Hauntingly beautiful?

Or just plain haunted?! 

Couldn't help myself, even though I am feeling under the weather (where does that come from?) I decided to ride out to the nearest beach for a little walk.  County Line rd is open in the summer right to the surf.

Totally devoid of human life.  No cars, no people, no coolers...

Solitude

Not a human or dog in sight

Faint whiffs of some warm air but mostly quite blustery and cool.  I didn't long linger.  On the way home, I made a short loop and came across this old farm house.  It must have been quite the sight in it's heyday, huge and imposing.  Could imagine three generations of family living in the place.  Granny and Grampy rocking on the porch, Dad out on the bay, Mom making dinner.



The grand kiddies playing on the swings or fetch with old Rover, or horseshoe pitching in the back yard. Of course, that's just me, someone else may just call it an old run down shack. I like having an imagination.

I checked out some local trails on the return leg, coming across a real PEI pothole at one point, about 3 feet deep!  Almost Texas sized!

Now that's a pothole!

Lots of trees down from those severe high winds of last winter, makes me shiver thinking about them.  Can't tell you how many times my BBQ got blown over!

So... what do you think of the fixer upper?

Indiana Jones?

BEEN quite the month of May...

My friend Mike was sick with the flu a couple of weeks ago but unlike him and the character in the movie, when it came to my turn, "I chose poorly."  This weekend being the Victoria Day long one, was the nicest almost summer like of the year to date, and let's not forget we are already 5 months in.  Next thing you know, they'll be advertising Thanksgiving then counting down the days to Christmas!

Wall Road over the Dunk river from the south end.

I had planned my Saturday trip to Charlottetown on the VX 800 as kind of a shake-down post bearing replacement ride.  Having taken the time to do the usual spring clean-up of the summertime only PT Cruiser and Friday morning, the same for the Blazer, I decided to take a little tour with my 225 to try and find the "lost" bridge over the Dunk, where I used to fish previously living here.

 

newly rebuilt Scales Pond

It was pretty windy but reasonably warm during that afternoon and we (bike and I) went exploring.  Because there are no crown lands on the Island except for the National Park, where they wouldn't take kindly my use of the golf courses as an MX track (here on the Island that would still be classified as a 'hanging offence') I can only stick to the back lanes and some local trails.

I found the bridge after all but the road is now permanently closed from one side, don't know why, there was no explanation on the sign.  I rode in from the other end and remembered back to the day I was trying out my new fly outfit with then father in law, Owen.  I fished that little creek many a time to get away from the world in those days.  A lot of water has passed under the bridge in the ensuing years and some even over it when the Scales Pond dam burst its banks and sent a deluge downstream into the ocean. 

I'd heard that the pond was in the process of being rebuilt to its former glory.  Turns out the rumor is true and soon, she should be completely redone.  New fish ladder, bright paintwork, signs warning the unwary (or just plain stupid) to stay away from the edges.  I'll look forward to launching the canoe once real summer arrives.   

While on my ride I stopped into friend Trevor's place in the cute little village of Kinkora.  He had just gotten home from work.  A couple of weeks ago he made the disappointing decision to sell his Ninja 600E.  That bike had numerous costly problems, and he's been feeling the withdrawal pains since.  We've been on the lookout for a good dual purpose for him in the meanwhile, but they are hard to find in good condition and within his price range.

Putting my boots back on while sitting on the porch floor, I felt a bit nauseous and weak.  I said to myself, "Buddy... you've got a big ride on the nicest day of the year tomorrow, you'd better not be getting sick..."

New London bay

By the time I wound my way within a few km of home base, after riding some secondary roads that are still snow covered in many places and filled with downed trees, I realized that I was getting sick. Even turning the bike around a few times, told me I had little energy and it was running out fast.  I'd wanted to stop in to see Jamie and Melanie's Blazer for sale but by the time I got there after backtracking on a still closed through road, I did not pass GO and went straight home and into bed.

French river lobster boats

By Friday night I knew I was in for it and for the next two days I just slept and drank lots of tea why popping Tylenol to try and get some relief.

The back way home.

Needless to say, when getting sick, I chose poorly. 

It's holiday Monday now and the girls are gone to the Big Smoke, Charlottetown while I will spend the day trying to get over this, after all... it's finally summer, summer is short especially when is ends early and begins late.



Like Arlo said... I don wan a pickle... jus wanna ride on ma motosickle...

Trailie.

MY Suzuki A 100 street scrambler, introduced me to trail riding.  The little 1968 rotary valve single with the chrome high pipe, was a tiny bike, but then again... I was a skinny little boy of 14.  I'd begun my riding career the year before on a Honda Super 90, that gave me lots of thrills threading thru Edmonton city traffic and was fast enough (barely) for junkets to nearby lakes, but with a horizontal cylinder and low pipe, was in no way suitable for bouncing along some little track.

THE A-100 also had a horizontal cylinder but at least it was inclined steeper and less prone to damage.

SINCE those first foray's off road, I have nearly always had either dirt bikes or dual purpose motorcycles.  There is much to be said about the ability to explore places that 90% of vehicles fear to tread.  I have had many adventure rides in the Rockies, the American southwest and Baja California.  PEI has no crown land, so my dual sport adventures here will only entail back country roads with the occasional ride across the strait.  But of course there is Arizona and the surrounding states.  I doubt that I will ride everything in the vicinity of Phoenix much less the entire state.  I would however love to re-do my Baja trip of 1998, maybe next year, my sixtieth.

MY Mom used to ask (in jest I think) when I was going to outgrow motorcycles, after all... they weren't near as fashionable in the 60's and 70's as they are today. My answer... I hope I never do!

C'mon, give us a break will ya!

It seems like this lingering winter, will never go away.  I headed into Summerside (a misnomer?) today to get tires put on the PT Cruiser Turbo Touring... the thermometer displayed in the mirror read 34.  That's Fahrenheit not Celsius by the way.  From what little I remember from science class, 32F is the freezing point of water, on this planet anyway.



Last I wrote, I was putting steering head bearings into the VX.  Got that done and managed a short hour on the bike a couple of days ago to check the adjustment.  Apart from nearly losing the feel in my fingers, knees and cheeks... the bike worked fine.  Bike handles much better now and that slight weave at parking lot speeds has vanished.


Its a pleasant enough afternoon today, the sun finally poked itself from the clouds about 2 pm, but its still only 5C right now.  The long range weather report isn't showing double digits for nearly a week, and remembering this is an Island, that's subject to change in a heartbeat.

I've been trying to buy an MP3 scooter from a local shop.  We can't seem to agree on the price but I'll give it the old college try once again.  They are very popular over across the big pond, but virtually unheard of here.

Hopefully I can get out next week and do some real miles real soon.