Good-bye, dear family

Thank you to our family for taking time out of their lives to support Ward's dream.  You all made it happen!

Halifax Potluck, July 21

To top off a wonderful day of celebration, friends gathered at our house for a potluck dinner.  Thanks to all for the delicious contributions.  Sorry about the blurry pictures; I must have been having too good a time and was a little bit overwhelmed and excited!  Duncan entertained us with songs adapted for the occasion.  Ann had written a version of "No, Nay, Never no More" specially for the bikers which was the evening's hit song.
Everyone pitched in to make this a night to remember. We are glad to be home.  We have returned with a wealth of memories which I'm sure will be enhanced as the years go by.

Truro to Halifax--the final day!

We were up early, everyone ready to go at 7:20 am.  Olin and I thought we would watch the tidal bore again but it wouldn't come in until 8:46, so we went to Victoria Park to the playground.  We played for awhile and then walked a short length of trail in this huge beautiful park.  Olin then entertained me on the outdoor stage there.  I decided to travel the same slow-road route as the riders.  Lovely farming countryside that we only glimpse from the main highway.  At Shubenacadie, sure enough, we discovered our riders stopped and chowing down on a full eggs and bacon breakfast!  We decided that we were hungry too.  They paid!  Then off for the final distance, traveling through little towns and by beautiful waterways.  Gorgeous road.  Olin fell asleep so he missed the trip on the Mcdonald Bridge across Halifax harbour.  I arrived home around 11:30 and knew from the blog that the riders were an hour behind me.  Unloaded the car completely, every nook and cranny that we had used so well over the past month.  My neighbour, Susan, helped me along with Mik, who arrived just as we had carried in the last heavy things!  But then he kindly shifted it all from the front hallway to the various bedrooms.  Judy arrived at the house, then Richard swung by to say that he had seen the riders on Brunswick Street.  Olin and I then got our bikes ready to join the team members as they rode the final leg down to Black Rock Beach at Point Pleasant Park.  What an enthusiastic welcome we received from our friends gathered in the park.  And they provided picnic lunch and beer and champagne!!  Great hilarity all around.  Ward met a couple from Montreal, Pearl and David, at the beach who knew our friend Bernie!  Small world!  Front tires were dipped in the Atlantic Ocean.  From sea to sea had been accomplished. Everyone is in good health with amazing "biker" tans.  We couldn't have done it without the support from friends and relatives all across the country.  An enormous thank you to all of you.  
After the picnic, we biked up the hill to home.  Ward and I got stopped by Bill on his motor scooter, as we headed up.  So nice to be greeted by another special friend.   At home, laundry awaited as Sou and Gordon and Olin were leaving the next morning for a camping trip in Ontario.  We also had to get cleaned up and ready for the potluck supper that evening.

June 20, 2014 in Brandon

It is now Saturday morning and we are up and running.  Ward is leading the charge!  More later on today, but I think I should start with yesterday.  The rain let up long enough for the boys to get the bikes put together.  This took awhile but by the end of it they knew what tools they were missing.  Where was Andrew with the extra screwdriver, wrench and cleaning cloths?!
Meanwhile Helen and I were working on the shopping list--granola, power bars, trail mix, dried fruit and, of course, Cheetos!
We all set off in our very large and very glamorous Ford Expedition complete with the new bike rack.
Helen and I did the groceries and the boys hit Home Depot and the liquor store.  Then off to the other end of town to Canadian Tire for a bucket, degreaser and cleaning cloths.  We also bought a couple of storage containers to act as our traveling pantry cupboard.
Then Ward spotted the sign for Marshall's used cars and we stopped in to meet Jason who had been such a help in choosing the van in the original plan for travel.  Now you will understand who Jason is if you saw the photo from yesterday!
By this time we were starving so we searched out Komfort Kitchen in downtown Brandon.  Had a great lunch in this funky old-fashioned place.
After a quick nap, under gathering thunder clouds, Ward and Gordon set off to test out the bikes.  Helen and I met them at the beautiful Riverside Linear Park which has been created over the last few years along the Assiniboine River in Brandon.  We had a short walk while watching the lowering clouds carefully!  Gordon and Ward decided to bike back to the Super 8.
Helen and I  explored a bit more in the car, finding two Ukrainian churches within blocks of one a mother.  We never did find the perogies though!
The area around here is low lying and there was ground water left over from the 70 cm. of that Brandon had received the day before.  We found a huge fenced garden complete with gnomes and other fun things.
We also found the Lady of the Lake Restaurant which turned out to be a fun and delicious place to be on a Friday night in Brandon.  Though no lake!
Off to bed with dreams of the first ride.