Dusted off the mountain bike this week

Started riding my mountain bike for the first time this year.  My butt is sore and has to get used to the seat again.  My bike is a 2001 Brodie Fury.  The frame was made in Canada and the shock made in Italy.  Good quality stuff.  I think these bikes are made offshore now.  The rest of the components were replaced over the years.  This was my first good bike.  I bought bikes from Can. Tire and Walmart in the past but as I became more serious with mountain biking the cheaper quality bikes only lasted about 6 months.  The first year I put 5000km on it and the second year another 5000km.  It was exciting to see my CatEye bike computer turn 10,000km.  Well now the monitor broke and I lost track of how many kms I put on the Brodie.
I don't ride as much as I used to.  I'm getting old and I can feel it in my joints.  I think I put on the beef this winter.  I'm starting off on a slow 10km.  I hope to work up to my 20km route with lots of hills and in under 1 hour.  Dream on.......

How it all started

It all started many years ago.  Me and hubby would take our two and four year olds to the old Centre Mall.  It was an old mall, past its prime, located in a not so nice area.  But it was big and empty, a perfect place for the kids to run off their energy. We walked into the Sears store as usual and past the area displaying camping equipment. 
I was 30 years old and never camped before in my life nor did anyone in my family for generations.  Then it caught my eye.  The green Coleman stove.  Why it caught my attention I don't know.  But it was too expensive for our budget  so I kept walking.  The next week that emerald jewel caught my attention again.  What caused me to be lured to this object and what fate brought me here?   Weeks past and that stove was on my mind.  Then one week while walking through the store there was a 50% off sale on that stove.  I bought the stove.  Little did I know that this purchase would entirely change my life.  In the weeks to follow I would study all the flyers from Sears, Consumers Distributing and Canadian Tire.  I slowly purchased camping equipment that was on sale.  The final item was a red cabin tent.  We did a practice run and camped in the back yard.
I didn't know anything about camping so I started looking for a location close by.  Our 1984 Pontiac 6000 was getting old and I didn't want to travel too far.
I lucked out and found Valen's Conservation Area about half hour drive from our house.  I called and inquired.  The following weekend I packed the car and set off for my first camping trip.  I was as green as the campfire wood that wouldn't  burn.  It rained all night and the bugs were brutal.  Most people would have called it quits that night.  Not me, I was hooked. 
Over the years my camping interest grew to include hiking, mountain biking and canoeing.  I have camped all over eastern North America.  I would like to share my camping experiences, past and present.  I'm itchin to go.  Like the song says:  I just can't wait to get on the road again!