Morning of Departure: Get as Far Away As Fast As I Can...

It rained overnight.  All was damp, fresh and new with possibility... go as
far as the tank will take you... get as far away as fast as you can... around Moncton, through Rogersville and the light began to change.  As the sun rose higher behind me, it seemed to light my way as the skies turned blue before me and shadows began to fall east to west pointing me toward my destination.

As the run rose the lingering scents of the night intensified... almost such that you could taste newness and growth...

The fuel light came on as I turned into the Shell station at the east end of the Renous Highway.  As is my custom - make every stop count.  Filled the tank and enjoyed two homemade sugar donuts and coffee as the sun continued to bring warmth to the land... and my spirit.

Ten clicks in the Renous Highway took me back in time... it turned to gravel.  Well, not really gravel - but chip seal - all the same when you are on a motorcycle!

There is a life lesson that comes through really clearly when riding a 600 pound top heavy motorcycle on chip seal gravel and things begin to get squirrelly...

  • don't hold on so tightly, hold that which guides you lightly and it'll be ok...
  • stand up and look far down the road... perspective always helps...
  • keep the front wheel light; keep your speed up... stopping will get you nowhere as the gravel (or any other obstacle for that matter) is not going anywhere...

After the gravel a series of sweeping turns came along... and they too can be a lesson for life: lean and trust gravity as you stay on your side of the yellow line!  No, we can't see around the corner... but, we can trust ourselves to deal with what comes next.  Enjoy the ride!!!

About the halfway through the Renous it began to mist.  By Paster Rock it was intermittent showers but by Grand Falls the rain had stopped and I was able to stretch my legs and take a few photos. My belly was growling but - as I'd not burned a complete tank of fuel, according the the "Wallace Rule" I could not eat.  I still had 300+ KM to go...

The rain began in earnest at Cabano and shortly thereafter I pulled in under an overpass and donned my rain gear and put on some soothing music: "If Not Now... Tell Me When" and "Before and After" seemed very fitting as the skies closed behind me and patches of blue could be seen far off in the distance.

I figured Al was Scottish enough that I could put frugal ahead of a completely empty tank - and avoid thereby following the rule to the letter of the law.  Breakfast was had a Normandie Restaurant near Mont Joli... delicious!  Gas tank was filled and I set off in the rain again...

Rain on a motorcycle does not inspire picture taking!  The next photo I took  was of Clancey greeting me upon my arrival at Helen and Andrew's home.  Beer, pizza and a dip in the pool seemed to be a most fitting end to this first day on the road.

As I finish up this entry, I've just heard from Duane.  He and Cindy are settled into their room.  I'm about an hour away... I'm sure we will connect around nine or so, have breakfast and then head to Gravenhurst... on the Sabbath Road...

Comments

  1. Martin ZwickerJuly 27, 2015 at 4:44 AM

    Insightful reflections, tks!! What tires do you run on your GS (GSA?)?
    Safe travels!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lloyd BruceJuly 27, 2015 at 6:36 AM

      Thanks for the comment Martin. I'm running Anakee 3's on it. So far so good. I think I have to get the front rebalanced though. Will look into that this week.

      Delete

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