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 😉
  • 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!

Monday, November 20, 2017

Aren't You Glad You Don't Live In Ontario

Breaking news across the province tonight …

I don’t usually 'rant', but tonight I can't help my self. Tonight's headlines were enough to bring me out of motoblogging hibernation to launch a tirade. Is there anyone who believes a motorcyclist, anywhere, isn’t more likely to get seriously injured in an accident? SERIOUSLY?

Yes, motorcyclists in Ontario get hurt when they crash. Thank you Captain (University of Toronto,) Obvious for pointing it out. Motorcyclists are more apt to get hurt in an crash no matter where they live. How much money did it cost to analyze this data and publish this study?

“The study's authors said they hope the higher medical costs associated with motorcycle crash injuries provide incentive to improve motorcycle safety.” (CP 24)

My question is: "Wouldn’t the money spent analyzing the obvious been better allocated on motorcycle safety training?" By your own admission, fatalities have not changed, only the cost to care for the injuries. Who sponsors this research? Just asking?  Hey, help them out - take off your helmet, become a fatality and eliminate the cost of post accident medical care altogether.

But that's just my opinion.

And yes, I am still around ... after a long, wet August, a September plagued with mechanical issues, and an October of motorcycle envy from work ... I'm dreaming of summer 2018 (even if I live in Ontario where I am "3 times more likely" to be hurt riding a motorcycle). Oh, crap, I drive a car in this province too, what does that mean for my statistics?


My view from the lake - yesterday. Here comes winter.