I have seen the light

September is a wonderful time of year for biking. The weather is more temperate, the bike paths are less congested and the leaves are starting to change colour. Unfortunately, the days are getting shorter and yet many cyclists blithely continue to bike around without any form of illumination during the hours of darkness.

These phantoms of the night are difficult to make out for other cyclists on the paths and streets of Montreal; so I can imagine how invisible they are for motorists.

Do yourselves, and the rest of us a favour and light up!

A ride for every pocketbook

A ride to St. Anne de Bellevue via Boulevard Gouin and return via the Lakeshore allowed me to see three very different levels of boating experience. At the Canal de St. Anne, your everyday motorboat could be seen locking through.

While at the Old Port, another cruise ship was in port although only available to European travellers.

But if you have half a million to throw away for a week's worth of ultimate luxury, you can walk up the gangway of the Blue Moon.

Boat watchers' dream

After watching all the Tall ships motor down the river near Morrisburg earlier this week, I saw them berthed at the Old Port over the weekend as I weaved through the crowds toward the Lachine Canal. Funny how this expression of old technology that is a sailing vessel attracts so much more interest than the modern ocean racer does pictured in the foreground.

To round out the flotilla, a cruise ship and a Navy frigate were also in the harbour; two very different updates on ship technology. I wonder which is the more expensive to run? And I wonder how many people realized that the orange line floating in the water is an oil boom?

I like clouds

Tropical storm Leo passed to the south of Montreal and Cornwall this week. In Lake St. Francis, the lake that isn't a lake portion of the St. Lawrence River between Cornwall and Valleyfield, there was not much wind or rain, but alot of clouds making for some lovely sunsets.

Derek's Point, Port Colborne

Always an enjoyable ride along the Welland Canal bike path even though early morning rides this time of year start in the dark. Derek's Point is at the north end of an island created by an old and a new section of the Canal at Port Colborne. The old section is a spillway that allows water to enter the Canal system while Lock 8 is situated in the new section.



Looking north towards old Robin Hood mill

To get from Derek's Point to the next portion of the bike path, you have to cross a specially constructed bridge for path users only. Unfortunately, the trail administrators are very cautious about not letting motorized vehicles on the path so you have to almost stop to get around the partial barrier at each end.

In any case, it was a pleasant ride down to Welland and the sun did eventual come up over the canal by the time I got back to Derek's Point.

Tenacity

There is something inspiring to see a bit of nature, even a weed, clinging to life in the concrete jungle. How this plant manages to survive in the crack of a lock wall in the Welland Canal with massive ships scraping by it every hour...

Coolest job going

Much as I enjoy working on the water, being a helicopter pilot has got to be the coolest job. The level of skill they display maneouvring their machines, whether it is slinging loads or landing on the deck of a ship, is truly incredible to watch.