In the hospital

To day we are started out on a 97 mile ride which is across the Niagara peninsula. It is billed as 1000 feet of climb so this is about as flat as it gets. When you looked at the route map it looked like we were going to be following the north shore of Lake Erie so I expected a lot of beach cottage country and tourist towns. However it was mostly out in the country riding with farms of corn and soy. I was riding by my self but I was making good time so picnic which was at the 54 mile make came up pretty quickly. In fact I was at picnic before 10:00 Am. I had realized on the ride that taking pictures of riders in action was great but it was very tough work as you have to charge past a rider get set for a shot then jump back on your bike and do it again. So it takes a lot of hard riding to get a few shots and then it is of a limited number of riders. A better plan would be to charge up to picnic then walk back to a good position and then take shots as they come into picnic. The plan was formulated.

Picnic was on the beach where there was this historic light house which served as a perfect back drop for rider photos so I took a lot of rider pictures while at picnic. It was a lot of fun catching the riders rolling into picnic. They were all so happy and smiling as they roded in.

After lunch I teamed up with Ed and the two of us we just eating up the miles as we flew down the road to Port Dover. The road was perfectly smooth and the temperature was about 75F. Our bikes were being buffeted back and forth by 15-20 mph tail winds which didn't hurt. We got to about the 82 mile mark and decided it was time for a root beer while some thunder clouds moved though and then we headed off. About 5 miles later a wasp flys into my jersey and stings me three times on the right side before I can get ahold of it an kill it. The thunder clouds have solidified and it is starting to come down so I jumped on the pedals with Ed right behind me. I averaged 22mph into town.

I jumped in the shower but by now I am not feeling too good and I am covered in hives. I come out to set my tent up and Earnie comes over and see that I am not doing so well and sets my tent. Earnie then gets Chris to drive me to the hospital. I guess that I was worse than I realized. Of course this turns into a four hour affair. I am checked in but sit there for two hours before a doctor comes by. I am now feeling much better and am ready to leave but the doctor now has to administer some medicine via iv and keep me for two hours for observation. Within minutes of the medicine being administered the hives are gone. So two hours later I am released and Chris and I go have supper. Thanks Earnie for your concern and work on this and thanks Chris for driving me and sitting patiently in the hospital for four hours. I now have one of the insect bite injection things.

All's well that ends well!

Terry