THE OASIS
Greetings from SODUS POINT NY, a small village that rests on a point of real estate jutting into Lake Ontario. We had a pleasant ride into ROCHESTER yesterday, and met up with the final two cross-country cyclists whom we had heard of but not seen before. They are a father/son duo, Robert and Justin---and couldn't be nicer guys. We have been leapfrogging each other since Washington, and we took a lead when we ferried across Lake Michigan--- but they caught us after hearing about us throughout Michigan and Ontario. We exchanged some thoughts about the route and scenery, then continued along the canal. The Erie Canal is over 350 miles long! No wonder we've ridden beside it for so long.
The local paper, THE ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE had a banner headline today warning of the impending hot weather. It was forecast to be a "scorcher", the "hottest day of the year" and by golly it was. We've had some sweltering sauna-like weather this week, and today it turned downright nasty. We were okay and partially shaded while we were on the infernal *alleged* bike path, but we finally diverted off of it when Kami flatted out her rear wheel on the rough surface. At PALMYRA, we pulled off and studied one of the homes that had been a "station" of the Underground Railway---there's a lot of history in Palmyra. We took a break to eat lunch and swap out Kami's tube, and by the time we got out of town and back on the road, it felt like our tires and the road were melting. With each wheel rotation, we could hear a "glitch" sound, as if we were stuck on fly paper. It was hot, it was humid, and it was hilly. I was feeling nauseous, but listening to my iPod as my eyes drifted longingly off the road to the houses with pools in the back yards---I wanted to get in one so bad!
After climbing a long hill, I stopped and crossed the road to sit under a large shade tree and drink some gatorade. I saw a woman up at the house, which was set off from the road, and I went up to ask her if it was okay if we rested under her tree. Annette rushed over, and asked if she could please get us some ice, some water, anything? And we declined. I think we must have looked pretty wasted, because she then said, "Why don't you take a dip in my pool and cool off?" and I said, "Where's your pool?" and she took me behind the house and there it was: nirvana! A big, sparkling blue oasis with a shooting fountain in the center! I ripped off my shoes and socks and shirt and jumped in, and Kami was just a beat behind me. Annette went inside to get us big mugs of iced tea, and after we cooled off in her pool, we sat on her patio and told her about the trip while finding out about her family, and her life in Marion, NY. She joins the league of angels who have given us just what we wanted just when we needed it. It was a perfect afternoon---we haven't had such an exquisite turn of events in a while now, and we left her yard feeling so refreshed.
The next stop for us was the Putneyville Pickle Market where I had the most delicious homemade "cherry pocket" and Kami had a Ben and Jerry's ice cream bar. Another 10 miles, and we made it to Sodus Point.
In another development, Kami's parents Jim and Jo have joined us for the New York leg of the trip---they have a car and they carried all our gear today. It's been a long time since we've ridden without all the "stuff"---and while it was a huge relief, it also left us looking like imposters when we told folks we were riding cross country. We have about 5 days left in NY, and then it should be a quick zip across VT, NH and Maine. Maybe 9 or 10 days left in this odyssey, depending on whether or not we take a rest day and the conditions along the way. We have some steep mountains to cross, but we can almost feel the ocean. I've still got that little vial of Pacific water in my handlebar bag, and I'm itching to deposit it in the Atlantic! I've been thinking a lot about the totality of the trip---all the miles, the people along the way, the sights and sounds and smells, the best moments and all the rest of the moments, too. It's something else.
The local paper, THE ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE had a banner headline today warning of the impending hot weather. It was forecast to be a "scorcher", the "hottest day of the year" and by golly it was. We've had some sweltering sauna-like weather this week, and today it turned downright nasty. We were okay and partially shaded while we were on the infernal *alleged* bike path, but we finally diverted off of it when Kami flatted out her rear wheel on the rough surface. At PALMYRA, we pulled off and studied one of the homes that had been a "station" of the Underground Railway---there's a lot of history in Palmyra. We took a break to eat lunch and swap out Kami's tube, and by the time we got out of town and back on the road, it felt like our tires and the road were melting. With each wheel rotation, we could hear a "glitch" sound, as if we were stuck on fly paper. It was hot, it was humid, and it was hilly. I was feeling nauseous, but listening to my iPod as my eyes drifted longingly off the road to the houses with pools in the back yards---I wanted to get in one so bad!
After climbing a long hill, I stopped and crossed the road to sit under a large shade tree and drink some gatorade. I saw a woman up at the house, which was set off from the road, and I went up to ask her if it was okay if we rested under her tree. Annette rushed over, and asked if she could please get us some ice, some water, anything? And we declined. I think we must have looked pretty wasted, because she then said, "Why don't you take a dip in my pool and cool off?" and I said, "Where's your pool?" and she took me behind the house and there it was: nirvana! A big, sparkling blue oasis with a shooting fountain in the center! I ripped off my shoes and socks and shirt and jumped in, and Kami was just a beat behind me. Annette went inside to get us big mugs of iced tea, and after we cooled off in her pool, we sat on her patio and told her about the trip while finding out about her family, and her life in Marion, NY. She joins the league of angels who have given us just what we wanted just when we needed it. It was a perfect afternoon---we haven't had such an exquisite turn of events in a while now, and we left her yard feeling so refreshed.
The next stop for us was the Putneyville Pickle Market where I had the most delicious homemade "cherry pocket" and Kami had a Ben and Jerry's ice cream bar. Another 10 miles, and we made it to Sodus Point.
In another development, Kami's parents Jim and Jo have joined us for the New York leg of the trip---they have a car and they carried all our gear today. It's been a long time since we've ridden without all the "stuff"---and while it was a huge relief, it also left us looking like imposters when we told folks we were riding cross country. We have about 5 days left in NY, and then it should be a quick zip across VT, NH and Maine. Maybe 9 or 10 days left in this odyssey, depending on whether or not we take a rest day and the conditions along the way. We have some steep mountains to cross, but we can almost feel the ocean. I've still got that little vial of Pacific water in my handlebar bag, and I'm itching to deposit it in the Atlantic! I've been thinking a lot about the totality of the trip---all the miles, the people along the way, the sights and sounds and smells, the best moments and all the rest of the moments, too. It's something else.
posted by Laurel @ 5:47 PM
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