It is a great day to ride a Harley!

It’s a great day to ride a Harley!  I just drove out to Langley on my glorious Electraglide.  Trev Deeley kept it all winter in the warm with a special blanket and oil toddies. Once a week the staff gathered around the bikes and sang Biker Lollabies.  Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild. Then in the spring they checked it out and tuned it up so I didn’t find myself splashed across the road because of poor maintenance.
I had to pick up some wheels for my folding Porta Bote from Maple Marine.  Any excuse to ride on a spring day like this is Godly.
Now I’m sitting at Barnes Harley where I once traded my 600 Buell Blast for a HD 1200 Roadster.  I loved that Roadster.  It took me all over BC often with Laura on the back. I even road it on logging roads and commuted to and fro work in the city.  I’ve loved the maintenance at Barnes and Trev.  I wanted to go to Sturges and Gilbert had joined me.  He liked a bigger bike so we took a deal at Trev one day and I graduated to the Electroglide. I’d sat at one in the Abbotsford Bike show. That always seems to be the way to stoke the imagination.
Riding to Sturges from Vancouver was an unforgettable experience. ZZ Top.  Doobie Brothers.  Buffalo Chip.  I dream of going back. I’ve a Toy Hauler now so might haul the bike, getting out at the festival and acting like I’d ridden all the way from Vancouver Canada.  At least I’ve done it once. Nothing like seeing the antelope in the fields of Montana.  I loved the wildlife. Cowboy country and the modern Harley Davidson iron steed.  There is simply no motorcycle made for the American freeway like the Harley Electroglide.
I’ve jut  been over at Holeshot Motorsports.  I’ve got a Honda Pioneer 500  side by side quad for hunting. It takes up a lot of room in storage.  Gilbert had become old and blind. I got it for him but he prefers the warmth and comfort of the truck.  I really enjoyed the year I had a Honda 250 CRF Enduro and road all over the back roads. I was supposed to be hunting mule deer but really all I shot was cans. What a great time. I also road the enduro year round whereas I'd treat my Electroglide like the Cadillac it is and don't trust the slippery Vancouver streets with the stoned Vancouver drivers.
Now I’ve come to love the Honda 1000 African Twin CRF. So I sat on one again.
If only Harley would take their 883 and give it some off road capacity. The Harley 1200 was the motorcycle used throughout WWII.  Harley are built to take a beating.  I’d rather they move in that direction than electric motorcycles which they’ve got coming out. They once had a 500 and I’d think that would be a sweet machine to make into an enduro or adventure bike.  As it is Honda is the go to place for off road and durability.
I’m back at Barnes having a coffee. It' s hard to believe I felt at death door with an abscessed tooth last week and letting the mismanagement and corruption in government get to me.  It's all above my pay grade. All I've got is this "sunny afternoon in the summertime."
Being a member of the H.O.G., Harley Owner’s Group,  I’ve just been upstairs in the Harley lounge.  When I’ve ridden in Canada and  especially in the US,  I’ve loved stopping at Harley. They’re watering holes and club houses and just destinations. Like today.  It’s hot and sunny.  A beautiful day to sit outside on the Barnes patio. Lots of bike roars. Leather people coming and going.  Pink Cherry blossoms on the trees. The good feel of people with purpose.
 It’s a great day to ride a Harley!

Porta Bote on Buntzen Lake, BC , St. Patrick’s Day

I had the perfect Kevlar canoe from Western Canoe and Kayak on Salton Road Abbotsford BC. The problem became storage. It simply took up too much room in my storage locker.

As well, last year when I was carrying it on my shoulders a young kid offered to help me. My first thought was, ‘do you know I white water canoed all my childhood and youth. Do you know I did the mighty Winnipeg River. Do you know Ive portaged miles from lake to lake in Northern Manitoba and Northern Ontario?” What I did say though  was “thank you, thank you.”  Profusely. 

 I was staggering down  a hill through trees and and bushes over uneven ground and rocks and boulders thinking I’d been a couple of years younger since I’d last done this.  Somehow the canoe had become heavier. It was probably one of the largest ones WC &K had. I’d envisioned bringing moose I’d shot out of woods with it. I did catch  one fish with it  and shot one duck with it’s help.   It did provide evenings and days of enjoyable lake canoeing, never saw white water or streams and lived a good life.  We’re it not for the storage issue I’d have never parted from it.

I also have to admit, I’m getting older. I ‘m lightening up and  scaling down.  I have an inflatable on my sailboat and an inflatable kayak I’ve used maybe once.  I sent my AB hard bottomed with 20 hp honda down to Hay Bay for the nephews to use. The sailboat GIRI is on land waiting another expedition. .  I have a 2.5 hp Honda engine and an electric.   I was looking through the internet for storage  solutions and discovered the  Porta Bote.  

A folding boat. Really.  What a novel idea!

Next one appeared synchronistically on the side of RV near by.  It was taunting me.   Another great idea. Lock it to the side of the RV for storage . I’d only thought it would fit flat in the storage locker. Now I liked that it could be mounted on the RV ready for use.   It looks just like a surf board and not  much wider.  A few inches altogether. There’s a 10 foot and and 8 foot and one bigger. 

It was at the BC Sportsman Show. Maple Marine Services of Langley, 20693 Langley Bypass, a few blocks from the centre of town, is the distributor.  They had a booth at the BC Sportsman Show at Abbotsford Tradex. I’d spoken to them at the Vancouver Boat Show but they hadn’t brought one there. I wanted to see and lift one.  I was afraid they’d be too heavy but they’re manageable. They also come with wheels which is how I had transported my ocean going folding kayak.  I just have to order the wheels. The paddles and seats came with it.  

At Maple Marine, the staff were great.  “If you’re using it mostly for yourself and the dog and maybe one other , then the 8 foot is fine. But if you’re using it with another person and the dog or maybe even want to ferry three people, then the 10 foot is the way to go. It’s also our most popular size”. 

I got the 10 foot one. The Maple Marine staff  loaded it on my Mini Cooper S.  The greens matched colour.  Very fashionable. 

I  texted my friend Kevin about all the good deals on aluminum fishing boats they had at Maple Marine. His wife Anna and the kids are great fisher folk.  A good place to buy gear, small enough to be personal but big enough to have lots of great stock.

Eric, from Star Fleet RV, mounted the brackets for the Porta Bote through my RV side ensuring it wouldn’t be going anywhere soon. Eric does amazing work.

Laura was indispensable.  I’ve been “aware” of my back this last couple of months, usually a psychic

indication that government is somehow stabbing me in the back. Probably the consequence of carbon taxes or sociopaths bearing false witness.  Laura isn’t judgemental having injured her back once.  She kindly helped me carry the Porta Bote to my truck. I can lift alone  but we had to  maneuver around picnic tables and bushes and it was  just so much easier to ask for helped.   Also a woman looks darn sexy carrying the front end of any boat.    I will get the wheels for future now that I know how easily it will assemble beside the truck and can be wheeled to the water from anywhere near then.

At Buntzen Lake I unloaded the boat  and  Laura and I carried it to the water’s edge.  Laura read the excellent instructions showing me the pictures as I put it together. I’d seen an excellent video which showed it could be put together in 15 minutes. It took me a little over 30 minutes. It’s going to be faster now that I know what to expect.  

I pushed it into the lake for the inaugural immersion. I’d forgotten the champagne bottle to break across the bow.   I used a cut up water bottle as a bailer though. . I didn’t need to use it .  The boat remained dry as a bone. No leaks.  Smooth rowing. Moves like a skiff. Lots of maneuverability. Really comfortable. 

Laura is not by nature intrepid these days. .  She has all manner of laurels for just  hanging out with me.    She did motorcycle as a kid but traded her motorcycle in for a washing machine when she had her first child. Gilbert’s blind and he’d rather stay with her than  adventure with me.  He acts like he’s protecting her.   I convinced them both to join me though. A kindly gentleman who like several others had admired the boat now came to  hold the bow  at the dock so the dog could jump down on the seat and Laura could step down after. 

 “I don’t want to go out any further. Just around here.”

“Alright, I’ll just row us about close to shore.” 

Gilbert was delighted with the boat. He’s had to deal with squishy inflatables and tippy canoes so this stable sturdy little boat  was all a dog could want. He preferred my big sailboat but has been in every boat with me since he was a puppy 8 years ago. Now he’s a blind dog and I could tell he really liked this boat.   I rowed and Laura relaxed.  Gilbert was in dog heaven.

I began singing “Michael row the boat ashore” and Laura laughed. 

After a while I brought us ashore.  Boats must be off Buntzen Lake by 630 pm.   The park closes at 7 pm.  The Porta Bote  is just skookum.

It was really easy to take apart, 10 minutes max,  to fold it down. Laura helped me carry it back to the truck.  The three seats that give it it’s sturdiness  stowed easily in the back seat of the Ford F-350
Lariat.    

Driving out of the park we picked up an ice cream bar.   Both of us agreed, what  fun the afternoon
had been.

The next outing I’ll take the electric motor.  Buntzen Lake only allows electric. I charged my marine battery and tested the electric motor that night and amazingly the thing still runs.   I’m excited now to get out on the lake with a motor and the dog. I may even catch some trout trolling or casting.

I like too that the British Everest Expeditionary group carried the Porta Bote up Everest to cross a lake high up that famous mountain to shorten the distance of their overall climb. Not that I plan to climb Everest.  It’s just  nice to know I’m geared up for it:)

My Birthday (older than the hills)

I remember my mother at Christmas would save up purchases we needed but would wrap them up and give them at Christmas. Things like tooth brushes, socks and pyjamas.  They are ‘gifts’ technically but we’d have got them  anyway. As kids a gift was a toy. But looking back we appreciated the unwrapping and it filled out the gifts under the tree.  I noticed my sister in law Adell gave the boys 'nail clippers' at Christmas. It's a family thing. Touching.
I needed a new mattress. . Even if it was placebo I ordered a Sealy Posturpedic Mattress from the Bay . It arrived before my birthday.  I love it.
I think my parents died because they just became tired.  A new mattress can stave off fatigue. Extend life.  The flowers of spring also were kind enough to appear with renewal of hope and increased faith despite a last ditch dowsing with snow.
 I also have the capacity to ‘write off’ as a business expense new technology I use predominantly for work. So this year I upgraded my iPhone 7s to the iPhone X with faster processing and more data space. Having closed my office where the computer was the principal tech I’m working out of three clinics,  carrying much more about, and depending more on my iPhone.  Laura gets my hand me down phone.
 Friday we were at one of my favourite places, Apple Centre . Pacific Centre.  I now have a new phone.  Laura  had my iPhone 6 and now has my iPhone 7s.  Nonetheless I really like the iPhone X and Laura loves the iPhone 7s mostly because it’s rose gold (ie pink).
At the BC Sportsman Show I bought the real "toy", the adult 'boy toy".   Porta Bote folding boat which I’ll be able to attach to the side of my RV to free up storage. My kevlar canoe is in consignment and will pay half the new boat. I love the ‘trading up’ capacity which comes with aging acquisition, being able to have something to ‘trade’. I remember the raw expenses of younger years.
Laura bought us Han’s Chinese take out and we had terrific time watching Miss Congeniality with Sandra Bullock at home. Gilbert and George were delighted with the company and the treats.
Sunday morning was special. My friend Barry plays organ at the All Saints Anglican Church. I’d missed his organ concert at Christ Church so was pleased to be able to hear him play piano and organ in church.
Laura and I met Kevin and Anna and the God kids there. We all enjoyed the service. The minister is a godly man. He reminds me of Dr. Lam the EMAS colleague who was always so kindly and caring.  I love Christians for reminding me of ‘my utmost for his highest’.  There’s a humbling aspect to their presence.
It was all round a positive experience. Even better was coffee after and meeting Barry’s psychiatrist mother in her 90’s and a friend of Dr. Willi Gutowski, my admired Christian psychiatrist mentor.  We had cake and coffee chatting while the kids crayoned.  Everyone  was terrific.  Jesus was happy there.
After it was a great time with the god kids at Swiss Chalet at Lougheed and Boundary. The restaurant and staff were welcoming of the little munchkins.  Kendra is so sweet.  Alex and Isaac and Kendra were listening to their mother which made for a good  time for us adults. We could chat about plans and futures. Kevin’s father is dying.  Hee had been back to the maritimes and would be returning in the coming week with Anna.  We talked of family,  death,  God, photography and our choice in cars. A regular mutual appreciation society.
Laura and I spent the afternoon at home. I walked Gilbert along the trails. Later she walked him on the cement walk. We watched more movies on tv and read books.  I”m enjoying Orphan X and a Jordan Peterson book I ordered from Amazon.
Laura liked my new mattress.
She gave me chocolates too.
On Monday night Dave, Mack,  Shane and I took the sky train to BC Place. I”d got tickets for the Canucks versus the New York Islanders at the Simon Frazer Pipe Band Robbie Burns Dinner gala and fund raiser.  I love supporting these incredible young people.  We were all delighted with the seats behind the goal.
It was 4 to 3 with the Canucks winning in overtime.  We got to see that goal up close , along with other.  Markstrom is a great goalie.
Mack had got me a foot long hot dog.  Dave had got us white spot chips.  It was great game night with a feast included. I loved the Zamboni machine.  The anthems and hostess and music and wave were all fun.  I was reminded of the days as a kid in Winnipeg shovelling the snow off the rink in 40 below before playing a game out doors. Several of us had known that experience between 6 and 12 years old. I played pick up til 16 or 18 and ‘old timers league’ in my late 30’s.  I actually skated last a few years back.   That night I dreamed of scoring the winning goal, stealing Liepsic’s glory, a legend in my own mind.  I also fell in love with the young ladies who skate on the ice pushing shovels.  Somehow in my dream I was a young guy again and they were admiring me as I drove a big zamboni machine.  I can't remember a dream like that in years but it really was something to see that overtime play off and watch that incredible score.
I know the guys through our dogs.  Gilbert’s friends.  Emory is Dave’s dog. Max is Mack’s and Hank is Shane’s.  Mack had been driving the snow plow the week before. Shane drove a truck starting work at the ungodly hour of 5 am. Dave works heavy machinery. But we all like the Zamboni.  What a wonderful machine.
All that was missing at the Hockey game, our best friends.
I like the sky train too having never taken the new Burnaby line.It really was impressive. No sense taking a car down town for concerts and shows and games.  The sky train was perfect.
At Royal Columbia clinic Dr. Waterson, Belinda and Karen gave me a fruit cake and at Docside Clinic , Dr. Horvath, Mari lou, Judith and Jerry gave me a chocolate cake.
My nephews and sister in law sent cards and phoned me to wish me well. I got great emails from so many friends.  I felt loved.

Today I’m blessed and too frequently I don’t keep my head in the same room as my ass. I lose my joy to resentments about past or worries about the future. I’ve one step in the future and one step in the past and i’m pissing on my day. I keep fighting this and am thankful for friends and birthdays to get my head our of my ass. I really felt loved and felt that I wasn’t alone and that it was going to be  alright. It’s good to be a year older.
Thank you Lord.

BC Sportsman Trade Show, Tradex,Abbotsford

It’s my birthday. So I get to decide what we do today. That’s what she said.  “Let’s go to the BC Sportsman’s Trade Show, “ I said.  “I kind of wanted to go to the mall to get some body lotion, but it’s your birthday.”  I could tell it was hard but she was willing to sacrifice.
Since the mall was on the way to the Tradeshow, we were able to compromise. “I’ll just run in a get a book and some body butter.” She said as we separated.  I had to go to the Post Office any way.  I’d bought a new skookum hard drive and screwed up getting the PC version rather than Apple. My techie movie making nephew can sort it out. I included the American Dream DVD as well.  Tom Cruise. Incredible film.
Back in the Mini CooperS , she’s smiling.
The sky was blue with clouds and sunshine. Sunshine!!!  Spring!.   Great day for a drive in the country.  I love my car.  “This is what I like to do on my birthday. A drive in the country.”  The mountains with ice caps and forest along the highway with interspersed farms were spectacular.  Great views along the Highway for Hero’s.  In no time we’re at Tradex too.
I love Tradex.  We’d been at the BC Sportsman’s show last year and loved it.  Everything.  Boats, motorcycles. Lots of ATV’s.  Fishermen and fishing equipment galore.  ATV’s of every shape and size.  All the best manufacturers.  Honda, Yamaha, Polaris, Can Am.  Some new companies too with great deals. Guns. Knifes. Binoculars.  Optics.  All weather all terrain boots and clothing.  Tents. Campers.  RV’s.  Did I mention boats?
Porta Bote. I’ve been researching boats all year ever since I sent my AB hard bottom inflatable with 30 hp fishing machine down to the nephews for fishing at Hay Bay.  My sailboat and inflatable dinghy are out east as well.  Sailing with my brother is one of my fondest memories.  I’d had a Kevlar Hunting Canoe from the amazing Western Canada Kayak and Canoe store but now it’s up for sale on consignment. With closing my own office and going to work in clinics, I’d  lost a whole lot of storage room.  The place is stacked high with tens of thousands of files.  The perfect canoe took up too much room andwas just too long to go on the top of the truck now that I had a fifth wheel trailer.
Porta Bote was the solution I found after extensive internet research and consideration of just what I’d be using it for and the biggest issue storage. It folds down to 4 inch depth and has a mount to go on the side of an RV.  I’d tried to buy one at the boat show from Maple Marine out of Langley, the distributor.  They didn’t have one there but they had one with my name on it here.  With Godly synchronicity a fellow hard parked his RV with a Porta Bote on the side near me. I drove by it several days a week.   Talk about synchronicity and a ‘tease’.  I didn’t even know about Porta Botes before but now they began to appear everywhere. I watched a Utube showing how easy  the assembly. I could even put it on my Mini roof rack. The 10 foot one good for 2 people and even three could take up to a 6 hp engine. I had a Honda 2.5 hp which had worked on the canoe but without the weight of another person created difficulties in the wind.  However thanks to the resale of the canoe which held it’s value so well, I’d only pay half for the Porta Bote. I pick it up from Maple Marine in Langley next week. Oh boy!!!
Laura loved the Hummingbird Micro Home custom built in Fernie.  “I could live in this just fine. It’s a home. It’s more than an apartment”.  It had wheels to move it and all the amenities.
“With all the street people and their government fed dogs using up the streets and sidewalks I think you could park it on the City Hall lawn and get a better view. It might even  fit in a bike lane.” I said trying to be helpful. Amazingly affordable.  Laura began scheming about put one in the city graveyard. “I own a plot in Surrey,” she said.  
She’s been working all her life and feeling recently that the government wants to euthanize all us seniors so they can take more money for themselves and their lavish behaviour. I don’t think of us as old but she worries about the future and feels betrayed.  The Left never respects the ‘social contract’.  Right now Canada and BC and even Vancouver are being sold to foreigners by the big chiefs in legislatures and parliament.  I feel like the Indians must have felt 200 years back when their chiefs made deals to give up the land in exchange for party favours and kegs of whiskey.  The people always suffer. I just don’t know that all these new wealthy immigrants buying up the land and resources are going to give back money to the grand children of today’s Canadians getting shafted for the kick backs to their leaders.  We can only hope for a new set of land claim deals a couple of hundreds years hence  when the grandchildren demand that the dirty deals that gave the mayors, premiers and Prime Ministers of Canada their land get compensation.  But somehow I doubt their generosity. Everyone talks about the homeless problem but it pains me to see all the middle class and lower classes unable to afford to live in Vancouver where the rents are $2000 for a closet. Yet all the elite, the criminals and government big wigs  swagger about the city and seem to forget that people like Laura are the very backbone of the city.
BC, the province is still God’s country.  It amazes me that i keep meeting immigrants who have lived here their whole lives and never been to the country.  I wouldn’t work and live in this ridiculous slum city of Vancouver were it not for the weekends and vacations I get in the country and off the coast. Vancouver with it’s traffic jams, bike lanes, corruption, tent cities, filthy streets and side walks, belligerent street people with their entitlement and dogs, it’s night time shootings and constant police sirens, and gross mismanagement is the price so many of us have to pain so we can enjoy the lakes, sea and streams forests and mountains that make it all worth it.  I was so s thankful for this BC Sportsman’s show because it reminded me that in only a few more weeks I’d be able to go camping!!!!
“Laura! Laura!” Laura  turned to see  this bearded man all in black running after her. She didn’t recognize Derek with his beard. He was volunteering for the National Firearms Association.  “Did you shoot anything?” I asked. He’d gone to the Charlottes at Christmas and indeed had got black tail. His friend had flown up with him. Then Naomi now 7 months pregnant had joined him.
”The Charlottes were wonderful. Walking in those woods was mystical. Naomi loved it.” He shared.   We’d told Derek and Naomi about how much Laura and I loved the Haida Quai.  How the people were so friendly and the land mystical.  The north island peopl were so inviting compared to the political Haida on the South Island.  Russians had begun trading with the north island Haida before Captain Vancouver even landed to the south.
Derek was there with a delightful former town mayor and we talked rifles and gun laws.  Nobody there liked the Liberals.  It’s comforting to be with people who see that Justin Trudeau is just a little Stalin “want to be”.
 “Give an inch and they take a mile.There’s no negotiating with them.”
“They only want the rich and criminals to have guns.”
“You don’t see judges , politicians or Justin Trudeau trusting gun laws. He’s surrounded with guns and probably his nannies are packing.” We all laughed.
“It’s all about taking guns from the middle lower class so that only  rich can afford the guides and hunting like all over Europe..”
‘We had the best gun laws in the world with Conservative Kim Campbell but then the Liberals came in and started the registry like we were some kind of criminals besides giving their Quebec gun toting security cronies 2 billion dollars boondangle.”  The rural men were spitting angry and being forced to pay for what they considered necessary equipment in the north.
“I”m tired of a bunch of girls pushing paper in Montreal telling all of us in the north how to live our lives.”  One fellow added.
A great little discussion followed.
Derek was laughing. “It’s just divide and conquer. These people don’t even know what an AR 15 is.  I really enjoyed target practicing with the Chinese 223.  After Naomi delivers she’s going to enjoy that rifle. It’s the perfect size for her.”
“Laura likes her Ruger 22/10” I said.
“It’s got a pink gun stock,” Laura added with a big smile.
I had to tell the guys about all us guys out hunting without getting anything only to return to camp to find Laura  with a big grouse on the table. “It landed in the tree above me so I shot in case you guys didn’t get anything for lunch,” she’d said.  Everyone was impressed.
The best ATV was the tank tredded one that would  go everywhere, CF Moto from Frazer Valley Power Sports.  Mud, sand , snow.
I loved the hand crafted knives and the different camping and cooking accessories too. 6 pm came too quickly and we had to exit.  We’d stopped for a hot dog when we arrived and loved making a day of the show.
“I really liked the Sportsman show”.  Laura said.  She had long sleeved shirt from the BC Wildlife Federation. I’m a member.
I was especially pleased that I now had  a folding hard boat I’d got at boat show discounts and would  pick up next week in Langley. The whole experience was a great birthday outing.  Camping and summer seem all that much nearer.   There is hope in this winter world.