A True SARATS Threat

I visited The King on my way home yesterday. He's showing signs of change. It's too early to tell, but if he suits up in Orangy Yellow like the first time I wrote about him, look out. Here he is:

Thanks to my being less active on the blog, I fear there may be fewer submissions this year, which only increases your chances of winning a smallish (but not tiny like last year) jug of the best maple syrup I've ever had. What follows is an excerpt from the 2010 contest:

I won't lie... when I located the prize I also bought some for myself. I have tasted it and it is everything I had hoped. Jakeman's has been voted best tasting maple syrup in Canada in recent years and always places in the top ranks of most maple syrup ranker's rankings. So, the prize is a small amount (100 mL, 3.4 fl. oz.) of pure Canada #1 Extra Light maple syrup (click here to see how freaky I am about it) from one of Canada's top producers, located only about 30 minutes from my home of London Ontario.

 

This year the prize will be 500 mL of that same outstanding tree nectar.
 

If you're not a totally selfish maple prize freak though, you may want to tell your foliage lovin' friends. Now that I no longer participate in facebookizing or tweetilating, maybe you could do it on my behalf. Or send some emails. Or bring SARATS up at dinner parties, club rides, drug orgies, political demonstrations, church gatherings, whatever. I just wanna see some trees. If you know of some website where foliage rules, let me know, and I'll try to invite even more people.

Stay Leafy, R A N T W I C K

PS - If my impartial panel of judges (whom you will all see when the time comes) chooses The King as the best tree, I would of course award the prize to 2nd place. If you couldn't tell, I've got a good feeling about The King this year.

Papa got a New Pair of Shoes

Hey, before the real post begins, if you are a member of the "Silver Spokes London" group I met on the trail this morning, please click on my profile link and send me an email address I can use to notify you of when the post containing the video of your group goes up. If you want to send me details about your group and how people can join you, I'll be happy to post that too. Now, to our regularly scheduled program...


I got new cycling shoes early in the summer. Big news, I know. They're the classic MTB type with spd cleats and three velcro straps. Good thing, too:

The preceding scenario repeated itself about one week later, that time in a more public place with a couple of other cyclists nearby, waiting for a light. I felt super-cool all over again. I really like my new shoes.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

PS - That ugly bar tape complete with duct tape repair job has long since been fixed, so back off, man.

PPS - I'm glad I've moved my everyday camera position from chest to helmet, because I really don't like camera shots that look straight up my nose.

The Tilt-A-Whirl

Last week the kids and I went to the Western Fair here in London Ontario and I went on my favourite ride. Are you a ride person? I'm a ride person. Although my trepidation grows with each passing year, I'm still game to ride the biggest, scariest coasters and any other contraption aimed at scaring the hell out of its riders, just for fun.

The ride I enjoy most, however, has been around since the 1920's. Perhaps it scared the hell out of people back then, but these days I think many consider it something of a kiddie ride. It is, of course, the Tilt-A-Whirl. I don't care if it isn't exactly macho; it is the best ride ever. For some unknown reason it causes my joy-joy glands to go into overdrive, resulting in uncharacteristically unrestrained laughter. Evidence:

Kiddie ride or not, there is an unpredictability about the Tilt-A-Whirl that I have never felt on any other ride. Chaos theorists dig it. You know you're gonna spin, but when and how hard is a physics-related mystery. If you haven't been on one since you were a kid, I strongly encourage you to try it again as a grown-up. I liked it as a child, but love it now.

Yer Pal,

R A N T W I C K

PS  - I took the video using a GoPro HD Hero on a Chest Mount Harness. You can check that stuff out at the Official GoPro® Store