Well, not to much time to recover since Boston. Since I wasn't able to work my holidays around the two runs, so I'd have the week in between Boston and Burwell off. But hey, you can't have everything, it is what it is. Also funny is how the weather forcast has changed. At the beginning of the week it was looking so good, but as we get closer, it's thunderstorms all weekend, that is, till Sunday. I did have to go to Bell Canada and get a new phone, and that's never fun or cheap :-(. I tried to bring the old one to life but no go. So, I this week is a shortened week at work, 4 days, nice. But I still don't have the Friday off, bad. Since I've got to work from 6 am to 3 pm, there is no point on leaving the city at 3 pm if you don't have to, I make the decision to leave early on Saturday morning. Honestly I thought of not going at all, but I did reserve a t-shirt, and I do keep my word. Plus thunderstorms I can live with.
Well the bonus about doing the early morning shift, is that I'm up early. So by 7:30 am I'm packed and on the road with the MP3. Actually the weather looks good, blue skies with clouds.
The local feral cat seeing me off.
Just a wee bit low, might as well top off!
No taking the back roads this time, it's QEW and the 403. I burn through the tank and I'm getting close to empty as I come into Brantford, I do have a lot of great memories of Brantford from my mod days. Anyway as I approach Brantford the rain begins, yek. There was a reason I didn't check the weather report when I was leaving, is I didn't want to change my mind. I've only got to travel around 10 min till I hit the exit. As usual I hit the gas station first. While I'm filling up I spy a Wimpies across the street.
Luckily for me Wimpy's has some trees in the parking lot that I can park under, since it doesn't look like I'll make the run breakfast in Port Burwell, the Wimpy's will have to do. Well, I go in and it's really not that busy, not a good sign. But I'm here and might as well order. I get a nice friendly waitress and soon breakfast is served. Hot Coffee, makes everything good :-)
No worries as breakfast is up to the Wimpy's standard that I remember years ago. Also the restaurant is filling up, I guess Brantford is just a sleepy town on Saturday mornings. As I get ready to leave the place is packed. Anyway I can't delay the riding in the rain, so off I go. In for a penny or a pound, so I head back on the 403 in the rain, just to get to the site as fast as possible. Funny thing is, as soon as I leave Brantford the rain stops. It doesn't take me long to get to Woodstock and since I'm taking the shortest way, I take the off ramp. No sooner than I get off the 401 and head south then does the rain start. Also the scooter seems to be acting up, a first for me on the road. Since the belt is due to be changed it might be that, but it feels like the clutch is slipping. I'm hoping it has something to do with all the rain, but that little voice in my head says no. Anyway the slippage only happens when I take off. 30,000 km out of a clutch, I can't complain as it's got to carry my heavy load. Now the rain is really coming down. Enough that I have to slow down a wee bit. But since I'm on secondary roads this is no problem.
As I come into Tillsonburg the rain stops. I need to hit the local Wallymart to pick up some tent pegs and fill up. Not bad as that's about the only thing I forgot to pack. Well, Wallymart moved from the location that I know, and since I can't be bothered driving around Tillsonburg to find their new location, I'm off to Port Burwell.
The weather is starting to look good as I approach Burwell, which is a good sign. I hit the local store to get some supplies. It's around noon, well that's what I get for having a good breakfast. It was worth the trade.
I catch up with everyone and the one thing that I hear about is all the rain they had last night. It seems that it just stopped as I arrived :-)
Poor Tam trying to stop the leaking tent. Tam cares, Dave will just pass out anywhere ;-)
The cool kids canopy and Shamus. Shamus offers free baths, one lick at a time ;-) and loves kids.
Just me, or does the scoot kind of match the tent?
Well all the rain makes the scoots shine! Best in show as well,
Congrats Fish!!
Well after spending way too much time talking, finding out poor Neil's scooter died a few miles from the site, etc, I set up my tent. Just as I finish the rain comes back again. It's kind of off and on, but mostly on. During one of the breaks I do get a chance to throw in the sleeping bags. After last years thunderstorms and possible tornado, I bought a new US army tent. Which everyone says is waterproof. With all the waterproofing spray I put on it I hope so. Well it looks like Burwell will put it to the test, one way or another. The rain does stop for a bit, so the London crew start doing some of the (sillyness) events, which are always good for some laughs.
But about 1/2 way through the rain starts again, so back under the canopy.
It is one of the things that makes the Burwell site great. Well, I could have went swimming in the rain. Once it stopped raining I went looking for some of those prize winning cans. I must have spent around an hour looking for the cans, I even went down to the beach.
As you can see, not much happening down here, unlike most years.
I should know better than to go up against the kids and their energy of finding things, well it's all good fun, anyway and I did get down to the beach. I did find one of those plastic outside chairs on the way back up, which was good for me as I didn't pack one. It did make the night go easier.
It's time for the Bollocks SC to serve dinner, which turns out to be pizza, which around Burwell is good. They order way too much, but no worries as the night is young and the night munchies will come. The funny thing is I took no pics of the awards. Congrads to Fish for winning best overall. You deserve it. Now for the prize giveaways. Rich's boy's ended up finding a few cans and the lucky guys found the "golden can". Which got him first choice of the prizes, he went with the "top box bag from Kuryakyn", good choice as I had my eye on it. After the cans were out of the way, the raffle draw happened. Unlike most runs the ticket is included in your rally pack. I ended up winning the Kuryakyn classic tour bag. That will help with all my touring.
As I said before, I did have my eye on that roll/top bag. My poor Lambretta roll bag is getting a wee bit faded. Funny how I can't remember on which run I won that on, either Niagara or Curdfest, still a great bag but something a little bigger for the BMW won't hurt. Kiddos for Fada Scooters for donating those. Anyway I ask Rich if his son (William) would be willing to sell his prize. Thanks to William for making me a great deal on a bag that will be put to great use. Also thanks to Vespa Toronto West for donating the bag in the first place. Now to the funny part. After taking the above pic, I open the bag. I find out it's the waterproof cover for the topbox/roll bag which I bought off of William. Funny how things work out some times.
Too soon night starts to arrive and mostly everyone gathers around the fire.
This fire was hot, we all had to move back, But Shamus couldn't get enough.
The rain stopped around 6 pm and didn't start back up, which made for a great night for everyone. Details held back to protect the guilty ;-)
The Sunday morning quite, the weather held off and everyone is dry, unlike Friday night.
Packing up for the drive home, I've got to work Sunday night so time to get this out of the way. The tent passed, nice and dry inside and passed the rain test. Now to see if it can survive Curdfest next month.
Not as bad as most years, or were just getting cleaner. I think Tams been cleaning ;-)
One last pic before I head out. Of course the rain comes back. I have a choice, I can wait around and chance it or hit the road. I hit the road to try and beat the rain. 5 min out from the site it's dry. I like to think I made the right choice. I'm not in that much of a hurry that I have to take the 401 home. I end up taking the Rich's way home. Which is following the waterfront trail to Port Dover. It's a nice drive, relaxing with not much traffic. Just what you want after a weekend in Burwell.
Reviews-The Urban Parisian
This is where I've been stopping in Port Dover for a late breakfast on the return leg of Port Burwell for a few years now, plus the odd time I pass through. Sometimes I don't want Timmies and in Dover it means a parking lot full of bikers. I just want to relax and enjoy a quite patio, and The Urban Parisian hits that spot. The sausage croissant was heaven, just head and shoulders above what I would have gotten at Timmies. Great Latte as well.
Thanks to the Dogs Bollocks and everyone involved for putting on another great run. See ya next year!!!!!!
Total mileage 431 km/ 261 miles
Next Run
Curdfest Scooter Rally, Ottawa
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