The Summer Doldrums

[member 300185]

What are your plans for the summer? I will check in from time to time to track any of the Leafs signings.

Question applies to all ages on the forums.

I'm about to turn 55 and I just bought a 2018 Harley Davidson Heritage Classic. My plans are to put as many K's on the bike as possible this summer. The wife and I plan on visiting the beach lots. Picnic in the saddle bags. Blanket in the trunk. Its my second Harley and my 50th bike.

I am a master Scuba diver and I plan on being in the water as often as I can. I got my permit this year to check out some wrecks off of Sable Island. That was a lot of red tape.

I also have a house that I need to finish siding and I have been putting it off far too long.

In November, the wife and I are planning a trek up Mt Kilimanjaro. We have already climbed 3 of the 7 summits conquering Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, Mont Blanc in France and Denali in Alaska. I think we are the only maritimers to do it over the age of 50. Everest costs about $60 k and Mt Vinson in Antartica costs nearly as much so we will have to wait a year or two for those.

So thats pretty much what I will be up to. How about you? I'd love to hear all about your summer.

Click to read more...

 

[Randy Randerson]

retired at 55? sounds like a pretty good life

I'm 34, bought a house with a girlfriend who is a few years younger than me last summer, so we're looking at a trip to Greece this summer...the biological clock is kicking in so it might be the last chance to do a big trip for a while

 

[egd27]

The avatar says it best.

4 day work weeks in the summer,
two rebuilt carbs
one new ignition coil
lubricated shift cables
and a trent-severn lock pass.

 

[613Leafer]

4 camping trips, a trip to Quebec City (never been), a cottage weekend with my siblings/cousins, probably ~4 cottage weekends at my wife's family cottage + best friend's cottage, a cottage weekend with a friend visiting from BC (she rented one), and surprisingly zero weddings (we've probably averaged 2 per year for ~7 years or so. We have four next year for example).

Anyway, will be out of town a ton, which is pretty standard for us for the late spring/summer. Out of the ~13 or so weekends in June/July/August, I think we're only staying in town for maybe 2-3 of them.

 

[Nineteen67]

We are the same age. I’m semi retired, although I still have kids in junior and high school. They finished up school this week and once their baseball playoffs are over next month, we plan to trek around the Carolina’s, Virginia and the Smokey Mountains next week and then the northwest later in the summer. Fortunately for me, they have no interest in American football so we have lots of time off before fall baseball starts.

 

[Nineteen67]

What are your plans for the summer? I will check in from time to time to track any of the Leafs signings.

Question applies to all ages on the forums.

I'm about to turn 55 and I just bought a 2018 Harley Davidson Heritage Classic. My plans are to put as many K's on the bike as possible this summer. The wife and I plan on visiting the beach lots. Picnic in the saddle bags. Blanket in the trunk. Its my second Harley and my 50th bike.

I am a master Scuba diver and I plan on being in the water as often as I can. I got my permit this year to check out some wrecks off of Sable Island. That was a lot of red tape.

I also have a house that I need to finish siding and I have been putting it off far too long.

In November, the wife and I are planning a trek up Mt Kilimanjaro. We have already climbed 3 of the 7 summits conquering Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, Mont Blanc in France and Denali in Alaska. I think we are the only maritimers to do it over the age of 50. Everest costs about $60 k and Mt Vinson in Antartica costs nearly as much so we will have to wait a year or two for those.

So thats pretty much what I will be up to. How about you? I'd love to hear all about your summer.

I would love to learn to scuba dive. It’s on my bucket list eventhough Im a little claustrophobic.

 

[Randy Randerson]

The avatar says it best.

4 day work weeks in the summer,
two rebuilt carbs
one new ignition coil
lubricated shift cables
and a trent-severn lock pass.

I don't miss boat repair bills, sold mine last year

 

[egd27]

I don't miss boat repair bills, sold mine last year

Bring
Out
Another
Thousand


But still cheaper than a cottage

 

[Randy Randerson]

Bring
Out
Another
Thousand


But still cheaper than a cottage

true...but cottages have been a good investment for the last while

My parents always went for big boats instead of a cottage, wish they had gone for the cottage...can't afford lake Simcoe waterfront now haha

 

[KIWILEAFFAN]

Summer? It's winter here

Spent my summer doing good things like diving and fishing.
I only dive to fill my guts tho.
Scollops and rock lobsters are mainly what fill my catch bag.

Not really interested in looking at things. There are also too many big fish here that chase you out of the water

However I am a month away from boarding a plane to come over to Canada and spend your summer with a few months bush in your stunning wilderness. Really looking forward too it.

 

[member 300185]

We are the same age. I’m semi retired, although I still have kids in junior and high school. They finished up school this week and once their baseball playoffs are over next month, we plan to trek around the Carolina’s, Virginia and the Smokey Mountains next week and then the northwest later in the summer. Fortunately for me, they have no interest in American football so we have lots of time off before fall baseball starts.

That sounds amazing.

 

[member 300185]

I would love to learn to scuba dive. It’s on my bucket list eventhough Im a little claustrophobic.

I started out thinking the same way but once I took my basic dive course, that all went away. Most of the worlds wildlife lives under the water. I hope you go for it. Diving has sent me all over the world including South Africa and New Zealand. The secret to diving is to bring a buddy that wants to do it too. Then, you will always have someone to dive with.

 

[KIWILEAFFAN]

I started out thinking the same way but once I took my basic dive course, that all went away. Most of the worlds wildlife lives under the water. I hope you go for it. Diving has sent me all over the world including South Africa and New Zealand. The secret to diving is to bring a buddy that wants to do it too. Then, you will always have someone to dive with.

If you have dived NZ you will know we don't have much artificial stuff to look at other than marine life.

A few wrecks but no where near where I live and play. I did my SSI open water ticket in 1984 and I have no idea how many dives I have done but I would say apart from the odd outboard prop or mooring recovery they have all been to put food on the table.
We live in a nice modern home on the outskirts of a very small town that has a big supermarket but the only meat we have bought for as long as I can remember is chicken. We grow, shoot or catch 99% of our food.

 

[Nineteen67]

I started out thinking the same way but once I took my basic dive course, that all went away. Most of the worlds wildlife lives under the water. I hope you go for it. Diving has sent me all over the world including South Africa and New Zealand. The secret to diving is to bring a buddy that wants to do it too. Then, you will always have someone to dive with.

My bride and I will do it together. I trust no one more than her.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Summer? It's winter here

Spent my summer doing good things like diving and fishing.
I only dive to fill my guts tho.
Scollops and rock lobsters are mainly what fill my catch bag.

Not really interested in looking at things. There are also too many big fish here that chase you out of the water

However I am a month away from boarding a plane to come over to Canada and spend your summer with a few months bush in your stunning wilderness. Really looking forward too it.

Whereabouts?

 

[member 300185]

If you have dived NZ you will know we don't have much artificial stuff to look at other than marine life.

A few wrecks but no where near where I live and play. I did my SSI open water ticket in 1984 and I have no idea how many dives I have done but I would say apart from the odd outboard prop or mooring recovery they have all been to put food on the table.
We live in a nice modern home on the outskirts of a very small town that has a big supermarket but the only meat we have bought for as long as I can remember is chicken. We grow, shoot or catch 99% of our food.

I was in Blenheim for 6 months and from there I explored both islands. My favourite city is Wellington. I dove in Kaikura (sp) and loved it. There is a ton of marine life. I found it weird the NZ lobsters dont have claws. Went scalloping lots of times too. I cant wait to get back there.....and to the Australian great barrier reef.

 

[KIWILEAFFAN]

I haven't eaten a North American lobster for 40 yrs but remember the claws being the ultimate to eat. Sort of like the fighting claws on ours.
Have you tried our fresh water crayfish?
Kaikoura has a few lobsters/crays/bugs but nothing in numbers and size compared to where I dive. The average lobster is around 2kg in South Westland and Fiordland.
Next time you are here look me up. I have some great diving pretty handy.

 

[KIWILEAFFAN]

Whereabouts?

A few hours NW of Prince George in BC.
Will be in Vancouver for a week prior to heading bush.
Can't wait.

 

[horner]

I paint and plaster .
The summer is very busy.
Not much time for liesure activities.

 

[member 300185]

I haven't eaten a North American lobster for 40 yrs but remember the claws being the ultimate to eat. Sort of like the fighting claws on ours.
Have you tried our fresh water crayfish?
Kaikoura has a few lobsters/crays/bugs but nothing in numbers and size compared to where I dive. The average lobster is around 2kg in South Westland and Fiordland.
Next time you are here look me up. I have some great diving pretty handy.

Will do for sure!!

 

[KIWILEAFFAN]

Will do for sure!!

Might even be able to get you close to some resident White sharks if you're interested, depending on time of year. Not too close of course

 

[member 300185]

Might even be able to get you close to some resident White sharks if you're interested, depending on time of year. Not too close of course

Whites scare the hell out of me. I was surfing in florida at a place called Hutchinson Island. A white killed a surfer just the day before and I'm tagging on a huge gnarly and there he/she was, cruising in my wave. I've never had a problem diving with sharks, but surfing with them is a different story. And the sharks clearly dont follow the unwritten rule of 1 surfer, one wave. He bogarted my wave!

That was 2011 I think

 

[member 300185]

Might even be able to get you close to some resident White sharks if you're interested, depending on time of year. Not too close of course

Having some awesome NZ flashbacks. One that was not so good was in 2010 Christchurch had 2 earthquakes while I was in Blenheim. We could feel the house shake and it was like 2 hours away.

I also miss my Mocha's. People dont know but Kiwi's are artists when it comes to coffee.

One thing scared the hell out of me when I was there and was driving. There are roundabouts everywhere. Everytime I would come out of a roundabout, I ended up crossing lanes to the right side of the road. It was funny because Kiwi's are very patient with tourists. I could see people just shaking their heads on more than one occasion. So many times I just pulled right into the other lane and had drivers just staring at me. But after about 2 months I got the hang of it.

One of my favorite places was on the south island at a place called Monkey Bay. There was a baby shark that washed right up on the sand. We went out and carefully drug it back out.

I also miss the sports. I am one of very few Canadians that really enjoy cricket. I went to several matches. I also saw the All Blacks practice. Never got to see them play though. They went to Australia the next day to play the Aussies. On a rare occasion, the Blacks lost.

In Wellington, I really enjoyed the breakfast. No one can cook Eggs Benedict like the Kiwis and that includes France!!

I remember it being very windy there. But I went to the top of the city where the cannons and observatory are. I also went to a big assed museum too but that was somewhere else. I am pretty sure it was on the south island. As soon as you walk in, there was a killer whale mounted high. And they had this very futuristic motorcycle. I have about a million pictures.

I will extend your invitation to Nova Scotia if you are up this way. There are tons of dive sites and hundreds and hundreds of wrecks. I served on the HMCS Saguenay in 1981. A few years ago they sank it in the Halifax harbour. It is for divers. I literally went in and all the way aft where my bunk was. I have an awesome phone of me laying on my bunk rack in my dive gear.

Actually, I just checked my pictures on FB. It was in Wellington. It was called Te Papa Tongarewa

 

[KIWILEAFFAN]

Whites scare the hell out of me. I was surfing in florida at a place called Hutchinson Island. A white killed a surfer just the day before and I'm tagging on a huge gnarly and there he/she was, cruising in my wave. I've never had a problem diving with sharks, but surfing with them is a different story. And the sharks clearly dont follow the unwritten rule of 1 surfer, one wave. He bogarted my wave!

That was 2011 I think

Bugger that. I don't surf. Too uncoordinated.
I have never seen one while diving. If I ever do I will likely need a new wetsuit afterwards. Only seen a few from the air or while in a boat.

Had a couple mates filming a cray dive they did a few years ago. They were watching the vid they made once they got back and seen 2 huge whites criss crossing in the background of one of their shots. Had no idea they were there until they seen the vid. They never dove the same reef again.
If I hear of a white shark in an area I won't risk diving anywhere near the place.
Seen a few orca/killer whales while in the water. Their shadows crossing over while digging a cray out of a hole get the bubbles flowing.

 

[613Leafer]

I am a master Scuba diver and I plan on being in the water as often as I can. I got my permit this year to check out some wrecks off of Sable Island. That was a lot of red tape.

I used to be a Dive Master. Worked for a half year at a dive centre down in Cozumel too. Haven't been diving for ~6-7 years now. It's a great hobby, but also expensive and takes a lot of planning/effort to go do.