We wake up to rain. A steady pouring of water. Rain. The forecast is for more rain with a 60% chance it will continue across our entire route. We go for breakfast. Afterward, we retreat to the cabin.
While the rain continues, I take advantage of the time and do a complete set of my stretches. After yesterday’s 110 miles, my stretching routine feels especially good. Ahhh, I’m so looking forward to seeing Michele and my next massage. Or two. Or three. This old body needs work.
TODAY’S RIDE ...
The rain lets up and we’re off. I dress anticipating the worst: leg warmers, toe covers, and my rainbreaker in a jersey pocket it rains on and off. Finally I put on my rainbreaker; I see no reason waiting till everything is soaked. After about ten miles cycling, we stop for ice cream. We see patches of blue sky. Some of us are more optimistic than others. I replace my toe covers with full shoe covers and my sunscreen arm covers with arm warmers.
The ice cream stop is comical for the service. It takes forever for someone to greet us. Upon learning we only want ice cream, we’re sent their ‘expert’. She cannot understand Peter. She doesn’t know the makeup of different flavors. She revisits our table multiple times upon discovering they’re out of something we ordered. She returns multiple times having forgotten what someone ordered, even though she wrote it down. Peter and I are served. Then there’s at least a five minute pause before David and Jonah are served. It’s all quite curious.
We resume cycling. There’s rain and more rain. David and Jonah are cold. It’s miserable. We stop to see Peter. We all decide to stop cycling for a while. Bikes atop the van while waging war against the swarming mosquitoes.
RIDE’S END ...
We drive to Tupper Lake. It’s stopped raining. The bikes come off the van. We visit a nearby McDonalds and use its bathroom. The rain restarts. The forecast is bad. We call it quits for the day. We van to and through Lake Placid and arrive at our lodging in Wilmington.
David and Peter do laundry. It’s interesting and perhaps ironic for four guys to be so concerned with cleaning their clothes.
Late afternoon the rain stops, the clouds disappear, and the sun comes out. It’s suddenly a beautiful day.
We agree to an early start tomorrow to catch the morning ferry in Port Kent. I go ahead and clean The Slim Miss Piggy now. The rain made her plenty dirty.
DAY’S END ...
We drive to Lake Placid for dinner. We settle on Eleanor’s Kitchen, highly rated on YELP. I’m tired and hungry, not a good combination. There is no list for tables, an irritation I share. Customers leave and we scarf up a table. Once in line (we order and watch our meal cooked), the patron before us orders dinner for twelve. I’m really annoyed. I sit down. Finally I ask this person how many orders she has. She doesn’t like my question or my tone. I’m pissing off everyone. Finally we get to order, watch our meal cooked, and chow down. I leave a generous tip. Afterward, I approach the two women who cooked my meal and compliment them on its excellence. I apologize for being such a grump. They are both very appreciative. We leave on friendly terms.
The evening is not over. Emma’s down the street has ice cream. We each order a sizable waffle cone. Our second ice cream of the day. I’ve corrupted David, Jonah, and especially Peter. The ice cream is delicious and we are all stuffed.
We drive back to our cabin and retire for the night. Sated. Happy. Looking forward to cycling tomorrow.
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