click image for Supershow 2012 pics

It’s been a strange winter to say the least with temperatures up and down like a toilet seat and not much snow.

Hell, I’m good with the no snow and won’t object one bit if I move my snow blower from its present spot in the garage where it sits ready, willing and able to clear whatever should be thrown our way, back to the shed unused come spring.

On a sad note I joined with a really large group of friends and family to say our heartfelt goodbyes, mourn the death and celebrate the life of yet another friend recently as Laurie Mitchell lost her fight with cancer. She was a great friend and she will be missed by many.

I have been busy and about to get a whole lot busier now that the Show season is upon us.

I missed Port Dover this past Friday 13^th as I had tons of stuff to get done and couldn’t spare the time and JR and Sr. said they had it covered.

I know I will get flack (And already have by email and such.) but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

I have decided to tone back my Riders Nights at Big Daddy’s in Newmarket for a while. The Jam Nights that Laura Lee and The Tequila Rockingbirds do so well each and every Thursday will continue but I’ll wait for warmer weather to get the Bike Night segment going again.

Thanks to all who have come out to support it and thanks as well to the owners and staff of Big Daddy’s. See you again in the Spring. Right now I have a whole lot to deal with and need to clear some of the distractions.

Continue reading Cruising with Critter Feb 2012

Now I have to apologize right off to all of you because I normally have a lead in to my columns that I write each month which sort of capsulate what I’ve been up to in the time preceding each issue.

I do this because the events that I cover and the things that I do and so on don’t always (seldom) get into the current issue, in fact they might not get printed for months so I cram stuff into my intro, they always run it with whatever other events I’ve covered that they are using in this issue. It is always the last thing I write and I send it along with my final draft of my column to the Mag and a copy to my computer Guru Clive who puts it on my website crittercountry.ca.

This did not happen last issue!

My first hint that something had gone awry was when I got the new issue of the Mag to distribute and found that they had omitted my lead in.

“Strange! JB is usually right on the ball and I am surprised that JR had missed it too! Must have been some serious partying going on when they edited my piece. ” I thought.

But I dismissed it as a glitch (The Gremlins at work!) that can happen from time to time.

Then when I talked to JR and JB a couple of weeks later they mentioned that they were surprised that I hadn’t sent in my intro piece along with my column.

I insisted that I had indeed sent it and they contended that I hadn’t.

A battle erupted. They formed into a cohesive and formidable tag team, ganged up on me and I was forced to flee with all limbs intact, but still puzzled as to my missing musings.

The only thing that I could conclude was that I must have sent the unrevised column that didn’t include the intro.

When I got home I searched my files and discovered that after I finished editing my entire column and writing my intro I must have closed it and didn’t save the changes. Hours of work gone with a single keystroke!

I checked the website and it too is lacking the revised version.

Also gone are my little notes that I use to tweak my faulty memory.

So now if you are reading this online on my website I will try to rectify this for you now.

To those of you reading it in the Mag since we are now into our bi- monthly period I will just carry it on the best I can and include the new stuff.

It has been a fantastic summer both in terms of weather and events.

I have had a ball!

Both of my Show and Shines were incredibly well attended and I thank you all for coming out and supporting me in my little adventures.

Continue reading Cruising with Critter Sept-Oct 2011

Well life is never dull in Critter Country.

One of the things that I’ve learned over the many years driving trucks, motorcycles and other assorted vehicles and just getting through life itself, is that you always have to be prepared to change course or shift gears at any time and it is essential that you keep your eyes on the horizon and always have a plan “B”, “C” or “D” or as many as is necessary.

You have to remember that I started doing my Show and Shines on a whim and a prayer with no real idea whether it would work or not and with no idea that there would be more to come.

I basically just started fitting bits and pieces together, (All on a very limited budget.) first finding and choosing a location which turned out to be Freak’N Leather as they had a good sized parking lot and could arrange to close off the street beside their shop (and they could use some support) and getting the Fox and Fiddle (The bar that was there at the time and generally closed on Sundays.) to open for that Sunday.

I chose The Alzheimer Society of York Region as my charity as both my parents died of it and wanted to at least try to raise some awareness and support.

The rest was a blur and a dream and on what was, for the most part a rainy day; hundreds of motorcycles came out and absolutely packed the place.

I was flabbergasted!

It was decided that despite many the headaches and problems that plagued that event, I figured that I’d learned or two and would do another, so planning went into doing the same again for the next year but a month or so before the advertised date The Fox and Fiddle ended a dispute with their landlord by moving out.

I was forced to move the event across Town to the now defunct “Puck”N Wings who possessed an enormous parking lot and a bar that was big enough to accommodate the anticipated attendance.

There were of course issues and many problems with this Show and Shine as well and it went off but with many hitches and hiccups but it did go over!

We had great weather and the turn-out was beyond belief, jamming that enormous parking lot to over-flowing, prompting many an observer to suggest that the fledgling event may have already out-grown this location as well!

Continue reading Cruising With Critter August 2011

Well are we having fun yet?

I know I am.

But all this fun can wear an old guy down and I’m definitely feeling the strain.

Thank God I have this new gig up in Aurora now that enables me to do much more stuff than I used to be able to do.

However I still can’t seem to squeeze everything in that I want to just yet, but I’m working on it.

There are a lot of places and events that I still haven’t been able to get around to like Tuesday night Bike night up at good friend and ruggedly handsome individual, Norn and the Astonishingly Attractive Anita’s bar C.W. Coops and the Hurt’n Old Guys Wednesday Bike Night in Bolton but as I said, I’m working on it!

I fit in what I can, even if it amounts to just a quick stop if I can route it into my travel plans and schedule.

I’ve been fairly successful at fitting in birthdays (Of which there have been plenty!) and other special occasions for friends and family along with my assignments from the mag and my June list is quite extensive.

My buddy “Big Al” managed to surprise his bride Barbie with an elaborate surprise party, that included a male stripper at their place and Godzilla and I were happy to attend and party with friends and family and had a great time.

We also attended yet another surprise birthday party at the Brothers of the Blade Clubhouse that Jake had planned for his lovely lady Annie.

I was surprised when I found out it was her sixty fifth birthday, as I had always thought her to be much younger and always wondered what Jake had been doing or taking that allowed him to keep up with this young, vibrant, pretty lady who smells like an “Angel”.

Anyway Annie was completely surprised by it all. The food was great and the hospitality was (As usual) absolutely amazing and the band “Just Us” were fantastic!

I’ve even managed to get a fair amount of yard work done so that our house isn’t blight on the neighborhood, with a lot of help from my friends and family that is.

Continue reading Cruising with Critter July 2011