I am so close to home I can taste it. Yesterday we had an 86 mile ride from Niagara falls to Rochester and today we rode about 95 miles from Rochester to just east of Syracuse. Much of the 2 days was along or very close to the Erie Canal and the terrain and scenery has definitely gotten me into thoughts of HOME. For a Cancer who is very much a home-body, I have struggled being away for now almost 7 weeks. And sleeping in 45 different motel rooms every night for the past 7 weeks is a nightmare.

Now all that remains is 85 miles tomorrow and then a night in Little Falls just east of Utica, before Albany, Brattleboro VT and Manchester, NH before our arrival on Monday in Portsmouth. For me these last few days will be enormously busy and hectic. The plan is to organize a splinter group tomorrow night of several of my penguin friends and allies. The tentative plan is to skip the stay in Albany on Friday and modify that days modest 75 mile ride and extend it to about 110 so that we can stay at HOME in Stockbridge. The decesion will be weather dependent and only if we have the "legs" with a strong start leaving Little Falls, NY on Friday morning. I will have assistance from my good friend and Trojan, Chico who will SAG our luggage and provide support for the Albany to Stockbridge leg. I am already dreaming of a night at home in my own bed and decent meal in place of another Holiday Inn and Old Country Buffet out near the malls in Latham, NY.

It will mean a long ride on Friday and another tough day on Saturday to catch the group in Brattleboro, VT, but worth the effort. This will probably be my last post until I get home and can catch up, because somehow in addition to all of this, I desperately want to return from Brattleboro for Sarah's art show opening at Naumkeg in Stockbridge on Saturday night. Please wish me luck because I will need it!!!!!

Back in the US of A .... sorry for the radio/blog silence. I could lie, say I was out of the country and couldn't update the blog or that while in Canada we were on a different voltage. Or I could say that there was a massive revolt and mutiny within the ranks of the penguins, but I will be honest and say that we have been riding hard with 82 miles on Friday, 68 (that I extended to 92) on Saturday and 78 yesterday that a splinter group led by roommate Charlie extended to 95 on the way into Niagara Falls. This with the ride definately turning more social, with before dinner gatherings at the pub my dedication to any remaining  loyal readers has lapsed.

But have no fear .... all is well. Today is a rest day in Niagara Falls and I will try to catch up.

First of all is the update on the leadership and threatened mutiny. The official leader and ABB commander is Mike Munk a military ex-air force guy that took and instant dislike to me and several other left leaning, long haired, fun loving riders, who he saw as rotten apples which were in danger of spoiling the barrel. Since day one there has been a simmering battle that I often seem to be in the center of regarding the many rules and the "tone" of the ride. I have dutifully followed my mantra of "learn the rules so that they can be broken properly". In the early days of the trip in the harsh, unfamiliar western desert and mountains, where physical survival was an issue, the Commander and his wife Barbara (a motherly type, stickler for the rules and who has not ridden more than twice for a total of 50 miles) and Karen the commander's clone and "adopted" daughter were in control. The support team of Jim (the mechanic from VT), Bud (60 year old, monster rider, lowest ranking worker and sympathetic rebel), MN Jeff and sweetheart Cathy were quietly and respectfully supportive.

As we moved east a series of tragedies that I saw as just Karma befell the leadership. Mike broke his ankle while changing a flat on the van, we lost 3 riders, 2 hotels were overbooked and at dinner and breakfast 3 times we ran out of food, Mike came down with influenza and disappeared for 2 days. These events along with the riders and sympathetic crew beginning to collaborate and get to know one another better began to breed some discontent. All of this, combinned with mellow, Minnesota Jeff and Kathy making some of the decisions led to a desire for change, i.e. sleeping later, more than a half hour between breakfast and "load/departure", dinner at 6 or 7 rather than 5 PM, and more fresh fruit and local produce at the SAGs rather than bananas and plastic Wall-mart oranges. WE WANTED MIKE SHIPPED OUT!!!!! And I thought it might happen ....... but sadly, no such luck.

Mike is still with us, but he seems a bit humbled and somewhat subdued and is showing some small signs of loosening up. Meanwhile I and and a growing number of other "bad apples" continue to swim in the lakes and rivers, have a few cold ones at the bar, ride side by side or even go to the left on a deserted road, show up on time or even late for meetings, go off route to see the sights, sleep out under the stars and increasingly have a lot of fun together.

I will close with some photos of the past few days in Canada which has been very enjoyable and about which I cannot not say enough nice things. The green and increasingly New England-ish scenery, friendly and unpretentious people, smooth well kept, bicycle friendly roads and courteous drivers were a joy.

A Canadian farm with the ubiquitous corn

I tried to get the Maple leaf flag

A nice bike path through Canada

The bridge over the Niagara River to the USA

Two more long Michigan days have brought us to Port Huron. Yesterday was one of those days I had been warned about, a day when you have "wooden legs". The 113 mile ride on Tuesday had taken more out of me than I realized. I my effort to remind the people up front that I could easily ride with them if I wanted to, I had extended myself more than I realized. Also with having lost much of my once voracious appetite at one too many "feed bag buffet" lines; on Wednesday I was out of gas from the start. I spent the day dwadaling around in the middle of the pack, and stopping for a nice big burger and a piece of pie at lunch. Sorry for not posting last night because when I got to the motel and had another buffet dinner, exhausted, I went to bed at 7:30 and slept right through until 6:30 this morning.

Following are some interesting pictures of the Michigan landscape and then I will follow with today's ride beginning with a rain delay and ending with what could be the beginning of some very intriguing drama within the ranks of the penguins. I may be at the helm of a mutiny that is mounting against the ABB commander.

Central Michigan is mostly flat but green and with a large number of wind mills.

More corn .... it's everywhere

Today, Thursday began with heavy down pour and thunderstorms. At breakfast we were told that there would be a one hour delay to the previously announced orders for a 6:00 AM breakfast and a 7:00 AM departure. And instead of Mike Monk (M squared, or M&M) the ex Air Force commander who is normally in command, we were being led by his 2nd in command; Minnesota, mellow Jeff. Apparently M&M after having broken his ankle way back in Idaho was now down with a mysterious influenza and not to be seen. Now ..... there are a few, among my few readers, who know me well enough, to know of my issues with authority figures. And some careful readers might have detected some bristling on my part at the military way in which the trip is often commanded. But I will let events unfold on their own, but clearly something is unfolding with the leadership of the penguin troops.

More insight will follow as things unfold and I have more time to elaborate, but right now I need some rest.

A picture of beautiful Lake Huron and my swimming spot for today. And a beautiful lake side marsh.

Across Lake Michigan yesterday (Monday) which turned out to be a long and tiring day. Then a 113 mile century today has rendered team penguin a tired and ornery bunch tonight. Yesterday was supposed to be a rest day. It started off okay and we were able to sleep late. But after breakfast our orders were to report for duty at the ferry dock at 13 hundred hours (military time for 1 in the afternoon). It was a hot day but the 6 mile ride was not the problem. The problem was arriving an hour early, then standing and waiting in the hot sun, first to get on the boat and then a delay of the boat departing while some huge wind turbine pieces were squeezed into the cargo bay, and then the 4 hour crossing combined with an hours loss entering the eastern time zone. This had us arriving in Luddington, Michigan at 8:30 still with 10 miles to ride to the hotel. On top of that we were starving because about all there was to buy on the boat was popcorn and hotdogs.

Unlike most of the others, peckish and hungry, who dutifully rode to the hotel out beyond town in the "land of Wall-mart" for a choice between McDonalds or Taco Bell, I and 2 other incorrigible friends stopped in the quaint harbor at a micro brew pub for a quick burger and a cold beer. Needless to say it was getting dark when we safely but now happily arrived at the hotel, to be greeted by the anger and hostility of the commander for having violated the rules by riding in under cover of dark.

The next morning, (today Tuesday) upon arising early the penguins were not a happy group. In addition to the previous night's late arrival, a incident from Sunday still was lingering. A middle of the group, pack of 7 riders (actually it was 2 groups who had temporarily melded), crashed in a massive, cascading snowballing heap of bloody road-rash and twisted handle bars on Sunday afternoon. Miraculously no one was seriously hurt and the bicycles all could be patch back together, but the carnage of bodies and frayed nerves, hurt feelings and even some finger pointing was psychodrama for the long ferry ride and added to today's somber mood.

Uncharacteristic of the others, though still still in the dog-house, I felt great. I spent today empathizing with the other penguins and socializing as I rode up through the group after as long a breakfast and as late a start as the commander would allow. I finished the long century up with the WTS (way to serious) folks in time to help unload the luggage, a futile effort to gain the Commander's favor.

No pictures of today's ride, it was a lot like Wisconsin but following are some photos of the crossing of the Lake.

It was a big boat and I did get my 2nd swim in Lake Michigan to keep cool as we awaited our departure.

The eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

View as we landed at dusk

Wisconsin has been a lovely state, much like Vermont and home with rolling hills and dairy farms. Yesterday we rode about 90 miles from Wisconsin Dells into Fond du Lac. This was our 5th long day in a row in which we have covered over 500 miles in 5 days. For the most part I seemed to have settled in and like many of the others established a rythem that is comfortable.

Much of the state we crossed on bike paths or on well kept county roads. Yesterday we finished in Fond du Lac on the foot of Lake Winnebago. Beside the many farms and lakes there were many wind mills.

I actually found the windmills to have a gentle grace and beauty, certainly less optrusive and unsightly than the ubiquitous telephone poles and wires that we all accept and take for garnted. The Wisconsin farmers live side by side with their windmills and I heard little or no noise, except for a gentle whooshing and far less damage to wildlife than the road kill carnage that is normal and accepted due to automobiles.

Yesterday I had a nice swim in Lake Winnebago and today in the much nicer and colder Lake Michigan.

This is me at the light house where we swam on Lake Winnebago.

As a reality check rather than a rider profile today I wanted to rave about how great this ride is, but also to give a list some of the everyday things that I will not miss at all when the ride is finished.

1. Spending 50 straight nights in 50 different motel rooms.
2. Packing up and moving every day
3. Eating breakfast in a hurry without time for a newspaper and a 2nd, let alone a 3rd cup of coffee.
4. Putting on sunscreen at 6 AM
5. Getting up at 5:30 AM
6. Having dinner at another "feed bag buffett" ... pronounced buff-it.
7. Listening to another "safety lecture"
8. Fake scrambled eggs without any toast and rubbery under-cooked beacon.
9. No fresh fruit 
10. Iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing.
11. Sleeping in a bed all alone with only a lumpy pillow to hold on to.

..... but every morinig when I settle into the saddle on my trusty "old gray mare" as I have begun to call my blue Cannondale bicycle, I feel like I am 8 years old again and starting out on another fresh day of adventure, and wouldn't trade this ride of a lifetime for anything.

In Wisconsin today I was a little homesick because it was a lot like home. We had a 90 mile ride through rolling dairy farms. The cooler and more humid weather felt familiar and some of the older homes and farms looked quaint, like New England. It was very different from the western states with their immense grand scenery that to me was hot and dry and a bit alien and impersonal, sort of like I imagine the moon to be, not green and intimate like New England. With this I am a bit homesick. I miss Sarah and the kids who are all together without me at home for the summer. It was a little bit bitter/sweet to think that after this weekend we only have 2 more weeks to go. I am looking forward to Sarah's opening and to being back in Stockbridge again.

That being said we had a lovely ride today. We passed through some really nice little towns. Making me feel homesick were the town centers with little coffee shops and local bakeries like we have in the Berkshires. Today for lunch I stopped with my friends Kevin and Randy from San Francisco for a delicious piece of home made rhubarb pie and a BLT with fresh juicy tomatoes and home made bread.

Some pictures before I close and a "rider profile" on my friend Kevin.

Almost half of today's ride was on this hard packed bike path. Lovely if not a bit jarring on the hands and wrists. .

The path began in Sparta, Wisconsin which claims to be the "bicycle capital of the world"

They have the first old rail bed to be converted to a bike path which features 3 tunnels.

The tunnels were carved from solid rock and one was almost a mile long. It was very cool with dripping water and dark inside. I led some yoga chants I once heard at Kripalu that were awsome.

 
This is Kevin McTighe from San Francisco. He is about my age and retired after working for the City Parks Department. Kevin is a strong and very experienced rider who I can almost keep up with on the climbs, but likes to hang onto my wheel on the flats and the long rolling hills especially into a headwind. Most of all he likes to have fun and pause and smell the flowers or to pet the animals, have lunch and a piece of pie, take a swim and can always sniff out a good pub. Though now in SF he is a Mainer, born and raised on a farm just up the Penobscot above Bangor. He tells stories about growing up on a dirt road drinking goats milk. He never tasted cows milk until he went to elementary school. He lost most of his hearing when young because as he says "I was a sickly child" with multiple bouts of fever. He is a lot of fun and a very smart guy; under rated by many, having a brother and sister who both went to Harvard. Most of the time we ride together at or near the back of the group.

Leaving Minnesota today and across the Mississippi River and into Wisconsin it was an 89 mile ride. We had a cloud cover so the temperatures were very comfortable. I had a momentary mental lapse this morning and packed my phone into my bag by mistake which was loaded into the truck. So no pictures today.

Two items of note are that the landscape, with dairy farms, began to resemble home. There were some gentle rolling hills and smaller farms many set into hill side settings or along small streams. The weather was cool and humid, just like at home.

The other item of note today is that we lost another penguin. Ray one of the 2 chaps from London took a spill on, of all places a 13 mile stretch of bike path. He landed hard and broke his collarbone and dislocated his shoulder. It was a brief mental lapse and he was not hurt badly but will be unable to ride and is flying back to England on Friday. He was very disappointed but in good spirits as he said his goodbys at dinner tonight. he was a really nice guy and his British accent and humor will be missed.

The crossing into Wisconsin across the Mississippi was celebrated with a swim at a very nice sandy public beach on the MN side. Sorry no photo.

I have been asked by some readers about some of the other penguins, so today I will post what I hope will be a series of features on some of the riders. This is Melanie Johnson who lives in Spokane Washington. She is 71 and the oldest rider on the trip. She is usually one of the first out in the morning and proudly always the last to finish. She is a life long cyclist who had logged trips up the Mississippi River and another trip with 2 friends from Miami to Bangor Maine. A few years ago she lost her right eye to an infection caused by a contact lens and almost gave up cycling. But is conquering her fears in dramatic fashion with this ride. She one of the few who will sometimes get some help in the sag wagon but is riding by my guess 99% of the miles. We all help and look out for Melanie who always rides alone because of her vision problem. She is a gutsy lady not at all hesitant to speak her mind.

A native of Minnesota, and grew up about 60 miles south of the Twin Cities where her father ran the local creamery. She is adored by many nieces and nephews though never married herself. She is a retired social worker in Spokane after previously living in Southern California.