Port Cobourg to Napanee

July 23

It was a day of threes. Well, that and alot of rain - three times more rain than anybody needs. Especially on a bike.

So before we even got started this morning Chris had the first of three flat tires for the day. He got that repaired pretty quickly - just before the rain started in earnest. And it meant it. The rain pretty much never let up all day. Everything and everybody was wet through and through. Our riders were stoic, riding on through the mess, never complaining ... much. It's all part of the experience.

When we caught up to our riders we found they had had a crash - One of the riders went over a level railway crossing that was in pretty bad shape and very slippery because of the rain. He went down and two more fell as well. Luckily no one fell into the traffic and no one suffered serious injury.

Everyone was glad to finally find the hotel. It was a long, tough day in the saddle and a milestone 100 km ride for Ben, Mike and John. 109.5 actually.

At one point in the day Lindsay and I stopped at a store along the route to pick up a few necessities. Just as we were pulling out I stopped because I thought I heard something. I did. It was a loud whistle. In our family when you hear that whistle you stop. So I stopped. I turned to look out the window and saw a woman hurrying over to the RV. There's only 3 people that can whistle like that; me, Debbie and now this woman.

"I have to give you something. Just wait." she said. She came back shortly with a cheque. "My son was bipolar and he took his own life." she explained bluntly. "There was just no help." She went on to tell a distressing story that is not uncommon among parents trying to get help for an adult child if the ill person refuses treatment (medication). Mania is often characterized by impulsivity,risk taking behaviour, grandiose thoughts, irritability and aggression, as well as euphoria. The individual often has a lack of insight into their illness. Treatment for bipolar disorder can be very effective.
" We couldn't get him help. He was eventually arrested, lost his family, lost his business, lost everything ..." her voice tailed off.