2015 Edition of Retirement Rides

Hello readers,

Started out from home at 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 2nd, There was a slightly overcast sky and the temperature was in the low 20's. I made really good time from Ottawa to Mattawan, but from there to Sudbury it wasn't so great. It began to rain, lightly at first, but quite heavily afterward; so much so that I had to pull off the highway at a lookout onto Lake Nipissing halfway between North Bay and Sturgeon Falls, With nowhere to get out of the rain, I stood under a tree, called home, and waited until the worst of the rain had passed. 

I made my way to lunch at the Sturgeon Tim Horton under a steady drizzle. The rain stopped and I rode to my older brother Gilles' house in Garson where a fine dinner was served. Afterwards I was off to my other brother Jean-Yves' house where I was welcomed for a two night stay. I took advantage of the layover in Sudbury to ride around the city a bit and to visit with an old and dear cousin, Eymard and his wife Lorraine.  Eymard is awaiting the results of tests on lumps in his throat. We all hope that, whatever it is, he will be able to be treated. I have known him for my whole life so we have many amusing stories to share. I can only hope he's around for many more years so we have opportunities to do so.

Early to bed after a great meal with Jean-Yves and his wife Candace, and a 7:00 am start for the ride from Sudbury to Manistique Michigan on the shore of Lake Superior.  I find it interesting to see the reaction of the American border officials when I tell them where I'm going. There's a combination of envy, disbelief and suspicion when I say I'm riding solo to the West Coast. The guy today looked like he was thinking: ¨this guy is crazy, but probably harmless". So he waved me through with a "drive carefully".  I will