Messing with the filters on my iPhone and my trusty, tired dog Bruce.
He is a Bernedoodle. Half Bernese Mountain Dog, half Standard Poodle. Weighs about 95 lbs and has no idea what personal space means. Bernedoodles are an interesting combo....Poodles are curious but Bernese can be a little aloof at times. Basically what you get is a dog that is curious but doesn't care what you thinkWhat is this beautiful boys breed? Nice pic!!
I love the street shot. Scary but so exciting for me personally!
Very nice!Between riding, racing and repairing my bike, I've been extra busy the last few weeks. Over and above doing my usual summer maintenance/yard/house chores. New beams under the deck, lawn repair patches, seal coating the driveway (God, no wonder it takes me so long to plow snow during the winter, that sucker is huge!) and still finding time to work on my song list for the Labor Day Birthday Bash.
Frigg, retirement is hard work...
After getting my bike back in running order, I finally did get out to race in mid July. Was sort of a fish out of water being off track for 5-6 weeks but I did manage to shave a full 10 seconds off my lap times from Friday to Sunday. Still not where I should be but it's getting respectable once again. A few riders had some off bike encounters, but no real serious injuries and most everybody is on the mend. All but one will be back in the mix come the 12th. She sustained a nasty concussion and a couple rib fractures so likely will be off the bike for the rest of the season. We don't talk about the what ifs, but it's always in the back of our minds when we go out there. Nothing worth being passionate about comes without some modicum of risk.
I still find time in the evenings after the racing is over (and if not helping repair a pit neighbor's bike), I sit down with a guitar and play until darkness or weariness tells me to hit the sheets for some rest. My little Line 6 portable amp works pretty well in the trailer, certainly loud enough for working on songs and licks by myself without running the generator for powering a larger amp.
This coming meet, my photographer friend wants to do some more shooting after the time trials are done on Saturday. Says she has some really cool ideas for both the bike and me/my guitars together. Not sure how I'm supposed to get my bike, 2 guitars and the pit stand (race bikes don't have kickstands) out on the track to do the shoot but reckon I'll/we'll figure out a way...
I had a nasty one 6 years ago. broke 7 ribs, my collarbone and shoulder blade. Spent a week in hospital and couldn't drive for a month. Still managed to work after I got out of hospital but I drove a desk so you can do that in a sling. Bummer was I missed the last meet of the season. Missus wasn't really all that upset once she realized I wasn't crippled or maimed. And she still says she's fine with me racing as long as I don't take it to serious and try and be the fastest guy out there. No worries there, the club champ just turned 35; I'm 66 in two more months haha.Very nice!
Where is that track?
I used to club race for my sins back in the nineties in England.
My local track was Cadwell Park, I lived about 12 miles away.
Then I just started doing track days and tbh had a whole lot more fun at a lot less cost and mental/ emotional state worries.
Still managed to crash though...lol.
Obviously don't know any of them...lol.I had a nasty one 6 years ago. broke 7 ribs, my collarbone and shoulder blade. Spent a week in hospital and couldn't drive for a month. Still managed to work after I got out of hospital but I drove a desk so you can do that in a sling. Bummer was I missed the last meet of the season. Missus wasn't really all that upset once she realized I wasn't crippled or maimed. And she still says she's fine with me racing as long as I don't take it to serious and try and be the fastest guy out there. No worries there, the club champ just turned 35; I'm 66 in two more months haha.
Track is a couple hours from my home. Stratotech is just outside Edmonton AB near Ft Saskatchewan. Tight and technical, not the best layout and type of course for a big heavy liter bike like mine. But it's a great track to work on your form and skills. The expert lightweight superbike racers run faster lap times than I am capable of. Like ten or twelve seconds faster! There's a second track (Rad Torque Raceway) out by the International Airport that we use as well, and a new track in Calgary that I ran 4 times last year. The next really good track is 1200 kms away in south central BC. Didn't go there last year but hope to be out there in the end of September this year.
I'll occasionally get into 3rd gear at Stratotech if I'm really feeling my oats. There's one long straight that I could hitv4th in a pinch but the braking zone at that speed and downshifting together is somewhat problematic for timing and extra click. My bike has none of the new neat stuff: quick-shift, auto-blip, slipper clutch, ABS....I can hit 4th at Rad and Calgary easily on the straights there, and Area 27 in BC is a really fast track. 250 kph is very attainable on the front straight. Some of my race pals go down the Chuckwalla in CA annually and it's a fast track too. I'd like to hit that venue once before I get too old.Obviously don't know any of them...lol.
We had a small technical track on the schedule that I really did not like overmuch, in fact the YZF750 barely got out of second gear but for a few seconds.
And quixotically I garnered my highest place finish there...go figure!
Yep, no aids for me either but they were not a thing back in the nineties anyway.I'll occasionally get into 3rd gear at Stratotech if I'm really feeling my oats. There's one long straight that I could hitv4th in a pinch but the braking zone at that speed and downshifting together is somewhat problematic for timing and extra click. My bike has none of the new neat stuff: quick-shift, auto-blip, slipper clutch, ABS....I can hit 4th at Rad and Calgary easily on the straights there, and Area 27 in BC is a really fast track. 250 kph is very attainable on the front straight. Some of my race pals go down the Chuckwalla in CA annually and it's a fast track too. I'd like to hit that venue once before I get too old.
Yep, no aids for me either but they were not a thing back in the nineties anyway.
How big were your ball$ and did you leave your brain back in the pits were the largest determining factor back in my day...lol
Snetterton was one of my favourite tracks as it was very high speed, fairly gentle corners apart from one tight reducing radius speed scrubber and a LONG back straight where if you got the entry right you could hit 160mph plus before standing it back on its nose to throw into the next corner.
That's some serious jive sh!t! November can't come quick enough!!
This gaggle/flock/rafter of turkeys showed up over the weekend. Guess there aren't enough pets around the neighborhood to scare them off. The only downside is when they drink from the pool they leave occasional turkey poop on the deck. At least they don't leave it in the pool like ducks do.
Wonder if they'll stick around thru Thanksgiving.
What a nice suprise. I grew up in Edmonton and rode Stratotech and Castrol quite frequently! Lovely little track that Stratotech, it was so sad when it closed down year ago but I've heard its back up and running these days. My best was a 1:03 when I was a young(er) lad. Would be nice to go again one day...Track is a couple hours from my home. Stratotech is just outside Edmonton AB near Ft Saskatchewan. Tight and technical, not the best layout and type of course for a big heavy liter bike like mine. But it's a great track to work on your form and skills. The expert lightweight superbike racers run faster lap times than I am capable of. Like ten or twelve seconds faster! There's a second track (Rad Torque Raceway) out by the International Airport that we use as well, and a new track in Calgary that I ran 4 times last year. The next really good track is 1200 kms away in south central BC. Didn't go there last year but hope to be out there in the end of September this year.