No Worry! Be Happy!

Last night I lodged in Exeter and the closest lodging I could find on the route was more than 60 miles away. Oh no! That meant I was going to have to pedal a Metric Century. My plan was to get up early and go slow, but then I remembered, I only was carrying two tubes. Yesterday I said I had a blowout. Well, I was not entirely forthcoming about that event. I ran over road debris, flatted and replaced that tube and proceeded on my way. BAM!! About 200 yards down the road, the same tire had a blowout. That has never happened to me before. Someone more experienced than me can tell me what I might have done or was it just a faulty tube? Anyway, that was half my inventory in tubes, and I did not want to be carrying just two tubes. So I had to wait until Exeter Cycles opened up (a very, very nice bike shop, by the way) so I could double my tube inventory and commence my Metric Century. So I got out later than I planned. I also was going to focus on my ride, so I was not going to take any pictures today. That probably lasted about three miles when I stopped and took my first picture. It turns out, even though it was the most climbing I had done in a day and it was the furthest I cycled in a day on this trip, physically it was not as difficult as I expected. After the ride was over, I felt pretty good, not exhausted. I am either getting more fit, or I am leaving stuff in the room and getting lighter.

Physically the ride was great. Mentally was a different deal. On the downside, I was on a lot of roads that were narrow and busy. Today was my most uncomfortable traffic day. I was often passed close and passed fast. In Maine, on a narrow road, traffic would usually wait if there was oncoming traffic and then cross over the middle line and give me wide berth when they passed. Today there was very little waiting in NH and MA, they passed me close and fast when there was oncoming traffic, on narrow roads without shoulders. And some drivers would pass me close and fast even when there was not oncoming traffic. Why!? At Groton, I was routed onto a bike path and I found it to be a calming way to end a days ride. I needed it.

Some of the ride was back roads, with very little traffic. I am on those roads, by myself, with no one to talk to and my mind wanders. I mean it really wanders. For instance, I see a 'For Sale' sign on a very nice property, kind of like a well kept ranch, and right above the sign it says 'Horse Property'. And I wonder, could horses own this property?

"Hay! Wanna be our 'neigh'bors? Whinny gonna come by and visit us? Well, it's been nice, but we hoove to go now."

Or there was another property being sold by a realtor named Mary Toothaker. And I thought Mary was probably an up and coming dentist with a growing list of clientele, until she got married to Mark Toothaker and changed her last name to his. And not too much later, she had to get into real estate.

That's how my crazy head works when I am out on the road by my self. 

Tomorrow evening will be special, though. I met a couple in Bar Harbor who are involved in biking and were very interested in my ride. They said they lived near Boston and I should visit when I come through. People say these things and we smile, shake hands and say good bye, and nothing comes of it. But Mary and Bill have been reading my blog, and when they saw I am nearing Boston, they emailed me to see if it would be possible if I could visit, how cool. It turns out they are just six miles off route, and they said they had a dinner, a bed and a washing machine waiting for me. So tomorrow I plan on staying with Mary and Bill in Stow, MA. I am honored and humbled to be invited to share their home.

       Every day, more and more fall colors.

       Typical trafficked road today, no shoulder.

        Typical untrafficked road today. Green and peaceful.

       My favorite water picture today.

       My last five miles today were on a bike trail. Calming, I needed it.

       This is what my dashboard looks like. You can see I am heading south.