Well the weather outside is frightful

and a fire would have been so delightful but we were still waiting for the return of the rescue team. Rest areas frown on setting fires in their trash barrels so we did without.

Having resigned ourselves to missing the breakfast the mate reminded me we had food with us. M said ok to ham sandwiches. I popped the trailer open to find the bread had not only thawed but been compressed to half height by poorly planned packing. (that would be me) It was fine frozen but had no protection for it's area once it thawed. What the hill! We were already soaked to the bone, what dif did the shape of the bread make!

I folded the sandwich ham to fit, shot some mustard across them and closed them with another slice of half size bread. We managed to eat them before they became waterlogged. No one wanted any fruit or cookies so I packed it all back up and closed the trailer down.

By now the crowd in the rest area had thinned out. There was a little, tiny roof over what I assumed was a boxed over water pump. It had had 10 or 15 people crowded in a futile effort to stay dry. It was now down to just two guys and so we wandered over to have a smoke that stayed lit long enough to get a fix of nicotine.

While we watched the bumper to bumper southbound traffic for our friends we learned that they were waiting for 5 more guys and then planned to ride up to WaWa in Canada for the weekend. Our pal, M, gave them some tips on places to visit as he had been there several times and enjoyed himself. Then the cell phone M carried rang.

He discussed plans with Ma and they figured that group could just head for the cabin while we would be along when we could. Our kids would ride with them. It was a good plan. Why should we all be miserable?

I lit a second smoke and took a turn leaning on the post to ease my feet and legs. There was some more talk with the two strangers and we were still visiting with them when the rescue team returned about 20 minutes later.

While the first trip out to find a patch kit had failed, this one, to get the tire and tube patched, had succeeded. I barely got back across the parking lot before the guys had the tire on, jack stored and got ready to ride.

I was really worried that the bike wouldn't start in all that rain. I wrung about a cup of water our of my little stretch gloves and squished into them, got the helmet on and climbed on the bike. It started but I had to keep it over two grand on the rpms to keep it running. The plan called for a trip through town to test the tire before hitting the open road. So M lead out, the mate behind him and I brought up the rear.

Riding through stop lights and signs with a chitty chitty bang bang bike sucks. I managed to get to the gas station but when I pulled in the clutch to downshift for the turn, she stalled. I tried to restart her and she backfired like a cannon! The guys both jumped and then laughed at me.

I got her down to the pumps and parked it. We filled up and I ran in to grab a short coffee. Man, I wanted something warm inside me but I knew they wouldn't wait for me to drink a full one. The girl at the counter looked down where I was leaving a trail of water behind me and when I asked how much for half a cup she just laughed and said, "Take it!" I thanked her profusely and ran out the door. What a bummer! That was like 8 hour old coffee, oily and rank. I drank two sips for the warmth, offered the mate a sip but warned him it was bad and turned to the bike, hoping I could get it started again.

It was still raining. I got lucky and she fired right up and didn't start to sputter till I was back on the road. Now it got fun! We have M leading, the mate, me and the chase/rescue car running behind me. The mate's tires are great in the rain, so are mine and M's. I can tell because we are all leaving a vanishing trail of dry track behind us. But all that water has to go someplace. If I follow the mate at the standard distance his water displacement is wafting on the breeze to drop right on my bike. I do the right thing and drop back.

Now he looks in his mirror and I am beyond the standard distance. There must be a problem, he thinks, so HE slows down and drops back again splashing all over my bike, my windshield, my glasses and my spark plugs. I drop back again.

The chase car slows down, M keeps right on going about 58 mph. The mate rushes to catch up to him. I can speed up now and do, but I don't pull up to my 2 second count spot, I stay back to avoid the free shower within a shower. Then we repeat. I tried to signal him to stay ahead but I can't catch him in the rear view as I am too far back....

Then, as if I am not nerve wracked enough, the rain remembers it's got another gear and becomes a blinding downpour. It doesn't matter where I am, the bike is getting wet. Now I am in third gear going 58 mph trying to keep her running hot enough to dry the wires and spark plugs. I pull up closer to the bikes in front. The chase car closes ranks behind me. I am driving by following the white line on the outside edge of the road, I can't see anything else. I want very badly for them to pull into a bar or anywhere so we can let this get by us. I really CAN'T see!

The visor on my helmet drips drops onto my glasses which are pulled down on my nose so I can peek over the top of them and under the visor. There is no point in even thinking about looking through the windshield, it's history and the rain beats on my face like glass slivers, aiming for my eyes so I blink at a high rate of speed, trying to see where I am going.

I love my bike! I love riding my bike. I hate getting wet. This stunk! We did 60 miles like this. The good news is that the minute we pulled into the drive at the cabin it quit. POOF! Done, gone, finis!

Someone had the fire going, tents were going up, food was being prepared, coffee was getting made, I know because as soon as we parked I grabbed our supplies and went up to the cabin and made it. Life got better. We laughed about it later. After the mate made a clothesline and the leathers were hung on the fences and we all had dry clothes on and hot coffee inside our tummies THEN it was a good story.

manyana!