Spring has sprung!

... or has it?

MY point in traveling to Arizona in the spring for 2017, was to "test" the waters so to speak. 

When I was a financial advisor most of my work took place during the year end/rrsp season/tax deadline, which meant I didn't have the luxury of staying the winter in true snowbird fashion. Living in Calgary I often drove the Blazer south late in November or December sometimes clutching the wheel with arms and teeth clenched. 

Where would PEI be without Anne...?

I 15, up and down through the Rockies could be hazardous to one's health early in December!

Seeing as how I am now (sort of ) retired, I thought "why don't I just fly down in late March" and stay awhile, you know... it's warmer than December, most of the blizzards that hit the Island in the wintertime are done by mid March (I said most) and I could get my riding muscles that get lazy in the CDN winter, a chance to get honed while riding some spectacular scenery.

Great idea right!  Well of course who could have foreseen my place flooding out from a broken toilet tank...

Murphy... maybe?

While I am still dealing with that, hopefully getting closer finding out I have limits on my policy, I returned to Canada exasperated and frustrated and with weak muscles.  People say 'go to the gym...'  Problem with that is then you develop, 'going to the gym' muscles not 'riding in the desert' muscles!

Lobster season is underway, bet the little green guys are thrilled about that!

True to form, the spring has been slow to start between fits and spurts, and I haven't ridden a whole lot.  Even today it's only showing 6C and of course windy and with scattered rain. 

People ask me what it's like to be 'retired'... I answer 'I'll let you know when that happens.'

I've been getting the Prowler ready for summer, I often sleep out there during the warmer months, plus I am waiting for company, my eldest niece is arriving for a couple of well deserved holiday weeks. 

Gentile hills lots of red roads and green as the Irish.

I have however been out on the two XT's, my 1990 600 and my '92 225.  They are about perfect for the roads which this time of year resemble if not a MX track, but certainly a TT.

I was sitting on some sports bikes this week, including a used VFR, FZ6 and a Ninja 300 and as much as I like those bikes, the ideal motorcycle for traveling bumpy PEI roads is still a larger dual purpose bike.  You can corner like a Ninja and still take that left turn at Cap Pele to see where that trail goes...



Someone asked me this past week which of my bikes I would keep till last, if I had to sell them off?

 At this stage of my life having brought with me those bikes that had significance for sentimental reasons (the Thunder Bolt, Serow or Passport) or simply because they filled a purpose (the TTR's and the TY) I would still keep the big blue XT 600.  That bike and I have covered everything from paved TC highway, Baja, Cape Breton from Calgary... to a Rocky Mountain enduro race course (but only a single lap)

With slightly taller gearing and grunt from the SOHC 4 valve engine it will cruise at legal speeds but is still light enough so I can manage to toss her about in a trail when needed.

This time of year when roads are gravel covered, back roads are still drying out and the aforementioned pot holes are deep and plentiful, it's still my  ideal machine.

MY most favorite???  Maybe, certainly the most practical.

The weather has been sporadic, nice on those days I am doing repair work at the apartment building or servicing the lawn mower, and crappy when I have a day off.  Speaking of which I was in Canadian Tire and asked my long time buddy Louis if he had anything for me full time, when quizzed why I wanted to go back to work (which I don't) I replied that working full time would mean having time off!

Unlike my Banana belt pal Ronnie... living out in BC which I hear hasn't had great weather either I am putting miles on in hundreds not thousands.  Like I say to him... it's all in the Smiles per Gallon that really counts.

In the meanwhile, I am doing laundry, getting the pink stuff out of the trailer tank and keeping the cat fights to a minimum.  Speaking of that... Coco has done well in her transplant and is fitting in very nicely...