Breakfast
Kicked off the day with a nice cup of coffee and sandwich that Gwen, Nathan’s wife, had come out and delivered right to yard. Talk about great service! Haha
Very kind, and it was great to meet her!
As I packed up and got ready, I realized that I had misplaced my anti-chafing cream! Nooooo! Most likely at Cliff and Cheryl’s, out in Caronport. I couldn’t believe it, this was the first item that I forgotten somewhere this entire trip, and happened to be one of the most critical ones. It’s essentially what allows me to ride those long days without getting major butt irritation. Right away, I texted Cliff to see if I had in fact left it there, and then began looking for bike shops that might carry it.
It was either bike back to Regina and add an extra 50km to my day and really setting me back, or bike multiple days to Brandon, MB. I was dreading it, but it had to be done, so Regina it was.
What About Second Breakfast?
Yes, as good as that sandwich was, I did need my XL carb-loaded breakfast to fuel me for what was about to be a high mileage day.
Still in Balgonie, I went over to “Coleen’s Diner”, and as I was getting my bike parked and grabbing what I needed, I had a lady come up and ask me about where I was heading to. So I told her about the trip, and getting to Newfoundland. She was amazed at the whole concept, and it’s always fun to get people’s initial reactions.
She then asked me how I was doing with funds, hinting that she was about to offer me money. But before she could even get to that part, I told her that I was okay there, but I really appreciated the thought!
I made my way into the restaurant, and before even ordering anything, I had heard back from Cliff.
Without hesitation, he told me that he would bring it to me, and he’d be there in 1 hour and 20 mins (how long the drive is.) I was touched that he would do that. It’s not exactly a short drive. But it really saved my butt, quite literally.
I later got my feast of a breakfast, as well as coffee and orange juice. (Tom, this one’s for you.)
Already feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the nice acts that had happened that day (the coffee and sandwich from Gwen, the lady offering me money, and now Cliff driving out), I had another man walk by on his way out of the restaurant.
He told me “I was going to buy you breakfast, but one of the bus drivers beat me to it.” And made his way out.
Wow.
It must have been a combination of everything that had happened that morning (wasn’t even 10:30am yet!) and everything in the past couple of days, but I suddenly felt very humbled, and wasn’t that far off from tearing up (which takes a lot for me.) One more act of kindness and I would’ve probably been an emotional wreck.
Wholesomeness overload.
The people are relentlessly kind, and it’s just so inspiring and beautiful to see. It’s happened time and time again this trip.
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Cliff had arrived and delivered the precious tube. We couldn’t part ways without a chat and an iconic selfie.
Again, so grateful, and this allowed me to continue forward.
Riding Along
Thanks to yet another tailwind, the ride was a smooth one.
I saw this sign along the way, and it reminded me of how badly I’d like to see a magnificent moose. There’s hope anywhere from the rest of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, to Northern Ontario.
I also stopped in the town of Indian Head, picked up a delicious sandwich, soup, and eclair from the bakery.
AND could not resist but to visit an original client from work from back in 2017; Indian Head Chrysler. I met their GM, Josh, who’s a great guy, and was pumped that I stopped by.
I continued the ride. I just want to say that after seeing it myself, and consulting with many local Saskatchewanians, the idea that Sask is flat is a TOTAL MYTH.
While it’s nothing like the Rockies, it really is one hill after the other. With the wind thrown in there, sometimes you even get confused as to whether you’re going uphill or downhill!
I heard that Manitoba is where the real flats are at.
Also, I was surprised at the lack of canola fields throughout the province. Perhaps they’re scattered in areas away from the highway, but I had finally seen my first one this trip, almost 80% of the way through the province.
More Wonderful Hosts
Upon arriving at my destination for the night, Broadview, SK, I had the pleasure of meeting Abe and Donna, and staying at their place for the night, in their spare bedroom. They were the last of the two connections that Cliff had set me up with.
Extremely kind people, and it was nice to sit back, enjoy a home cooked meal, and watch the Blue Jays win their 5th in a row.
I was extremely grateful once again to have a roof and a bed.
Daily Stats
- Route: Balgonie, SK —> Broadview, SK
- Distance: 136km
- Elevation Gain: 261m
6 Responses
Well Alexis, you’re not the only one to tear up… This is crazy, I’m speechless, I was actually starting to think that those “endless kindness stories” would have to stop, but no… how are you going to top that day now? And Cliff, once again, wow… it’s really heart warming after such a prolonged social isolation, reading your blog feels like a cleanse so I can’t imagine what it must feel like for you to actually live it… So much to be grateful for…
Quel beau voyage que tu fais!
Moi j’ai des larmes aux yeux chaque fois que je lis ton blogue! Dépendant de quelle route tu prends en Ontario, j’ai peut être des connections! Tu as ton trajet d’affiché en quelque part??
Merci Micheline! Je t’enverrai ça en message direct 🙂
La gentillesse et la bienveillance sont encore de ce monde, ça fait chaud au cœur !
Thank you Cliff, for going out of your way to bring our son his cream. We are very grateful! Alexis, we are so proud of you and happy that you are experiencing such heartfelt, compassionate and considerate encounters. It just goes to show how friendly Canadians really are.
Comments are closed.