Wandering around shivering.

After yesterday's rain and mild temperatures, I was surprised to wake up this morning shivering! This seems to be the coldest time of year on the Atlantic coast, and it usually stays cold until late April. The drift ice comes into shore and then the winds carry that cold into our homes and it seems into our bones. I can't wait for summer.
Last summer I made a decision to upgrade my bicycle. I have been riding since I was a boy of 6, and had continued to pursue riding as a hobby off and on since reaching adulthood. Having had one bike stolen and having lost one in a fire, I finally had one given to me several years ago. I rode casually every summer, but my knees hurt, my backside REALLY hurt, and I found it to require great effort. A friend of mine suggested the bike was not the right size for my body, so I purchased a new one in September. It was infinitely better than the old one, and I found myself once again thinking of doing a tour like I have seen so many others do. Every year, countless riders travel across Canada or within geographic regions, such as the prairie provinces or across Ontario. I have decided to ride from Cape Breton, where I live now, to New Brunswick where I was born. Of course this will take much planning which I am already in the process of, and training, which will begin once the snow is gone. I am considering seeking sponsorship (to offset cost) and riding for a cause. Once the details are in place for that I will make it public knowledge.
Meanwhile I'm shivering.

~Still wandering...

Wandering in Simplicity

Today was a beautiful day; the sun was shining and the temperature hovered above freezing. The local bicycle club to which I belong had scheduled a snowshoeing social at a nearby ski hill. The thought of getting out on my snowshoes with new friends was exciting, but I didn't want to be in a wide open space near all the skiers and snowboarders. Should I go or not? I deliberated so long that I missed the registration time and by the time I left the house, the event was already underway. Instead, I went to a small trail on a back road not too far from where I live. As soon as I strapped on my snowshoes I knew I had made a good decision. The sun shone through the trees, casting varried patterns of light and shadow on my path. The trees also protected me from the wind and as a result, I was able to enjoy the full effect of the sun's warmth. I heard only the sounds of my footsteps and breathing as I hiked along the trail, stopping occasionally to look around and enjoy the beauty of the silent forest. At times, I could hear aircraft at the airport, on hand to take part in tomorrow's one hundredth anniversary of the flight of the Silver Dart, Alexander Graham Bell's airplane and the first manned flight in the British Commonwealth. During one rumbling arrival by what must have been a military flight, I looked up to see if I could catch a glimpse of the plane. I couldn't. What I did see however, were two mature Bald Eagles, (presumably male and female) soaring in wide circles, the sun in the background. I had two cameras in my knapsack, a digital Olympus for still pictures, and a JVC digital video camera. Besides them, I have camera functions in my cell phone which was in my pocket. I could have taken still and video images of those two eagles, and shared them with the world, but as I stood there I decided to leave things as they were. I could have captured the images, but there was no way to capture the feeling, the essence of that moment. That was between the eagles and myself, and that which has created us.

~Still wandering...

Wandering Into a New Time and Place.

The computer age is wonderful. We can stay in touch with e-mail, social networking sites like facebook, and blogs like this one. I had another blog,which brings me to the OTHER side of computer technology. Somehow I can't get into that blog to add or edit any more. So out of necessity, I have created this new one. It is yet to be seen whether or not I am more active with this one. I certainly wasn't too active with the other one, but there are more things going on in my life now, and perhaps I can actually find things that I think others will be interested in. I'll keep you posted. I also welcome your feedback, if for no other reason than to take offense.

~Still Wandering...