by Greg | Jun 11, 2019 | Training
I hesitate to even write yet another Guardian Angel story, but this story comes with an actual photo of two, true to life, Guardian Angels. Jim and Sandy Long live on a small “farm” near Sterling, NY and they came into my life two days ago.
I knew I had to ride faster than my usual butterfly pace since a storm was predicted for the area. Well, I almost made it to Wolcott, but the storm hit when I was 15 miles from Wolcott. With the rain coming down in buckets, and the temperature falling, I decided I needed to find some shelter. I rode past many driveways in the sparsely populate area, but for some reason pulled into the Long’s driveway. I quickly put on my raincoat and found some shelter under a beautiful maple tree. (As I was leaving Pulaski, NY I mailed home a box of items I had not used since leaving Portland, including my rain pants!) I looked down at my OMJSN and said, “Well, here we go again!” Literally two minutes later Sandy walked up and said to me, “Please come up to our house and get out of this cold rain!” Sandy didn’t know who I was, where I had come from, or anything else about me! Sandy is a Giver! In her eyes I was not a stranger, and because she is a Giver, she only saw me as a friend in need of help! Did my plea to OMJSN really have anything to do with Sandy walking out in the rain to rescue with me? To me yes, but …..
I spent the next two hours engaged in conversation with Sandy and Jim, also a Giver! It was such a pleasant two hours I don’t even remember what we talked about. We probably chatted about our children, grand children, Alaska (Jim had visited his nephew in Eagle River a few years ago) and life in rural Central New York State. Sandy and Jim offered food, a place to sleep if the rain didn’t stop, and even said they would be glad to drive me to Wolcott. As the storm slowly passed by their lovely farm, I reluctantly said I should be heading west to Wolcott. We shared photos of our grandkids, exchanged addresses, gave each other heartfelt hugs, and then I sadly pedaled away from my Sterling, New York “Givers.” Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Jim and Sandy!
I made it to the Erie Canal Heritage Trail today, June 11, and have enjoyed the smooth, peaceful and flat trail. I will ride beside this gorgeous American landmark all the way to Niagara Falls.
Cheers and thanks again for all your comments, prayers and support!
Greg
by Greg | Jun 9, 2019 | Training
“When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a road straight ahead with no mountain to climb!” It is almost a “Catch-22” situation when I think about the mountain ranges I have pedaled up and over the last few days. I won’t miss the long hard climbs, but I also won’t receive that emotional “high” one gets when accomplishing difficult tasks. Oh yeah, just like life itself! I leave behind the White, Green and Adirondack mountains, but the magnificent scenery will be forever etched in my brain.
Inlet, NY was my next stop, but AT&T is not the most reliable carrier in Central New York. I stopped for a late breakfast at Long Lake and called the Marina Motel to see if by chance they had a room for the night. (Black flies are now my least favorite critter. I passed a small church on the way to Inlet and their sign read, “I wish Noah had swatted both the black flies.”) Anyway, my conversation was like the old cell phone advertisement “Can you hear me now?” I walked around a small deck looking to get the best signal. The owner said, “I don’t think I have a room, but you pedal on to Inlet and I’ll find something for you!” As always, I glanced down at OMJSN and thought, “ Here we go again!” I rolled into Inlet and started looking for the Marina Motel. A few seconds later, I heard a lady yelling at me from a car pulling up beside me, “Are you the man who called the Marina Motel from Long Lake? I was getting worried so I have been parked at the corner looking for you.” She actually did have a room and escorted me to the motel. I am so embarrassed that I either did not hear her name, or had a senior moment and it slipped my mind, but as the late Paul Harvey always said, “Now the rest of the story.”
The next morning I went down for breakfast at the motel and encountered Grace, the teenage daughter of the owner. Now, it was 6:30am on Saturday and yet Grace greeted me with a bright, shining smile and a “Welcome to our breakfast area!” I told her I was a retired teacher and her she started asking questions about Alaska and what grades I had taught. We had a delightful conversation as she busied herself making coffee and cleaning up tables. Remember, this a 13 year old teenager who was working at her parents motel while her friends were probably either still in bed, listening to music or getting ready for a day in the sun! What a delightful, charming and out going young lady. The Dr. Seuss quote, “Oh, the places you’ll go” fits Grace perfectly. (Grace is an exact copy of my own Olivia.) Their enthusiasm for life, caring personalities and intense curiosity are examples of how loving parents can and do mold young adults. Grace, thank you for shining your light on me last Saturday morning.
I know, I am long winded, but the beauty and uplifting individuals I am meeting truly brighten our world. Even though I can’t for the life of me remember Grace’s Mom’s name, I think I have an even better name for her:
Grace’s Mother – Filled with grace. Thank you so much for helping to make our world a better place, and for entering my life.
I have seen the names of many places of worship on this journey in just 450 miles, but this one caught my eye! Oh the scenes we see traveling at 8 mph.
Greg
Pulaski, New York on the shores of Lake Ontario, almost.
by Greg | Jun 7, 2019 | Training
”Are you visiting Middlebury? If you are a visitor to Middlebury, tables at Rosie’s are for eating but, counters are for eating and visiting. So set yourself down here at the counter and share you story!” That was my introduction to Doc, and the ways things are done at Rosie’s Diner. During our 45 minute “visit” I learned Doc truly was a doctor and had retired at age 75 as Chief of Surgery at the Middlebury Hospital. Doc served the community of Middlebury and the surrounding area because he “Liked the people, countryside, and the small time feel of Middlebury!” We shared stories about our families, Alaska, exercise (He shares many of the same philosophies as my good friend Alex Monterrosa) and life in similar communities! I reluctantly pried myself away from Doc, paid for both our hearty meals and gave him my web site address! He just had to have a photo of me on my bike and we bid a fond farewell! Doc is one of the reasons for this Journey!
As I pedaled westward, I decided I should maybe take some time off and visit Fort Ticonderoga! After all, this Journey is more than an enlightened, white haired man riding a bicycle 50-60 miles a day. I ended up spending 3 hours at the fort taking in all the tours offered during my short visit. As I left the Fort, the sky darkened and it started to sprinkle, thus cementing my plan to take Wednesday off! It rained most of Wednesday, but I still walked the streets of Ticonderoga! While eating breakfast at Libby’s Cafe, I noticed a huge pencil hanging from the ceiling as part of the homey decor! As a former elementary teacher it all came back to me in a flash as to the real reason I think of Ticonderoga! The yellow, #2 Ticonderoga pencil with the black bands around the brassy looking eraser holder! That is, and always will be my most vivid image of Ticonderoga!
Now George enters the blog! George is a local business owner and chief entertainer in “Ti!” George escorted me through his small Adirondack Furniture “store” and chatted about the same topics as Doc the day before. I learned he was, and still is, a power lifter! While showing me an old photo of himself pressing a barbell he said, “One day a kid at my gym asked me why I continue to lift at age 80. I told him that I wanted to look so good at my funeral, they won’t be able to shut the lid of the coffin!” He drew himself in the picture he is holding after his knee replacement surgery! If you can’t read the message, it is written out below!
“I wanted to same money on my knee replacement so I asked our local veterinarian if he could do the surgery! I saved a lot of money, but now I can’t pass a fire hydrant without lifting my leg!” Oh the memories I will carry in my heart and mind regarding George and Ticonderoga!
I have rambled long enough, but with no WiFi in Ticonderoga and camping last nigh, I wanted to catch everyone up on my journey. My days while riding are filled with magnificent scenery, interesting local residents and sounds that can only be heard pedaling along at between 2.7 and 10 mph. I was so slow today while climbing a super long pass, I was able to stop talking to my OMJSN picture and share stories with “Mable Sicklefork,” a gorgeous yellow and black butterfly. Eventually she decided I was going way too slow and flew off, but not before wishing me a safe journey!
Thanks to all for reading my excessively long dissertations, and your heart warming comments! (Inlet, New York)
Greg
by Greg | Jun 3, 2019 | Training
I am going to amend the old carpenter’s saying in the above title to “Read four times and ride once!” On Sunday I read my map twice instead of four times and it cost me 20 miles! I took a wrong turn, stayed on HWY 113 and as I pedaled along I expected to encounter my breakfast stop, Sharon, VT! Well after pedaling uphill from 450 ft elevation to 1280 ft, I figured out something was wrong and I had not made it to Sharon! Long story, but I turned around, I knew it was all downhill, and finally got to Sharon, VT. I had traveled 42 miles and was only 22 from where I had stared the day! Read, memorize and read the map again and again – lesson learned! BUT…..
Below is another absolutely true “OMJSN Guardian Angels” story! An hour before the below encounter, I looked down at OMJSN and said, “Poppie messed up, took a wrong turn, it is getting late and I have nothing arranged for tonight because I thought I would have been in Hancock, VT. Any magic would be appreciated!” (I never feel alone while riding and talk to the five all the time.)
As I sat eating my delicious turkey sandwich at Sharon’s deli, a lady pulled up and asked, “Where you headed?” I briefly told her my story and she told me that she and her husband lead bicycle tours for Adventure Cycling! They have done the same tour as I am doing, but 11 times! Eventually she asked my plans for the night and I said, “No idea and no campground, motel or B&B in the area!” “We have an unpublished B&B and we’d love to have you spend the night at our B&B, out of the rain!” Nancy and Ken Wright are such a delightful, knowledgeable and caring couple! I got warm, washed clothes, dried my soaked rainfly, slept like a log, received fabulous tips on my route and topped it off with a delicious breakfast this morning! Thanks once again to my Guardian Angels, OMJSN, what should have been a disastrous day, turned into a fabulous day!
Tonight I am in Middlebury, VT and should be in NY state tomorrow. Today was another long climb, but with a cold headwind, rain at times, a bit of hail (I found a covered picnic area next to the Rochester Volunteer Fire Department during the hail storm,) but I didn’t miss read my maps!
Thanks again to old friends, new friends, and my loving family for all the love and support via this blog and Anita’s Facebook postings! I am so blessed! One special thank you to Pearl Hopson, a former student of mine from Wainwright, AK, for her kind words. I can’t believe my former students in Wainwright are now Mom’s, Dad’s, teachers and I hear some are now successful whaling captains! Be safe out there at whale camp, unless the season is over already! Remember the big chocolate chip cookie Eli won for some contest at Halloween’s? LOL
Cheers and all is good with Greg’s Journey
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