The leaves are still stubbornly refusing to turn and fall. 

But the temperature is certainly seasonal, dropping to between -1 and -9c every night starting tomorrow and only rising to between 1 and 6 during the day. We are supposed to get snow on Friday; it is already in the hills. Sovereign will open for xcountry skiing on Nov. 6; although they haven't issued their passes yet, even to those of us who have already bought them, because they are still working on a new Covid system that will allow them to know, by issuing plastic tap membership cards, how many people are on the trails. They will not be allowing people to enter the lodge, except to use the washrooms, so boots will be either worn up or put on in the car. 

Fortunately, neither Covid nor cool weather was able to halt the relentless will of Lynne Young. She has become a good friend of mine. She was determined to bike 80k on her 80th birthday, October 18, 2020. And we did it. 

I awoke at 7:00am on that morning, opened the blinds to see dark grey and light rain. The temperature was 4, according to my iPhone. I am not the person to initiate a bike ride on such a day, but I couldn't cuddle back into bed because I knew Lynne was. And another one of her friends, Colette is too. I rose, and keeping the faint hope of cancelation in my mind, mechanically went about preparing breakfast and all my bike clothes and gear. I was prepared to accept the inevitable when it arrived in the form of a phone call from Lynne. She said that even she had been of two minds when Colette called to knock the negativity out of her. So it was on. We would meet in Polson Park at 9:40am. I was ready to pull out of my parking lot at 9:15, got on the bike, stepped on the pedal and clunk. The chain had come off. I had never put the chain back on this bike. My first thought was to call for help, but who? There was no one except BCAA, and I'd have to wait for them. So I just started to do what I'd seen others do. And it worked. My hands were greasy, but the bike was fine. I made it to the park in time to take a picture of some of the others as they approached out of the gloom. We were all so bundled against cool weather and light rain that we looked like multicoloured Michelin men. But more than our tires were pumped. 

The weather didn't clear all day, but neither did it get any worse. We rode just over 40k to the Blue Ox Pub in Lumby, picking up more riders half way there. Other people drove to the pub, so there were about 25 people for the party. Lynne had done a lot of preparation, her husband John looked after the details on the day and the whole affair was a success. The ride home was more subdued. The temperature had dropped back to about 5 as we rode into Polson Park just after 4:00pm. Lynne invited us all back to her place for mulled wine after we had put our bikes away and changed. It was a great 80th birthday for Lynne and all of us. 

I spent almost two hours on Monday cleaning the dirt out of every crack and crevice of my panniers and bike and oiling the chain. 

The ditty I wrote on a card for Lynne and recited at the pub, in spite of the fact that I was shaking more than the leaves that still haven't fallen. 

Lynne Young

She's just turned eighty,

Our Lynne,

And in spite of the fact that

She's thin,

Her will is so strong

That her life will go on

Full of adventures 

And friends who are drawn 

To her hustle

And moved by her bustle

To do things that rarely go wrong. 

She does what she does

With commitment. 

A gambler would say,

She's 'ALL IN'. 

She stops for nothing, our Lynne. 

Not even her nose. 

Which she frequently blows,

While moving,

Without breaking stride,

Using one of the hankies she's fashioned 

And attached to her pack at the side. . 

And just because she's athletic 

Doesn't mean she is not à la mode,

Heavens no!

She designed a fetching, warm ski skirt

From a vest someone else had let go. 

At eighty today,

In her indomitable way,

She's gathered her friends 

For a party. 

Happy Birthday dear Lynne!

This time we're ALL IN 

Our wishes are heartfelt and hearty.