A local chap here by the name of Gord Pringle has been doing alot to stir up
the MV owners in town. He has too his credit chastised a number of people to
get off their back sides and blow the cobwebs off their machines on a
regular basis. I think the most he has had show up is five vehicles.
We gather at a local donut shop, at the end of my street actually. We chat
for a while and shoot the breeze and then decide on a route. Last Saturday
lunchtime we headed off past some of the war time houses made for the
returning soldiers to Canada. We passed thru the experimental farm, a
Federally operated research establishment right in the middle of the city.
Then we glid past Dows Lake which is part of the Rideau Canal system. There
is a wonderfull parkway that has only two lights in about 3 miles so one
gets to maintain a steady clip right into the heart of Ottawa. The road has
wide grass verges and then beside the canal a wide pathway for roller
bladers and the like. On a summers day this is well stocked with tourists to
our Nations Capital too.
We had two slat grill jeeps and my ferret MK 2/3 for the run. It is funny to
watch people point as you pass them, they kind of go pop, as they see the
first jeep, pop again as they see the second one, and then boom as they see
the Ferret trundle by. It is great to watch. We wave back when waved too. We
headed into the heart of Downtown and passed around the National War
Memorial and the new Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, from there it was back
down the other side of the canal on the other parkway. It is a very scenic
route and certainly wakes people up when they see the three moving at a
clip.
Tonight, we agin went out, after teaching the young owner of the other slat
grill how to bump start his jeep. Gord and I delighted in teaching him a new
skill. It looks as if his starter button is hooped. But since the rain had
just stopped and it looked as if we might be able to get a quick spin around
town before the next summer squall hit we revved up and shot off for a spin.
This time we got on a parkway that runs along the Ottawa River into town,
but we turned off early and circled back home in under an hour. I just
managed to get the tarp over the Ferret as the heavens opened again. I have
a snow brush jammed into the louvres of the radiator to support the tarp
from touching the hot exhaust, got this routine down pat now. I can cover it
and tie it off with the bungee cords in about 3 minutes if I use the wind to
"fly" the 9 by 12 tarp over the vehicle.
Young Mr Scott's girlfriend Emily jumped at the chance to play commander in
the Ferret tonight rather than ride in his jeep. My kids were not availbale
for this position, which they normally fight over tooth and nails. I bought
a new set of headphones for the Clansman intercom when I was in the UK for
Beltring. I have been unhappy with the afv crewmans helmets as they are too
dorky for my taste. These new headsets are great and now that I have worked
out how to make the mikes live al the time, it is alot better now as neither
the commander or I have to worry about pressel switches. When the foam boots
arrive soon that will cut out the wind noise.
This saturday there may be an opportunity to run along with a Leopard MBT
right here in town on the road. We'll see how things develop.
Anyway, my hat is off too Gord for his work.
yours,
Robin Craig
Mk 2/3 ferret
Ottawa Ontario Canada
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