Greetings to all of you. Yesterday I think we could have been on our bikes. Not good for skiing, but a positive sign for those of us anxious to get back on the bikes. This week in bike shorts:
Membership renewal reminder
The Social
Tour leader training and first half tour planning
Another missive from NZ (Carole)
1. Membership Renewal
Please remember to download your membership renewal forms from the Club web site. It is really quite painless, but please ensure that you sign both forms (don't forget to read the botom box on the waiver form) and either bring them and your cheque to the social this Sat, or send them to the Membership Director, 60 Carmichael Court, Kanata On K2K 1K2
2. Winter Social
Look forward to seeing a number of you at the winter social at Algonquin College's Restaurant International. The following is a link to a map to the restauarnt. In previous years we were able to park in the lot in front of the restaurant at no charge. http://restaurantinternational.ca/tabid/5725/Default.aspx. Please remember to bring your membership renewal forms, your cheque for membership ($40), as well as a separate cheque for the dinner ($35 pp). Tom Seniuk has prepared a super slide show to describe the trip from Paris to Nice last year. Appropriate cat-call interjections will be provided from the other participants on this ride
3. Tour Leader Training and tour planning
Please mark your calendars for these important events. We will conduct our annual tour leader training session on 28 Feb. Experienced tour leaders are encouraged to come to this session to share some of their experiences from leading tours. If you have never led a tour, please consider participating in this session. Participating in this session does not include any obligation to lead a tour, but we hope that completing it will give you sufficient confidence to volunteer. I cannot emphasixze how important it is for us to have lots of tour leaders. Without tour leaders we do not have a club. We particularly need more volunteers to lead S1 and shorter S2 rides. The meeting will be held at Tom's place at 1287 Field St, Ottawa on Tuesday, February 28th, 2012 from 7:30pm to 9:00pm. Please RSVP to Tom Seniuk (thomas.seniuk@sympatico.ca) or Jim Cale (cale.jj@hotmail.com).
KNBC first half tour planning meetingAll tours leaders and those who want to be are invited to attend the first-half tour planning meeting. Note the earlier-than-usual start time of 7:00pm since we will also be covering multi-day tour planning as well. Please look over the list of tours in the online archive on the club's website and check your calendars, and come prepared to volunteer to lead days tour for the spring and early summer schedule (April to the end of July).The meeting will be held at Tom's place at 1287 Field St, Ottawa on Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Please RSVP to Tom Seniuk (thomas.seniuk@sympatico.ca) or Jim Cale (cale.jj@hotmail.com).
4. Carole in NZ
Hello again! Truly sorry to hear the snow hasn't been ideal in our Ottawa Valley...
Here are a few more stories to boost the cross-country skier's spirit (for the ones interested in my NZ adventures).
One day, Jenny and myself (she's one of the CCCTS cyclists from BC) were in a grocery store stocking up on lunch fixings, while passing through Whakatane. By the way, in New Zealand, the "Wh" is pronounced "F", so I won't mention what it sounds like they're doing to poor Tony... Anyway, we're discussing our purchases in the wine and beer aisle (yes, I know: how convenient!) when this lovely NZ woman, oozing with local charm, approaches us and -out of the blue- invites us for lunch and champagne at her kiwi plantation. Just to be on the safe side, we have Bob and Martel tag along. Well... it was divine! After a tour of the ripening trees, we were treated to a sumptuous picnic in her lush garden; both food and garden, with an amazing array of colors, scents and textures, were a feast for the senses! Even Martel (who thought he would be bored stiff "What?!?! You're taking me to visit an old lady in her garden?" says he with rolling eyes) was totally enthralled by the experience. We both said to Maxine she had to adopt us cauz we didn't want to leave such a beautiful home. She told me her door was always open for such a pretty Canadian accent... that coming from her cute NZ mouth!
Now back to the business of cycling. We left the coast to travel inland towards Rotorua. More passes to ascend of course, but slightly less wind in the mountains these days. That's a "God sent" because -on Day 19- I am starting to weaken. I think I need to eat a bit more as I'm still losing weight. And I must stay strong enough to finish the last 8 days of biking. So on with the "calorie-style" foods!!!
In Kawerau (after our leader, Eric, obtained a permit), we cycled to the entrance of a Scenic Reserve where we had to leave our bikes and put on our hiking shoes for a 9 km trek to the most incredible falls this side of the world. So tall, so impressive, it left us in awe. Martel took me and Bob on an extra side trip (no one else wanted to come) to the top of the falls. He had read you could swim up there and see many more smaller falls, as well as deep gorges where a number of underground rivers started. Though a bit intimidating and almost scary at times, it was definitely worth the sweat! "Way to go Martel for daring to push the envelope!" Of course, one must not forget that he does not cycle all those kilometers, therefore is bustling with bottled energy once he gets out from behind the wheel.
I will sign off on another positive note : since our departure, our cycling clothes never got wet, not once... that's right, only sun, or at times partly cloudy skies!!! Hope I am not jinxing us by bringing it up...?
Sending you all loads of affection,
Carole
P.S. Wish pictures were not such a hassle to send... Guess you'll have to wait for my return to Canada...