Wednesday ride

[Marilyn Mason]

Wednesday it was 12C (53F) and sunny so I rode the bike to Eganville and 
brought my licence sticker for the year.
 I then continued through the back country and stopped at Crooked Rapids 
Chute (a rebuilt log raceway near Combermere, a lot of wedding photos taken 
here) and had my picnic lunch beside the chute.  I left there went to 
Maynooth and took the Peterson Road to Harcourt (It is the Elephant Lake 
Road at the Harcourt End).  Art the road made it through the winter ok, some 
frost heaves about 8 km from Maynooth and some sand just east of the 
Halibuton county line. Just before I got to the top of the hill at the 
Hastings/Haliberton County line I saw a small black bear on the side of the 
road.  I was thinking of taking a picture and just about had the bike at a 
stand still when a thought occurred.  What if this little guy is not alone? 
What if his momma is nearby?  What if I have my engine running,side stand 
down with camera out and she shows up?
 In may haste to escape I drop the camera ($250.00 shot), shift into gear 
with side stand down,  the engine dies, bike falls over trapping my leg.
  The Joe Rocket motorcycle clothing people would be interested to see how 
well their Kevlar suit holds up in a bear fight.
I turned east at Harcourt to Bancroft then home on 28 and 515.
Around Quadeville I had to brake hard twice, once for a ruffed grouse and 
then for a turkey.  There's a truck at the local body shop waiting on a new 
grill, hood, radiator and supports after doing a little turkey hunting. 
According to shop owner Bob Coulas its a $2300.00 bird.

Jim