After the downpour the night before, it was good to see the sun again when I woke up in Tobermory. I headed out on Hwy 6 and enjoyed the quiet conutry roads as the Ferry Traffic wasn't due for an hour or so. I have been enjoying the early 19th Century farmhouses I see and the buildings in town are cool too. I stopped in Ferndale to rest and when I came out, a wall of clouds and rain greeted me. I did what anyone would do at 10 am and went for ice cream next door. I ate a delicious cookie dough scoop (s?) and watched the clouds for a break. After about 2 hours, I finally got up to leave and the owner figured that even though the rain had stopped that I was going to get wet. I biked a kilometre down the road before I saw an old Catholic school serving as a thrift shop. Hoping to stock up on dry clothes, I managed to find a t-shirt, a sweater, and a tiny pillow! The piloow is an excess I guess but I really miss having one! When I got outside, the sun was shining brightly and a few ominous clouds were in the distance. There were big honking windmills in the next lot over going full tilt. There is some opposition to these because I see the odd sign here and there protesting them.
Today is a very social day. I see a guy limping with a cane and pushing a baby carriage along the road. His name is Motes and he is walking to Ohio because he is too injured to work. He lists his ailments off and he is fitted with knee braces and ankle braces! He doesn't have a cause and I am almost thankful! What a guy! I peddle a bit more and come up on a cyclist who is not moving too fast. He doesn't have a mirror so I follow him for about 5 minutes before the traffic clears and I go up beside him. I consider sneaking up behind him and shouting,"HOW ARE YOU??!!" but see that could be dangerous to him. It turns out he is breaking his trip in two and heading back to teach at a Catholic school in Vancouver! He is going to Hamilton so his trip is finished until next summer. We ride side by side and I am checking my mirror constantly to make sure my trip doesn't end with my brains on the side of the road here. We agree that Hwy 17 is brutal and that the driving is getting worse. He pulls off into a rest stop and I wish him well and continue on.
I make it to Wiarton and stop in the library. I see next door is the Wiarton Willie cage and I go to investigate. He does not seem to be home. I make a call to the guy whose cell phone I picked up in Sask and as I'm talking, I notice the shape of a groundhog. As soon as I move closer, he goes underground. When I go to look in the underground part, he goes back up! I finally saw Willie and he says it looks like another 6 weeks of biking for me!
At the Tim Horton's just outside Owen Sound, several people ask me about my trip and 1 guy sits down and inquires as to where I am going and where I have been. he doesn't recognize the places I talk about and I realize based on his dress that he too is a cyclist. He is coming from Pennsylvania and went up to the Soo via Duluth and then came back down via Espanola. His name is Ryan Caines and he is taking a very casually trip of around 70 km a day. Bruce would not be pleased! I arrive in Owen Sound and find the house of Paul. It has a nice backyard and Paul comes out to talk. He reminds me of a Surfer a bit. I head to the YMCA where Tonia is nice enough to grant me a free shower and then I head home. Its a late night as I check the advice from the warm shower people ahead of me. Brandon has suggested a stone dust trail which might be nicer than HWy 26 which gets pretty busy. I turn in and enjoy my night as I fade off to the sounds of the folk fest in the distance.
Today is a very social day. I see a guy limping with a cane and pushing a baby carriage along the road. His name is Motes and he is walking to Ohio because he is too injured to work. He lists his ailments off and he is fitted with knee braces and ankle braces! He doesn't have a cause and I am almost thankful! What a guy! I peddle a bit more and come up on a cyclist who is not moving too fast. He doesn't have a mirror so I follow him for about 5 minutes before the traffic clears and I go up beside him. I consider sneaking up behind him and shouting,"HOW ARE YOU??!!" but see that could be dangerous to him. It turns out he is breaking his trip in two and heading back to teach at a Catholic school in Vancouver! He is going to Hamilton so his trip is finished until next summer. We ride side by side and I am checking my mirror constantly to make sure my trip doesn't end with my brains on the side of the road here. We agree that Hwy 17 is brutal and that the driving is getting worse. He pulls off into a rest stop and I wish him well and continue on.
I make it to Wiarton and stop in the library. I see next door is the Wiarton Willie cage and I go to investigate. He does not seem to be home. I make a call to the guy whose cell phone I picked up in Sask and as I'm talking, I notice the shape of a groundhog. As soon as I move closer, he goes underground. When I go to look in the underground part, he goes back up! I finally saw Willie and he says it looks like another 6 weeks of biking for me!
At the Tim Horton's just outside Owen Sound, several people ask me about my trip and 1 guy sits down and inquires as to where I am going and where I have been. he doesn't recognize the places I talk about and I realize based on his dress that he too is a cyclist. He is coming from Pennsylvania and went up to the Soo via Duluth and then came back down via Espanola. His name is Ryan Caines and he is taking a very casually trip of around 70 km a day. Bruce would not be pleased! I arrive in Owen Sound and find the house of Paul. It has a nice backyard and Paul comes out to talk. He reminds me of a Surfer a bit. I head to the YMCA where Tonia is nice enough to grant me a free shower and then I head home. Its a late night as I check the advice from the warm shower people ahead of me. Brandon has suggested a stone dust trail which might be nicer than HWy 26 which gets pretty busy. I turn in and enjoy my night as I fade off to the sounds of the folk fest in the distance.