Monday, December 24, 2012

One Year

After a year of writing and enjoying the publishing of my blog it seems only right that I should comment on how much fun it has been.  Fellow blogger/rider Erik and I connected online last December when he was still a Wisconsin neighbor. Though he's still a Wisconsin neighbor, he's moved a bit further away than he was when we first made contact.  Erik's old photos, stories of his rides and his background inspired me to follow his lead.  With a few of his kind suggestions, I was off and Posting.

As rewarding as it's been to tell some stories to go along with my archived photos, the truly best part has been in 'meeting' fellow bloggers with varied shared interests.  Erik and I actually did meet in person this fall, at a location that we'd teased each other with, but neither of us showed up on two wheels that day.  No matter, the food and time together was worth the wait regardless of how we had arrived.

The cherry on top of everything else good has been sharing stories with my Canadian friends.  I don't honestly think my affection for Canada has more than a faint connection to them being our nearest neighbors though I'm sure that's a part of it.  Very possibly it has much to do with the fact that though different, we mostly get along in harmonious ways, still not always in agreement on things.

Riding along the Shenandoah Parkway one spring day long ago I met Christopher, hitch-hiking from St. John's.  I pillioned him down to the Winchester Apple Blossom Festival and our two days together were rich; his tales of Puffins and life in St. John's led me to be a visiting Newfie the following summer.  After a week in the bottom of the Grand Canyon mostly alone, "Lethbridge Jim" and I met while hiking back up to the rim together, one of the more memorable days of my life.  The Hot Toddy we celebrated our journey with 'up top' left a buzz I can still feel if I choose to pull it out from the deep layers in my head.  I listen to 990AM from Winnipeg when the atmosphere allows for proper bouncing of the waves and our local public radio affiliate makes As It Happens a joy if I can stay awake long enough to listen.  Red Green has given me uncountable hints in my R&D fabrication career.  The points of 'foreign' connection spread inward from both coasts.

New friends from everywhere are gifts, new Canadian friends have a special sparkle all their own. So there you have it, an affinity with the country to the north and some sort of kindred spirit we must share.

This blogging thing has been very rewarding and I expect to partake at the very least, for one more year.  Warm friends, interesting places and cool machines make a very fine recipe.

Thanks to all of you that have shared your time and thoughts with me.  Here's hoping that continues......

10 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    Canada has a certain mystique. I may be biased since hubby is Canadian, lol. Often times we think of moving back to the great white north, but we enjoy our little town in Oregon just a little too much.

    Happy New Year and all the best in 2013.

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    1. Thank you Brandy, we've had a great few days, trust you folks have as well!

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  2. Merry Christmas Doug and Congratulations on your 1 year old blog!

    It was great to meet up with you at the Delta Diner. Let me know when you're going to be up this way next summer and we'll do it again. I'm glad to have been a blogging inspiration. It's been really neat to meet so many interesting people through blogging.


    Erik

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    1. Been a fun year Erik, happy you were a part of it. Next year we should do it on two wheels.

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  3. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    I don't know about mystique but I really enjoy my visits to Canada or should I say through Canada. (I think I'm up to 19 trips through Canada)

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    1. Thank you Richard, hope yours went exactly as you planned it.

      I'm looking at crossing the border next summer once again.

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  4. Coop:

    Merry Christmas to you two

    We are just like you, except a bit north of the 49th parallel. I am also grateful for all the bloggers I have met. It's like having friends all over the country (world), not strangers, but more like friends "yet to meet"

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast
    My Flickr // My YouTube


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    1. Bob, I grew up about 5 blocks north of the half-way 45th and I have fun comparing how far north and south things are from my reference point.

      Yes, nicely put!

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  5. Coop - congrats on one year and an eloquent year you've had. I'm happy that our paths have crossed as bloggers and perhaps someday you'll vist Ontario (not that far from Wisconsin ... and we have a Delta as well - so there's no diner in Delta, but there is an LCBO!)

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  6. Karen, thank you. You are right, Ontario (it's a big place) isn't that far from Minnesota. We're within a mile or so of Wisconsin, so even though we're Minnesotan, we're so close the line is blurred.

    The central part of Michigan has been on my radar the last couple of years and had been a possibility last fall and then plans had to change. Now I've discovered that the National Guzzi Rally will be in Lavigne, ONT in August. There's a really good chance I'll see both places this year.

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