I have taken time to reflect on what I have done and where I have been this summer. Some memories seem to be embedded and reappear regularly, while others return involuntarily, in short flashes. It is all part of my story and I want to put it down before I forget too much. Recently, I was asked to try to sum up, in one or two words, my feelings on the trip as a whole. That stymied me for a minute, but then I realized what it is - accomplished. I accomplished my goal of travelling by motorcycle across the country [View Full Entry]

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Odometer: 43215 km The day started with a promise of reaching Calgary today, but also the promise of some rain on the way. I left Regina by 7am and had breakfast in Moose Jaw. The weather at this point was perfect for riding, but the sky in the west was threatening so I put on my rain gear in anticipation. I wasn’t disappointed. I hoped I could ride through the wet, but the lightning started and when a strike on a hill across the valley beside me resulted in an instant crash of thunder, I sought refuge in a little restaurant [View Full Entry]

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Odometer: 42920 km The travel is all familiar, old ground, from here to home in Calgary. The temptation will be to ride through it with out taking notice of anything, thinking that I know everything there is to know about the country here. I’ll have to overcome that numbness and try to keep my senses as alert as they have been for the rest of the trip. My plan is to travel on the TransCanada to Indian Head; slip over to the Qu’Appelle Valley and past Katepwa, the location of our cottage back in the forties; through Labret; breakfast in Fort [View Full Entry]

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Odometer: 42546 km The day started overcast and warm with a promise of being clear and hot. My plan was to look at the main sights of Winnipeg downtown, have a visit with Les’s cousin, Bob, and then spend the afternoon on the road. That is about how it unfolded. In conversations last winter, Bob said he would love to have me visit, show me some of the sights about town, and take me out for a meal. Unfortunately for me, in the meantime, he decided to sell his house. The sale occurred two weeks ago and the movers were coming [View Full Entry]

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Odometer: 41800km I went to bed hot and clammy and woke up freezing. Good grief, it was only 5C above this morning. The fog was heavy and the bike was dripping with condensation. I hesitated for a moment, but I really had my mind set on travelling west, so I headed out. The first hour on the bike was not fun. I was wearing just about all the clothes I had with me in order to stay warm. My fingers were numb from the cold and I couldn’t keep my face shield clear of condensation without opening it a bit and [View Full Entry]

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On my tour to the outhouse at four in the morning, I saw the Northern Lights displaying their wayward glow against a starry sky. I haven’t seen them for over a decade. Last night under their glow I found myself back on the hill below our house in Calgary, with my sons Sean and Cameron, sitting in the snow and watching an exceptional display of the Lights with cones of red and green exploding above our heads, thinking that the rays would touch down around us any second. That was the best display of the lights I ever saw. Back in [View Full Entry]

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Odometer: 41428km I stopped to talk to one of the locals in front of his house last night. He was unloading his car when I approached to ask a question about his town. I guess I must have looked a little suspicious with my non-local look and a writing book under my arm. I gathered this from his face when I started talking. Maybe he thought I was a Mormon coming to talk to him about other stages of life. . I could almost see the wheels turning as he evaluated who the heck I was. I quickly put him at [View Full Entry]

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Odometer: 40768km This is the first day it has been cool enough to put on my leather pants since I left Saskatchewan at the start of the trip. Ever since then I’ve been wearing jeans. They provide some protection in a fall, but not like leather does, so wearing leather makes me feel a little more secure. What a nice ride I had to Sault Saint Marie. The temperature was perfect, no cars to speak of, and a winding road that followed the Mississagi River for the initial part of the ride. I arrived at ‘The Sault’ (pronounced ‘soo’) before the [View Full Entry]

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Odometer: 40455km It is time to start the long days on the bike. There is some nice country coming up, but there are also some long, boring stretches. I have been preparing myself for this, so I think it will be all right. This first day will not see too much distance covered, but the next two will be dandys. I started the day at Jim and Barb’s place. We were able to get to Pointe au Baril Station by 10:30am where I had to retrieve my bike and load the panniers. I asked Keith to come along in case I [View Full Entry]

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My stay with Jim and Barb was a memorable part of the trip. They have a beautiful location in amoungst the islands of this area, right on the water, and with family all around them. Jim was the first Director I worked for after the Nova/TransCanada merger. He worked with TransCanada for a very long time and retired last year. We always got along well and when he found out I was going to be driving near his place on my motorcycle trip, he invited me to stay with them. Brignall Banks is an actual named place on a map and [View Full Entry]

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