Last day of Fall 2010

It seems like an eternity since I have ridden my mighty V-strom. Often I cannot ride to work as I worry about frost and ice on the roads when I leave home before 7AM. I have to travel up and down the hills of New Westminster on my way to Coquitlam and often there is ice along the way. Our Company does not allow for carry over of Vacation time so I was eagerly encouraged to take it right away, so today I have all day to do my errands



My appointed task today is to locate an image of that Superbird character "The King" from that Disney Pixar movie "Cars". Of course I head to that large store which carries all kinds of toys and get a headache walking about and fighting with other shoppers looking for Christmas gifts. And for my effort I left empty handed. It seems that our Grandson has an affection for an image of that character and I was going to put a likeness of that image onto a T-shirt transfer as a gift. A couple of years ago I made a transfer of Thomas the Train and he wore that T-shirt until it was just a ball of tattered threads.

Where to go, what to do on a weekday. I am on my way to nowhere when I notice a head stuck to the ground and made a U-turn for a photo opp



I maneuver past cement barracades and park next to the head. There is another statue on the top



EDIT: MORE INFO HERE: http://blog.vancouverbiennale.com/?tag=gao-brothers

I head South but then I divert north onto River Road, as I make my way to nowhere particular



There is a picnic area along this section of the river which is just across from YVR, the Vancouver International Airport



There are not many people here today; a lone jogger, and two couples walking on the Dike . Very shortly I get to the end of the road



Walkers only past this point. Richmond is a city surrounded by Dikes which protects the lowlands from flooding. Most dikes, like this one, have a road on top .



After another photo, I hop onto my V-strom and again head southward. By now the rain has arrived and the weather forecast is for rain turning to snow flurries with a small accummulation of perhaps 2cm



Soon I arrive in Steveston and head for the Government Dock



Often I ride down here during the summer for sunset pictures



Today it is deserted. There are no problems to find a place to park



All is serene and quiet with all the fishing boats at dock waiting for next year's fishing season



That is the Gulf of Georgia Cannery which has now been fully restored and is now a National Historic Site

Oh look what I see on that yonder dock over there



It's my V-strom, happy to be out touring the country side on this last day of Fall. Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, the start of a new season .

Not much traffic today. I am not accustomed to exploring on a weekday and I think a lot of people are in the malls preparing for the Christmas season . I can stop nearly anywhere without a car in sight



In order to slow down the traffic, the City of Richmond has installed speed bumps, but my Strom barely notices them



The water levels at Finn Slough are very high



As I aim for home I stop to visit EMS, where I service my Strom



Ted is moving his shop to another double unit on the opposite side of the same complex. Most of his equipment has been dismantled in anticipation of his move. As I prepare to leave he asks me to take one last photo of himself in front of the shop. This may be his last photo in front. January 1st will find him in his new location


(My 'Strom with TED)