This is my attempt on Sept 24th to get the rusty beast going.
Tour De Rusty Civic is my attempt at a visual of this little car going about the town of Kawartha Lakes with different camera views.
The front right caliper was replaced before I shot the video as it seized up on my journey north last fall. I got one heck of a jolt from my coil wire, I figure one of the friendly mice chewed the insulation off the bottom of the wire, you can see the camera jump during the view of the engine bay.
It’s that time of year when we say goodbye to the warm sunrises and sunsets and get used to the changing colours of the trees and the cold chill in the air. We must take advantage of what we can while there is time to still enjoy the calming of the lakes and rivers now that Thanksgiving has given the warning to those who speed around in boats and sea-doos terrorizing the tranquility of the still waters.
Get out your camera and take shots of how nature settles in for the winter to come.
I teamed up with a couple of Kayaking Buddies for this little trip up the Rouge River in the GTA.
The river was a little rough where it empties into Lake Ontario as it had a heavy downpour of rain Friday, that was reflected in the height of the Rouge River and how fast the current was that day.
We ventured out on to the lake at first launch and then headed inland to explore one of the branches of the river to find it was a dead end pond where birds were plenty. When we got around to getting to just north of Highway 2 we rand into some narrowing of the river that produced faster water, I broke a paddle trying to get through some narrows. I later discovered crack in the other paddle, it may have been ready for breakage from the get go.
One of my paddling Buddies capsized trying to get through the narrows and did the same again coming back through for the journey back to the lake.
Very peaceful paddle.
Rouge Beach Park
Check out the park www.rougepark.com/explore/interest/rouge_beach.php
About Time
On the Shore
Finally got around to adding my unfinished restoration project. There are two pages that can be easily accessed from the restoration link above.
This bike ride 120km was supposed to be a 100k ride. Due to election signs blocking one of the key turns we went a wee bit further than we were supposed to.
Tour De Greenbelt is a ride at-your-own-pace marshaled bike ride through a variety of areas throughout Ontario’s Greenbelt. This year, the Tour featured Canada’s newly announced national park – Rouge Park. Conveniently located close to downtown Toronto, this year’s tour will bring the Greenbelt closer to home.
I met some friends along the way, and unexpected members from Durham Cycling Club, what an experience. Started of trying to figure out what to wear changing in the outhouse, it was a cold start at about 5-7c. I prepared by layering up clothing and planned to peel off the layers as I got warmer. I got anxious waiting for the speeches to end so I could get going and warmed up. In the end the only thing that came off was my United Way hat under my helmet.
After the ride they had food and great music, I really enjoyed it.
Rouge Valley Park
If you are interested in the Rouge Greenbelt here is some more information and a great video posted on YouTube.
Rouge Park will become an urban national park located along the border of Toronto and Pickering, Ontario, Canada. It will be Canada’s first national park within a municipality.
The lands now in the park were once home to resorts and cottages from the late 19th century to the 1950s.
It is the only large valley land area in Toronto where people can still enjoy a wilderness experience, since other rivers in the city are now surrounded by urban development. People can still live a rural life, and even farm in the park. It is the only remaining rural area within the city of Toronto. Established in 1995 by the Province of Ontario, the park consists of 50 square kilometres (12356 acres) of parkland, in Toronto, Pickering, Markham and Stouffville. The park protects 12% of the Rouge River watershed, with park lands also protecting small parts of the Petticoat Creek and Duffins Creek watersheds, to the East. The Rouge River remains the healthiest river that flows through Toronto. Ecological preservation and restoration were needed. Preservation of near-urban agriculture is the park’s main objective, though a recent decision to end leases for over 700 acres (2.8 km2) of farmland has generated considerable controversy.
Rouge is the largest nature park within a core of a metropolitan area in North America. It stretches from Lake Ontario in the south, north to the post-glacial Oak Ridges Moraine in York Region.
The park is open with free admission to visitors year-round. Camping fees at seasonal campground apply. There are 12 km of rustic hiking trails in the Toronto part of the park. In Toronto, the park is accessible by public transport by TTC buses, and GO transit trains and buses.
The Rouge Valley in the southern portion near Lake Ontario rises to 100m, but at the source the river valley rises to under 300m in height.The mouth of the Rouge River stays frost-free one month longer than northern areas of the river system on the Oak Ridges Moraine.Rouge Park has the largest and best examples of Canada’s rare Carolinian habitat in Toronto and is the only officially recognized site in the Toronto area. Rouge Park is the only place where the Ontario Greenbelt reaches Lake Ontario in the City of Toronto.
Rouge Park’s natural setting has provided filming locations for decades, posing as a backdrop for an array of landscapes, from the far north to the bayous of Mississippi. A Canadian filmmaker had a studio in the Park for many years, filming underwater beaver activity and simulating birds in flight.(wikipedia)
It’s back to work after two weeks off for play and some work around the house.
Worked out on my road bike to the sum of 364km including a one day ride for the Tour De Greenbelt.
The kayak managed to make it to the water, about 6 miles on a lake and a trip up the Rouge river, what a wonderful delight that was. Spotting wildlife and a large fish splashed in front of me. I hope to make it back for the fall colours.
Riding in club rides can be so confusing, rules for how to ride in any kind of group are not present.
Many rides I have been on members tend to ride in a dis-organized fashion. Kinda like sheep on the road, no one can pass not even members. The only time I see a single line is if it is on a busy road or highway. Even two abreast is not practiced.
RoadId has a great series of video’s you need to check out. I guarantee they are worth watching.
More tips from Road Id http://www.roadid.com
The ride started at 8am Sunday morning, missed my cup of java. It was a bit of a rush to get ready at the start line with putting an extra layer of armor on; it was a chilly 20c in Bowmanville.
The ride was fully supported by United way volunteers plus many companies supplying products to sustain riders energy along the long ride, like Gatorade and hammer products; Yum Yum. The Sag stations and water trucks were about every 30-45 km apart.
I was quite happy with my performance and finished the 100km in good time. 3hr 55min. For the longest & hardest part I had company for about an hour from a Triathlon rider, we drafted each other trading places to give our legs a break. However I lost her going around the port of Newcastle through winding and rolling hills.
I kept looking at my speedometer to see how many kilometers were left to the finish line and it seemed to take forever to get the last 25km then 10…….
Then all of a sudden I hear cheering from a couple of young girls “you just crossed the finish line, and saw the signs from the United Way on both side of the road.
Hwy2 was divided in half to the community center: I was glad as this made it easier getting through town, especially when you are burnt out and running on fumes.
Those with security can view a 37min clip on Youtube
June 12 Ride
June 8th powerful thunder storms ravaged the area taking down power lines and large trees onto homes. As I rode through the waterfront witnessed the damage left behind by the high winds from the storm. Not my cup of tea. My thoughts go out to the home owners affected. It was a good ride, quite overcast and cool.
Published: Oct 31 2010 12:40 am
It’s that time of year again to put toys away for the forth comming old man winter.
Last night got all my stuff togeather including a few tools just incase!
At the crack or just before dawn started out for the trek north for storage.
Stopped at a local Petro Canada to filler up with a new high octane gas. However the car was sluggish, just though it was from being parked for so long, about 20-25 minutes into the trip and a long way from home I had to stop to make a left turn. While I was turning north it stalled and a hugh could of smoke came from the front right corner of the car. !!!!!
I drove a bit up the highway in second as that all I could get out of it. Good guess the front right caliper is seized up real good, as I pulled off the highway onto the narrow shoulder into the gravel the smoke continued to give the chokeing stays in your nose smell.
I waited a few moments, I really could not do a thing on the shoulder as it was a bit on the dangerous side, I decided to get back on the road, I had to push it really hard, like 4.5k before shifting, best I could do was 60kmh. I aimed the problem wheel for the best shoulder pot holes I could find. After a few minutes it let go and before I knew it I was doing 110kmh.
Phew! real stinker. I might as well try to make it the rest of the way than go back and get into traffic. I figure I could use the transmission and hand brake to slow it down for turns. I made a mental map I my head the best route to avoid lights and traffic.
Time to relax and get some music n a cup of timmys coffee to releive the stress.
Coffee Time
Here is where you put the speaker after you drink your go go juice.
Thats my wife back there in the Prelude, she said I stink so she stayed way back. I lost her when the caliper broke free.
You can tell things are looking up now by the little videos, oh the music don’t sound so bad either.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pIPRwseJeU&feature=player_profilepage[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pno9kbCBORQ&feature=player_profilepage[/youtube]
Looks like I am almost there, whats that a chev in a dumpster in front of the Honda/Ford dealer.
Going the long way around town to come in the top end helped a lot, except for the big hill a had to use the brake pedal, made it around the corner at very low speed, yeah it’s stinking again. Made it to the house but the car did not have enough umph to backup the drive way into the garage with out ending up in the spare bedroom.
Half in the garage I jacked up the car using the jack from the Prelude, the Civic is really high compared. Anyway I kept jacking and the cars not lifting. Bunkers! the jack just went through the rocker panel and now the door of the car wont close, double Bunkers!, finally off with the wheel and pulled the pins for the pads, Hot! as satins horney toes. Had to use a tire iron to force the pad out from between the rotar hub and the bottom of the outer pad. Once out it freed up enough to drive the car back in to it holding pen.
Rest! Take stock of what just happened?
Topped up the gas and put some stabalizer in the gas and covered the engine bay in moth balls to keep the mice from destroying the only work I got done on the car this summer. The coil wire.
Sorry for such a long post.
