Ducati

He may try and look mean, but he's a teddy-bear of a guy - articulate, worldly, artistic and professional.

He called himself 'high-maintenance' then with a big smile, removed a very large cigar from the leather deux détenteur de cigare and lit it up.

Kurt arrived on the Ducati, an Italian racing-style bike - the Ferrari of the motorcycle world - and one which he's worked on himself; customizing, tuning, toning.

He's created a system of shocks on his bike to allow for the grips to rise or lower, according to terrain and need; quite unique I think (see photo 2).

For fresh air and a new slant on the world, Kurt left his Victoria home for a very fast ride along the Island Highway and came to rest at HBH.
The evening spent at the foot of the lawn, watching the river flow and easing through the stogie, seemed to have the desired effect of relaxation.

I was simply taken by the bike (you may know how much I enjoy a bit of chrome and a good motor) and am well aware of the Ducati's rep, having experienced one on the Gold River Highway, a.k.a. Highway 28 which runs past the property here.

That stretch of road, with its isolation and wide curves, has been on Easy Rider Magazine's top ten list of best highway rides in North America and the beauty of the ride alongside several long, slim lakes with the Vancouver Island Mountain Range always on the edge of your vision is heavenly. Plus the odd scare of a bear or deer keeps the blood pumping even more.

Speaking of pumped blood, Kurt told me of his eagle encounter as he burned along the highway.
Eagles eat carrion, or roadkill, often in the roadside ditches which makes them hard to spot right away.
As he came around a corner, the eagle took flight from the ditch, and Kurt barely saw it out of the corner of his eye. Already into the curve and leaning the bike over for it, any major maneuver would have been devastating to the balance, so Kurt ducked and hoped for the best. Good choice! He might have been knocked over or at least had a scratched helmet if he hadn't ducked his head.

Goes to show, trouble can happen anytime, anywhere. Let's be careful out there.
See ya next time, Kurt. Rubber down.
Sandra