Riding Dirty

Greetings from the Great White North, or what some of us call, Canada. This year, it has officially been renamed the Great Wet North.

Mother Nature has been generously running her shower, taps, and even the garden hose on this neck of the woods lately, so you can imagine things are a wee bit damp and muddy. We're still not sure if this is an act of mischief, or simply an oversight while she's busy coaching the mosquitos and deerflies on the upcoming harvest season.

This past May, in spite, or perhaps in defiance, of this phenomenon, myself and four other audacious souls embarked on a four day trek on some mechanical marvels known simply as four wheelers, or 4 Wheelers, if you wish to command the local lingo. These mini tanks carried us through some beautiful, rugged, and you got it, muddy trails, that were peppered with water holes.

Waves rolled where land once existed and rivers had grown too big for their banks. They gobbled real estate with a hunger matched only by the Tasmanian Devil. (Note: for the younger set, please google Tasmanian Devil cartoon)

No worries, this isn't a wordy novella that will bore you with war stories of conquering the backwoods and taming fierce fauna. A nattering squirrel or two maybe, but ah, they only wanted our nuts.

We love our trailmix and will fend off any creature who tries to steal it.

Alright, enough babble, here are the pics along with a caption, or two.

On your marks . . . hey, where were the rest of you?

"Okay children, plug your needles and hold your sap, this island is sinking!"

When you're (me) a rookie and you follow too close through a mud pit.

Bath and bike wash time . . . so efficient.

"Oh, I came from a good home but, you know, I got tired of hearing the boat bragging about all the places it'd been. I just had to see for myself. Who knew that you needed a motor and a rudder?"

Spooky old house. Does the ghost of Sam McGee reside here?

Nope, but there was a cool ancient stone fireplace.

Our trials were rewarded with views like this.

And this.

Yes, they ARE solar powered.

Hurray! We reached the summit of the "Unknown Rock!" Let's plaque this sucker!

The peaceful end of a fun day.

Oh, just ONE last thing. A free blog, or reblog post will be awarded to the FIRST reader who can tell me just what the heck this thing is? (found near the old house) Please Keep it clean, this is a family friendly site :) .