Today was mostly beautiful! Emma and I had a great host, Gail Miller, a retired Special Ed teacher, who made us breakfast, laundered my riding clothes, which were pretty smelly, and fixed us great packed lunches. We left from the Lutheran church in Medina at 7.45 am after a great send-off from our hosts, and other friends we had made last night ( a bit of a miracle in itself - I can't speak for the othe
rs, but I don't give of my best in front of a crowd right after a 100+ ride, and dressed top to toe in black sweaty Lycra). One lady called Anita Monpetit (left) dragged her daughter Nicole out of bed in her jammies just to come and wave us off. Son Isaiah very wisely stayed under the covers at home. The other touching thing was that three of the young teenage boys from the church turned up with their mountain bikes and helmets and rode out with us to the edge of town. You might hear of one of them again: Mitchell Holbrook (centre) is only 14, but he is already an accomplished magician with a great turn of sleight-of-hand tricks - plus he has sawn his mother in half. Not many kids can say that. He wants to go on to college to do a Business degree, then 
become a professional magician. Remember: you heard his name here first!
rs, but I don't give of my best in front of a crowd right after a 100+ ride, and dressed top to toe in black sweaty Lycra). One lady called Anita Monpetit (left) dragged her daughter Nicole out of bed in her jammies just to come and wave us off. Son Isaiah very wisely stayed under the covers at home. The other touching thing was that three of the young teenage boys from the church turned up with their mountain bikes and helmets and rode out with us to the edge of town. You might hear of one of them again: Mitchell Holbrook (centre) is only 14, but he is already an accomplished magician with a great turn of sleight-of-hand tricks - plus he has sawn his mother in half. Not many kids can say that. He wants to go on to college to do a Business degree, then 
become a professional magician. Remember: you heard his name here first! Another thing that made the day good was the weather. It dragged its feet a bit early on, then was sunny in the afternoon, not too warm, a good tail-wind for about half of it. The scenery along the Erie Canal was beautiful, then we left Highway 31 and went onto a beautiful paved cycle track with no motorised traffic, running for about a dozen miles along the former towpath of the canal. Lots of people jogging, walking or riding the path, plus several cruisers going up or down (literally in one case at Lock 32, as we saw two boats being lowered for the next stretch downstream) and - really nice - two coxed rowing Eights being coached on the 
canal. The picture was spoilt only briefly by my riding companion today, Arek, (left, + Dan Chapin and his son Zack) getting a rear-wheel puncture. What was also good was that for a long stretch seven out of the twelve of us rode the path together. That many together doesn't happen much - for reasons of traffic, different abilities or different speed priorities - but when it 
happens it's nice. 
We met an interesting character on one of the bridges, a retired German worker from the local Kodak plant in Rochester. Even though his English wasn't perfect, he had really mastered the use of the 'F' word! He had a good pension from the company, which he augmented, as far as we could tell, by collecting bottles in the little trailer behind his back. He was unimpressed that we were going to Maine, and told us we needed to be heading in the other **** direction.
canal. The picture was spoilt only briefly by my riding companion today, Arek, (left, + Dan Chapin and his son Zack) getting a rear-wheel puncture. What was also good was that for a long stretch seven out of the twelve of us rode the path together. That many together doesn't happen much - for reasons of traffic, different abilities or different speed priorities - but when it 
happens it's nice. 
We met an interesting character on one of the bridges, a retired German worker from the local Kodak plant in Rochester. Even though his English wasn't perfect, he had really mastered the use of the 'F' word! He had a good pension from the company, which he augmented, as far as we could tell, by collecting bottles in the little trailer behind his back. He was unimpressed that we were going to Maine, and told us we needed to be heading in the other **** direction. This kid is EJ. We met him at our lunch stop near the canal. He was sitting in a huge SUV playing music quite loudly whilst his Mum and brother were in a music-school for a practice, and the noise was kind of intrusive on the otherwise-quietness. His window was open, so I went over to talk to him, and he turned the music down to hear me. Afterwards he went into the music-school and came out with a $5 bill from his Mum for us. I think she could afford it - she kept the motor of the car running for the whole time she was in the school!
In the beautiful little town of Palmyra we turned north - at a crossing which I think had a church on each of the four corners. Now the hills began again, and I think these were the forerunners of many 
to come. I was trying to think of where in Northern Ireland the countryside most resembled, and I concluded (this will be no help to non-NI readers) that it was most like County Armagh - rolling hills, not too steep, not too high - and lo, we came around a corner and there was an apple farm. Then another, and another, and soon that was about all there was. In late afternoon we rolled into Williamson, our destination for tonight, past a sign which said: "Welcome to Williamson: the core of apple country" and "core" was a drawing of an eaten apple. The main one they grow around here is called Empire, and like Parma ham and Bruges lace, other places may grow the apples, but they can't use the name.
to come. I was trying to think of where in Northern Ireland the countryside most resembled, and I concluded (this will be no help to non-NI readers) that it was most like County Armagh - rolling hills, not too steep, not too high - and lo, we came around a corner and there was an apple farm. Then another, and another, and soon that was about all there was. In late afternoon we rolled into Williamson, our destination for tonight, past a sign which said: "Welcome to Williamson: the core of apple country" and "core" was a drawing of an eaten apple. The main one they grow around here is called Empire, and like Parma ham and Bruges lace, other places may grow the apples, but they can't use the name. 
Emma, Zack and I are hosted tonight by a great cook called Judith Cooke (left) and her grand-daughter Adrienne (2nd right) a terrific personality of 14 who plays soccer, and whose record at keepy-up is 422. Try it! She gave me a tour of the neighbouring orchard, where the apple trees on individual support poles just go on and on for miles. She also took me next door to her best friend's house to introduce me. Linda, the mother, was waving something from above her head down towards the ground as we approached from behind. It looked like she was casting out spirits, but turned out to be her attempt to clean a paintbrush. Their elder daughter, Roland-Anne (truly) has a rare form of cancer, and several times a week they have to make the 7-hour trip to Baltimore for treatment. They were on their way back when we called. She can't walk at the moment, as the chemo and whole-body radiation have damaged a lot of her leg-nerves. Adrienne brought out Roland- Anne's younger sister Jilly, who has 
been donating stem-cells for her treatment, as they are a perfect match. She's a brave kid, who may have to go through the whole harvesting process again on Monday. She missed about half the school year last year as she had to stay in the hospital in Baltimore for weeks on end. I asked Linda about whether she had any faith to help her, and seems like that's what's getting them through. The whole community is also pitching in with money through garage sales, bake sales etc. Hard times, however. Linda "just cries a lot". They could do with our prayers. I will try and get their surname tomorrow. Back to "our" house for a major dinner, with barbecued steak and chicken, locally-grown corn on the cob, tomatoes, double-baked potatoes (very good), green beans from the same farm (Adrienne works there after school) and chocolate-covered sponge later. All great. I'd better stop now and hit the sack. Not so tired today, as slightly shorter(88.66 miles) but I think tomorrow is harder. It's 11.30pm and Roland-Anne and her Dad have just arrived home next door after their 7- hour drive from Baltimore. They will be exhausted, and still have to get her into bed. Definitely hard times.... Thanks again for prayers for safety, and for team unity - they are being answered. Would also appreciate your prayers this weekend for my assistant Ruth and her husband Stephen and family as they deal with some really difficult fostering stuff. CAMPFEST in Slovakia is also on, a big Arts, Music & Worship festival run by YFC, and with about 6,000 expected. Wes, Hamish and Marcus from Ballynahinch Bap are also there. With warmest good wishes.
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