Charge it up!

This post originally started out as a tribute to one of the sweetest rides in town but got side tracked by the shabby batteries I purchased at a local dollar store.
I know what you're thinking haters..."What'd you expect from dollar store batteries B-spot?" Well, I can tell you that I expect those freakin' batteries to last long enough for me to squeeze off one shot of Peterborough culture before reading "battery exhausted" in my camera window. You can't tell me that the batteries were worn out by their trip from the dollar store into my camera. Hey Zeus! I carried them, they didn't even have to walk!
I digress... I know I'm a dingleberry for not being properly prepared for any photo op that presents itself. But I'm a little peeved about the fact these batteries will be going straight from the shelf to the hazardous waste depot. I'm not even sure if there are any hazardous chemicals in the damn things?
Anyway, I'll move on.
Peterborough is always seeing it's fair share of businesses coming and going. I'm always blown away by the loss of a long standing business in the Patch. I know my neighbours to the south in "the hood" think we only have one altruistic coffee shop up in Canada but we actually have a few major coffee shops. There's Country Style, Coffee Time and of course Tim Horton's.
Tim Horton's seems to be the front runner in the market but in some areas the other two competitors seem to hold their own. Peterborough has a few Country Style's left around. The best one ever was turned into a laundromat. A few years ago a Country Style took over an older building in Peterborough's downtown core. It was close to the marina and the Holiday Inn. It also hosted cruise nights for cars and motorcycles. On a warm summers eve you could breeze past it on the main street and see various cars with the engines spewing forth from their hoods or a sea of chrome Harleys...a feast for the motorheads eyes.
I was absolutely shocked when I noticed that this particular location was now closed. How could this be? It had such a loyal customer base! But then I realized...how could they compete in a town with roughly a dirty dozen Tim's?
In the photo above the former Country Style location is on the right hand side; the brown A-frame building with the red accents. It's hard to see in this picture but to the far left of this photo just down the street (about 100 metres) what's that looming on the horizon?
Yeah, you guessed it; Tim Horton's. These two coffee shops have co-existed on this strip for a few years, but I guess it just wasn't working out anymore. Tim Horton's has a few advantages: It is located right next door to the beer store. Why walk 100metres for your coffee after cashing in your empties of Lakeport when you can stumble a mere 12 metres to Timmy's for some sustenance?
Better yet head over to 2 for 1 pizza and get a slice to fill the whole that beer has left in your gutt. There is also this awesome dancing clown that hangs around outside the flower shop (also in the strip mall) enticing would be flower buyers to come peruse the foliage. Maybe if I buy some carnations she'll let me take her picture!
The above shot of the Tim Horton's next to The Beer Store was taking with the last dying breath of my AA rechargeable batteries. The red bike pictured here use to be a regular down the street at Country Style. Unfortunately this picture does not accurately capture the true beauty of this sweet ride. Don't worry haters, I can guarantee that there will soon be another opportunity to squeeze of some shots of this beast soon. This time I'll be prepared!
For the record, Country Style does have excellent coffee and some killer donuts. They have also been updating some of their locations as "bistros" where you can get some very delicious soups and sandwiches! So if you're cruising through the North don't be afraid to give them a try.
BOO YEAH!
B-spot in the frozen tundra!