Thursday, May 1, 2014

Great Weather Diverts Attention from Yard Work....

We have plans to complete more back yard projects but we've been distracted by the truly nice weather we have been experiencing.  The temperatures rose to the high 20's Celsius  (mid 80's F) and that was enough to draw our  attention to road travel over yard work.  Priorities, right?
We headed east into the eastern Fraser Valley
We made a quick decision to leave the yard work behind in favour of a motorcycle ride to Harrison Hot Springs - in the extreme east end of the Fraser Valley.  
Calm and serene view of Harrison Lake
We rolled out of our driveway near mid-morning yesterday (Wednesday) and, riding through as many back roads as possible, we arrived at the  Harrison Hot Springs village at noon.  With so little traffic, the roads pretty much belonged to us.  Many motorcyclists had the same idea.  We waved to many along our ride.
Peaceful and quiet setting.  This area is busy with families on weekends but during the week, it affords us the tranquility we enjoy.
We arrived to witness a few tour buses that deposited many foreign tourists who came to enjoy the beautiful resort town.   Harrison Hot Springs is an alpine lake that is surrounded by snow capped mountains.  One can sit here all day long and never tire of the views.  The tourists were here to enjoy the views too.
Readying to leave Harrison Hot Springs.
After lunch, we chose to ride a bit farther east from Harrison Hot Springs and into the little town of Agassiz, a small community located in the Eastern Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada, about 60 miles east of Vancouver and immediately north of the city of Chilliwack.
One side of the main street in Agassiz is a film set.  It was quiet when we rode through town. No film crews were present.
 A well-kept secret hidden within the Upper Fraser Valley of British Columbia's southwest coastal region. The District of Kent is bounded on the north by Harrison Lake and Green Mountain, on the west by Harrison River, on the south by the Fraser River and on the east by Hope and the Fraser Canyon. Much of the District is made up of the rich and fertile alluvial floodplain of the Fraser River. The community of Agassiz, with a population of just over 6000, rests at the intersection of Highway #9 and Highway #7 and offers all the conveniences one might need. It boasts the friendly community spirit of a regional farming community within any establishment you might wish to visit. (From District of Kent WEB site)

A ride through several small villages led us into the small city of Chilliwack.  I loved this bright yellow roadster with the rumble seat.
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia. It has long been a predominantly agricultural community, but with an estimated population of 80,000 people, it has become more urban. Chilliwack is the seat of the Fraser Valley Regional District and its second largest city. The city is surrounded by mountains and recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are many outdoor amenities in the area, including hiking, horseback riding, biking, camping, fishing, and golf. (Wikipedia)
Downtown Core - Chilliwack.
We never tire from our rides into the eastern Fraser Valley with so many snow peaked mountains.
The first hay crop is cut and drying in the fields before bailing.
We came along this field of tulips and stopped so that Jeanette could capture the photo below. Beautiful colours.

A rest stop at a small riverside park, just east of the city of Abbotsford, offered stunning views.
The small creek is swollen with snow melt from the surrounding mountains.
Jeanette was checking out the hollow of this tree trunk.  Where a tree once lived, it now houses small saplings of new growth.
I'm checking my iPhone for messages..... Nobody called!!! 
This farm - with the snow peaks in the background - is but one of the many views we enjoy during our Fraser Valley motorcycle rides.
Raspberry vines... only a few minutes from our home.
We rode back into our driveway by 3:30 pm.  Once the motorcycle cooled off, I used our lift to raise it off the ground and proceeded to wash and detail it while enjoying the balance of a most lovely late afternoon.  Jeanette brought out her garden tools and pruned a few small trees followed by some weeding.  We also discussed some of the changes we plan to make in the back yard this spring and summer.

Easton gets in on the photo of Jeanette with her friends Ione and Gwen.
On Tuesday, following my dental appointment, Ginette dropped Easton off at our home while she and Brie ran off to run some errands. It was not long before Jeanette, Ione and Gwen returned from their shopping adventure.  Shortly after that, Ginette and Brie were back and everyone had the opportunity to visit.
Easton was glad to see his baby sister.....
Ione had some good face time with Brie and Gwen got her cuddles in too.
So....although today (Thursday) is forecast to be another gorgeous day, we will ween ourselves from the pleasure of riding to focus on some of those tasks we have planned.  So.....it's off to work I go.  

Thanks for dropping by.

7 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful day a great tour, love the scenery.
    I know it was VERY hard to get away from that yard work, but like you said Priorities!

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  3. We live in such a pretty province don't we. I don't know about all the free time you have though. I just seem to fill my time with yard work. And pickleball, and music events, and general merriment. It's quite the life we lead, isn't it?

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  4. Wow...great views on your ride. Love the field of tulips. How come you are not out on the Harley??? Hard to choose sometimes I guess...

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  5. Great tour, Rene, with beautiful pictures of the countryside.

    Good idea to leave all the yardwork behind in this terrific weather we're having.

    Easton seems quite taken with his little sister.

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  6. Thanks for the tour, beautiful scenery!!

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  7. The one thing I miss about living in the Lowe mainland is the ability to choose so many destinations for a drive. Here on the Island we have only north and south to choose from and we must return on the same road as we went on.

    We too are finding it difficult to start the many chores that are piling up. We have been home five days and have only emptied about 1/3 of the motorhome and Norma has yet to set foot into her garden. We have not had the 80 degree weather that you are having however.

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