June 27 - Day 24 - Huge Falcon Comes to Rest

The weather forecast for the day was thunder showers all the way from Winnipeg to Falcon Lake, so we prepared for the worst and headed out, actually leaving camp with the rain coming down.  The first surprise of the day came 5km into the ride when a distance marker posted Falcon Lake at 125km, so the expected 102km just got a little longer.  I refuse to even mention the "W" word, and even though I am starting to deal with it a little better, I am longing for another day with it at my back.

If you were wondering......I have found it

The terrain today was a carbon copy of so many days in the past 10, with long, straight, flat stretches of highway, with very little to look at on either side.  Everything was going along fine today until we reached a construction zone, and our  10ft wide paved shoulder shrunk down to 3, and then a few km later, to nothing.  Sid and I decided that if we were going to ride in the inside lane of traffic that we had to establish our position in the lane, otherwise vehicles would try to squeeze past.  All went well, and we were treated as a slow moving vehicle for what seemed like many, many km without incident.  We took a break about 35km from Falcon Lake, and had a nice lunch, even nicer chat with a lovely couple heading east to the lake for the weekend.

I guess there is freedom down there somewhere

We reached our destination late in the afternoon, and found the Bill's were totally set up and ready for our arrival.  They had already scoped out the town, and found the grocery store, a great local bakery cafe, and that you could only buy wine at the back of the lumber store, beer was available in a bootlegger like setting through a small door at the back of the hotel, the mosquitos were plentiful and hungry, and the golf course had been closed due to excessive rain the night before.  Hopefully we will be able to play tomorrow on our day off.......tee time 7:08.

Falcon Lake is in Whiteshell Provincial Park, and is a gorgeous cottage like area.  People from Winnipeg use it like we use Up North.  West Hawk Lake is just down the road and is apparently the deepest lake in North America, formed by a meteor impact.......somehow I think I have to research that one.

In many ways I long for some hills and rolling terrain, although the riding will be harder, it will be much more interesting.  People tell us that as soon as you cross into Ontario, which is not far away, the landscape changes instantly, and you immediately get into the hills that our north is famous for.  We are still trying to decide which route is better for us between Kenora and Thunder Bay, so if anyone has any advice, please chime in.  It is important we have at least some paved shoulder to ride on so we can stay out of traffic.

I neglected to include Jon's paintings yesterday, so here they are........

So even when you are sitting in the saddle for hours, pedalling endlessly uphill on flat roads (W), it is the little things that you will never forget, and make your day time and time again..........riding past a small farmhouse just off the highway near Steinbach, Manitoba, I spotted an older woman outside checking her gardens..........I gave her a wave........she waved back.......then blew me a big kiss....... and that is what I pass on to you now..........Goodnight........

LYJ