play-eat-sleep-repeat

I really do like spending part of the winter in Canada so, after my November golf trip to the Carolinas, I returned home in early December for a little winter fun. How could I possibly have known that 2024-25 would be the year that real winter returned to Ontario? Sure enough, it started snowing the day I got back and, for the most part, it hasn’t let up. At least that ‘s how it seems. So, despite a few short trips to California (for Christmas) and Palm Beach (for an early January golf break), I’ve had it with snow and am heading back to the US southwest to ride out (quite literally) the rest of this winter in the deserts of Arizona and Utah. Year ten of retirement begins. Photos and video to follow!

Not that I didn’t have any fun this summer, but after my house renovations were finally completed in February, I returned from my spring travels in mid-April to face a summer of landscaping that just never seemed to end. Topsoil-grass seed-torrential thunderstorm (washing everything away)-repeat. Not exactly what I had in mind, particularly when I was doing most of the heavy lifting myself. But like they say, the fourth time’s the charm, and by late September I finally had grass. That gave me time to get my trails into great shape and to ride well into November. All good thing must come to an end, however, and with winter just around the corner it’s time to play. So I’ve headed to the Carolinas to golf while the temperatures at home drop and the snow begins to fly. More winter travel – including lots of mountain biking – is already planned, but for now it’s time to forget about renovations and landscaping, and to start thinking about my golf swing. Fore!

In 2016, Singletracks described Moab, Utah as “the definitive mountain biking capital of the United States”. Not much has changed since then. Despite the many new places to ride in North America that have become popular during the eight years since I retired, Moab remains a perennial favourite and a place that I intend to keep coming back to as long as I can ride. While my recent round-the-world trip was spectacular – it was great to get back to Australia and Japan just never gets old – I still had a little travel itch I needed to scratch. So, after two weeks home to reset my clock, here I am again to ride my ass off and remind myself that you really are only as old as you feel. Time to play. Photos and video to follow.

A long-planned renovation to my country place that was prompted by my move out here, full-time, in late 2021 began last August and was finally completed just ten days ago. So, having been stuck at the ranch for much of the past year, it was time to celebrate with a little mid-winter travel. More specifically, a month-long round-the-world trip to check out a few of the places I’ve not been to before. After starting in Dubai, I’m currently in Western Australia for a week before heading to Melbourne to catch up with some Aussie friends and see a bit of Victoria. Then it’s off to Seoul in early March, followed by a week in southern Japan eating my way up to Tokyo to fly home. A pretty great start to another year of a retirement that just keeps getting better!

After two years of hunkering down in the country during the pandemic, it’s finally time to get back on the road for a major change of scenery. While the fall weather here has been amazing, with unseasonably warm days and not much rain, winter only keeps its ugly head down for so long, so I’m heading south to to Alabama and the Carolinas to mountain bike and golf until year’s end. A week in the Pisgah and DuPont forests of western North Carolina, and three weeks in Alabama to play the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail top to bottom – with week-long side trips to Charleston for Thanksgiving and Christmas with family – should provide a much needed attitide adjustment. Bye now!

There’s nothing better for the soul that summer mornings in the country. Birds chirping, a light breeze in the air, and the prospect of a hot sunny day, a delicious BBQ dinner with fresh vegetables from the garden, and a late evening sunset. Just glorious; particularly after the winter we all just came through. Too long, too cold, and way too much snow. But, this spring and, so far, this summer have been great! This has allowed me to get my property and trails in summer shape, and to get to many of the projects I’d been thinking about since the fall. My travels have also started again with an early May trip to Cape Cod to mountain bike at Otis. More travel will wait for the fall and winter when the weather in Canada turns cold again. Until then, I plan to take advantage of all that summer in Canada has to offer and, for the most part, to just play, eat, sleep and repeat.

They say it ain’t over “’til the fat lady sings”. Unfortunately, she’s in the ICU on a ventilator and may not make it. So, on we go. Another pandemic winter in Canada. Not that I’m complaining. In fact, life’s pretty fine out here in the “sticks” where there’s fresh air aplenty and lots of wide open space. So fine, in fact, that I recently sold my loft in the city and, for now at least, am a full-time country boy. While overseas travel remains sketchy, I did manage a trip to California in November for US Thanksgiving with family. What a change to be on the west coast, taking in the ocean and sunshine, sneaking in a moutain bike ride in Santa Cruz, and otherwise feeling good about travelling again. Looking forward to more. Soon. Please. Until then, I’ll continue to work away on HighTower Ranch, building out my trail network, and riding when the weather permits. I’ve posted a few new photos from the past year under “Country Life” above. I’ll update my Current Travels page when I have some current travels!

2020, that is – what a complete shit show! With international travel out of the question, and most domestic travel restricted, I spent the year hunkered down at my country property “anti-socially distancing”, clearing land, building out my mountain bike trails, riding, cooking, baking bread, and trying to imagine the day when we’ll look back on 2020 – and all things associated with it – as distant memories. One saving grace, at least for me – the late summer and fall in Ontario were spectacular, and seemed to carry on well into winter (the snow having only arrived in the past few weeks), allowing me to get so much done outside. While the pandemic continues, and until we’re all vaccinated, my plan is to stick it out here and continue to beaver away outdoors, waiting for the day when I can safely get on the road (or a plane) again! I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list!

Another great summer has come to an end after an in auspicious prelude in the form of a rainy, cool spring. I spent most of the summer at my country property riding and working on my mountain bike trails and other projects, although I did manage to sneak in a week in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia. Fall was fantastic, but as the temperature drops and the snow begins to fly, it’s time to get away for some serious (and less gloomy) adventure – this time, a two month road trip to mountain bike in Colorado, Utah and Arizona, finishing up in Dallas for Christmas with family. It’s goint to be a blast! Check out my Travel Archive.