Thursday, July 31, 2014

Feliz Cumpleanos a me!

Yesterday evening I was on the way home at just the right time to be rewarded with this....


One is frequently rewarded with such serendipitous views as this, and it helps to have a phone handy. As usual I took numerous exposures at varying degrees of zoom and varying the angle of frame, then discarded the trash and picked the winner. This is Mamquam Mtn. about 8 miles uphill from our house.

I got a pleasant surprise, and one that left me chuckling when I went to brush my teeth this morning. Of course this resulted in some toothpaste spewage, but it was a small price to pay for the humor of the event.


This is another view, in case you were unable to decipher the message that my beloved ScooterChick left for me this a.m. What a card she is at times. A wild card!


The same adorable chick was waiting for me when I came out to the living room.
She thinks I'm smart....she thinks I'm funny....she thinks I'm good looking.
I had better not do anything to disabuse her of these notions. All I have to do is look at her and I feel like a winner. I love her completely, and she thinks I'm her big juicy hunk of man meat. So, hooray for all that!!!!!


We decided to go for a birthday breakfast and ride, she on her little Raspberry and I on her other scooter Ruby. Here we prepare.


We headed out about 6 miles north to Brackendale and stopped to get a bite of breakfast. Here we are dismounting and getting ready to eat.


Our chow de choix this a.m. is at the Red Bench Diner. This is an eclectic local eatery with a diverse breakfast menu. The last time we were here was on a weekend and the place was packed out.


The menu is "breakfast fusion", lots off dishes that combine tradition and cuisine nouveau to very good effect. The only thing they are a little light on is spices, but then we use a lot of spices in our daily caloric intake, after all "variety is the spice of life" and our life gets pretty.....ahem ;)


Here is the Queen of my heart, the incomparable ScooterChick having made a selection from the widely varied menu, and smiling at her man....yeah...it's me!


Here are our keys. Hers sports a tiny bejeweled scooter that a dear lady gave her. Mine has a Universal Studios tag I got in 1998. I took advantage of the key proximity to move the scooters to the back of the restaurant and into the shade. That colored vinyl can get warm in the direct sun.


In short order the food arrived. My selection was poached eggs over Vegetarian Chili in Tortilla Shells, with Crispy Home Fries and Avocado. May I say delicious? all right then I shall.....hahaha.


My beloved chose a Scramble with Spinach, Mushroom and Swiss Cheese, the same Chili on the side with Potatoes and Sourdough Toast. The toast came with her meal, but I ate it.......smirk smirk!


After we finished our breakfast we prepared to saddle up for a trip up "the Valley".


The views get more striking as you travel north of Squamish. Many years ago I lived up near the end of the road, so this was like coming to visit the old homestead.


The Tantalus Range affords some pretty spectacular views as we travel north. The Squamish Valley Road is actually an extension of the Provincial Highway system
so the speed limit is 50mph (80kph).....at this point I should say hahaha because there are two points on the road where you are advised to slow to 60kph and Raspberry can almost manage 60kph with the throttle wide open!

 

The next three pictures are taken at the entrance to Glacier Valley Farm. It was sold recently and comprises a 7 bedroom home, 42 acres and outbuildings. In the last picture part of the home is visible.


This view towards the west gives a good look at Rumbling Glacier.


In a bit of "sidebar humor" I remarked to ScooterChick that the last time I was at that location the farm was owned by Marty and Sue Vanderhoef and the occasion was a meeting with BC Tel to try and get telephone service into the Valley. At that time there was no service other than RadioTel.

That was 32 years ago!!!  Phone service has been put in since.


We turned around and headed back towards town. This is the Bailey Bridge over the Pilchuk Creek. It is still an alternate-stop one way, just as it was 32 years ago.


There is a place to stop and get a view both up and downriver. Have you ever wondered why the river is a grayish green color?


That's because all the water is melt water. If you dip any part of your body into it there is a sensation very much like burning, as your nerves in the affected area immediately scream "DANGER" and do their best to convince you to get as far away from the water as fast as humanly possible. When I was young and foolish many years ago, I actually dove into the river to cool off on a very hot day. Extricating myself from death's cold advancing grip, I stood on the bank and when the violent shivering stopped about 15 minutes later, I admitted my folly! Yeah.....don't do that....even dipping your toe in this water will leave a lifelong impression, and one you will not wish to repeat....


Well, we're ready to roll on. we actually traded scooters for a while, and I reminded myself that 50ccs is a little limiting. Patsy of course was grinning as she accelerated briskly away.......


With a joyful heart and a freshly filled gas tank we arrived home from our little tour. The temperature is a balmy 84F. (29C.) with the promise of more to come. Thanks for coming along....I'll be thinking of you when I eat my cake....

2 comments:

Trobairitz said...

Happy Belated Birthday!! It sounds like a lovely day.

I love seeing other couples as much in love as hubby and I. It warms my heart.

Pastor Chris said...

Wow am I ever behind. Thanks.