. I can't count on knowing when to expect to re-fuel at this rate. I'll just make sure I stop whenever I'm getting close to having done about 110 miles or so.













Anyway, once the five of us got back to Port Alberni, we rode to Starbucks, totally looking forward to a coffee fix. But the guys were waiting and ready to burn up the road, so no coffee for us. We were late, and they were ready to roll. Off we went, this time riding the Port Alberni hump again on our way to Parksville. It was totally gorgeous out, but we went to Rathtrevor Beach only to discover that every single parking spot was absolutely full. We were quite a way from the Beach Hut by the time we decided to ride onto a bit of grass and park the bikes. Then, instead of walking over to the Hut for an icecream or something, we got talking and Flo, Judy and I decided to get on our bikes and make our way to Courtenay. We knew we were still in for a long ride anyway, because Flo and I would also still have to ride on to Campbell River. But the Courtenay thing was really important to me. I don't know it at all, and I knew I was going to be doing my test there on Tuesday the 15th.

On the way, Flo decided it was time for a few new pictures, and with the water behind us, we posed, sans helmets for each other. Judy looks so great in her red leathers on her wonderful red bike. Flo is becoming a true Skully Queen, and when I took my helmet off to face the worst flathead, she put her skull cap on me for a picture too.

We did a little touring around Courtenay, sort of trying to understand what I might be up against on my road test, and then went to Judy's for a little visit. She's got a great place with an incredible yard and beautiful landscaped pond feature. She's living in a retirement community, and is really an exciting member of the neighbourhood for being a biking woman! Once we left her it was time to head out to Campbell River. Man oh man, by the time we arrived, I was sore and actually exhausted. But instead of heading straight to Flo's house, she had me doing some more practicing in another parking lot. I love this friend, she's a relentless force and she's gonna make sure I get tons of practice! I am learning so much from her... but was I glad when Eric showed up at the same parking lot and we had a chance to finally quit. Off to the grocery store for steaks, and off to Flo's home to relax! And that's very easy to do at her place on her back deck, looking at Mount Washington. What a great view.

Eric made dinner, Flo and I got onto our forum, and well, the evening was fantastic!

Port Alberni... The Bra Free Zone Party (BFZ)

July 12, 2008

Full of anticipation, I took off on Saturday morning to meet up with a bunch of riders at the Beach Hut in QB... we seem to meet there a lot these days. But what a wonderful place it is for such meetings.

The first picture here is of a Suzuki Intruder that caught my attention. And it's for sale too. Yikes. The custom paint job alone has me dizzy. She's a big bike, 1500 cc's. The bike also has a windshield and saddle bags, but the owner didn't have them on for this ride. I'd really like to own this ride!

Anyway, we met up with quite a large group of riders and headed to Port Alberni for the BFZ party. Eric (Flo's brother and a recent rider) led the ride to PA and did an excellent job. I'd heard lots about the PA Hump (as it's called) and felt a little apprehensive at first, but soon relaxed into the ride and enjoyed myself tremendously. There are quite a few nice twisties and narrowing sections and gorgeous lakes and mountain scenes to please the eyes and heart. Once we were in PA I was asking about the Hump, only to hear that we'd done it. Well then, that's another one under my belt. There were 10 bikes in our ride up... the six men here and Judy, Flo and me. I've tried to get this picture of the guys larger, but it keeps staying small. Dang anyway.

We went to a Chinese Restaurant for lunch and suddenly the waittresses came racing out of the kitchen area, one of them with tears of fear in her eyes. It seems there was a fight going on in there, and one guy got shoved into the freezer. Wow, those poor girls were quite scared. I thought if it had been me working there, I'd have been out the door permanently. What a way to start the day. But it was just the beginning. We went searching for dollar stores in hopes of finding pylons to do parking lot practising. Didn't find them, but we found a few wigs that we ended up buying for the party. Judy and Flo and I actually put them on under our helmets and rode to PA with them. Perhaps we looked young with hair flying back, because we sure got lots of honking and waving at us. The girls in the dollarama were in stitches too. Not to mention the staff and customers at Walmart. Nothing shy about the bunch of us.

We went to Jilly's home and the party truly got started after we left the guys to go check out the Tall Ships. After all, it was a women's party to celebrate Flo and her accomplishments and also Dragon's birthday, though she hurt her ankle and didn't manage to make the weekend. Lisa and Linda also got wigs... in fact if you check out Flo's picture site, you'll find some hilarious footage as well as pics of our party.

Jilly was a fantabulous hostess and the food and drinks were fantastic. Flo and Judy and I stayed overnight, though the other PA gals all managed to get brought home. Pity cause it would have been great to spend the entire night with these women. Mind you, we were pretty tired and very glad to each find a comfortable bed around midnight.

And we love Gibby too, cause he made killer omelets for us for our breakfast before we started off on another day's adventures.

And Back to Campbell River

July 7th

On Sunday, after the CR Toy Run, we managed some really great riding with each other... actually all the way to Parksville before Jenn and I headed back home. But the great thing was that I was going right back up to Campbell River again on Monday morning.

Janice wanted one of the RIDE LIKE A PRO dvd's and so we decided to get one from Flo. What a blast. She got here at 10:00 am and we were off like a pair of rockets by quarter past. We actually got to Campbell River by 12:45, and that's with making a stop for gas in Lantzville as well as stopping once along the highway for a brief break.

Dragon had suggested that I should let Janice lead because I tend to be a faster rider. I told Janice that, and well, didn't she just step on it. The highway to CR is fast to begin with, with limits set at 110 instead of the usual 90 km per hour. We sure did that speed and then some.

Once we got into town, we stopped at a Timmy's and called Flo... geesh she practically lives around the corner from that place. She came to escort us and we spent a few minutes at her place and I got the great leather legs from her, and then we were off. Well, we stopped for lunch at a Dairy Queen (they now serve wraps). Then we managed to ride a fair bit around Campbell River until Flo found the parking lot where we'd started the Toy Run off from. She wanted to do some practicing there. She made us do some u-turns and figure 8 maneuvres and I have to say I was quite pleased with my performance. I'm getting better at this all the time.

I asked Flo to try it on my Little Hussy and she admitted that it was difficult... yep, the Hussy has a lot of her weight up high. I'm glad I'm learning how to work with that, and I'm pretty sure I'll be just great by the time my road test comes up. Janice is struggling a little with the slow maneuvres... mind you, she's not used to the kind of bike she got herself, and she's probably thinking back to the smaller bikes she was riding some years ago. She's just great on the highway though, and sure sits that bike well. She's riding a Vulcan 500cc bike... would you believe that thing has cruise control. Flo did some practicing on it as well, and said it was easier for her than my bike had been. I think it's a question of getting used to mine.

We also rode into Courtenay... Flo took us on a nice twisty route to get there. We met up with Mark and Flo's brother Eric, and I entered the showroom and fell in love with a Yamaha VStar. Ah, if only I could win a lottery.

The Campbell River Toy Run, July 5th

This was it, my first truly long ride alone! I got up early on Saturday morning, just praying the rain would hold off. I had to ride to Courtenay to meet up with Carl and Lolis, and we planned to ride to Campbell River together from there. As I started off, the skies were gray, but looked like they might hold off on that crappy rain thing. But NO, I was no sooner on the Nanaimo Bypass then it started. I knew I'd better slow down a little, and quickly regretted the fact that I wasn't wearing the Darth Vader helmet (Flo's nickname for my full-face helmet). I was also wishing that I owned raingear that fit. Before long the cages started passing me... they don't have to worry as much about oil slick on the road when it first starts raining. It infuriates me though how totally ignorant most of the drivers are. Cripes, they obviously see me because they do pass, but they cut in front as quickly as possible and splash me and my poor bike with an incredible amount of water spray in doing that. GRrrrr!

After a while the rain stopped and I started smiling again and got some speed up. I pulled into a gas station just north of Nanoose and filled up... running into one of the secretaries from Stu"ate Lelum and her daughter who were also on their way to Campbell River for a soccer match. So nice to have been recognized by my bike! And off I went again, really happy. Got onto the highway and where you're allowed 110 km per hour, well let's just say I'm glad the police weren't anywhere around because I wanted to make some time. Dang it all, though, as I started getting closer to Courtenay it started raining again. My face felt like it was being punctured by a thousand tiny needles... reminded me of getting that tattoo on my back! My feet were remarkably dry, proof that I'd done a good job of spraying for that reason the night before. But I'd forgotten to spray my gloves, and my fingers were beginning to ache from the cold wet gloves. I could also feel the cold and wet of my lower legs... probably mostly thanks to the cars that didn't seem to mind cutting in front of me! The chaps weren't able to resist those drenchings happening over and over. Yes, I'd sprayed them and my jacket (which kept me really dry), but like I said, the trucks and cars... GRRRRRrrrrr.

When I got into Courtenay I called Carl and he came to meet me at a gas station. He and Lolis took excellent care of me. My gloves and jeans were quickly put in the dryer. I was given coffee and had a chance to fall in love with and be totally adored in return by their dog Riley. They were amazed at how he took to me saying they'd never seen him behave that way with anyone. He even followed me into the bathroom when I went to get out of my jeans and temporarily into a pair of dry and warm jogging pants. Once I was dry, and wearing some of Carl's raingear over my own riding gear, we headed off to Campbell River.

Holy Mackerel! I found out later that there were 86 or so motorcycles in the ride. Apparently it was disappointing because many folks decided not to risk the rain. Well, I did it! But anyway, it felt to me like we were in the hundreds... the thrumming noise from all those bikes was absolutely amazing. We had police escorts and there were RCMP officers at all the intersections holding back traffic for us and letting us proceed through intersections regardless of red or green lights. What a thrill to be in the middle of such a pack of riders. I felt so deeply emotional about it, kept having to take deep breaths and thank God. We raised over $5000 and filled a huge cube van with toys for the local hospital. It was truly an amazing thrill to be part of this event, and though I thought the ride to Victoria was one of the best days of my life, I have to admit this ride beat it. I can hardly wait to do the Port Alberni Toy Run in September... I've heard they get as many as 1000 riders.

As if the ride itself wasn't enough, we headed out to Qualicum Bay to the Ocean Bay Resort for our Camporee. I've come to know a number of the riders through having gone to the Malahat Mountain Mixer, and from a few rides with folks that are on my forum. Of course I've become great friends with Flo and her brothers and Jenn. Flo and I shared a top bunk while her brother Eric and Jenn shared the bottom bunk in our very small cabin. Oh my goodness... I may not have slept all that much, but I haven't laughed that hard for so many hours in ages.

We had a huge pig roast, but before dinner, we also got to listen to some of the officers from riding clubs. There were many riders from different chapters of the Southern Cruisers Riding Clubs present, and Mark (Spyderman) who has become a Regional Officer for SCRC, talked about the SCRC and other riding organizations. He specifically mentioned our forum and called us a riding club. Jenn said, "we're a forum, not a club." But then Mark made it clear that we get together to ride... and that we support each other through the forum and through practicing with new riders like me... and well, he's right, we are a club. Mark even joked that the Vancouver Island Lady Riders get better turnouts on some of our rides than the SCRC chapters do. Well, ja, especially since they have joined our forum, some as Cabana Boys, and they ride with us.

Of course a Camporee isn't very serious... it's about partying with other riders. After all, once the bikes are parked, the booze can come out. Oh my goodness... it sure flowed. Jenn brought along a blender and we enjoyed the most delicious slushies: of course they contained pineapple rum too. By evening it seemed everyone was tipsy and full of great humour. We even sang a few songs around the campfire, led by Zeek who is one of the SCRC officers as well as a choir master. There was much teasing and laughing around some double entendres, but it was truly all in good clean fun. The cabin I shared with friends was also filled with laughter. Eric snores! Man if that's not an understatement... he sounds like a freight train. His sister Flo snores too--not near as loud, but still quite audible. Jenn claims to snore, but I never heard her at all, and I doubt anyone heard me: we were surely drowned out.

Our top bunk was incredibly close to the ceiling, causing Flo to retrieve some childhood memories when she and 4 siblings (they eventually got to 9 kids in her home) shared a bed. She said: "Eric, do you remember when you were about seven, and we lived in that little two-bedroom house in Alberta?" And so it began, the story of the ceiling falling down and the kids all in fear. It was just wallpaper, but it had us laughing. And then Eric started snoring and Flo yelled "Eric" and he yelled "What?" and that continued for some time, so now we look at one another and say: WHAAAAT? and the laughter starts.

Sunday morning's pancake breakfast was another friendly gathering and then it was time to hug a bunch of folks and get back on our bikes and head on home. It's hard to say goodbye when you've had such fun, but it was time. I felt so proud of the way I'd handled my bike all weekend, and really understand that these long rides are helping me to become a better rider. But the instruction and help I'm getting from Jenn and Flo is also totally invaluable. They rock.

Assorted Rides

The week of June 30 through July 4

Okay, so the fact is that I'm pretty much riding every single day, and there's really not much that is altogether noteworthy in that respect. I've actually put well over 3000 miles on the Little Hussy now. I'm confident, though of course I will never allow myself to become over-confident.

After the Victoria ride, I had a dreadful back spasm. Actually one could call it a Charlie Horse... but instead of in the legs, where you can work those things out, it was under my shoulder blades. I tried to ride into town to pay our property tax bill, and my goodness, I thought I'd die with pain. So I spent a few days resting up, and looking forward to getting much better and realizing that the Campbell River Toy Run was coming up. My first big and I mean BIG ride event. I needed that shoulder well enough to ride.

Anyway, so much for blogging about every single ride. It's not gonna happen anymore. I'll just blog the special ones--the ones that test my skill, push my limits, help me reach new heights, or have some special friends and memories attached to them.

The Malahat is Easy to Ride

June 29th: Our Canada Day Ride

This was an awesome experience for me. To begin with, Vic and I met up with a few friends from the forum at the Husky Station, just 6 kilometers from our place. Ed, Carl and his wife, Lolis, and Mark and his son, Ross, were waiting when I got there, and since Vic was dealing with a customer, we had a brief wait for him to join us. The fun thing here is that these guys are called Cabana Boys on our Vancouver Island Lady Riders Forum. When it was time for us to head to Chemainus where we expected to meet Flo and Jenn (Draggie), Anna and Janice, I asked who was going to take the lead. The guys said: "we're your Cabana Boys, so you'll have to lead." And I did! I had a grin from ear to ear riding the highway with the three big motorcycles and Mark's spyder behind me. All of us had red shirts on, and flags on the bikes and we sure got some attention. I felt like the proverbial Queen Bee.

It didn't take long for us to see other bikes heading north as we wheeled south and we got big waves. Of course, concentrating on the ride and position of the bikes behind me, I wasn't quick enough to realize that one pair of riders waving at us belonged to Jenn and Flo. I was actually nervous about doing the Malahat. But that proved to be a very ridiculous fear because it was an easy and fun ride. Jenn actually posted about the ride on our forum, and I've chosen to copy and paste her entry here. She's right when she claims she's the only one who knows where we went. I can say that the twisties on the backroads out to Metchosin were far more difficult than that old Malahat. But they were a delight and had me constantly leaning my bike left and right. Thank goodness the Dragon wasn't hurrying through these twists and turns. We newbies would have crashed for sure. But she took great care of us.

Jenn's Report:

Alrighty then, guess I have to carry this on as I was the only one who knew where the hell we went!!!

Anyways started off with Roadie, Flo and I heading north to meet with the northern boys and the Chemainus Gals. We stopped in Duncan for gas and met the Victoria SCRC group. Many hugs and chatting then it was time to leave again.

The Victoria group pulled out before us and then the 3 of us headed north. We arrived at the meeting spot in Chemainus but the group was not there yet, so we decided instead of sitting still in the heat we would head towards them and circle back if they passed us. Sure enough we were almost to Ladysmith when this group of 4 bikes and a spyder all in red went by us. We whipped around and then met them at the origianal meeting spot. After waiting about half an hour both Anna and Janice joined us and it was time to go.

At this point we had: Myself in the lead, Jos, Janice, Flo, Vic, Gearjammer, Roadie, Blingos, Anna and Spydermark bringing up the tail for me. Awesome job Mark did for a group of misfits that never rode together before! We headed for Mill Bay and an Ice Capp break before heading over the Hat. A few of the newbies needed to psych themselves up for the trip.

At this point Roadie left us and headed home. The rest of us set a good pace and headed over the hat en route to Langford to meet others.

We arrived in Langford in an orderly fashion. Jos was bouncing out of her seat, so happy for conquering the Malahat! What the hell was the big ordeal anyways! Flo was still waiting to go over the Hat. We were met shortly by Wyz in her Ladybug as the pickle was being pissy as per usual (can anyone say that 5 times fast? I can barely type it!) Shortly thereafter we were joined by Tee, Gazelle and finally our baby, Mir. More hugs and chat all around then finally our Cabana boys needed to return northwards.

Thanks SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY BOYS!

After this a few gals headed in their own direction and the remainder headed out on a ride. So at this point it was Vic and the Chicks!

I lead the group out the back end of Millstream road, to Munns and Prospect Lake then out to W. Burnside, picked up the Colwood Crawl and down to the Lagoon for a photo op. Beautiful day and scenery and nobody was ready to stop. So we continue out Metchosin Rd to East Sooke and Gillespie Rd Ending at the 17 Mile for a refreshment. Great Ride and everyone did awesome. You newbies are doing great and we Mother Hens are proud of ya!

We headed back into Langford and Mir headed off to her home at Jacklin road while the rest of us headed back up the Hat (yes Flo we did the Hat twice!!Little playing on the way up the hill but all in good fun.

Over all it was a great day, great ride and great company!

Thanks y'll for coming out to play on our little pre Canada Day ride!

Cobble Hill Ride

I rode out to a party on Saturday, and I sure wished I'd had some kind of saddlebags on my bike. I had to stop at the liquor store to pick up some coolers (couldn't show up empty-handed), and these got put into my backpack. It's not lined, and the weight and angle of that dang box on my back was truly unpleasant. But the ride to Cobble Hill was delightful. The weather is finally hot. I had my little red suede jacket on and wore the 3/4 helmet. When I tried to put the full-face job on I thought I'd pass out, and have to say that it felt soooo very constricting in this weather.

The party was for one of the teachers at Stu"ate Lelum. It was a birthday bash for a great woman who is leaving us for a principal ship in Tahsis... a good 4 hours away from here. I'd love to ride up there, but apparently a good long part of the way is simply gravel road and I doubt that the Little Hussy and I would enjoy that overmuch.

Karen had gone all out making us a splendid dinner that included salads, barbecued salmon and steaks, baked potatoes and well, let's just say that it was yummy beyond belief. I'd allowed myself two drinks before dinner, and then switched to water. I really enjoyed this gathering with the folks I've so enjoyed working with over the last few months. They are truly welcoming. Karen offered to let me stay overnight suggesting wine with dinner and finishing my coolers, but I opted for a ride home. Vic was planning to escort me home, and I had said I would call him. But it was a lovely warm evening and I knew I could make it home before dark if I left on time, so at 8:45 I made my goodbyes and headed out. I think I might have made it halfway, keeping my eyes open in case I saw Vic. I thought for sure he'd be looking for me too. It turns out he was, but he was looking for a rider wearing a black jacket and completely forgot that I was in red, and my black jacket was in his own saddlebag.

I got home, made Mom happy that I was back, and settled down to read forum mail. Vic got to Karen's discovered I'd left and turned around. He didn't regret the ride, because like I said, it was a gorgeous night to be out on a bike. There wasn't much traffic at all, and the air felt so very good. Ah, the riding life is really sweet!

New Front Tire

We love to support local business, so we bought my new tire at Cedar Tire in, you guessed it, Cedar. We live in the Cedar-Yellowpoint area, some of which is considered part of Nanaimo and some of it, like our area, is Ladysmith. It's a terrific community with lots of trees, ocean views, and a terrific community of people. Cedar Tire doesn't however put the tires on the bikes, so we contacted Dragon Cycle, just across from the airport and about 5 minutes away from our place. I had mistakenly thought that they were a custom bike building and painting shop. But they had a display at the Cassidy Show 'n Shine last week Sunday and we discovered then that they're a lot more. They were great about putting my new tire on, though I think it gave a little trouble. It must have been stacked with other tires for a bit, and so it was a little out of round. That caused problems in getting a good seal onto the rim. It also needed a new inner tube. But Brent (I hope that was his name) was great about doing the job while I spoke to his girlfriend Christa. They do extremely great work there, and I'll definitely be hoping for a bit of a custom paint job on my Little Hussy sometime down the road.

Once I had the new tire on, I figured I should start to wear it in a little before Sunday, so I finally got a chance to ride into Nanaimo once again to exchange my cell phone. What a saga that has become. About 5 weeks ago, I needed to access my e-bill and was shocked to discover I could no longer remember my password. I contacted someone at Telus and got what I needed, but the rep told me that I should exchange my old phone. I admit it is a bit of a dinosaur as cellphones go. Anyway, I told her that I was happy with my existing phone plan and didn't want to spend money on another phone. She assured me that the exchange would be at no cost to me. I could keep my plan, but I would have to sign a contract to continue with Telus Mobility for another three years. I have their most inexpensive plan and expect to stay with them anyway, since no one else offers such a light plan. I went into the Telus shop and told the clerk there my story and she said that this couldn't be done. I would have to pay for it. Needless to say, I didn't do it. However, I was peeved that the Telus rep got this started only to have me disappointed in the end. So I finally got around to calling them again, spoke to a guy called Jeff, and he too assured me that I could have this done. He said they'd charge me $25 at the Telus shop, but that they would credit me the same amount on my account. Imagine how much more peeved I became when I went the 80km roundtrip back to the Telus store to be told: "Telus will charge you $25, and they can credit you that, but we also have to charge you $35 ourselves. In addition, it says right here on the file that you MUST change your plan." Those idiots, two of them by now, totally lied to me on the phone.

When I got home from this useless trip to the Telus store, I called and let them know how angry I was by this time. I'd wasted two 80km plus roundtrips, and wondered who'd pay for my fuel. I'd made it abundantly clear that I wasn't interested in changing my talksaver plan. I'd made it ultra clear that I wasn't interested in paying a fee for any change, and I'd be assured both times that the only thing required was an agreement to continue with my plan for another 3 years. Of course the representative I now, someone called Mel, had on the phone needed to get a manager involved. Within a few moments I was speaking to someone called Aziz. I went through the whole thing again, and he said he'd be writing a report on the two representatives who had made this mistake. I asked how that was going to help me. I explained again that it wasn't me who had suggested the phone exchange in the first place, and told him in no uncertain terms that I'm quite a clear communicator... for crying out loud, I have a Master's Degree in English. I know that I expressed myself clearly and repeatedly with both the representatives I'd dealt with.

Aziz was apologetic, and offered to send me a new Samsung phone. He explained a charge would show on my next bill, but it would also be credited back to me. He said I would not need to sign a contract, nor would I need to change my phone plan. He went on to tell me that Telus won't be earning a cent on me for the next year, since the phone value $150 was coming to me free and my plan costs me only $10 per month. Well, if he thought that was making me feel bad for them, he was wrong. I was only satisfied that they were going to exchange my phone, and after all, the whole thing was their idea in the first place. I think they want folks with the TalkSaver plan off their system and hope to suck them in with their promises. I wasn't about to be sucked in.

But as for the ride, it was glorious. The weather is so warm that I actually chose to ride with a three-quarter helmet. The full helmet nearly choked me in that heat. I can see that summer riding is going to be quite different than the spring stuff has been. I may have to start wearing a lighter jacket too, and who knows, the chaps might even end up being too hot and I'll have to go with just bluejeans. I'd better be extra careful out there. I wish the RCMP around here would make a huge effort to educate drivers about the fact that there are motorcycles on the roads and they need to keep an eye out for them. Too often we hear of cars turning left right into a motorcycle, and then the typical statement made is: "I didn't see him." I can only hope and pray that I keep myself visible!

Last Days of School

Wednesday and Thursday were the last two days of work for me at Stu"ate Lelum for this school year. I rode in on Wednesday, while James brought his car. We worked like maniacs at switching classrooms, with James taking over Cameron's room. Since I've been there on Cam's behalf, it was logical for me to be doing the work with James. But I have to say that it was a total nightmare. Cameron's old room is large, James had the smallest room. Imagine the mess of moving all the books, the tools from the carving classes, the wood, the art supplies, and all sorts of student work... and that's just the beginning. We took shelving units off the wall and re-attached them by the ceiling in order to make room for computer desks below. We also filled the dumpster!

Of course the new room Cam is going to need was filled floor to ceiling and I figure he's in for a huge shock upon his return. By the end of that first day, I was KAPUT. I'd thought of riding to Nanaimo to see about switching my cell phone, but in truth, well I really was kaput. I had numerous bruises on my arms and legs. Lifting and moving desks and chairs and huge pieces of lumber took their toll on me. We decided to leave the desks on the porch until the janitor cleaned the floor, figuring it would make the job that much easier.

I rode in again on Thursday, taking the cell phone with me and once again expecting to ride into Nanaimo. On my way in the rain began to spit slightly and the skies weren't looking altogether friendly, but I still had hopes. James rode in as well. It's really quite delightful to see two motorcycles parked in front of that little building. Once again we got to work, and this time we pulled out the paint to touch up some of the mess from moving shelving and the like. I spilled a drop and took a damp cloth to wipe it off the floor and to my horror the cloth came up black with dirt. That prompted James to take a little cleaning spray and attempt to see what difference that might make to a small square on the floor. Would you believe that the dark spots we'd assumed were part of the congoleum pattern were simply there from years of grime. Poor Philip was asked to scrub the floors over the summer months. He's done his best with a floor mop, but I think it's merely moved dirt around and never really cleaned it. The principal brought him in to show him James' clean spot and explained that perhaps it was time for the floors to be stripped and he might just have to rent some kind of machine to help him get it done. I felt really bad for him, but hoped he understood that he'd taken over this job after years of neglect and with Len's desire for a cleaned school, he's going to be in for a summer of work. He's a wonderful man and seems more than willing to do what he's asked.

Meanwhile the rain was truly starting to come down, so now James decided it was time to put our bikes up on the porch too. And he went and got a cloth to dry them off so they'd be ready for us at the end of the day. I was delighted when the rain finally stopped and thought I'd be able to make that run to exchange my cellphone after all.

By afternoon, I began to try my best to organize Cameron's disastrous room somewhat. He'll have to go through everything anyway, but at least I had some kind of order back. The work was well underway, and we finally managed to get desks back into James' new, almost professional looking, classroom. At 3:00 pm, I glanced up at the highway and saw that it was at a standstill. Phil said that there was another huge accident up at the Husky Gas Station. It seems that there have been more of those since they put the lights in then we ever saw before. People just want to beat those yellow lights and while one is turning into the gas station, another comes flying through. I knew that there was no way I could head north and expect to get home without sitting in traffic for at least an hour. I left the school at about 3:35 and headed south to Chemainus to pay a bill in Saltair. It was quite a nice little trip down the highway for me. Kind of a long ride considering the Old Chemainus Road is torn up at the north end, and riding all the way to Chemainus is the only way to get to that little part of Saltair which is so much closer to Ladysmith and was where I needed to go. Of course I then had to turn around and head south again before I could head north. ( A little rant here: Now I'm hearing that the road is torn up so that Pamela Friggin Idiot Anderson can have some land developed for her own liking. She also wants variances that will allow Miss Boobs to have higher buildings and to build closer to the beaches. She's an embarrassment to this community and I wish she'd just stop letting the world know she's from Ladysmith and that she'd buy and develop her land in the USA where she's busy going back to her abusive ex Tommy Lee. ) When I came back up the highway, I took the turn-off to the road running along the highway, figuring I'd turn onto the highway by the school. BIG MISTAKE. That road was totally backed up too. I guess a lot of other people had hoped to cut their stalled-on-the-highway time by using it.

I kind of motored along on the side of the road for a while, thinking I'd head back to the school and wait it out. But at one point I came up to another motorcyclist riding a gorgeous Honda Sabre 1100cc bike. We got talking as we inched along, and she introduced herself as Charlotte and told me she works for the Town of Ladysmith. I'll be calling her to go for a ride with her one of these days soon. She convinced me to stay with her and try to get my way onto the highway. I actually did not get home until 5:20 pm. As you can imagine, I had no desire to go to Nanaimo anymore. I'd ordered a new front tire for my bike, and figured I'd ride into the city once that was on in order to get it worked in a little before the big ride to Victoria on Sunday. I'll be doing the Malahat for the very first time. Am I nervous? Heck ya! Am I excited? Oh yes!

My Skulling Friends

Oh how delicious... my friend Flo has decided to add some kind of skull to her beautiful bike. She and another of the forum friends were heading for the Woodgrove Mall where there's a belt boutique selling, among many other things, skulls... some with lots of rhinestones. I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet up with them, and since I was somehow expecting they'd get there by 11:30, I set off. I actually got there at 11:00, early as almost always. The ride in was delicious, though I sure felt a few blasts from the wind.

I headed off to Starbucks (still thanking Pat for giving me that gift card for my birthday), and then went to get some halibut liver oil pills for the dogs. I went into a couple of shoe stores until I found some red shoe polish for my riding boots. But then, out of things to keep me occupied, I went to the belt boutique. No sign of my friends. I told the guy working there that I was expecting to meet up with a couple of biker women, and to make sure he told them not to take off without me. I seemed to be hanging around a lot. I wondered into one store after another, but wasn't really in the mood. I even went into LaSenza and tried on a few new bras. In between I kept heading back to the boutique. I waited until 12:45 pm and finally decided I'd better get home and get some work done. I really felt bummed about not seeing Flo and Linda, but what could I do?

After working on the computer for a little while, and trying to rehearse some choir music, I got a call. Flo and Linda were in Ladysmith. Linda had decided to go into Bayview Framing and Prints, figuring the folks at this gallery might know us, and sure enough, we got a call. Within 10 minutes we got to town and headed for coffee in the Ladysmith Bakery. It's amazing how quickly you can blast into town on a bike. And this time Vic came along for the ride.

We sat in the coffee shop talking, and of course began to discuss Flo's Conga Ride. She just didn't seem to understand why we're all so into this. I explained that while her ride was happening, I'd think of her and say some prayers for her at bedtime, and then wake-up in the morning to race to my computer to see where she was or if there was any news of her. Linda said she'd done the same, and Vic admitted that her journey was constantly on his mind as well. We explained that she'd gone and done something most people only dream of doing. Every single person on our forums, and many of our male partners too, lived her journey with her. She proved that you can do something that seems outrageous and crazy to others, and she'd put her faith into the universe, and it had responded in spades. She found friends every step of the way, and we all became friends too. I can honestly say that I now have friends in practically every State, and I know if I show up and tell them who I am I will receive an open-armed welcome. She has been a magnificent inspiration to riders all over North America. She might have been the one picking up a bike in Florida and riding it up to Campbell River here on Vancouver Island, but we were all with her in spirit, and the love that we all sent must have gone a long way to making this a huge success. We cried when she cried, we laughed when she laughed... though Linda had to add: "But we didn't drop our bikes in sympathy with you."

Here we were, 4 bikers, all crying in the coffee shop, and Linda said: "Hey Jos, whatcha doin makin a tough biker bitch cry?" Ah yes, some tough bitch! We're full of love for all the riders involved in this.

When we left the coffee shop, we decided to take Linda and Flo on a nice little tour of Yellowpoint Road, and actually managed to ride to the Malaspina University cut-off with them before saying goodbye and seeing them off. Linda's home is in Port Alberni, and Flo lives in Campbell River. It sure was wonderful to lead them through my local riding territory. We agreed to get together again on the weekend. It's Stephen's birthday coming up, and we're going to make it a family event.

You'd think that was enough riding for one day, but I no sooner got home before it was time to head out to the Potluck with my womens' circle. What a treat to ride there on my Little Hussy. Sheila was really impressed with my blond hair and my leathers. Actually everyone loved the leathers! It was a hoot having to tie a jug with soup on the back of the Little Hussy. I had a freaky moment when I tried to park her where Connie suggested on a hill. I felt like she'd slide away, and soon decided to move her to a safer spot on a terrace behind a wall. She's too precious to lose! So yes, it turned out to be a day of riding for me. A glorious day with friends to boot!

Vic totally loved Linda's bike too, it's a Kawasaki Drifter, a purple one, with a gorgeous fender. It's sitting here next to his... he just had to have a picture of the two Kawi's side by each! I have to admit I love the way she has it decked out. She's been riding for about 27 years, so I'm hoping she'll teach me a thing or two before long.

Fabulous Weather, Wonderful Riding

Wow, now this was a great day to be out on the bike. We needed groceries, so Vic and I rode our bikes and Mom followed in her car. The weather was perfect, and though I felt nervous (after all, I knew Mom was watching my every move), the ride went smoothly. I told myself to relax, after all, in another month or so, I'll be riding with ICBC examiners following me, and that ride will take close to two hours. I'd better be relaxed then, so this was good practice. And Mom was really happy with my riding ability!

We got to Costco, managed to make it a very worthwhile trip, loaded the car... and I do mean loaded, and then I thought we'd head straight home. Not so, Mom wanted to go to Save-On Foods as well. The hilarious thing is that she didn't actually need anything there. But we made that into a quick stop for lunch and enjoyed their deli. Then it was off to Wal-Mart for cat food and a few other odds and ends from their grocery section, and finally off to home. Mom spent much of her time being a protective follower, but at one point she took the lead. I was fairly close behind her, but apparently not close enough for several idiots to decide to squeeze in. I really wonder, do they see us at all when we're on our bikes?

The ride was delicious, and incredibly short for such a day, so as soon as we unloaded the groceries, we headed out again. This time Stephen came with us, and since we both needed fuel, he decided to hit the Chevron. They have a great high octane that the bikes really love. I can feel the difference when I use it: my Little Hussy just seems to sing and delight in speed after such a fill-up.

Then for the question: Where to? We headed for the Beach Hut at Qualicum Beach. Had I known we were going that way, I'd have contacted Flo and her brothers to see if they'd like to meet us there. It's sort of a half-way point for us, with Flo coming from Campbell River. The Beach Hut is a great spot for treats, including Dutch krokets. The beach is gorgeous, the surroundings are amazing, truly panoramic with snow-capped mountains visible both north and south, and lots of islands to see as well. I know my friend MaryJoy would be thrilled to sit and relax at the hut or on the beach! It's becoming a favorite ride just for that spot alone.

But we weren't the only riders today. My Spirit Daughter, Raven, spent the night and this morning her little guy (Mattias is only 5) had his first ride, and later Stephen also took Raven out. Mattias came back saying he didn't want a car, he just wanted a motorcycle. He looked absolutely adorable on the back of Stephen's bike. For that matter, Raven looked pretty sweet too. All in all, this was a fabulous day. The Hussy got some nice speeds up, and I feel better and better riding the curves regardless of speed. Yippee!

Riding alone is good for me. It allows me to concentrate on myself and traffic and it allows me to get into the Zen of it all. However, in truth, there's just nothing as wonderful as riding with my family.

Saturday Morning Ride to Cranberry Farm

Today's ride was all too short. Vic was setting up for a small craft show at the Cranberry Farm and I followed in on the Hussy. She's pretty today because she got washed and polished yesterday afternoon. I parked her and walked round to help Vic with the booth, and soon Grant and Justine came out to see who had come on a bike. They sure liked her, and made me feel great about having brought her over. Justine told me they had dreams of having bikes by the time they're 40, but they can't see that happening, cause they're already 37 and really don't see how they can manage that within the next three years. I had to laugh, telling Justine: "I'm 57 and just started this year, so don't get rid of your dream... there's lotsa time."

Such a little ride, but at least I got out today.

A Friday Run into Nanaimo

Well, I said I'd record my first year of riding, and so here I am. But at this point, there's really so little to tell. I took off to Costco to pick up a prescription. Since I've now made that ride so often, there's no real excitement anymore... or is there? I decided to do the back routes. Made sure that I had lots of stopping and starting, including some on hills. I'm delighted to say that I didn't stall my Hussy once on a hill (and that was a problem just a few short weeks ago). That's not to say that my ride was completely problem free, because I did stall the Hussy once. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I tend to slow too much for corners, and the stall happened when I was still in too high a gear for the slow turn, and suddenly the Hussy died. I'm so glad that there wasn't anyone behind me. Dang, this had not happened for a while, so it really got me down. But the ride along Hammond Bay Road and Stephenson Point Road was beautiful. I kept my eyes peeled for deer, and did see a few, but they were safely off the road and munching away.

Before too long I was home again. The ride helped me relax and I needed that! Ah, the Hussy is great therapy. And "Therapy" is what Draggie calls her bike... good name.

Riding to School

I managed to ride into school on Monday and Tuesday. Actually it started to rain on Monday, just as I was getting onto my Little Hussy, and I have to admit that I had a moment of "oh good grief, maybe I should take the truck," but then I thought about riding to meet Flo in the pouring rain and decided to go ahead and ride anyway. I was thinking about oil slicks and fresh rain, but decided not to let that hold me back. And as you know, seeing as how I'm writing about it, that wasn't a problem.

There's not a lot to say about these rather short rides, other than that I made them. However, on Tuesday I also had to go to my choir practice. We meet from 7 to 9 pm in Nanaimo, and I knew that the sun would not have set as I left there, so chose to take the bike for this too. The hilarious thing about this is that Stephen was worried. "Mom, it will be dark when you're riding home." I told him that isn't so. We have yet to hit June 21st, and the days are getting longer, not shorter, and since it has not been dark when I've left choir for a few weeks, I knew I'd make it home before dusk. "Yes, but Mom, it's at dusk that all the deer come out, and you need to be extremely careful." I started laughing, and said: "Hey, the umbilical chord has been cut." His answer: "Oh no it hasn't!"

In truth his warning was appreciated. I have to admit that I was really watching for the deer, though I didn't spot a single one. I found the ride home rather chilly, and windy too. But I had a great ride, good speed on the highway, though you really have to fight the wind on some of the longer sloping turns. It's all good experience and I'm proud of my independence. Stephen was relieved when I got home! Vic had not been worried at all, but then again, he's been riding with me a lot more than Stephen has lately, and he knew the chord had been cut.

It was fun walking into choir practice wearing my leathers and the chaps! And I know that I'm getting a reputation as one gutsy broad. Apparently the kids at school having been talking about me too. At the graduation banquet last night I heard that they'd wondered which of the teachers would have the courage to go out on the ziplines at WildPlay, and they'd decided that I'd probably do it because: "she's got guts." Nice to hear, and it makes me proud and happy to know that I'm not just existing, but I'm grabbing life with both hands and yelling wooohooo as I go!

Qualicum Beach, Fanny Bay... a great riding day with friends

A beautiful sunny Sunday, and a message from Flo and Dragon: "wanna play?" Oh yes, we did. That message on the Women Who Ride forum from Flo was all it took. We knew we were heading out a little earlier than our friends, so we made a stop in Parksville and enjoyed our favorite coffee shop (I'm going to have to reload that Starbucks card very soon). There were a couple of Triumphs in the parking lot we had to admire, and would you believe a Norton went by. That brought back some memories for both of us. I might have been all of 19 when Vic had his candy apple red 750 Norton Commando. The bike looked a lot smaller than I remembered it being back then.

It seemed that everyone who owned a bike was out there on the roads today... and they all seem to stop at the same places. We soon found ourselves in Qualicum Beach at the Beach Hut and I might have counted 30 bikes there. Whenever a few left, others took their place. The sun was glorious, and there were puppies playing in the ocean, and some kids too, but I have to admit the dogs were hilarious to watch. We even saw one on the back of a Harley. We arrived a bit early, so Vic suggested a ride up the road, and before long we were in Fanny Bay. I love the old highway. It runs along the water and it's absolutely breathtaking scenery. We finally turned around and headed back to Qualicum Beach, and sure enough, Flo and Draggie were there. What a treat to sit and have some nibblies with them while we waited for Flo's brothers who weren't long in coming. They both had their sons with them; a real father's day pleasure for them. We spent time chatting and looking at all the bikes and taking pictures, before deciding to start our ride back to Ladysmith. That was in good company, because Flo and Eric and Carl travelled to Parksville with us. We needed to stop for final Conga line pictures, wishing for an ocean view and finally settling for a field!

Then it was time to head for home and Jenn and Vic and I took off down the highway. Vic really put speed into this run, and I have to admit that I was a little freaked by the time we managed to pull off the highway. He's usually a grampa on the road, but my little bike was registering past 70 miles per hour... that's miles not kilometers... and we were weaving in and out of lots of traffic.

I got an email from Jenn (Draggie) who was behind me, and she said I'm doing really well, though she's got some pointers for me and has promised to ride with me and teach me what she knows. I don't mind a short burst of speed, but I felt like I had the throttle full out from Parksville to our turn-off on Brenton-Page Road. One thing for sure, I got a lot of high speed highway practice today. I also told Vic that next time he's in the mood for speed, he's going solo! There was just too much traffic for my liking, and though I managed all that weaving back and forth from lane to lane, I'd rather take it a little slower next time.

I am delighted to be able to ride with Vic. He's thrilled to have me for a riding partner too. Life can be so full and delicious. I seem to end many of my posts here saying that I feel lucky. I'm simply ecstatic. We've been blessed!