….a little rain must fall.

Wet. And cold.
That pretty much describes today’s journey from North Bay to Sault Ste. Marie.
Staying in a hotel last night was a really good choice. I got up, enjoyed a long, hot shower and then filled up on coffee and muffins at the continental breakfast bar in the lobby. Satisfied in mind and body, I began loading my gear onto the bike at about 0730 this morning. A man in his early 50’s parked his brand-new, white with orange stripes Camaro SS and watched as I lugged my gear out from my 2nd floor room to the parking lot and stacked it beside my bike. It took me 4 trips to get it all outside and begin fitting it into place.
At this point, Mr. Wisdom sagely asked ‘you sure all that gear is gonna’ fit on y’er bike?’
Uhhmmmm…..you caught the part where I mentioned that this took place in the parking lot of a motel, right?
Did this genius really think that he was going to stop me in my tracks, scratch my head while pondering my dilemma and then ask him for advice? Did he think that I took a cab to the mall last night and went on a crazed camping-gear shopping spree with no conscious thought of what to do with it in the morning?
If I had been a little quicker of tongue I might have said something along the lines of ‘did you notice anyone pushing a side car on your way in?’ – or at least pointed out that I had managed to get all of this same gear to the hotel without the use of fairy dust or magic spells, so……
Must be something in the water in North Bay. Between Rebecca’s struggles with technology, as mentioned yesterday, and this guy’s total lack of critical thinking, I am not disappointed to have spent only slightly more than 12 hours in North Bay. Pretty town though, lol.
I was really hoping to be able to avoid the rain today. I actually thought that I might be able to, due to a misplaced trust in the Weather Network. I know….learning curves.
The highlights of the day were 4:
1) Welded metal sculptures at the Mohawk motel in Massey, On.

more pics here.
2) Stopping at the Camillus Centre, in Elliot Lake, On. This is a treatment centre that I attended about 11 months into my new-found sober life – it was a pivotal experience that continues to have impact in my life even today. I think it was a combination of a sense of honour, and a feeling of belonging, that saw me detour from my trip-plan to stop in and say thank you.
3) ‘Checking-in’ on Facebook from a Tim Horton’s in Blind River led to a woman named Gail coming across the street to sit down and touch base with me.
Gail and I met at……you guessed it – the Camillus Center. 5 years ago. We have not seen, nor spoken to each-other, except on Facebook, since that time.
Just another one of those moments in time.
And now, I am at the Sleep Inn Sault Ste. Marie. A man named John, whom I had never met before arriving here, booked us a room after a couple of email conversations last week.
Highlight #4.
John is a member of the same motorcycle club that I ride with – the Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers – or CMC. John is a member of the Sarnia chapter and, like me, is traveling to Vancouver. We plan on riding together as far as Calgary. More fodder for later posts, to be sure.
Ok – it was a long, cold, wet day of riding in the rain. I don’t think the temperature ever reached 13 degrees. The hot shower here in the hotel was, in a word – glorious. Now it is time for me to lay my head upon the pillow and …………..
……..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………zzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………..

Goodnight fellow travellers. Do your best to stay dry. And avoid late model white Camaro’s with orange stripes.