I am blessed to have been a guest on the C2C journey and now to be a guest on the C2C blog. Last weekend, I intersected the pedaling posse in southwestern Ontario, having taken a plane from St. Louis to Detroit, a bus from Detroit to Windsor, ON, and a train from Windsor to Chatham, ON. There, interim RV driver, John, plucked me from the railway station and whisked me (well, we were in an RV, so there was no whisking) to an empty crossroads where we awaited the cyclists’ arrival.
What ensued was 3 days of fun, fellowship, warmth and wonder. Cathy, Rob and Tex are an inspiration to us old folks. And they’re an inspiration to young folks who are gonna be old folks. They look damn good. Just before I joined the crew, Peach(a/k/a George Nickerson) arrived from the Toronto area. He drove down in the Peachmobile and brought his new, custom-fitted bike to ride with our heroes across Ontario to Niagara Falls. My plan was to drive the Peachmobile while he cycled, so his car would be waiting for him at the Falls, and he then could proceed to his next hockey game and kick some ice.
Peach and I talked about exchanging positions occasionally, so I could ride his bike for a bit while he drove; but, alas, his geometry and mine are not two of a kind, and we were reluctant to alter his bike that professionals had painstakingly fitted to his much longer frame. And, when I learned that cycling would require an application of chamois butter from Tex …. I passed. No problem, I got in plenty of running along the shores of Lake Erie and was around for the most important part of each day – dining and drinking with my dearest friends.
And, not surprisingly, Peach’s presence resulted in the addition of more wonderful people. We were hosted in Port Stanley, ON by Ed and Jane, Terry, and Bob and Margaret. Of course, anyone who is a friend of Peach would naturally be a delight, and each of those folks is. They gave us rooms and a tremendous meal, with lots of good wine. And I didn’t have to cycle 80 miles to get it! And we were further graced with the arrival of the lovely Sandy (Peach’s honey), who drove 5+ hours from Muskoka to join us in Port Stanley.
A bonus at the end of my cameo appearance on the C2C adventure is that I got to see Niagara Falls – on a beautiful, sunny day – before my departure flight from Buffalo. I’m not sure if the Falls are one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But, I’m positive that the bond that we have in this group of lifelong friends is a wonderful part of our world.
- Wayne “Skigs” Skigen
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