Dear folks: Just a v quick one tonight as I'm shattered! This was a hard day after a v pleasant weekend in Newcomb, New York.
We had a great
weekend of rest with the Newcomb United Methodist folks. Pastor Carol Ames (front, with the dog) and her team did a magnificent job of hosting us, and we had the opportunity to take part in their two services. One intriguing character for me was the wonderful organist, Herbert Chatsky, who is Jewish, but who plays for the Meths every Sunday after attending synagogue on Saturdays. I asked if I could get a photo of his moustache after I had photographed the congregation, and he was quite pleased.
In the evening we were entertained to a great pot-luck supper in the Long Lake church, and I had a great conversation
with a retired logging-truck driver called Bob, who had had a most interesting life.
Today was a tough one. First off, it rained almost the whole day, and secondly, there were a LOT of hills. We rode in the morning from Newcomb to Ticonderoga, crossed Lake Champlain by ferry into Vermont, then on to Rochester, Vermont, over the Brandon Gap - only about 2100', but long and in places incredibly steep. One bike computer put the slope in one place at 20%. In places the hill was so steep that some of us resorted to criss-crossing the road when no-one was coming, like we did when we were kids, and I’m not ashamed to say that there were two sections where I simply got off and walked for about 100 metres each time. I thought my responsibilities as a husband and a dad were more important than being able to say I rode every metre of part of the way across America, which sounds pretty lame anyway. My mileage for the day was 94.3, which compared to Saturday's 123 may not sound like much, but it was tougher terrain, and
there was a lot of traffic in places. We had to change route to a more southerly one, as the heavy rains of the last few weeks have washed away a bridge and some roads.
I didn’t do anything for my testimony today, as at one point I almost lost it. I heard furious hooting and shouting as we were just leaving Brandon and looked round to see this car hassling Arek – driving right up close behind him, refusing to pass even though there was room, and the driver calling him all kinds of names. Then, I think because there were other drivers behind him getting really annoyed with him, he pulled past Arek and made to pass me. I rode into the middle of the road to get a good look at his number-plate, and as he drew alongside me he began to give me what-for as well. He was a large gentleman with a long ginger beard, and with a very embarrassed-looking guy in the passenger-seat who may have been his grandson. I’m afraid my response was to say: “What’s your problem, you old git?” which I’m absolutely sure was not WJWHD.
Our hosts for tonight (Paul Bayfield's and mine) told us it has rained here for 57 consecutive
days. Sigi & Jolande Labejsza are Polish, but living and working here. Very nice folks. Thanks as always. It's Monday, but Friday's coming!
We had a great
weekend of rest with the Newcomb United Methodist folks. Pastor Carol Ames (front, with the dog) and her team did a magnificent job of hosting us, and we had the opportunity to take part in their two services. One intriguing character for me was the wonderful organist, Herbert Chatsky, who is Jewish, but who plays for the Meths every Sunday after attending synagogue on Saturdays. I asked if I could get a photo of his moustache after I had photographed the congregation, and he was quite pleased.In the evening we were entertained to a great pot-luck supper in the Long Lake church, and I had a great conversation
with a retired logging-truck driver called Bob, who had had a most interesting life.Today was a tough one. First off, it rained almost the whole day, and secondly, there were a LOT of hills. We rode in the morning from Newcomb to Ticonderoga, crossed Lake Champlain by ferry into Vermont, then on to Rochester, Vermont, over the Brandon Gap - only about 2100', but long and in places incredibly steep. One bike computer put the slope in one place at 20%. In places the hill was so steep that some of us resorted to criss-crossing the road when no-one was coming, like we did when we were kids, and I’m not ashamed to say that there were two sections where I simply got off and walked for about 100 metres each time. I thought my responsibilities as a husband and a dad were more important than being able to say I rode every metre of part of the way across America, which sounds pretty lame anyway. My mileage for the day was 94.3, which compared to Saturday's 123 may not sound like much, but it was tougher terrain, and
there was a lot of traffic in places. We had to change route to a more southerly one, as the heavy rains of the last few weeks have washed away a bridge and some roads.I didn’t do anything for my testimony today, as at one point I almost lost it. I heard furious hooting and shouting as we were just leaving Brandon and looked round to see this car hassling Arek – driving right up close behind him, refusing to pass even though there was room, and the driver calling him all kinds of names. Then, I think because there were other drivers behind him getting really annoyed with him, he pulled past Arek and made to pass me. I rode into the middle of the road to get a good look at his number-plate, and as he drew alongside me he began to give me what-for as well. He was a large gentleman with a long ginger beard, and with a very embarrassed-looking guy in the passenger-seat who may have been his grandson. I’m afraid my response was to say: “What’s your problem, you old git?” which I’m absolutely sure was not WJWHD.
Our hosts for tonight (Paul Bayfield's and mine) told us it has rained here for 57 consecutive
days. Sigi & Jolande Labejsza are Polish, but living and working here. Very nice folks. Thanks as always. It's Monday, but Friday's coming!
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