Henrietta and the Old Guy
I headed east for a spell, to Gettysburg, the front line, in the civil war, north through Amish country, back west, then north to Buffalow and Niagara Falls. It was getting late when I arrived in Niagara, I found a motel on the US side and walked down the river which you wouldn’t want to fall into; it was fast and ferocious and ended up cascading down to the lower level…The Falls… I was expecting more, the city that’s built up around it kinda blew it for me but its Niagara Falls, so is to be expected. I looked over the river to the Canadian side; the high rise city was even bigger but after crossing the border the following morning, I discovered this was where all the photos were taken from, this was the spectacle and very impressive. I was back in Canada, on my way north to Toronto, then onto Huntsville, where my friend Torie has been working the summer season on the lakes. The last time I saw Torie was on the west coast of Canada when she showed me around Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain; it was good to catch up again. She had a nice place on a lake with her friends Katie and Michaela, the season was ending and they were planning a road trip east to Montreal, Quebec City, into the States, through Maine, on to Boston and Finally New York. I was going to be on the same route and after a few days rest I got back on the bike and headed for Montreal via Ottawa. It was a good ride, I had the layers of clothing back on, so I was comfortable but it was fresh and exhilarating, it’s the fall, the leaves were turning and the colours were fantastic, earthy, red, gold, orange, brown, it was early, so plenty of green too. I’d met a couple of young fella’s riding Harleys, in California, who were from Montreal; it was time to see if the cats bike made the distance. I gave Derrick a call and arranged to meet in a pub downtown, Derrick, an alias, he uses, because it’s easier than correcting the English speaking world, when they try to pronounce Etienne, which is his real name told me, it was his bike that gave the trouble, not the cats, an alias I gave him, as his name is Felix. Felix was studying in Quebec City and would be down for the weekend; Derrick was telling me the story. They decided to give Sturgis a go and were on their way, when Derricks exhaust melted and he had to put it in for repairs, eventually hitch hiking to Sturgis, where he ended up in a cell for the night, for being drunk (I expect there was a lot of that in Sturgis) Derrick is a young man in a hurry I think, no doubt he rode his sportster so hard, something had to go. Felix the more laid back of the partnership, probably nursed his bike along, there were bits hanging off his old lowrider when I met them but he got back and was still riding it now, Etienne’s was tucked away for the winter awaiting repair.
It was all about the ride for me now, I’ve probably tried to fit too much in, each city I get to, just blends in with the last and I’m beginning to wonder where I am when I wake up. I left Montreal, on to Quebec City, down through Main where the colours were magnificent; I had all the layers on now thermals and all. It was fresh with beautiful blue skies and sunshine, as long as I was on the bike I was loving it, I got to Boston Massachusetts, found a place to stay for a few nights but was itching to get back on the bike. I had a week and a half before flying out of These United States but didn’t want to spend that long in New York; I’ve had enough of big cities.
I am…. THE LONESOME TRAVELLER….travelling east….BE HAPPY!