St. Andrews Report by Bob E.

Click on this photo for photos from Pat Sw
and the one below for photos from Bob E.


"...carry moonbeams home in a jar,
and be better off than you are
or would you rather be a mule."

That darn movie. I'd watched 'Hudson Hawk' the previous evening and just couldn't get that catchy tune out of my head. Never mind, it fit the day perfectly. Although clear and blue, it was chilly as I pulled my toque down to cover that little spot by my neck that the scarf had missed. We were heading up the long hill on the Hanwell with myself in the lead. Behind me was Dwight, probably craning his neck to listen for any unusual noises from the bonnet of his 'B'. Last year on this run, this very stretch had been the B's undoing and he'd had to retire early. Now, with a rebuilt motor purring away, he motored on.

"A mule is an animal with long funny ears
he kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
he's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
and by the way if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule"

Despite the cool weather, we had some new(ish) folks in the pack. Bryce Scott had brought along his classic Mercedes SL, Bob and Ann MacNally were cozy in a Z4, and ShirlyAnn and John were VERY cozy in their Toyota SUV. I was the only one ("HEAR THAT FOLKS!?....The only one!") with my top down and was fairly comfortable with the sun pounding down and a scarf firmly around my neck. With the leaves just starting to change colour, we had pleasant scenery and almost empty roads to enjoy. Turning off of the 3 and onto Hwy 127 we headed south under increasing cloudy skies. I was getting worried that our fine day would turn kruddy. A few more kilometres saw the skies clear up again and we continued into St. Andrews.

"A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
his shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
you may grow up to be a pig."

We ate at the HarbourFront Inn overlooking the incoming tide. The food is good and reasonably priced and it's become our favourite spot in the town. After lunch we worked it off by strolling amongst the shops and wandering down the wharf. Kelvin's puppy provided entertainment by walking herself then facing off with the local street cat. With the afternoon waning most of us headed back to the cars.
It was getting overcast, cool and windy and even I put my top up for the drive back. A quick stop at the local Timmies for a fill up and we headed North. Once back on the road that song filled my head again. I even caught myself singing along...

..."And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
everyday you see quite a few
so you see it's all up to you,
you could be better than you are
you could be swinging on a star."