THE PARTY STORE

We are in Marine City, Michigan, about to ride the ferry across to Canada. The "ferry" looks like a steel barge, and the journey is one I could easily swim, if that were allowed and if I didn't have 80 pounds of bike and gear to carry with me. Yesterday morning, we woke up in the drizzle, which was turning into a light rain. We decided to start Sunday off the right way---with doughnuts, and we went to a Tim Horton's to fill that order. We have only been to this "chain" once before, and that was in Bay City. Kami had heard it was a good place to get coffee, and I had heard that it was a good place to get doughnuts, and we both were disappointed. The slogan of Tim Horton's is "always fresh", but that's just not true. SO, we gave it a second shot and I think that's their last chance with us. We pedaled out of IMLAY CITY headed towards CAPAC under a darkening sky, with flashes of lightening in the distance. As we got closer to town, a man in a pickup truck stopped us and yelled out "THERE'S A BAD STORM COMING!!!" and I yelled back, "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?" and he replied, quickly, "It's 10 minutes away, and it has 50 mph winds!". We ducked into a diner called LOUIE'S FAMILY RESTAURANT, and I threw my bike against the building and darted inside. Kami did an analysis of the possible wind/rain/storm potentials and stood out in the pouring rain until she chose the best spot to place her bike. We ordered some tea and breakfast, and watched the sky get darker and darker until it was like midnight outside. Then, it was like midnight inside too as the power failed. The restaurant was hushed, until one of the waitresses yelled out in the dark, "Don't WORRY! We still have TWO POTS OF COFFEE!" It took about 15 minutes for the storm to pass through and the power to be restored. We were so lucky to be under cover. When we left, my bike was right where I leaned it, and dry. Kami went to the far side of the building to find her bike drenched and blown. That was kind of funny.

We rode on to Marine City, where we spent the night. Some final thoughts about Michigan---1) The roads here are cleaner than in any other state we've ridden through. There are still dead animals, of course, but not much trash/glass on the road. 2) It took me a long time to figure out the concept of "the party store". Every town has one or more, and they figure prominently in all directions. The "party store" is not what I thought---a place to buy balloons, pinatas and paper plates decorated with Sponge Bob SquarePants. It's actually a convenience store that sells liquor. Who would have guessed that? 3) Michiganders are friendly people, and they ask a lot of questions. Including invasive ones---nowhere else have people asked the kind of questions we get asked here. It may be my southern upbringing, but I wouldn't ask anyone the questions that I've been asked, and especially not before finding out their name and possibly buying them a drink! In fact, I'm surprised that of the thousands of questions I've been asked, no one ever asks my name, which I always think of as the introductory part of a conversation. We've also been invited to stay in more private homes here than in any other state---although Kami doesn't think the offer I got from a table of four men at the Heidi Ho tavern was a legitimate offer!!

Two days ago, a man began a conversation with me WHILE I was riding, also a new experience. He was on a motorcycle, and he pulled up so that the three of us were taking up an ENTIRE country road, both lanes---he asked "Where ya from?". Although I have always answered that question with "Wichita Falls, Texas", I know that in Michigan that means, "Where did you begin riding that bike this morning?". I answered him, and he just kept asking questions, while sometimes giving his motorcycle the gas and bursting my eardrum. Very strange interaction! Several people have also asked me to race them here. I had a good chance against a couple of them. Time to get to Canada--- We'll be hugging the coastline until darting back down at Niagara Falls next weekend. WAY TO GO LANCE!!!