Safe Return Doubtful

55 km (34 miles) – Total so far: 1,483 km (921 miles)

Heavy rain fell from early this morning and is still falling in late afternoon. It wasn’t forecast, more thunder showers were predicted. A kilometre or so to a Tim Horton’s for breakfast and watch the rain for a while. Seems for a while we had what was predicted at Old Trafford, but it came there as well.

It was never going to be a big day, the temperature was much lower than the last day of rain I rode in, around 10 C. The 105 road though was at its best yet, with hardly any traffic and winding its way through some fine countryside.

Of course as the road heads up the St John river it climbs, and more so as it reaches Grand Falls.the town is eerily quiet, not only is it pouring with rain but also it’s New Brunswick day.

For those readers only interested in the bars and local beer on offer I must disappoint you today, as indeed I was. NB day means a second day of enforced no alcohol. I know now a little how Capone and his cohorts felt. Here of course the US is only a smell away, barely 2 kilometres. When I was 19 studying just south of the Canadian border we used to cover the number plate of our car and make “beer runs” across the Canadian border as the beer was better and stronger. Now the roles are reversed, and I may be doing the opposite on my bike later this afternoon. I will be sure to get photos.

Distance 55 kilometres Max Speed 54.8 km / hr Ride Time 2 hrs 51 mins Average speed 19. 2 km / hr Departed 10:25 am, Arrived 2:15 pm

Could do with this amount of wood to get me through the coming winter – awkward to carry though

Puncture number 4 – I was anxious to check it had nothing to do with yesterday’s, 50 km ago, and it didn’t, a thorn in tyre not easy to get out with teeth as worn as mine. An advantage of the rain is the useful puddles to find the hole.
They seem to be coming in pairs.

It’s not quite Niagra – water drops about half of the Niagra fall, 23 metres, and about a third as much water goes over.
The town’s population is just under 6,000 with potato farming (McCains factory) being the main employer. The average temperature in January and February is about -15 C. It’s 170 metres above sea level, so no humidity and much milder summer temperatures also.

I have also been a waterfall for most of the day and am ready for a break