Yes Emily

Yes Emily, girls can ride motorcycles!


Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Notes on 2017


Some things I noted while looking back ... In no particular order.


  • New BMW Motorrad Riding Boots. I was going to review these boots when I returned from my summer ride but…squirrel … So here it is, better late than never. I love them, simple eh? For 6 years I’ve been complaining about the oil filter cover on the VStar, "It sticks out too far, it bothers my ankle." Surprise - Not the cover!  Who knew, it was the old boots. Problem solved. Are they as waterproof as they claim? I don’t know, I didn’t really get the chance (thankfully) to test them.
    Don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.
  • I lost a cousin. Ralph, a gentle giant: He was the first of ‘my generation’ in the family to pass. My Mom had 6 brothers and sisters. There are a lot of us. And I thought, what a shame that it takes a funeral to bring the cousins all together again to chat. But that is the way life goes. Since then I've had emails from some of the cousins and that is nice. Returning from his celebration I witnessed a magnificent sight. Hundreds of migrating swans stopped for a rest on their return to Ontario. Beautiful.
    I have at least a dozen swans who have taken up residence on the pond behind my house.
    I wondered if my swan family was among this group. 
  •  High Water. This spring there was plenty of high water … everywhere. The creeks and rivers were, in many places, over flowing. The water reached the road that leads to my house though it never crossed. But there were many places along the Rideau System that were picturesque when the water was flowing at the max.  It was spectacular to watch.

    Old mills aplenty across the area.
  • Friends in Sweet Places. I'm lucky to have great friends who love to meet up in sweet places. Lunch at the Yellow Canoe (several times.) It’s in Merrickville - a lovely day ride away. It's a nice destination by car too when the friends don't ride. 
    My friends don't like being photographed πŸ˜‰
  • Canada’s East Coast. It's my go to place when I can't think of any place to go. I love the ocean. It’s a little bit of a ride but how lucky am I that I can pack up and head to the beach and be there in a mere two or three days. After all, when you ride a motorcycle it is about the journey.

    PEI and Nova Scotia. I never tire of the ocean.
  • I didn’t get wet. I rode to the beach and back. It rained just about every day before I left, many nights while I was out and just about every day after I returned. The ride this year was only a few thousand kilometers but it didn’t rain while I was riding. Not once. How lucky is that!

    Rain is awesome, when you are on the inside looking out.
  • It rained the entire month of August. Well that's what it seemed like. For sure, it was a rotten month for riding, but it gave me the chance to do a little house cleaning. A little is putting it mildly and it felt a whole lot of ‘good.’ I didn't blog much after July, I guess I didn't have anything new or different to say anyway. And I think that's okay too!
    Bye Bye Junk
  • Even though I'm currently living in a deep freeze ... I still think I live in a beautiful location and I know this too shall pass.  And in a few months I know I will be complaining about the heat. But for now, doesn't being in the extreme cold mean you can eat more chocolate!

    As I write this blog it is minus 23 C and snowing AGAIN!
  • Another girl. Grandchild number 4 was born this spring and she’s beautiful (bald, but beautiful.) There wasn’t a lot of blogging this year, but there was life. And it was good.

    Impossible to get everyone to sit still for a group photo.
  • I’m lucky to be part of this moto-blogging community. Here’s to many more miles for all of you in 2018. I can’t wait to see where the new year takes you. 
    Sadly, this was the scene more than once this year. As I cursed the rodents that were to blame
    I know you all had sympathy and that made me feel much better 😏😏😏😏
    Happy 2018 to you and yours!

13 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, Karen. I hope you will get some more time and opportunity to test these fancy boots of yours. They look way too shiny.

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    1. And Happy New Year to you and Rolland. I am hoping the weather is a bit more bike friendly in summer 2018. The fall of 2017 was spectacular, I just didn’t have time to get out.

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  2. Happy New Year Karen, my condolences re your cousin, congrats on the new grandchild.

    Life marches on, hope you've some great riding this year.

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    1. Thanks Dom. I am tired of the snow now and keep thinking about what the summer will bring.

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  3. Happy New Year Karen! Here is hoping you have a lot of opportunity for riding this year and there will be less rain in the summer months.

    Congrats on your new grand daughter!

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    1. Thanks Brandy. I’ve got my fingers crossed for good riding weather and time for all of us to ride moreπŸ˜ƒ

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  4. What a great post, thank you for sharing your memories. But -23degC! I can't imagine how cold that is, guess you just never leave the house?

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    1. Thank you El D. From the time I posted this morning until 3 pm I watched the temperature rise. It got to a balmy -10 C so I finally got outside for a lovely walk. The tropical heat wave is supposed to last for a day or so and then by Friday it will dip back down to between -18 and -27. I am ready for summer πŸ˜…

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  5. Happy New Year and I hope you can rescue that bike from hibernation soon!

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  6. Happy New Year to you as well Karen. Having shared your weather woes this past year I can relate. Let's all hope for an early spring and a warmer and dryer (please!) summer. Until then, enjoy what nature has to offer. Cheers.

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    1. Thanks Canajun ... I have to admit the snow is beautiful, and January means it’s International Bike Show time. As long as Mother Nature cooperates I might enjoy some things motorcycle related soon too.

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  7. Happy New Year and a prosperous 2018 Karen - it's lovely to see you blogging again!

    Gorgeous photos and congrats on being a grandma again! You can keep the snow though, beautiful though it is in photos. If you want to avoid it, think about coming for a holiday in NZ - plenty of space and good food with us, although the company might be a bit suspect ;-) .

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