Carolyn's Flight of Fancy

I don't miss the old days

2012-02-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

I love this Winter! Except for the really cold spell one week, there hasn't been much of Winter. Which of course, makes for wonderful bicycle riding. I must say that I don't miss the Winters that we used to have.

I still have been using Floyd though

I have been riding him faithfully to work every week, except part of the cold spell.

Bike light blends in with other lights.

I still have to ride in the dark

I would still rather use Floyd as I don't mind getting him dirty.

The roads in the morning are sometimes icy even though it's been hovering around Zero, so I walk him on parts that I feel uncomfortable riding on. In the afternoon, all is well, and I can have a good ride home.

The Roads are mostly clear of snow now. Just on Sunday there was a lot of snow on the roads still. We did have some ice rain last night, but it was good riding today.

Snow on parts of some roads

And the Sun is even out again, it's just as nice as it was on Sunday when I walked up Connaught Hill.

The Sun shines on the Cutbanks

Which makes me wonder how the conditions will be this weekend for snowshoeing? I decided not to go last weekend because it was too warm. If there is no fresh snow before Sunday, and it stays this warm, will it even be worth going out? Nine people did go out this Weekend and did have a good time though. But it had snowed a lot the day before. I really want to take photos for you, but if the conditions are so-so, I don't know. But I will say, I like these warmer temperatures as it makes for enjoyable bicycle riding even if it is sloppy out there right now. No more of that -40 stuff!

Connaught Hill

2012-01-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

I didn't go snowshoeing on Sunday as it was going to be too warm (6 C) and the snow would be very sticky! What a shame, as otherwise, it was a beautiful day! As I got a new camera yesterday and I hate sitting around the house all day, I decided to take a walk to Connaught Hill. It's been a while since I have been there.

I could have biked it but walked instead as the snow was deep and not plowed yet

No cars allowed on Hill during Winter

Once on the top, the view was fantastic!

I wasn't alone

Met my namesake

He has quite the Winter stockpile

I guess I could have ridden up the hill, like those in Whithorse who snow-bike - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2012/01/21/north-whitehorse-snow-biking.html. But, at the same time, walking up the hill was very nice on a Sunny day like yesterday. Roads are bare today, so I was back on my bike to work. The snow is melting fast!

New Camera - Canon G12!

2012-01-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

I took the plunge yesterday and bought a new camera. I'm not sure if I had posted here about it or not, but after last Summer's bicycle tour, my Canon G5, which is almost 9 years old, started to act wonky. It could be because of moisture, but I think that the age is beginning to catch up with it too. It's been faithful to me for 8 years. I had paid $450 for it used off of my Brother, so I think that I got my money's worth out of it.

I've been thinking about which camera to replace the G5 with. I do technically have another camera, a Sony that I got free from Telus. But I call that my whack-a-camera as I must whack it before each use as the screen is white when I turn it on, and whacking it makes it usable. So it too is showing it's age.

Big size difference between my old G5 and new G12

I ended up buying a Canon G12. It is so familar, but yet so different. It is much smaller then my G5, and the lense doesn't stick out so it's easier to stuff into my jacket pocket. It's not as compact as many cameras, but it has a lot of features on it. The G5 was a bridge between compact and SLR and I still feel that way with this camera. I do like SLRs, but I don't really want to drag one around hiking or biking. A hiking friend of mine has either the G11 or G12 and loves it, and she had always used film SLRs before getting this camera. I still want to get an Ipad before Summer, but another friend, who is big into photography, said to get a good camera first! I will admit, that I've been tempted by the cheap point and shoots and they are stuff in the pocket cameras, but they don't have an optical viewfinder. I think that they still take not bad photos as I've taken some nice photos with my whack-a-camera and had them published.

I was worried that with the G1 X coming out soon, that the G12 would disappear off the shelves. The G1 X is $799 vs $469 for the G12 (on sale). I am sure that the G1 X is one awesome camera, but the G12 is more around my price range. My big selling point was that it has an optical viewfinder which is hard to find on digital cameras these days. It's great using it when it's too bright outside to use the LCD screen. The optical zoom is only 5x, but heh, you can't have everything! I noticed that taking photos of my birds, that that macro is enabled, in automatic mode anyways. But there is so much more to do in Manual modes, that I should try them out.

First photos taken with G12 - Wembly

Gobo

I'm not really sure if the G1 X is a replacement for the G12. According to http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/01/10/CanonG1X_Preview it is not. Oh well, if it isn't, I did still need one as my G5 is unreliable even though it seems to be working ok when taking photos for the blog. It's when I use it intensely taking many photos at once when it seems to start acting up. I think that 9 years is pretty good for a digital camera these days, especially considering how 'hard' I use it on my adventures. It takes a lot of beating! I don't think that I'm going to completely stop using the G5 (or the whack-a-camera either) until it completely stops working. Or I could give it to someone who wants a decent camera to play with.

All I know is that I've been thinking about which one to get for months now, ever since the G5 started acting up in the Summer. Yesterday was the day to get a new one so I can use it for this upcoming Summer adventure. If I could sell some of the photos, I could get some money back on what I paid for the camera.

*On a side note, I'm not going snowshoeing today :(, but I will be going next weekend. So no snowshoeing photos/report this week. I should have gone as I'd get to practice with the new camera.

Recycle by sleigh

2012-01-28T13:22:00.000-08:00

Sleigh locked to empty bike rack

Today was a great day to try out shopping with my new 'used' sleigh that was recently given to me. It has been snowing lots and it's still snowing outside. The roads haven't been cleared yet, so bicycling to the store would be challenging. Though I did see one daring cyclist out there.
Taking the sleigh is a longer way of shopping, it's not so quick as shopping by bicycle. But I live fairly close to the stores, so it is doable. I will say though that it was quite a workout pulling sleigh full of food! I don't have Gym membership, but I think that this builds some muscle strength and is a cheaper way of doing it. (and more fun!) I brought recyclables to the store and brought food back. It's almost as much fun as it is to use the bicycle to recycle.

Took recyclables to the store, brought food back.

It was awesome that I wasn't as limited as to what I could buy as I am when I am just using a day pack. I brought a bungee cord to keep things on the sleigh while I was pulling it home. Lots of people were looking at me while I was walking with the sleigh. I bet a lot of old timers were happy to see someone like me using a sleigh. I'm sure it reminded them of when they were younger.

Thank you to the person who gave the sleigh to me. She was on the club snowshoe last week and I was talking about shopping with a bike and the difficulties when the snow is too deep to ride. She said that she had a few sleighs laying around. This will be a very useful tool for me on my car-free adventures.

Shopping helper

2012-01-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

I have just been given a sleigh to help me with shopping when riding the bike is not feasible.. ie tons of fresh snow. It's a sleigh! I'll feel like a true Northern Canadian using it. I wonder if I can attach it to my bike? Eh?

Snowshoe in Esker's Park - Jan. 22

2012-01-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

After being stuck indoors for a week during bone-chilling cold weather, it was refreshing to go for a snowshoe at Esker's Park. There was eleven of us that went.

Nowell, our trusty leader

It was still cool, but it felt balmy compared to the cold the week before. There was also fresh snow, so the conditions were perfect!

We weren't the only ones who thought the same thing, we met 5 others snowshoeing and 3 people skiing.

Esker's is great for skiing also

We snowshoed a total of 12 kms. I was pretty tired when we finished the 5 hour snowshoe. One particpant said that she had a new respect for snowshoeing, as it's hard work!

You can view the trip report written by Nowell and also view more photos of the snowshoe trip by visiting the Rambler's Website.

Back on the bike!

2012-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Leaving Floyd in hallway to dry up

After not riding for a few days last week due to the brutal cold weather, I'm back in the saddle! I don't think that there's any shame in carpooling for few days when it's -35 windchill outside. I had all the right gear, but I only rode for 2 days. I almost had an interview with CBC Daybreak about Deep Winter Chill bike riding, but it's hard to do that during work as I'm not near my phone. They do know about me, so I might hear from them in the future.

To any of those who might possibly think that I was crazy riding last week, there's this guy who recently attempted to ride to Tuktoyaktuk in the far North. He just flew home the other day. He started in Vancouver last November and believe it or not, he made it as far as Whitehorse! He was stopped by frostbite on his toes, and a failed wheel rim. Metal acts weird in really cold temperatures. Apparently he will go back to Whitehorse next Winter and complete the trip. To Tuktoyaktuk and then returning to Vancouver, all on his bike! My opinion is that he's crazy and if anything goes wrong, it could kill him. But that's just my opinion. I wouldn't want to do it as I would not find it fun at all.

His blog is http://cyclingintothedark.com/

Speaking of touring, I've found a rider for my not so crazy bike tour this Summer. (well, it probably will be 101 F in parts so the heat will be crazy) Now I don't have to worry! I just have to eventually book accommodation, airfare, train fare, etc... I like that I don't have to reserve ANY of the camping. I've been reading other rider's Pacific Coast journals at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ I might still join the American Adventure Cycling Organization at one point, but I feel no pressing need at this time. Some of the journals that I've been reading include Mary's and Larry's Adventure down the Pacific Coast and Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway - Questions & Answers 2009. There's quite a few journals there. It really gives me an idea of what to expect on this trip.

I am researching about Ipads...I want to be sure it does what I need it to. I am worried that I won't be able to post photos on the blog while travelling, but have been reading that there is an app(s) for that. Wish I could borrow one for a few days and add the apps to try out. Or I could cheap out and get a netbook, but it doesn't seem as glamorous and it's perhaps slower then an Ipad. I like the touch screen thingy. :)

Lastly, I got another bicycle themed postcard from Nolleke:

It reminds me of those carefree days of Summer. Speaking of postcards and writing, I see that Pedal Talk is into that also! Writing by hand is so much fun, you should give it a try.

(I have a Snowshoeing post coming up also, I just have to do a write up on it, by tomorrow or Thursday)

Pacific Coast Summer Adventure

2012-01-18T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've decided to ride from Astoria Oregon to San Francisco this Summer. I'm giving myself 18 days to get to San Francisco, which I think is a lot of time. I definitely want to have at least one break day in there somewhere, or more, so I can enjoy the coast. I chose to go to San Francisco as it would be less painful for me and my bike to fly home in 6 hours versus travelling for several days on a bus and a train. I also want to spend a few days in San Francisco to look around.

This is definite plans as long as I can find someone to ride with. I've already had some interest. Crossing fingers that I can find riders. I think that 18 days means it won't be rushed if that's what fellow riders want. I like that you don't have to reserve for a campsite in both states as that means I can bike as far as I feel every day.

Art Knapps to UNBC snowshoe adventure

2012-01-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

It was another great snowshoe, despite that it was a chilly -17 C (0 F) day with a bit of wind. We were scheduled to snowshoe to the Cliff. The trail was icy and we wouldn't have needed snowshoes, just crampons. Some of the people though, had rented snowshoes for the day. Rather then have them waste the money for renting them when not needed, we chose to snowshoe on a different route that involved bushwacking so that there would be actual snow to snowshoe on.

Rob gets all set up for the snowshoe

Since it was a cold day, I made sure to bring extra clothing along and to wear all my warm gear. After making the mistake of not wearing my Northface Snowshoe boots on a trip last year that was also a chilly -18, I made sure to wear them this time! There's nothing worse then frozen toes.

Here's my trip report that I will be posting on the Rambler's website soon:

On a crisp Sunny morning, seven people joined us for a bushwhack to UNBC from the Art Knapp's parking lot by the Blue Spruce trail.
We were originally going to be snowshoeing to the Cliff, but as the trail was icy and packed down, we wouldn't have needed to use our snowshoes. The only problem was that two of the people snowshoeing had rented their snowshoes, so they really wanted to use them. Nowell though that it would be a good day to do a bushwhack as there was still snow to be found off trail.
It was a cold morning, but everyone was well dressed, so no one was cold.
Eventually, we found our way to some of the bike trails. We saw tracks from some night 'Ice Biker's' that Nowell saw the night before when he was checking out the trail to the Cliff.
We made the parking lot in good time. It was an awesome day to snowshoe!

Night Icebiker trails

Serious Windchill riding

2012-01-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

It is much colder here now. But despite fresh snow, the roads are good, so I rode to work today. It was -35 with windchill, but I see tomorrow will be colder!

It's really much easier riding to work then to wait for bus or walking, I keep warm if I stay moving. I've got all my heavy duty stuff out to keep warm. I want to wear my contacts tomorrow so I can wear safety glasses as my eyes were pouring out tears this morning as I was riding into the frigid North Wind..

Anyone else out there riding in similar elements? Rantwick?

Planning for Summer Adventure

2012-01-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

2011 1400 Km Bicycle Tour trip

I'm trying to decide what adventure that I want to do this Summer. I have thought about doing the Pacific Coast and was going to do it last year but I instead joined friend for a ride to Vancouver (which I am glad I did).

As I know I can ride on a 1000 km + trip now, I want to take the plunge and do what I was interested in doing last year. I will have 30 days to ride (and visit family). I still want to help out on 389 km ride to Jasper, so I'd be left with 3 weeks. If I didn't do Tour De Jasper I could almost just do the whole thing! But I loved helping out with the tour so much that I really want to help out again despite biking in the wrong direction!

Plan # 1

Bike 1035 kms (643 Miles) from Vancouver to Brookings Oregon. It looks like there are lots of good places to camp. I'm not sure if I'd bike all the way from Vancouver or take transit for as far as I can take it. I figure at 110 kms a day, I could ride it in 10 days, and I'd definitely add some break days into the ride. I could have used one rest day on last year's trip..I wouldn't have been so cranky by the end. The rest day at Cultus Lake at the end did wonders!

Plan #2

Bike 1157 Kms from Astoria Oregon to San Francisco in 11 or so days plus rest days. I haven't been to San Francisco since 1991 and it would be nice to return there. I really loved it when I visited, even though I didn't spend much time there. I loved taking a boat tour under the San Francisco Bridge. After spending a few days in San Francisco, I'd fly back home.

I'm leaning towards # 2, although with flying home, I'm not sure how much extra it will cost. For #1 I must take a 13 hour bus trip to Portland, then next day take a train to Vancouver. Then, the next day, take bus home. I can't book US Greyhound online, must buy in person, so will cost more. Right now it's just under $400 to fly home from San Francisco.

I'm going to sign up for the American Adventure Cycling Organization even though it will cost me a bit. But I do get a magazine subscription. I have a copy of it from a friend and it's a good magazine. Being a member means that I can advertise for a riding companion. My bike touring friend Jim said that I should have no problem finding someone to ride with. I'd be tempted to ride on my own, but some people think that I'm crazy. I'm sure that I'll find someone to ride with. A friend from the hiking club has shown possible interest in biking the Oregon Coast, but I'd want to ride more then that as I could ride that in 7 or so days.

I'm hoping to get an advert for companions out by a week or so..there are some popping in there already for the Coast, but none are riding during the time I'd take off.

A Night Snowshoeing Adventure

2012-01-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

First Night snowshoe

I did my first snowshoe of the season on Sunday evening. The snowshoe trips actually started in December, but this is the first chance for me to go out on one. As it was dark and rainy I really didn't expect anyone to show up at the parking lot where we meet at before trips. Boy, was I ever wrong! There were 6 people waiting, and eight of us snowshoed all together.

All ready to go

This was the First 'Full Moon' snowshoe trip that the club has hosted. Even though there was no moon, it was a great trip! ( I think that it rose soon after we finished the snowshoe) We snowshoed at Wilkins Regional Park near Miworth. Headlamps were a must. I had a dim headlamp and I changed the batteries as soon as I came home. I think that it's a good thing to check ahead of the trip. But I had no problems seeing the trail as the light from the other headlamps lit up the trail brightly.

No moon meant that it was pretty dark

Nowell S., who led the trip, wrote up an excellent article for the Rambler's website and I'd thought that I'd post it here (with permission)

Full Moon Snowshoe Trip – Wilkins Park Jan 8, 2012

By: Nowell S.

Our expectation for this trip was for a cold, dry, crisp evening with clear skies and a full moon.

As it turned out, we had a warmish, wettish, flaccid evening with a cloudy sky, rain and no moon – at least not one that we could see.

This photo taken by Nowell S.

Still, we had a lot of fun tripping along through the park in the dark with the large cottonwoods silhouetted against the sky, and the Nechako flowing silently and sinuously through banks of snow and ice.

Cougar print

As we left the river and back to the vehicles we came across large fresh cougar prints – which was a fine finale to a very enjoyable winter’s night in Wilkins Park.

I wore my gortex jacket as it was raining a lot

Matt checks out the snow conditions

Dry shelter with a stove if needed

Here's to the next week snowshoe to the Cliff, which I will be leading. I've posted information about the upcoming snowshoe, and trip reports from the two snowshoe trips on January 8th at www.caledoniaramblers.ca

Snowshoeing has returned!

2012-01-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

Yeh! Despite the lack of a real Winter, snowshoeing has returned for the season. And for me, it starts off with a very different snowshoeing trip. More to follow....

Quick Release Seat Lock

2012-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Today I received an awesome bike item in the mail. It's a Quick-Release Seat Lock by Grove Tools. The company is based out of Iowa. They proclaim on their website: "Don't lose your seat to an Ass!" It costs about $20 plus postage which I think is a fair price for such an innovative product.

Why did I buy it? To protect my Brooks Saddle.

When I was bike touring this Summer, my friend who rode with me had a Brooks Saddle. As he wanted to protect it from being stolen, he had it bolted down,. One night we stayed at a hostel and as he didn't want to leave it outside all night (someone could unbolt it in the dark), he took it off. Next day while we were touring, it took him the full day of adjusting to get the seat just 'right' again. I thought to myself when I got my Brooks saddle, that there has to be a better way to protect the seat.

I googled Seat Lock and came up with this item. Other pages mentioned padlocking it, or using a cable lock, but that would be a pain! Basically, I want to be able to leave the seat on, unless I have to leave it outside for the night. (or take off at bike shop) This item has the best of both worlds, it makes the seat even safer then just bolting it on, but it comes off as easily as an ordinary quick release!

The original worn-out quick release seat clamp that came with bike.

I have to admit that it's a bit bigger then I imagined it to be, and it's not quite straight on at this time. I have to get someone to 'slightly' bend the rack attachment support bar that attaches to the rack braze-ons so that I can put the quick release on straight. But it's only slightly crooked and doesn't seem to be in the way when I sit on it. I am not sure how this will work with other racks on bikes...but I only have to adjust the support bar a little.

My old worn out quick release seat clamp.

Size difference between seat clamps

Size Difference between seat clamps

I was so excited to get it today (I ordered it just before Christmas) that I quickly took off the old quick release that was getting worn- the washers on that broke so they weren't on the old one anymore. I had no problems putting the locking quick release on. Before I ordered the lock, I measured the seat tube with a hand measure that you can print out at the Grove Tools website. It turns out though that I didn't to measure it as the diameter was on the seat post bottom! They have them in Sizes 28, 30, 32, and 35 mm. Mine is a 32.

The quick release clamp comes with installation instructions and they are also available online with photos. I found it very easy to install.

As my Rocky Mountain is parked on a indoor trainer, I won't get to test it outside, but I can't wait to see how versatile it is. It comes with 2 keys so you can put one on your keychain and use the other for backup. It's a conventional key, so you might even be able to make copies of the key!

What do I think of it? I love it despite that it's a bit bigger. Now I can leave the seat on while I go shopping, but when I do need to take it off, it will be easy! I think that it would be a good item for anyone who doesn't want to lose their seat and post so easily and hates dragging around their seat/post everywhere while shopping. If you are interested in this item, you should check out their website at http://saveyourseatlock.com/index.html.

(I paid for this item and am not getting any money from promoting this, I just thought that I'd like to share about it since I think that it's a cool idea)

December happenings

2012-01-03T17:37:00.001-08:00

Christmas splurge at MEC

December was a month of adventure. I made a trip down to Vancouver and area to visit with family. It was rainy, but I had a good trip.

I had fun with my nephew!

I splurged on some bike related stuff at MEC and I also bought a bell at a bike shop on Vancouver Island that will go on. It's a World cup Soccer bell that will go on Baxter. I perhaps will find him an animal bell this Summer. I also got him the blue USB chargeable front light. I also bought a couple more Turtle Front lights so I don't have to keep moving the other pair between bikes. MEC sells the batteries for them for cheap, at .50 cents a pop, so cheap to replace the batteries in the budget Turtle lights. I bought a few more expensive ones for my Planet Bike blinky strap. I also finally bought the Filzer Mini-Zee pump which has a gauge on it.

Out with the old and in with the new!

Zipper is separating.

I have used a blue Velo Backpack designed for cyclists. I've had it 5 years and the zipper is going on it. Unfortunally, it's not covered by Warranty. (the zipper flaw is mentioned many times in the reviews) Fortunally, I got another one on sale for cheap. If MEC has a sale on an item, it's not a sale. It means that they've discontinued the item. Oh well, I hope I get more then 5 years out of my new Red one!. I do plan to keep on using the blue one for as long as I can though.

While I was gone, I got a few postcards:

From Finland

The translation for the Finnish postcard is: "A hand reached from a friend can replace many words.."

Scooter postcard from Shanghai

I've made up a nice Postcrossing kit, and while in Vancouver I stocked up on postcards. My Sister-in-law got me some stamps for Christmas.

Postcrossing box full of goodies.

I haven't been biking much since December as it's been very icy. I feel reluctant doing that..so I just walk around right now. I can't wait until I can ride a little again. I am starting planning more about what bike trip I want to do this Summer, if I can find someone to join me. I am researching the Oregon Coast. If I bike to Crescent City, CA, how do I get bike and me to Eugene, Oregon? Is there bus service on the coast? I see that the Cascades Amtrak from Vancouver to Eugene has bike racks! That's a BIG plus.

Here's to an exciting 2012!

Christmas Break

2011-12-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not posting this week. As it's close to Christmas, things have been rather hectic.

I'm going to be away from the blog for at least another week. I can't wait until I start snowshoeing in the New Year, as I really love posting about that!

To all my blog followers out there, thanks for following me! I really enjoy posting on my blog. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Carolyn

Introducing Squirrel Girl (Gal)

2011-12-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

I received a very special Christmas gift made by my friend Peter. He drew up this neat logo for me. I earned the title Squirrel on Tour De Jasper this Summer. I'm going to wear this on a shirt when I help out next Summer. The squirrel is even riding a Rocky Mountain bike. Thanks Peter for an awesome Christmas gift. I will have to make it part of my blog.

The Lost Art Of Letter Writing - Prince George Correspondents' Club

2011-12-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I rode my bicycle over to Book's and Company for their first Correspondent's Club event. As I love writing postcards, I thought that I should attend it and meet other letter writers.

It was a slick ride over as I used Floyd as I don't want to dirty Baxter anymore then I have to. The only problem is that Floyd doesn't have quite as knobby tires as Baxter.

I actually brought along a few 'bonus' Christmas cards along to send out. I already had sent some via Shutterfly, but since I needed reasons to write letters, I brought some Cards that I have laying around along.

I kept busy writing letters

I was worried that not many people would show up, but at 6 or 7 attended. The club will be meeting once a month.

Nice letter writer turnout!

A few of my friends will be getting surprises in their mailboxes. It was hard choosing who to write to.
I also wrote a couple of postcrossing cards out, one to Poland, and one to Cleveland, Ohio. As I forgot my stickers, a fellow writer let me use hers.

This postcard is going to Poland

I was the only postcard writer there. I used to write and had penpals when I was a teenager. I like writing postcards because it's short and sweet. Also, with Postcrossing, I like getting surprises in the mailbox from strangers with the same passion. I did write quite a bit in each Christmas card though.

The writers had some very nice stationary! One of the them gave me an address of someone in Quebec who makes very pretty postcards. Maybe I'll get more into letter writing one day, but Postcrossing keeps me busy enough! On the same day that I went to this event, I received 2 postcards, one from Germany and this one from Denmark.

I received this Bike themed postcard from Denmark

While writing on a card, I spotted these cool Where's Waldo postcards from the corner of my eye, literally. So, I bought them! They will be an entertaining postcard to receive. There's 30 postcards in the book. I wonder if one day I can find a book of bicycle themed postcards? Hmmm.

Where's Waldo?

Time passes rather quickly when you are writing postcards and before I knew it, it was time to go home! Floyd was all ready to take me home. Using the bike makes attending events like this more practical as I'd waste time walking there or taking the bus. I could bike home in 5 minutes! I just had to be careful of the ice.

Floyd all lit up.

Thanks Book's and Company for starting such a fun club! And thanks for the free stamps.

Ride to Fort George Park

2011-12-10T14:23:00.001-08:00

Today is the perfect day for a ride with Baxter. Despite my hesitation about getting him dirty, I took him for a ride. It is just below 0 C, so it's not too slushy. I first took him grocery shopping, and then as I returned home, I really wanted to enjoy more time with him outside, so I took him to Fort George Park.

It was more icy by the park, so I walked the bike in that area as I still don't have studded tires at this time. Still, it was more fun bicycling outside then it would be riding my Rocky Mountain on the trainer inside. That'll be good for those extreme snowy days!

It is actually quite a nice day out there, not too cold and not overly cloudy. There were a few people walking around the park.

Fraser River is still not frozen

A little bit of dirt got on him, but it is easy to wipe it off. I brought a pail of warm water outside to give him a little rinse. I really should clean Floyd too when I have a chance as he's really dirty.

I did have one tumble this week on Baxter as I was turning into Spruceland Mall. Luckily, I was going slow and made a very quick recovery! I was not wearing my helmet because it was -14 C and my winter hat doesn't fit under my bike helmet very well. A driver saw me fall, and I wondered if he thought that I was some dumb bicyclist who doesn't wear a helmet! So, right after the fall, I bought a headwarmer band at Sportmart (in the mall I was at) so that I could wear my helmet at all times but keep my head and ears warm. And I won't ever have to worry about looking like an idiot again if I fall without a helmet on because I now have no excuse NOT to wear the helmet! Never mind hurting myself by not wearing one, especially in the Winter.

A cheap investment

Journeys

2011-12-04T07:33:00.001-08:00

Jo Selkirk signs her book

Yesterday I went to a friend's Book signing. Her name is Jo Selkirk, and she's turning 100 in less then 10 days! When she was in her 60's, she had the opportunity to travel to countries such as Afganistan, Holland, and Iraq.

She just wrote her first book and it's titled, Journeys.

Her daughter asked if I could take photos of her for the book. It is on the last page. I didn't take a photo of it for the blog, but it's the same from a series that was recently published in 2 newspapers promoting the event. I decided at the event to document the signing with photos that I will put in a photo book for her.

It was nice to see a big crowd show up for her signing. She really enjoyed meeting people interested in her book.

For the longest time there was a big lineup

Before the book signing, I managed to sneak in a photo with her.

Some of her fans gave her some beautiful roses.

The time went quickly and soon it was time to head home. It was the perfect day to ride my bike to the event!

Festival of Trees 2011

2011-12-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

This past week I volunteered at the Festival of Trees. It ran from November 18th until November 27th.

First Weekend-

Even though it was particularly hard to leave the house on Saturday morning because of the cold weather outside, I had to go out to vote and then to volunteer.

I always love how they decorate trees. Having all those presents around a tree would be a child's dream! It was neat seeing the little children enter the hall with their eyes wide open with excitement. I did 2 shifts of volunteering, both as a Greeter, taking tickets from the guests as they enter.

It was great meeting all the customers that I know from work and friends that dropped by. The Festival of the Trees is a fundraiser for the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation. It was busier on Sunday morning. But as the days progress, it will get busier.

I rode Baxter to the Civic Centre where the Festival is being held. Before riding there, I rode to a nearby school where I voted in the local Municipal Elections. After volunteering I took Baxter to the grocery store where I stocked up on groceries. He is so versatile! He's as good to me as my Rocky Mountain is to me in the Summer. It's good that unlike Floyd, he has fenders AND a rack, as that makes him so much more practical for commuting around town. And he seems to like tackling the snow, going through it like nothing is there! He's definitely the 4-wheeler of bicycles.

Second Weekend: I still volunteered at the Festival despite being under the weather a bit. This weekend, I volunteered as a Rover, which basically meant wandering around making sure all was well. It was noticeably busier this weekend then the last weekend. People like to procrastinate until the last moment, it seems!

I love this circa 1965 Dollhouse

Fully Restored

Some original furnishings

I had a chance to look at the trees in detail. There was also some awesome entertainment on the last day, Sunday November 27th. Judy Russel's group (local dancing group) performed, and they were amazing!

Afterwards, I picked up some postcards for Postcrossing at Books and Company and it started to snow. I wonder if there will be enough snow for the first official Rambler's Snowshoe trip on December 18th?

Baxter got caught in a little bit of snow

Committed to Cycling article now online

2011-12-02T16:08:00.001-08:00

The Northword Magazine article 'Committed to Cycling' which I was interviewed for, is now available online for all my blog followers to read. Enjoy!

http://northword.ca/december-2011/committed-to-cycling

On a publishing spree...

2011-11-29T18:38:00.001-08:00

I'd swear that this year is the year of publishing for me. A photo that I took just got published in the local paper, the Prince George Citizen. I took the photo of Jo for her soon to be released book. I was completely surprised about it being in the paper today!

My photo in all it's glory, with full credits

You can read the article by clicking this link: http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/article/20111129/PRINCEGEORGE0101/311299980/-1/princegeorge/prince-george-resident-shares-her-journeys-around-the-world

December 2nd update- Another photo from the series of photos that I took of Jo Selkirk for her book, has been printed in the December 2, 2011 edition of the Prince George Free Press. This is so cool! I am glad that her daughter asked me to take photos of her for the book. I will be going to Jo's book launch tomorrow at Books and Company. You can view the Free Press newspaper that featured the photo by clicking this link: http://www.pgfreepress.com/news/134914318.html

Free Press Book Signing article

Northword Interview Article- Committed to Cycling

2011-11-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

Yeh, an interview that I did in August for a friend, just got published. It's all about us tough riders of Northern British Columbia. My friend Peggy, is also featured in the article. Ironically, even though the magazine is from here, and we all live in the North, the actual interview was done in Vancouver by MEC in August! If you live in this area, you should pick up a copy. There is a listing where you can find this free magazine by going to the website at http://www.northword.ca/. If and when it becomes available online, I will be sure to post about it on my blog for all my fans to view.

Speaking of Northern BC bicycle riders, our local paper, the Citizen also published an article about that around the same time! My friend Jillian who is the president of our local Cycling club is mentioned in it. Yeh! We are beginning to get noticed! There are more and more bicycle riders on the road all year round then there used to be and every year there are a few more. We don't let the fact that we live in a area which has Winter for 5 months stop us from riding. We really are Cold Road Warriers. You can view the article in the local paper by clicking this link: http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/article/20111123/PRINCEGEORGE0101/311239991/-1/princegeorge/cold-road-warriors.

Biking with a Record snowfall

2011-11-18T15:19:00.001-08:00

Cold Crisp snow doesn't stick to Baxter

We just had a record snowfall of around 23 cm the other day. I decided to 'walk' the bike to work when it was still snowing. I was hoping that I would be able to ride home after work. I found it a bit challenging walking the bike as even though the sidewalks had been cleared, it had been a while and there was quite a bit of fresh snow on top of plowed sidewalk. I ended up being a little late for work as I was slowed down. Perhaps, I shouldn't have brought the bike!

Well, it turned out that it was mostly good riding home, with the sidewalks cleared. I had to walk it across some snowy intersections though.

The only time I bike on sidewalks is in Winter

Today, it was much better! It stopped snowing last night and when I went to work this morning, the main street that I was riding on was getting cleared. I admit that during the Winter, I tend to be a 'sidewalk rider', even though it's not as safe as being on the road. If the road is fairly bare, then I will ride on it. I just feel better on the sidewalks and I really don't want to piss off the drivers.

Even though it was -15 (5 F), I was toasty warm riding up the sidewalk to work. As long as I kept moving I was good. I used the clear safety glasses so my eyes were not stinging from the cold.

All the parking space that I could want!

It was good riding home today. It was still cold, but the Sun made it seem warmer. I stopped over at the grocery store to get some food. I am glad that I used Baxter as the basket came in handy! I think he'll handle Winter ok. The other beater isn't so good since I put Baxter's tires on him which aren't knobby. Baxter's knobby tires seem to be able to tackle anything!

I think that Winter is here to stay! It may still say Autumn on the calendar, but here in Northern Canada, it's definitely Winter. I am so lucky that the road that I use to go to work is cleared quite frequently and quickly after it starts to snow.