The kids just wouldn't leave the school area (if I rolled my bag out they would eventually see me and talk to me for hours on end). I went wandering around for a different place to sleep. Behind a cafe, there was this house being constructed and so I went snooping around it and pretty soon the owner of the cafe who also owned the building under construction came out to see what I was doing. I had dinner in his cafe then asked him if I could sleep in the building, he graciously consented. It wasn't cold at all since I was protected by a roof and walls, almost wind tight. The next morning it was just too darned cold to start at my usual 6 am, so I got going at 7:30 and had a slight head wind and so made very poor progress the whole morning. With patience and a little perseverance I turned it into a fairly successful day.

Today I was riding for almost 12 hours. The area wasn't quite so heavily wooded as I thought it would be. Wisconsin was thick forest but here the railroad runs parallel with the Trans-Canadian highway and the forest isn't that thick, just very remote.

The first rocky area combined with trees has appeared, which I hadn't seen before. The daytime temperature didn't get above 65 or 70 today and the wind was chilly most of the day, so I only got stripped down to my T-shirt for about 3 or 4 hours.

The two-lane is still fairly wide and the semi's aren't too rude. I can hear them coming at least 3/4 mile away by their mufflers, when they let off the gas. I have a set procedute when they approach me. First of all I assume my low riding position, and move as far to the right as possible on the road, leaving maybe three inches before the drop off into the gravel. I begin staring at the road about 25 feet in front of me without looking aside. This prevents me from weaving into the road when a someone passes me or from going off the drop off. I went off yesterday going about 25 mph and just had to ride it out in the gravel. I was lucky I didn't slide down. I had to be careful not to apply my breaks 'cause that would cause me to slide or spill. If no car is coming from the opposite direction very few trucks will give me the horn to get off the road. If cars are coming from the opposite direction at least half will give me the horn to get off the road. If only cars are coming, no trucks, I don't budge. I just keep pedaling looking at that spot in front of me. They then pass me going only about 40 or 45 (not 60 like through Nebraska) and since the two lane is fairly wide there is a good foot or more when they pass me (many times much less of course).

If a truck is coming from the opposite direction as well as one from my rear (which doesn't happen too often), most of the time I'll stop and get into the gravel shoulder till they pass. The rest of the time I'll chance a close brush with the semi behind me.

Today there were many heavy trucks again hauling logs, I guess to Sudbury. More and more French are through these parts but all are bilingual apparently.

I sent a friend a telegram (he was a missionary here years ago), then rode 11 more miles to a very desolate depressing town: Wahnapitae. The wind comes often from the west and since 1945 (according to local inhabitants) it has killed ALL living plants, trees, shrubs, etc. for 10-15 miles to the east of Sudbury up to and including this town due to the sulfur from the mills. It looks like Mars or the moon might look: dead, blackened, rocks which are dryish scorched in color, the ground is dry and cakey and cracked. This whole town is this way.

Tonight after being turned down by a fellow when I asked if I could sleep on his back lawn, I finally decided to sleep in an ice hockey penalty booth, which seems to offer excellent overhead and side shelter.

I talked to a few of the local youths and they seem to be also bilingual.

I have continual trouble with dogs from local farms chasing me and frequently trying to snap at my leg. A few hundred miles back, one chased me for several hundred yards and he began closing in to snap at my leg, finally I kicked him in the chops. He went home immediately following, so now I fear them much less. Of course I still respect large or small German Shephads. Any other kind I can usually stare down or I can outrun them easily. The typical lazy farm dog sits around all day and I come whizzing (ha-ha) by at 10-15 mph and I'm usually past them when they finally get to their feet and start chasing me. Then they usually get pooped really fast so I don't hardly pay attention to them any more.

There are a few cows now to talk to. The crows are still around, those big black things. One crow today was about 100 ft away and gave a typical 3-caw cry. I then gave three caws twice as loud and he got scared and flew away.

Birds still follow me occasionally for a half mile or so. I guess it's a trait with birds. I guess the people passing must wonder what's going on when they see a bunch of birds circling over my head.

It's been harder to keep up my daily sponge bath. I don't like to make these parts of Canada look old fashion, but they advertise flush toilets as an attraction item along the road, in contrast with the hole in the ground toilets. Some of the bathrooms in the small cafes I eat in, I don't know who's receiving the dirt me or the bathroom, they're so dirty. Of course I'm speaking of the little towns between the large cities, like under 300.