I thought it couldn't get much worse after yesterday. Turns out it could. The morning wasn't bad, with some clouds lingering overhead, but soon the sun came out, burning off the clouds and bringing the wind.
And the heat, oh the heat. No matter how much I reapplied, I was cooked to to a brownish-red. The watch tan is very real.
Every so often when I stopped in a town, I would find a gas station, or any source of water, and soak every bit of clothing I had on. By the time I got to the next town, I'd be dry. At one such stop, I sat for a spell in a shady spot with a gas station attendant named Terry. We talked for awhile and he asked me what I thought of my president. I told him I'd never known anything more backwards, and he seemed to agree. Then somehow we got on the topic of draft dodging. He was from Nova Scotia I had known quite a few to do it. I left him shortly after headed for Wallaceburg.
After another long stretch of agricultural Road, I pulled into Wallaceburg. Looking for a coffee shop downtown where I could fill my water, a fellow comes up behind wearing a fedora with rainbow colored heart stickers on it, toting a backpack with fishing rods, and walking a small dog named tweak. We talked for a minute, (went through the formalities, where I was coming from/going to), told him of water, and he invited me to his place. As we walked he told me his name was Dan, but is more often known as "the man with the hat". He's been known to sparklebomb several places around downtown Wallaceburg, and hides his marbles in places he believes they will be found. He gave me three of them: one to keep for myself (in case I lose my other marbles), one to give to a loved one (in case they lose theirs), and a third to hold onto in case he loses his.
At his house (which turned out to be his brother's) we sat on the back steps until his brother came home to let us in. Soon after his brother came with his two kids he was bringing home from school. Just as we were all talking there in the back stoop, Dan jumped with delight, as the other man in the Hat had just arrived. The other man in the Hat was an older fellow with some what more subtle mannerisms, but the same good humor. In we all went, and Dan's Brother gave me a bag of peanuts and some water. Meanwhile Dan gave me much of his life story, all which was fascinating and full of humorous antics. I told him I had to be on the road again soon, so he gave me a small shard of blue glass a remnant from when Wallaceburg was a glass production town) as a token of good will. With that I was on my way.
Another fifteen hot and windy miles later, I pull through Sombra, Ontario, where I asked to some locals where the best place to pitch a tent was. They referred me to the floodway; a big grassy ditch just outside of town. I biked there and sure enough saw a bunch of local kids jumping off the abandoned railroad bridge into the water (a tributary to the St Clair River). I walked up to them and talked for a minute, and decided was hot enough that I would jump in too, which I did with glee. They all left shortly after, leaving me to my small camp by the side of these old tracks.
Feeling like I'm getting a hang of the Dharma bum lifestyle, and I think it suits me fine.
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