Day 120-A convention of tourers and Cecil and Julia's place

Day 120 Sunday, September 5, 2010 Distance 75.21 km. Time 4 hr. 45 min. Total so far 8267.79 km. We left the Wayside Inn in Blind River into uncertain weather conditions. After the cold yesterday, we were dressed in all our warm clothes this morning. The first hour wasn’t too bad and the traffic was light because it was Sunday morning. The edge was a little better because this section of road was repaved over the last few years. There were lots of passing lanes to go with the hills and the edges were very wide there. Our first quick break today was at a picnic table area along the Mississagi River. Our snack and stretching break was at the Huron Shores Recreational Centre. Gradually the wind picked up and became horribly strong in our faces for the rest of the day and the temperature stayed cool except when the sun decided to peak out from behind the clouds. During our second break on the top of a hill in a sheltered spot we could feel it’s warmth.We planned to have lunch just outside Thessalon at a convenience store on the Hwy. to Chapleau. We found out that it was closed and for sale now but we had our sandwich under the awning there anyway. I was especially tired today and was moving quite slowly into the strong wind. That was the opposite of yesterday when Dave was tired and I was more energetic. To relieve my tiredness, I would stop and take a photo here and there such as old buildings, farm country, a big red chair. Finally we came to Bruce Mines and went to the grocery store for some supplies. Dave forgot my Gatorade so we went on and got it at a gas station. While he was inside, I saw 2 tourers coming on the other side of the road so I went over to say hi. Gunther, 65 and Buckard, 63 are from Germany. They started in Vancouver and are cycling to Toronto. They will take the ferry to Tobermory and rent a canoe and do some boating in the Bruce Peninsula on the way. They wondered if I was alone which they didn’t think was good but I pointed out Dave making his way across to us from the gas station. At the same time 3 other tourers came up to us. Lisanne, 25 , from Nova Scotia and Shawn, 32, from New Brunswick are cycling from Vancouver to Halifax. They are both teachers in Fredericton. It is their first tour and they are pretty light with back panniers only. That means only one change of clothing. Brad joined them along the route. He is from Wisconsin and is cycling around Lake Huron. All of them stayed at Velorution in the Sault. That place must be a tourers haven. Our little group looked like a convention of tourers. It was GREAT! Dave and Gunther were talking about their Rohloff Hubs from Germany, some of us were taking photos, Lisanne was asking me questions about our trip. Gunther was joking that they can’t get rid of this young group because they keep meeting each day somewhere. They have all enjoyed each other's company and the strong west wind pushing them along the last few days. Just as we were saying goodbye, Cecil and Julia passed us in their vehicle, greeted us and we followed them down the lane way to their house. They used to live in the same neighborhood in Sault Ste. Marie as we did and we first met them at a Bible study and became great friends. They have since moved to Bruce Mines. They are a talented couple and very devoted to the Lord. They had just returned from a pot luck lunch at the church. They were all dressed up but Julia had one addition to her wardrobe- a beautiful looking cane all decorated. Her hip has been really bothering her the last couple of days and she is waiting until after the weekend to call the doctor. We hugged hello, put the bicycles in the garage, and came into the house to greet their oldest daughter, Cynthia, who is moving to the Sault to become the Manager of Medical Resources at the new Sault Area Hospital. We were also checked out by Raffi, grandson Corey's Chihuahua dog, Cynthia’s orange tabby cats, Lugh and Noel, Lynn's Siamese cat, Ming and Baby, a black feral cat that comes in and out as she pleases. WOW! It’s just like at Melissa’s house- an animal paradise. We visited for the rest of the afternoon and caught up with each other’s families. For supper, we had barbecued chicken and delicious leftovers from the potluck and cake from Cecil’s birthday this week. After supper we went with them to Light Haven Rest Home for a sing song and a message from a visiting preacher, John Sinclair. Later we had a snack at Cecil’s home with guests that they invited over. Cynthia played her harp for us and told us about her upcoming job. Dave was so tired after the guests left that he went right to bed. I stayed up talking to the ladies for a while. I also called Matthew to let him know where we were. We are anxious for the weather to be good tomorrow for our last day of riding.