Clint Eastwood was a complete stud from the eyes of an adolescent growing up in the late 60's. One of my favourite movies ... I have many favourites ... of his was "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". A 1966 release by Italian director Sergio Leone, the movie was, as the web site Rotten Tomatoes puts it,
"Arguably the greatest of the spaghetti westerns, this epic features a compelling story, memorable performances, breathtaking landscapes, and a haunting score."
I can immediately recall that reverberating whistle and its companion whine "Wha Wha Wha" as easily now as I could when I first watched it back in elementary school. Clint was the consummate cool dude and I remember thinking life would be grand if I could turn out even a fraction of cool as he was.
Over my years, just like so many others, I have made reference to the movie's title to draw attention to things that confound me. I recently decided that I would attempt to beat the forecasted rain warning and get a healthy bike ride in. Since I live in a part of Barrie that provides easy access to a network of concessions and side roads in Oro-Medonte, I pointed east for a planned 2 hour commune with the beauty of Ontario's landscape. It was during this ride that the whistle+whine percolated to the top of my consciousness.
If you've decided to get out and about in Ontario, the month of May offers you the splendor of our provincial flower, the Trillium, as it decorates the forests and road sides. Although I am no gardener or botanist, I do freely admit that the Trillium holds a special allure for me, especially the pink variety. This particular bloom was rooted on the forest edge on Line 3 very near to Horseshoe Valley Resort. If you're in a mood to check out a wider variety of blooms, the wooded path area in Sunnidale Park offers a cornucopia of blooms and colours. I would suspect that any healthy forest in Ontario would offer the same.
Getting back to the theme, this would be considered The GOOD.
I generally try not to ride on the busy roads when out and about in Simcoe County. Part of that is old fashioned paranoia; part is acknowledging the risks. What I'd like to draw attention to is the, for the lack of a better term, YAHOOS who race down the concessions and side roads like its life or death that they get some where. I know that it's my responsibility to bike defensively and to obey the rules of the road, but seriously, some of the vehicles passing me are well past the speed limits ... BY A LOT! What many may not realize is that the stones they kick up hurt quite a bit when they hit any exposed skin. Please, for the sake of those of us trying to stay healthy in this pandemic, slow down a little when you pass a bicycle.
This would be considered The BAD.
I think you can guess what is coming next, but you might be surprised by where. Finishing my ride, I rode through an area designed for people to park while they are out on their bicycles. As I rode through the lot, I was disgusted to see the refuse strewn about by obviously careless individuals. Unfortunately, it is somewhat normal to find Tim Hortons cups adorning the road sides on a ride, but what made this discovery boil my blood were the used PPE that had been so thoughtlessly cast about. The photo to the left is not one taken by me, but it gives a good idea of what I saw. I would say the most disappointing thing would be idea that the lot is for people who are trying to get out and do something about their health, yet they can't be bothered to properly deal with their PPE? Seriously?
For the record, that's The UGLY.
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