out for nearly 700 km this past week

[The Masons]

Last Sunday I mounted up and headed to Penetanguishene* to see my daughter 
and new grandson.  I can make this a 400 km + ride but in the summer the 
roads through Algonquin Park and the Muskoka Lakes region are too busy for 
my liking at this time of year.
I rode to Eganville then took back roads through Foymount, Quadeville, 
Schutt, Hardwood Lake, McArthur Mills to Bancroft.  I stopped in several 
places to pick daisies as my daughter likes them. It was cool about 15 C 
(60F) so at Bancroft I exchanged my elkskin gloves for snowmobile gloves.
I stopped at Furnace Falls on the Irondale River for a picnic lunch.  The 
day had warmed to about 21C (70F).
There were a dozen or so young ladies swimming in the pool below the falls. 
Most of them had suits on that would not have provided enough material to 
make a decent eye patch for a pirate - which was good.  Lucky I didn't bit 
off one of my fingers while eating my sandwich.
I stopped at an Arby's in Orillia and bought Liz a sandwich.  The traffic on 
the Orillia by- pass was stop and no go so I rode into the city and went out 
on the Coldwater road that becomes Hwy 12 to Midland.  I stopped at the 
hospital to visit Liz and Mason.  Poor Mason's head was slightly pointed 
from coming into this world with the aid of a suction device.  The daisies 
had suffered some ride fatigue being cooped up in the tail trunk but the 
Arby's sandwich arrived intact.  Liz was happy with both.
I was a little taken back when I went to leave the hospital parking lot and 
saw the $5.00 for 5 minutes or 5 days.  So I rode up the side walk to the 
Emergency and then onto the road very nice wheel chair/motorcycle access 
curbs.
I parked my bike at Liz and Eric's house with 351 km showing on the 
odometer.
After getting the baby home, I headed back on Thursday.  I was wondering if 
I could shave any distance off the trip.  My wife doesn't like to ride on 
rickety roads so I'm not allowed any adventure driving with er in a vehicle.
The first 90 km from Penetanguishene, past Midland, Port McNichol, Victoria 
Harbour, Waubashene**, Fesserton, Coldwater, Warminster, Price's Corners, 
Orillia, Rama to Rathburn takes 1.5 hours do to traffic, traffic lights and 
stop signs.  But now I'm on the Monck Road and can make up some time.  I did 
slow down and stand on the pegs when I crossed the Irondale River but alas 
the sweet young things that  had decorated the Furnace Falls pool were gone, 
so I found a higher gear and continued.  I retraced my route to Toryhill and 
continued straight to to Wilberforce rather than take 121 to Bancroft.  At 
Harcourt I took the ElephantLake/Peterson Road (the name depends on which 
end you enter the road from) to Hwy 62 at Maynooth. Hwy 62 to Combermere 
then the Rockingham Road to Burudenell.  Brudenell to Foymount, Eganville 
and then Cobden.  When I stopped for gas in Cobden my odomter read 340 km 
and it was 3 hrs and 47 minutes since I'd left Penetanguishene.
 I had only stopped at traffic lights and stop signs on the way back and 
would not realize how stupid this was for an old guy until I tryed to get 
out of bed Friday morning.  Cutting a couple of lawns and helping a friend 
with a stone and concrete patio since Friday has not helped matters much.
* Penetanguishene - "The place of (Bay of) the White Rolling sand" (Huron 
dialect)
** Waubashene - "The place (bay) of Rocks.  Do a little boating here and you 
will find they didn't lie about this.

Jim