Memoirous

Day 14, Acadia to Deer Isle Thursday June 29, 2017, 46 miles (74 km) - Total so far: 638 miles (1,028 km) This was my official last day of riding. I won't complete the blog until I put in pics which might not be for a couple of weeks. I leave Saturday for my one-week residency at GSH island. So today. Not a high-milage day but a toughie nevertheless. I left via the shuttle to Trenton which cut out some miles but also dropped me by the road at 10:30,which meant I missed riding during the cool of the a.m. Winds were relatively calm, but would ramp up with the heat. I got through Ellsworth, the town itself was quaint. There were also some sizeable hills. Not sure why, but I walked the bike up more today than any other day. I was making good time and told myself I'd stop for lunch and put on sun screen in Blue Hill. Well outside of Surry I felt my back wheel to phlump. It wasn't flat yet didn't feel round. I tried to go and the brakes grabbed. Finally I pulled ove...

Day 13, Mainayr to Acadia Nat. Park, Tuesday June 27, 2017, 46 miles (74 km) - Total so far: 576 miles (926 km) So perfect. Really a great day all around. Now sitting in tent waiting for a thunderstorm.It took me about 39 miles to get here and it wasn't too bad. Some roadworks on 1 made things a little hairy. I took the turn-off for 3, and continued to the entrance info center. There I used a special phone to call around to the campgrounds. Everything inside the park was full, but I was able to secure a tent site at Bar Harbor campground for 2 nights for $68. I know, it aS much as a hostel. Overall though it is a good value. Everything is convenient, the shuttle bus, the showers, and washrooms. There's even an ocean view. After getting settled in I took the shuttle with my bike and got on carriage trails at Hull Visitor Center. I had absolutely no idea what this would be. Let me tell you it is a dream come true. Like riding in Paradise. Tomorrow I plan to get up early ca...

Day 11 @ St. Brendan's rescue donkey Sue and Alan Day 12, Dennysville to Steuben, Mainayr Campground Monday June 26, 2017, 63 miles (101 km) - Total so far: 530 miles (852 km) I'd like say today was easy, but I had to put on my game face. First, it was hard to leave St. Brendans Retreat Center also called Holy Trinity Chapel. Alan and Sue welcomed me into their home. Even the dogs started to love me. We'd sit around the table and have deep talks. There were also chores to do: goats to feed and milk, donkey pens that needed mucked out, and little baby goats that needed to be bottle fed twice a day. This a.m. I helped separate about 2 gallons of goat milk. I left with the sweet taste of cream on my lips. I knew I had at least 60 miles to do today--and 1/2 of this is up. Nothing like my JOGLE but yet it is taxing--especially in the hot sun. Yes, there was sun. A blessing and a curse. Then I got a flat tire. I pulled over and ex a mined it and found a tac...

Day 9, New River Beach to St. Stephens Friday June 23, 2017, 40 miles (64 km) - Total so far: 428 miles (688 km) After yesterday on route 1 I wanted to make sure I didn't have a long day in the rain. So opted to leave campground at a fairly leisurely pace. Route 1 was taken in 2 segments, to St. George's then to St. Stephens. I got to St. George's and bought a chicken pot pie right out of the oven. Nice! The day started sunny but rather quickly faded to cloudy. I kept my orange long sleeve riding shirt on the whole time. Wind was NOT an issue so route 1 went a lot faster. Easier than yesterday going up and down the hills. It began to spit rain after lunch, but continued on route 1 to Oak Bay right outside of St. Stephens. It was 50% rain predicted for today and 80 tomorrow. So after an ice cream at Teepee dairy bar I found a hidey spot. It's still quite early, but don't mind being settled before rain comes. I'd stopped at a campground, but they wanted $31...

Day 8, Digby/St. John Ferry to New River Beach Thursday June 22, 2017, 30 miles (48 km) - Total so far: 388 miles (624 km) What a lovely morning, almost hot and I didn't need to be anywhere until 11. But I left early for the ferry. Probably only a handful of times I've actually been early for a ferry. The last coupe of times I've just caught it before the doors closed. Had a nice chat with a wonderful woman, age 86, touring NS with a group. We had a lot in common--opposed to the fact she was a psychoanalyst--yet we agreed: neither of us dreamed. I'm usually too tired at night. I got onto highway 1,and let me tell you that was hectic. It is a super highway that allows bikes. There is a wide shoulder that keeps me out of the way of traffic. Yet the trucks just barreled past me making me nervous. On top of that the wind was a huge factor. I rode right into it. With the sun and the wind and riding uphill, I was constantly parched. I had to plan drink breaks because I...

Day 7, Yarmouth to Digby Wednesday June 21, 2017, 68 miles (109 km) - Total so far: 358 miles (575 km) Last night my motel room was a drying factory. There was so much--even if it wasn't wet it was damp. I aired out my sleeping bag and all the contents of my handlebar bag. It literally took all night for my riding shoes to dry. Every surface was scattered with items in various degrees of wetness.A couple of times I opened the door wondering if I was just being a baby and each time the wind and rain confirmed my instinct to stop. This a.m. there was no fog. No rain. Nothing but sunshine and birdsong. The motel offered a continental breakfast and the clerk insisted I take extra for the road. I did. Now let me say today was one of those days, so perfect, that it makes you love riding. You can ride and ride forever. There was sun and some clouds, low humidity, not a lot of traffic. Wind at my back. I cycled uphill like a pro. I didn't get lost or have to worry about making...

Day 6, Yarmouth, Lakelawn Motel Tuesday June 20, 2017, 18 miles (30 km) - Total so far: 290 miles (466 km) Well, I didn't get very far. I packed up dry--yet everything felt damp. The humidity. The first 13 miles were great though windy. I took a great pic(to come) of St. Anne's church and the interior of a Baptist one. It was the first time I'd actually seen one open. Even Sunday they all looked dead. After coming out of the church I noticed it was spritzing, not even half a mile down the road it was raining so I put on poncho. I crossed several causeways to get into Yarmouth. The wind was pushing me off the road. It was scary and my poncho was ballooning. I finally made it to a Tim Horton's, my life raft. I had them fill my thermos and ate a sandwich. All the while I was checking warmshowers and CouchSurfing, looking for a host. At one point the rain came down so hard the hardy lobstermen inside commented on it. Meanwhile I'm in soaking wet clothes, squishy ...

Day 5, Shelburne to Argyle Historic Anglican church Monday June 19, 2017, 60 miles (97 km) - Total so far: 271 miles (436 km) Yesterday it wasn't just cloudy but cloud-bearing, and at the last moment there was a cloud burst. The air was saturated. The same thing today plus strong winds. Throw in occasional fog. I left the campsite about 8:30. Very relaxed. The night before I'd stayed up with Jerry and Wendy the campground host's talking around the fire. Lovely people, and so good to talk and hang out. I hit the 103, and hated it the whole way into Barrington, which was nothing but a cluster of museums. The visitor centre was very helpful and directed me to a place where I ate lunch. The wind was against me the whole way. But after I left the wind pushed me 30 more miles. I knew I couldn't make Yarmouth, maybe I could, but with the fog rolling in I thought better of it. I just didn't want to be stuck with fog and low energy during rush hour traffic. Tomorrow...

Day 4, Rest in peace, Liverpool to Shelburne Sunday June 18, 2017, 62 miles (100 km) - Total so far: 211 miles (340 km) Maybe not so much in peace. The winds picked up and it rained hard. I needed a strategy for keeping things dry. It's hard to set up in the rain, load in in the rain, and then decide what do do with the soaking wet clothes. Above all I needed to keep the sleeping bag from getting wet in all my manoeuvring. Also must sacrifice having wet socks on until last possible moment. Between the day before and the ride yesterday I had 2 pairs wet socks and only 2 dry ones left. I had to save one for sleeping in. The rain pants were a joke. I put them on because I needed something for running to bathroom in and they were dry. But in the night the coating came off on my skin and the seam seal tape came apart. I might need to find a laundromat for a dryer. I rode today in my spare bike shorts and they simply do not have the padding. They're pretty worn. So the weat...