If some of you have been reading past entries you will know by now that a great deal of energy, time and excitement has gone in to the planning and executing of our “Celebration Trip”. Well over two years of coordinating schedules and logistics.  

The original plan was for my husband to leave from Vancouver Island and, after a short ride with friends, head East on June 18 (Father’s Day) on his solo ride to Ottawa. I, on the other hand, had booked a flight to Ottawa and shipped my bike due to restrictions for my working schedule.  Retired people have considerably more time off than working people. 

The week prior to the weekend departure, everything was on schedule.  I was able to get my bike down to the dealership that was responsible for shipping the bike.  Confirmation was received that the bike was picked up on Friday.  Everything was a go and the countdown had started.  Until it stopped on Sunday, June 18, at 9:30am.

It was at that time while HB was riding just west of the town of Lumby BC that a car heading east was making a left turn across the highway.  This was not your typical left turning accident.  Although the car had stopped and was legally and respectfully waiting for my husband to ride by before completing their turn, the truck that was coming up behind the car did not.  We think it was a combination of distracted driving, driving over the speed limit and a vehicle with questionable brake for the loaded trailer it was towing.  The truck attempted to brake – and failed.  It hit the car waiting to turn, spinning it into the oncoming traffic resulting in a head on collision with HB.  Lucky for HB the truck that was following him was driven by a first responder with the local fire department.  Within seconds of the accident, HB had medical attention.  

To make a long story short, after suffering a severely broken arm, emergency surgery took place on the sunday night and —-the trip came to an end.  

We spent the week getting him sprung from the hospital and making our way back to our island.  The one statement that kept ringing in my ears was the first responder saying “If he hadn’t been wearing full gear – it would have been a totally different story!”  

Upon arriving home, the next task was trying to get my bike turned around.  It wouldn’t do my being on one side of the country while my bike was on the other and – there was no way HB was going to let me ride home by myself.  Course, would I really be of the mindset to do it? Probably not. 

We set about getting WB turned around and only after two days of the shipping company swearing that they had dropped if off to the return shipper, and the original shipper claiming they didnt have it – to which an ultimatum of “If it’s not found by 4pm Friday, I will be contacting the RCMP and filing a report for a stolen motorcyle.”  Lo and behold, the motorcycle was suddenly found by the trucking company and rolled in to the return shippers location at 3:50pm.  

So – HB is home and unable to use his arm for 3 months. Meaning that his riding season has come to an end for 2017.

As for me?  I’ll be taking short forays in and around my area. As well as being a guinea pig for a woman’s motorcycle travel bag – aka product tester. Not nearly the odessey I was planning.  Am i disappointed that my trip was cancelled? Yes.  Am I thankful it happened in a populated area where medical attention was immediate and a hospital was a short 1/2 hr drive away as opposed to the middle of no where in northern Ontario where there was no one else around for days?  Yes!  And relatively speaking – not to downplay the seriousness of the injury to his arm – for a head on HB was pretty lucky.  

Onward and upward.