Mark and his son holding up a going away picture that he did for me. Thanks buddy! Uncle Pat will carry this with him for his entire trip.
Mark snapped a picture of me at the end of his lane way.
Most people recognize June 21st as the 'Summer Solstice'. The summer solstice occurs on earth twice a year; once in the northern hemisphere and once in the southern hemisphere. Sometimes referred to as 'the longest day of the year', the summer solstice is actual the day of the year, when due to the tilt of the earth's axis, the sun is at the highest point in the sky giving us the longest day of light. The word solstice actual breaks down to latin roots meaning 'the sun stands still'.
My 'summer solstice' actually occurred a day early on June 20th! I left Mark and Kelly's just before 7:00 am and my day didn't end until 3:00 am the next morning... and what a day it was.
Heading down Moody Road towards Leonards Road. Chilly morning that caused goose flesh to dance on my arm and legs.
At the bridge over the Delaware River just as I came into Hancock, NY.
Another bridge over the Delaware River in Hancock, NY. This one is along Hwy 97 which I took all of the way into Port Jervis, NY.
This guy mooed and snorted at me and then was joined by the entire herd that he was facing across the road.
Peace and love - that's what it is all about.
Took at rest at a bench in the shade of the trees in front of the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Callicoon, NY
The hills were not terribly steep, but they were long. Cycle till my legs burned, then walk, then cycle, then walk...
This stretch of NY Route 97 was just before I entered Port Jervis and reminded me of the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
The sun was setting as I waited for the 9:28 pm New Jersey Transit Train to take me from Port Jervis, NY to Hoboken, NJ.
I had been on the train for well over 90 minutes, sleeping and trying to position my legs so that they would not cramp. One of the conductors, Marshal was an avid bicyclist and in between stops, sat with me to talk about cycling, the NBA playoffs, and the criminal trouble that some of the NFL football players seem to get in. I was pretty fatigued from the ride and eventually dozed off. When I woke up the train was stopped and I saw Marshall and the other conductor rushing about with worried looks on their faces. Marshall stopped in our train car and announced, "I'm sorry folks there has been an emergency on the tracks we will be stopped here for an unknown length of time." I heard some other people taking, saying that we hit a person.
It wasn't long before the train and the surrounding tracks were surrounded by police. One police officer came through and asked each of us if we were injured in any way. No one was.
Based on the presence of the police, which included a crime photographer I concluded that someone had stepped in front of our train. Whether stepping in front of the train was by suicide or accident was unknown and the police waved off that question by anyone who asked. The entire incident was a tragedy regardless and I was left wonder many things. How old was the victim? Did he or she leave a spouse and kids behind? Were they distraught? I can't help but think it was a suicide because of the location. The train was in the Garfield area, but was in a section of track that is not a thoroughfare or particularly accessible. I said a silent prayer for that unknown person and unknown circumstances.
We waited in the train for 2 hours and then we were led off and herded to a waiting NJ Transit Bus. One of the cops helped me with my bike and bags as we trudged along the rocky side of the tracks.
The bus took the approximately 40 of us to the Secaucus Train Station. Unfortunately my connecting train for Newark International Airport had already pulled away. Another cop pointed me in the direction of the taxis. I arrived at the Holiday Inn Newark Airport at 3:00 am.
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