The World's Largest Hockey Stick*
And other notes at the halfway point of my journey
I have never knowingly been in Duncan, B.C. before. (I may have been sleeping on the NDP campaign bus when we drove from Victoria to Nanaimo in 1993.) So, naturally I was excited to see the World’s Largest Hockey Stick*.
It is, as one might expect, extremely large. I am reliably informed that it weighs as much as six-and-a-half elephants. (The image of a half-elephant is somewhat distressing to me, so I prefer to think of it as six adult elephants and one tween-ager.)
Nothing prepared me for the elegance of the stick. It is constructed largely of Douglas fir, is beautifully taped, both blade and knob, and is accompanied by what is, by any standard, a very large puck.
Unfortunately, the World’s Largest Hockey Stick* requires its asterisk because the city of Lockport, Illinois, is planning to erect an even larger hockey stick outside a new rink. However, in the artist’s rendering, Lockport’s stick will be a big but featureless thing, untaped and apparently without a knob even worth acknowledging.
After locating what remains for the moment the World’s Largest Hockey Stick*, I was delighted to discover that I could in fact see the shaft from the window of my bedroom on the upper deck of the Thunderbird Motor Inn, admittedly obscured somewhat in the visual riot.
The Thunderbird Inn, by the way, was the recipient of Trip Advisor Excellence Awards for six years from 2014-2019 according to the motel sign, though its excellence has mysteriously gone unacknowledged since. Nonetheless, when I locked myself out at 6:15 in the morning, the proprietor cheerfully roused himself from his bed to let me back in—sustaining its celebrated reputation.
charging so far
A number of people have asked me how much it has cost me to charge my car since I left Ottawa, roughly 5500 kilometres ago. The answer is $550.54 on the outbound journey.
The cost is extremely variable from charge to charge. The most I have paid at a fast charger is $38. Level 2 chargers (which are slower, but easier on the battery) are usually less than half that for an equivalent charge, and some of them are free.
Right now, the Journie-branded fast chargers at the On the Run stations in British Columbia are completely free as a promotion and I have taken advantage of them several times. I have also trickle-charged at ordinary household outlets of friends with whom I have stayed, and none of them has demanded compensation. (I love you all.)
I am not sure precisely how to calculate what I would have spent had I been driving an internal combustion car. Probably at least the same and quite likely more. But bear in mind that when I am living at home, charging on my own level 2 charger, the cost is about a quarter of what I would pay for gas.
encounters at cowichan bay
As I was walking along the beach path at Cowichan Bay I came upon a couple about my age, looking like they might have been bikers in an earlier phase of life. They commented on the beautiful weather and I heartily agreed. A few minutes later they passed me as they returned to their car. “Have a great day!” the man said cheerily and I said, “You too!”
As he passed by I saw that the legend on the back of his t-shirt warned: “If you can read this, you are too close, bitch. Back off!”
A few minutes later I was sitting on a bench, exchanging texts with a friend who I had feared got Covid from me. (It seems it may have been a false alarm.)
As I tapped away, an elderly lady with four small very hairy dogs paused while the animals proceeded to investigate my crotch with their noses in something of a competitive spirit. I did not look up. When it appeared to me that she had no intention of pulling them away, and they certainly were enjoying themselves too much to quit voluntarily, I said “I am not interested”, still not looking up.
“Someone’s not very cheerful,” she commented to the dogs as they walked away, presumably not entirely satiated.
morant’s curve
After I posted my photo of a train passing along Morant’s Curve, my friend Keith sent a link to an excellent article on Nicholas Morant, the Canadian Pacific photographer after whom the location is named.
sick bay
Thank you to all of those who have inquired about my health after I tested positive for Covid earlier this week. At this point, the only indication that I am sick is the red bar when I take the test. I am ambling on my own and taking pictures and regret only that I am missing a few planned rendezvous with friends.
How did the visit to the hockey stick* and puck compare to your Husky The Muskie experience?
I hope that the behemoth, Ford Motor Company does not complain about the use of the logo that their Thunderbird car carried for many years. I owned one and there were no less than ten T bird logos on the car.