Waterfrontage

Property, excellent location



Close to the water, excellent view



Fixer Upper with lots of potential



my loss your gain, needs some refurbishing, good opportunity for handyman



Easy access on private road



ground level opportunity,



Hurry, won't last . Price firm



This view could be yours, immediate possession . . .

Meandering in Ladner, BC

I had a request from Roger, a comment from the previous post, for a map to show where we went. To tell you the truth I wanted to include maps but I tried to save them using google.maps but it never seemed to work. I tried several times to produce interactive maps like I have seen on posts by others but I guess I am not smart enough to figure it out, so I gave up. All I can do is drag that blue line around to show you the route and then I snap a screen print, like this . . .



but this map is static and you cannot move it around , but I have no idea how to post the actual map as it is not a .jpeg , it is only a link

Anyway Ladner is a community south of Richmond. You will notice that Richmond is basically an Island in the middle of the Fraser River, created by silt & dirt. It is surrounded by the North and South Arms of the Fraser River. If you live in a surrounding community, you have to travel over either a bridge or a tunnel.



Here is a closer view of the Ladner area. It doesn't look that far but with our traffic it takes approx 45 minutes to get there. On Saturday I decided to swap camera positions with my GPS. I originally had the GoProHD Hero1 attached to the windshield bracket but there is too much vibration so I moved the GPS to the windshield and mounted the GoProHD Hero1 to my left handlebar using RAM mounts. The handlebars are better dampened to absorb road vibrations



Here is the video which is the companion to the previous post. I tried to condense it as much as I could, but I wanted to give you a feel for the roads, the bridges, the highway, and also to give you the feeling that you are riding with me





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testing:


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Spring has Sprung

It's Saturday on the first weekend of Spring. The forecast was for sun all weekend. Not a strong sun, but a bright sun, the kind of sun that brings no heat



I had an incident last summer whilst wearing my bright orange Hi-Viz Columbia riding jacket so I thought that today I would wear my old, tattered JR:Joe Rocket jacket. It seemed chillier than normal for the last time this jacket was worn it was in the ebbing days of summer, and the liner was still in my side case waiting to be zipped in



I got a late start today as my service light went on in my car so I made an appointment for a LOF:Lube Oil & Filter, and a general inspection of fluids and brake pad wear. My commuter car has a computer which calculates oil wear based on many factors, but once the light goes ON it is a pain to keep having to push the reset button to clear the error code, so it is easier to just have the service done.

By the time I had breakfast, and home after the car service I got comfortable on my sofa and immediately went into relax mode. Soon I had to decide whether to just stay home and do nothing, or go somewhere on my bike. The weather outside was glorious sunshine so rather than waste the day, I headed south towards Ladner and try to find some meandering roads



I have no particular destination in mind. I travel the roads less travelled, and stop often to admire nature, the mountains, the rivers, the streams and stop often on lonely stretches of road. Today I decide to travel the roads less travelled



It is not easy to find roads devoid of cars, but here I am on the banks of the Fraser River



enjoying a fine day with only the noise of the wind and the errant seagull



It was great to hear the sound of the engine, the clicking of the tranmission and being one with one's machine on a solitary road beside water and farmlands until I decided to take a break at one of the docks and watch the fishermen prepare their boats for their next outing. I spend some time here just enjoying the day



I remember to zip in my liner for the ride home. It may look warm, but looks can be deceiving.

Sun in your eyes

With the low temperatures and frost in the morning, commuting by bike has been a challenge. I usually don't ride when the temps are below 4°c but I took a chance on Friday. It was only 2°c and I encountered frosty windshields on the way to work but the roads were dry



I had a minor problem with my air compressor valve connector as when I went to check the air, both tires were down a few pounds. I have a portable unit which is fast and convenient but I had a hard time getting the connecter fitted and I was going backwards. The gauge registered 29 psi but it was letting more air out than I was trying to force in. Soon I had 17 psi and the pressure was dropping fast. I must have fiddled for 15 minutes and finally I got my tires up to the correct pressure; front 33 psi, rear 36 psi



With the low sun angle I had a hard time trying to see where I was going. The sun is nearly horizontal with my horizon and shining right into my eyes. I have learned to go into defensive mode. I go slower and find another car to follow. I worry more about those aggressive left turners which are difficult to see, so I figured a car in front would be a good barrier



In a couple more weeks the sun will rise earlier and will eliminate this problem. I have the same situation on Lougheed highway where the sun appears rise, right out of the road, and it is hard to see the other traffic. I worry about the oncoming traffic with the lack of lane barriers

I eventually arrive at work and park next to another co-worker's Honda Shadow



When I get to work everyone is wondering what happened to me ! I usually arrive at 7:30a like clockwork but this morning I was fiddling around trying to pump air in my tires which made me arrive at work later than normal. I am not late as I allow for this extra half hour buffer, just later than my usual time but it felt nice to be missed



today I was last to leave the office. Every one has already gone but I have to check everything, lock the doors, fill the printers with paper, check the lights and secure the building for the weekend. It actually feels nice to go home with the sun still shining, rather than in the dark.

I eventually find my way home. Great weather is forecast for this weekend



and I can't wait . . .

Chang Jiang

Let me start by saying that I know nothing about the Chang Jiang
but if you click the link, I think I crossed paths with a CJ750 M1M with sidecar. It is not a copy but rather a reproduction of a pre WWII BMW R71


Meet Jason

This Hack appears to be a daily driver as it is sporting Commercial Licence plates and he was picking up some items from our warehouse. With his approval I snapped a series of photos but I am only posting a few here. They may be of interest to Charlie6 and he may ask to view more of them.

I have seen a few Chang Jiang's before, a beautiful black one was for sale at the Yamaha dealer and it appeared to look exactly like a Beemer.



In the photo above, the black pegs are for changing from Forward to Reverse. The silver lever below is for changing gears, with the toe/heal shifter



There is the driveshaft for the single wheel drive (OWD:One Wheel Drive)



Here is another view of the drive shaft, but notice the suicide shifter coming out of the case. You can shift gears with this lever, as well as the toe/heal shifter on the left side. I was told that this lever was easier to access when you are physically pushing the rig around and need to shift it out of gear



I know that Dom/Charlie6 likes to see how the sidecar is attached, so I always take this perspective for him



It has a very primitive "dash", a couple of indicator lights, a speedometer, and that's it, except for the steering damper butterfly knob



A view of the right side



and a view of the handlebar and brake lever. I'm not sure how many people have ever seen a Chang Jiang in action, but a little too utilitarian for me

Random NL photos

Newtown, Newfoundland (NL)



also known as the "Venice of Newfoundland" . Built on 17 small islands connected by causeways, leaving canals for residents to moor their boats

The typical NL "Staging area", simply known as "The Stage"



You see these short docks all over THE ROCK. Those are lobster traps stacked & ready to be used. Larger stages have (little) buildings at the end, usually over the water, as the red building in the background where they store smaller dingies, fishing nets and other fishing accessories. It is a staging area where you prepare your fishing boat in preparation of heading out to sea.

The Battery, St John's Harbour



an historic neighbourhood on the slopes of Signal Hill overlooking the Harbour. There is a chain connected between 2 rocks 174 meters long which was strung across the water to stop German U-boats from entering the harbour during World War II



There is some unusual architecture in St John's



some parts of the City are very old but decorated in bright colours



Typical rural scene. Small communities like this are scattered throughout the Province, usually found at the end of the peninsula where the fishboats had easier access to the sea, and to the fishing grounds. Since their fishing industry collapsed, there is not much industry happening these days. I can't remember where this was but I believe it was near Twillingate



Twillingate is the "Iceberg Capital of the World", as is on the route of "Iceberg Alley"

Spring Equinox

This year the Spring Equinox is the earliest in over a century, since 1896 at 05:14 GMT, which means that on the West Coast of British Columbia it will arrive on March 19th but someone should tell Mother Nature



as this morning when I left for work, it was below freezing and my windows were all iced up



While other parts of our Country are basking in a relatively warm heat wave we can only dream of T-shirts & shorts and hope that Spring is close behind.

In anticipation of warmer temperatures, it was only last week that I decided to dust off my sandal collection in preparation for the change in seasons. I know, I know I have too many shoes . I can't help myself but someone has to keep all those shoe outlets in business. I am a sucker for minimalistic shoes, especially the ones with the toe loops. I sweat a lot in closed shoes and prefer "free range" mode.



I am going to try hard to trim my sandal budget this year and use something more economical and cost effective . . .

I only recently realized that I already possessed the ultimate pair



of waterproof footwear, which have served me well for many years

Still Chilly

I had great plans. We were experiencing Winter's last gasp all week with snow, frost, high winds and cool temperatures


Clouds over Steveston, BC

which made me decide not to ride. I don't normally ride when the temps are lower than 4°c and I have learned to not take any chances when it comes to tire traction & slippery roads. The rain was scheduled to stop on Friday evening and with a dry weekend forecast, my plan was to go for a ride on Saturday


Garry Point, Steveston, BC

But, alas . . . it was not to be. I forgot that we had set Saturday aside for car browsing. We had also made an appointment for vehicle service at the local dealership and we changed our Brunch location co-incidently to a place directly across the street from where I was going to meet up with Mrs Skoot. I was also considering a vehicle upgrade so I wanted to bring my car too, so riding was out of the question


Winter storm coming from the West

We visited a few dealerships as we wanted to compare a few other Makes & Models and it is amazing how much time can be wasted


South Arm Fraser River, YVR in foreground, Grouse Mountain in the background

Soon enough my Saturday was completely consumed and the day was done .



We purchased our Subaru WRX sportwagon brand new in 2004 and it has been a reliable car, but after 8 years, we thought it was time to upgrade


Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Steveston, BC

Not knowing how long it will be in our possession we thought that a few parting photos were in order, so with a declining sun on Sunday afternoon we snapped a few photos with some water backgrounds in historic Steveston

My tattered jeans have sprouted another rip. Maybe no one will notice. The increased air conditioning will come in handy during the heat of summer



Note: All photos, Sony NEX-5n, 18-55 kit lens DRO: Dynamic Range Optimizer mode

A Bike & a Skoot

Here's a ride report that I don't even remember from October, 2006. I was searching my archives and I came across a rare outing where Mrs Skoot rode her Yamaha Vino



That's her Vino on the left. We are refueling at the Shell Station in West Vancouver. We were heading to Horseshoe Bay along scenic Marine Drive. We reach the passenger ticket counter to purchase our ferry tickets but there is no vehicle access on this side of the chain link fence. The vehicle entrance is accessed using the TransCanada Highway Hwy 1, but 49cc's are not allowed to be on the highway so we get permission to use the pedestrian gate if we turn off our engines and push it down the ramp



here we are on the lower ramp waiting for our ferry to dock. Bowen Island is only about a half hour ride across the water. I notice that I am riding my Suzuki GS400s, which is parked behind the Yamaha Vino.

Whle it is still October (2006) the sun still has some warmth and we are only wearing thin summer layers and T-shirts



Here we are on the main ferry deck. Scooters and motorcycles are first to load, and first off the ferry .



While I am trying to capture images of the day, that's Mrs Skoot looking back. We didn't have a lot of riding gear back then



My Suzuki GS400s was so photogenic that I just had to snap another photo of it . I was a member of the Vespa Club of Canada and this was one of many group rides planned for that year (2006). I must have decided not to use my Yamaha BWS big wheel that day



Our group spent some time riding around the local roads terrorizing the neighbourhood and eventually decided to chill out and sit by the beach and enjoy the day


Bowen Island, BC October, 2006

That's part of the Sea-to-Sky Highway (to Whistler) in the background north of Horseshoe Bay. It was a great day to be on two wheels with friends