Nanaimo and back

I rode to Nanaimo yesterday afternoon to give Dad his birthday present (his birthday was on the 18th). I left at about 2pm with his miniature remote control helicopter (in excessively large box) bungee corded to my pack.


The Ritchie Bros auction was today. There were a whole load of Madill diggers lined up along the road. It made me wonder what their gross profit would be for the day.
I always laugh at this sign, ("Your doggy won't be groggy!") and wonder if that really is all they do there:

I like the way this building has been painted. I always notice it: I stopped at Transfer Beach on the way, as I've always ridden straight past. There wasn't much to see really, and I couldn't find any actual "beach". There is a park for children and a large grassy bit with trees, but I didn't go exploring.


Coming out of Cassidy (?):I got to Nanaimo at about 4:15, and rode through town a bit, stopping in a couple of shops. I stopped in at Arrowsmith and found some cool shorts on the clearance rack that fit. Mum doesn't like them though (bonus!).
I stayed at Mum's and Dad's for some toad in the hole, and then went for a short walk with Mum and Luke at the Gabriola ferry terminal.
The ride home went by quickly (it always does in the dark). I needed my "big" light on before Cassidy. The air is very still at night, (there was quite a breeze on the way). I also got quite cold as it got dark. My feet were numb (from the cold, not the horrible shoes) coming into Ladysmith, so I stopped at the coffee shop there for a chai tea latte. As I stepped in the door a lady waiting for her coffee looked at me and said, "Is that a small or extra-small Jake?", looking at my bike leant against the window. Apparently, she rides a Norco and wanted a Jake but had standover problems.
So do I. I think Jake is too long as well, as I always end up with back ache. My back started to hurt after Ladysmith (on the way), and hurt all the way home. I also had cramps from the toad' most of the way home, which went away for a while after stopping for tea.
The lumber yard in Chemainus looked busy with fork lifts darting about all over the place, machines at work, "industrial" sounds a strong smell of sawdust in the calm air. It stood out as even the the places that were open looked asleep - people mopping floors, lone motorists at petrol stations, store owners killing time. I think the thing that makes the night feel so lonely isn't that there aren't many people around, but more that everyone is alone. There is no, or little, discussion or interaction. My interaction with the coffee shop owner was minimal. Everyone is tired and wants to go home. There aren't any queues - at traffic lights I found myself waiting for no one. Even drivers seem to all be lacking passengers. Radios play quietly in the backgroung trying to fill the void - mellow tunes. You don't here Linkin Park or Ozzy at 10 pm on a Monday, it's all John Mayer, Norah Jones and the Bee Gees. Comfort music? Lullabies?


I forgot to turn my GPS receiver on (but carried it in my back pocket all day), so will have to guess today:

Distance: 125 km
Time (moving): 6:15