Betwixt and Between

Where to begin?  Why, at the beginning, of course.  This morning, I awoke in my own bed, but the tour is not over.  Of course, I was glad to be home with my wife and son, but I worried that I would mix my home routines with my tour routines and leave something at home that I would need on the road.  (So far, I don't think my fear has been realized.)  Maureen drove me to the motel after breakfast.  There I met my pastor, Fr. Michael Farano, a photographer from the diocesesan newpaper, and some folks from CC, all as expected.  After Fr. Farano offered a prayer for the safety of the cyclists, a TV reporter asked for some time with me, which I gave him in order to boost the fundraiser for CC.  Then, Bishop Hubbard arrived to wish me well and we had a nice chat and posed for photos.  These were all conversations I was happy to have, but they led to my leaving the motel last of all the riders for the 76 mile ride over the Green Mountains to Brattleboro, VT.  Temperatures were seasonable, the sky was blue with fair weather cumulus clouds, and the winds were behind us - yet another great day to ride!  About five miles into the ride, at the bottom of the hill climbing up from the Hudson River in Troy, I found Scott Logan with his bike upside down.  His chain had wedged in his crank, much like mine had at the bottom of the hill climbing up from the Mississippi River in Quincy, IL.  So we began to take apart his crank in order to free the chain.  We were soon joined by Noreen Macklin, Meredith Johnson and Ron Wilson who came back down the hill to see what had happened to Scott.  We completed the fix and all got under way about a half hour later.  At the 12-mile point, Clark of CrossRoads told us we were 45 minutes behind the next rider in front of us.  So we resolved to ride together at a comfortable pace and see what the day might bring.  We started one of my favorite local roads, the 9-mile rolling ride on Tamarac Road from Clums Corner to Boyntonville, when a school bus, soon followed by two more, came up behind us but could not pass on the narrow hilly road.  In an effort to be courteous, we turned off the road into a driveway, but we were immediately followed by the three buses ... into the bus depot yard.  Some days, you can't win for trying.  This put us into a silly mood and reconfirmed our expectation that we would finish the day's ride last of all the riders, an expectation confirmed when were were last into the first SAG stop.  With such a relaxed attitude, we lingered for pictures at the Vermont state line.  We passed multi-hued flowers and a display of tree stumps chain-sawed into bears.  As we rode to the Bennington Battlefield Monument, we found Ken Zika and Paula Farmer and invited them to join our Caboose Club.  We detoured a few yards off the route to visit Robert Frost's grave where his epitaph reads "I had a lover's quarrel with the world."  My ambitions to be last crumbled on the seven-mile climb out of Bennington.  Then, there was a wonderful descent to Wilmington on which I hit 46.6 mph, even though I was holding back in order not to crash during the last three days of the tour.  Following the second SAG stop, there was a four mile climb up Hogback Mountain with its advertised "100-mile view."  There, in southeastern Vermont, my aunt and uncle from northwestern Vermont surprised me.  I told them that a week ago I had told Maureen that I was ready for the tour to be over, but now I am not so sure.  Then followed another long exhilarating descent, this time into Brattleboro.  I was torn about how to entitle my blog post today.  Should it be "Dandelions, Tiger Lilies and Wooden Bears, Oh My!" for the sights we saw on the way out of NY?  Should it be "The Road Taken, or Not Taken" for our detour to the Frost grave?  Because of this indecision and the mixed emotions I'm experiencing in the last days of the tour, I settled - as you see - on something else.  Tomorrow is our last full day of riding, 80-some miles from Vermont, through the hills of southern New Hampshire, and into our final state, Massachusetts.

Comments

[Betsy OHaire]

Don -
What a pleasure it has been for me these last 3 days to see you and spend time with your fellow riders. You are indeed a part of an incredible group of adventurers and I will remember my time with you and your cycling friends fondly. I enjoyed putting faces with names and have a new and fresh perspective on your blog entries! I felt as though I sent 42 kids off to college today and will treasure my time with you, the cyclists and the entire Crossroads tour for many, many years to come. Thank you Don for what you have done for Catholic Charities, for our community and for me...you are a SUPERHERO! Pedal hard these last 2 days...make it home safely (all of you) and know that your efforts have been amazing and greatly appreciated!
Sincerely (sincerely)
Betsy

[Mary B]

Don--you looked great on this week's TV video clip....thanks to Jim Pangburn and A. Fran for sending it 'round to all the cousins. We'll miss you at G's HS graduation today. Best wishes for a safe conclusion to your x-c adventure and a safe trip home to Latham. Love, MFB xxx

[Ray & Margaret Wilcox.]

Fantastic achievement, we are proud of each and everyone of you.
Thank you for keeping us so well informed over the last few weeks. You really are a special breed, the very thought of 3,400 miles just exhausts me, we can`t imagine how you have done it. Good luck with your future endeavours, good health and happiness to you alway`s. Enjoy the end of ride party, you have earned it.
Ray & Margaret Wilcox. England.