Mile 7.3 – Port Gibson Rd. The kiosk says Newark. From this parking lot at Whitbeck Rd. we go across to pick up path. Cannot go under the bridge at this time. Where’s the town?

Mile 10.07 – we are at a crossroad. Kathy checks in one direction; I go in the opposite direction. We make a decision and continue. Kathy is yelling something at me. Oh, she almost got run over by a freaking squirrel.

Where’s Newark?

Mile 10.80. Here we are—coming up behind the Quality Inn in Newark at intersection of East Avenue and East Union St.

Mile 11.6 – back on the road and headed for a car wash. We need to get the grit off the derailleurs, dry the chains and re-lube.

Mile 17.17 - We stopped for lunch in Lyons at a McDonalds. Kathy went out to the parking lot to wait for me as I went to the lady’s room. I came out the door and she doubles over laughing and is pointing toward me. I turned around to see what was so funny only to see a streamer of toilet paper go flying across the parking lot. Apparently it was hanging out the back of my shorts. Thank goodness it was windy and the TP flew away. ☺☺

(Note: When Kathy adds her comments to this journal she may (or may not) choose to tell the story of how, on the same day I TP’d the McDonald parking lot, I also flashed a gas station!)

Mile 19.38 – We are approaching Butch’s Handyman Services and here comes a Rottwieler charging in our direction. There is no way we are going to proceed past this guy’s house/business. Kathy called the number on the sign and actually talked to Butch. He said there was an invisible fence and the dog would not go past it. Really. Sure scared the hell out of us. We walked our bikes past the place. In a few minutes Butch called back to make sure we had made it OK (and probably to make sure his Rottweiler hadn’t gone through the electronic fence!).

Traveling State Route 31 in this part of New York we saw some beautiful country. Vast corn fields, acres and acres of farm land. In some places the view seemed to go on forever. One truck driver gave us a thumbs up and a blast on the horn. Guess he was honoring the flags on the back of Kathy’s bike.