Green Ideas 2010: Time to rehash Green Ideas 2009 Part 2

I had several green ideas or goals in 2009 and succeeded admirably in some ways and went belly up in others.

(I rehashed the first two in an earlier post).

For example, my third idea was brilliant (“I will buy a used bicycle suitable for city streets”) - I’m sure you’ll agree - but hinged on the related idea that I would sell my lovely Miele road bike first in order to have cash on hand other than the coffee money my wife gives me on occasion.


Sure, I have a bit of birdhouse money in my pocket but I’ve always used that to keep my motorcycle on the road, and I intend to do the same until I’m 85 years old. Or until I phone Pat from Port Bruce and tell her I can’t remember the way home.


["The Miele road bike - lovely lovely": photos by GAH]

About the Miele. It’s lovely lovely, in mint condition, will last for 30 more years. I really don’t want to part with it.

And though designed more for long rides in the country than getting around town in traffic or on bumpy streets (it has very narrow rims and tires), I found over the summer that I seldom needed the car for errands and used the bicycle quite a number of times without concern. So, I’m going to keep the Miele and watch out for potholes.

(Only one minor incident: While cycling back home through Wortley Village with a bag of nails for the workshop, Ben Groppler, age 4, distracted me by shouting, “Where’s your helmet, Gord?” The kid has no appreciation for straw hats).

About ‘green idea’ number 4 (Vacation - I will walk to Port Bruce (65 km.) and push my gear in a baby-jogger).


I love the idea but like quite a few of my plans to do this or that last summer it got washed out (literally). Finding seven nice days in a row was tough.

But it will be on my list for 2010. (My reading and riding habit have kept my legs in shape for such an adventure).

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If I can handle a walking trip to Port Bruce, perhaps one to Long Point would be next, with a portion of the trip on old highway 59.

Do you know where 59 is, or why I would select it as a route?

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