Truro to Waverley

August 19

Today began as quite the family affair - well, almost, we all miss D and wish she was here, but we know she is doing important things too. After breakfast and a smoothie at the campsite, the bikes were readied for the day's ride. It was a bit of a logistical challenge, though, as for the next few days we have 5 riders, 4 bikes and 2 vehicles. Problem solved - Caity and Tom will be a tag team sharing a bike and the driving. We were up and on the road relatively early as we were expected to meet up with some riders at a point just outside Dartmouth. We didn't want to keep them waiting. Together we would ride the 15 km into the Xerox office in Dartmouth.

The ride itself was quite pleasant on quiet Highway 2 but it was hot. I guess it’s a case of be careful what you wish for. After what seemed like months of cold, rainy weather, oh wait, it was months of cold, rainy weather, we thought we would welcome some hot stuff. Hot is OK by the beach in Cavendish, but when you’re riding 100 kms or so on steamy asphalt, there’s such a thing as too hot. Mel and the other riders have frequent stops and go through buckets of Gatorade and water to keep hydrated.

Special thanks to Steve at Xerox who replaced the screen on the laptop.

Off the Island and on to Truro

August 18

So today was one of those good news/bad news days. Bad news was leaving our friends in PEI. Good news was that we were going to Truro, Nova Scotia where we were to meet up with Ben and Caity and Tom. Bad news: had to take a ferry to get there. I don’t mind telling you I was a bit nervous – OK, a lot nervous.

We arrived at the ferry terminal early and were the first vehicle to board. The belly of the beast was quite roomy. Pretty good so far. They had me pull up on one side close to the wall of the boat. Could be a bit of an issue I thought as we made our way to the upper deck.

The crossing was easy so it was just the exiting I had to worry about. When we docked and the great doors opened I took a big breath and inched forward. When I opened my eyes it was all good news Greg,we made it unscathed.

Now on to Truro.

Dunes 'n spoons

Over the Bridge and across the Island

August 15/16

Over the years we have been fortunate to have spent some time on Prince Edward Island. So we were pretty excited when the bridge came into view this morning. Bikes are not permitted on the Confederation Bridge so we loaded Mel and Lindsay into the RV for the 12 km drive. The view from the bridge was a sight. PEI is such a beautiful place- lush farms, fields dotted with cows, ocean views at every turn in the road. And, good news, summer has followed us from New Brunswick. In fact, it was downright hot on the road.

Once over the bridge, we pulled the bikes out again. Sam Jeyes of Paper Flow the Xerox agent in PEI joined us a little later on the road to Charlottetown. He is a soccer player in his spare time so had no problem on the bike or on the hills. He gave us a quik tour of his office where we met Erica and Jack.

Well, you know it had to happen sooner or later. Yup, I'm talking about the keys. Locked. In the RV. Good thing Sam is such a great athelete, and second story man. He went in the window for us and unlocked the door.

En route our riders were cheered on by former Xerox employee, Dave, who found us on the road. We met Dave again later and several other friends and retirees for dinner at the Charlottetown harbour area.

There is lots of excitement on PEI these days as the Canada Games get underway. What a great experience for our young athletes. Physical activity whether at a high level or recreationally is recognized to have many benefits both physical and mental. Research evidence also shows that increased physical activity can have significant positive effects in supporting recovery from mental illness. Exercise can alleviate primary symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as secondary symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.

Best of luck to all participants. By the way, Xerox is a gold level sponsor of the Canada Games here in PEI.

To Moncton and beyond

August 13

After riding on quiet country roads yesterday from Saint John to Peticodiac that went up and down and up and down, our riders decided maybe the TransCanada might offer a somewhat less hilly route. They were partly right. There were fewer hills alright, but what there was were pretty big. However our riders made better time despite all the heavy traffic too. In the morning we rode to Moncton where met Ro and Dinger and Loretta and Sarah at the Magnetic Hill. They got there early and had good seats to watch us drive around a bit til we figured out where to park. We had a nice lunch (thanks guys), a few laughs, and we were off to the beach - feeling good to know we have friends to hang out with.

I got to thinking that all too frequently it seems people with serious mental illnesses have lost those social ties. Stigma alone probably accounts for this. Too often, the onset of a mental illness keeps an individual from continuing with their normal life. In our experience , Lindsay struggled at school and university and infact wasn't able to finish. Mood disturbences and an inability to concentrate because of racing thoughts and disorganized thinking plus medication side effects such as agitation, drowziness, weight gain, and sleep disturbences made it difficult for her to feel good about herself around others. Naturally self esteem suffers.

When I talk to Lindsay about this she says that some days are not so good and the last thing she wants to do or is able to do , is to be with people so she hides. There are good days though and on those days she is ok with people. Not perfectly at ease but better than usual and can even enjoy herself. Our experiences are not uncommon, a phone call, an invitation to meet for coffee, an understanding ear can go a long way to let someone know they are not alone.

Saint John to Petitcodiac

August 11

Ok , it was a little slow going this morning. We didn't actually get on the road til mid morning, what with one thing and another. However, once we did get on the road it was still slow going. Seems we underestimated the hills in New Brunswick. Especially when not following the Trans Canada. Highway 100 that turned into Highway 121 was downright hilly, and big hills at that. Don't get me wrong - the roads are quiet, very country, and very beautiful.

It was hot, really hot for the riders. There were many hydration stops along the way. So after Mel and Lindsay pulled over for a break I sent them on their way then made a phone call or two. As I was heading down the road to catch up I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a different sort of sign. It seemed to be an icon of an RV with a slash through it. That's silly I thought. Nevertheless, I kept my eyes open for low hanging wires and other threats. You'd be proud of me Greg. The highway made a sharp turn and all of a sudden there in front of me was a railway overpass and a sign indicating a clearance of 3 meters. I pulled to a stop. Now I have no idea how high the RV is but I have eyes and clearly it wasn't going to fit under this bridge.

Uh, oh. Mel and Lindsay are presumably ahead somewhere blissfully unaware of this issue. A pick up truck appeared from nowhere and pulled in front of me. The grizzled driver came over and said just what I was thinking, "Now what?" Well, actually I was thinking some other things too. You can probably imagine.

Gus told me I had to back up and take the long way around. I explained I was following the bikes. "Well where are they? Have they come to the church?" I couldn't answer so we got them on the cell phone. When I say "we" I really mean Gus. He took the phone and gave clear directions to Mel as to where and when he could expect to see me down the road. Then Gus gave me clear directions for the detour. "Now, don't drive too fast," he said. Does he know me?
"because you're going to see some of the nicest country in New Brunswick." He helped me back up and sent me on my way. Sure enough, thanks to Gus, there were Mel and Lindsay waiting for me at the church up the way.

This is something we have found all across the country; the kindness, help and support of people everywhere. Whether a tow out of the mud in a driving rainstorm, organizing a top notch awareness or fundraising campaign, or an individual word of support and understanding we are reminded every day that people care.

Despite the adventures, hills and unaccustomed heat, Lindsay had yet another personal best of 73 kms. It was a good day and Gus was right about the scenery.

Saint John Event

August 11
It rained all night - you'd almost think it was a rest day, but no, today was a go, go, go day, all action, because that's just the way Patti is.

First thing, we were met at the campground by Gary who was there to do an interview for his radio show Outdoor Stuff, then we were met by some members of Patti's inner committee; Margaret, Nancy and Graham, and our riders for the day - Nelson and Mark again and Sylvio. We met Brenda on route. Nancy was to be my guide to help navigate the RV into our meeting place for lunch at the Reversing Falls. It's a wonder we got there, we were so busy chatting. What traffic circle? Never saw it.

We were hosted for lunch at the Reversing Falls Restaurant. It was a great chance to meet and thank all the folks that have worked so hard in Saint John to raise awareness and raise funds for mental health.In fact, for Patti and her committee, the event in Saint John today was Part II of their contribution to The Ride for Mental Health. Exactly one month ago they organized the Play Ball for Mental Health softball tournament. Sixteen teams signed up representing many companies and organizations from the community - even the City of Saint John entered a team. That's awareness - reaching a large audience.

After lunch (who doesn't love lobster rolls in New Brunswick?)we headed down to the boardwalk at Market Square in downtown Saint John for a great celebration. Mel and riders came into the packed square to applause and the racket of red and white thunder clappers. On stage the Sea Belles performed a lovely capella rendition of Rise Again, one of Lindsay's favourite songs. We were welcomed by representatives from the city, then Mel and The Ride were intoduced by Martin Chaisson and Ray Littlewood. After Mel and Lindsay spoke, a cheque for over $20,000 was presented to the local Canadian Mental Health Association. Terry McNeil, representing the CMHA was very appreciative of the donation. In this tough economy he said,they have been experiencing reduced funding and are having to cut much needed services for mental health consumers. The significant contribution today will go a long way to keep these programs operating.

There were representatives from the Schizophrenia Society and the provincial arm of the CMHA as well as a significant number of consumers attending the event. We had an opportunity to speak with many them and all expressed the importance of spreading awarenesss, reducing stigma and speaking up about mental illness. We can't be quiet anymore.

Overwhelmed and exhausted, we headed to our hotel, but the evening wasn't over yet. Yesterday, I had a little incident- an emergency, really. Not a surprise as these things seem to happen to me alot. No, not the RV, Greg. Actually, it was the laptop. Yup, the other night it got sat on and now we have a one of a kind permanent screen saver. Good thing Xerox is good at solutions - the best, actually. So Jon made a special after hours house call to deliver and set up an external monitor. We're a little late with the blog today, but at least I was able to sleep knowing we were back in business. Thanks everyone for the support on every front.