Unusual Deck Load

Transiting up to Georgian Bay, we passed a ship at anchor in the Detroit River with an unusual deck load. 

I wonder where they are headed to?

Life after the Guard

Retirement can bring major questions regarding what to do after the stage of your working life has ended but, for Coast Guard ships, retirement from government service is often just the beginning of a new, often unusual, phase to a ship's life.

Our work brought us up to Georgian Bay and a stop in Parry Sound. My morning ride around the harbour brought a sighting of a vessel secured at the town dock.

A quick search on the internet brought forth the history of the Still Watch, former Ville Marie (Still Watch, former Ville Marie). 

Appropriate to have the vessel berthed in Georgian Bay having been built in Owen Sound.

Morning Ride along the Welland Canal

Gales on Lake Erie provided an opportunity to sit out the winds in Port Colborne and the chance for a ride on the wonderful Welland Canal trail.

The trail follows the ship canal along the west side except between Lock 8 and Port Robinson where it passes beside a section of the old canal that goes through the town of Welland.

Normally, I stick with the path that leads north to Port Robinson but this morning I decided to take the multi-use path running through Merritt Island Park. Although it does not strictly connect back onto the Canal Trail proper, I've seen many cyclists walk their bikes across the rail bridge.

Still, it is a very pleasant ride through the park as the morning sun rises above the tree tops.

From the Deep

It is apparently legendary the items that are found at the bottom of the Welland Canal when portions of it are drained for winter maintenance. 

Somehow this was found wrapped around the chain of one of the buoys we lifted for inspection.

Morning Rides in Trois Rivieres Part 2

From the centre of Trois Rivieres there is a linear park that heads north for several kilometers to the National Historic site 'Les Forges du Saint-Maurice' (Parks Canada website).

I decided to ride along Boulevard des Cheneaux, which follows the Saint-Maurice river and then catch the linear park at Boulevard Hamelin. Des Cheneaux has an on-road bike lane, but also a couple of little hills.

At Hamelin, I headed north on the bike path until Boulevard St. Michel. To the north of St. Michel, the path takes a steep drop. This looked like a good place to turn around.

Perhaps a warning of pain of death rather than pain of ticketing would be more apt given the steepness of the grade.

I returned to the ship along the linear park enjoying the well-maintained surface and the nice views of the city and bridge across the St. Lawrence. In one of the city parks the path passed through there was an outdoor gym.

The linear park ends just south of the University and then becomes a normal city bike path. Just north of Highway 40, the path goes by the Hippodrome with an impressive gate.

Then it was back to the ship and another load of buoys to be placed.