Rain 6:30 to 7:00 am. Cardinal, crow, goose, house sparrow sounding off. A sense of familiarity with a feeling I’d had on the AT after 4 or 5 days of hiking. Something comforting about the assurance of a certain kind of activity awaiting me. Went to a diner: juice, waffle bacon and blueberries. Pretty awful all told. The berries were a kind of syrupy mess in the middle of the waffle which thereby lost all definition. I consumed the outer one inch and that sufficed. Blue sky seen but with thick air, clouds at various levels. I got underway at 9:15 am with a very light and intermittent west wind which gave me hopes. An annual bass tournament wan on, so most of the day I could see four or five bass boats, each with two fishermen going at it. I did not see any fish being caught by a fisherman although one young man said he should have entered the tournament because he’d already caught ten fish. Only when he mentioned that he’d have to be returning to Florida soon because it was getting too cold did I remark that he was wearing a heavy coat with a hood over his head, I of course being stripped down to a very light T shirt and shorts, my AT hiking uniform. I did see an osprey and a kingfisher catch fish- when I mentioned that to one bass boat occupant, he said he’d shoot them. I had several osprey sightings, though I don’t know if they were different individuals, except for one in juvenile plumage which localized loudly, sort of a whistle sound. Kingfishers galore, many great blue herons, even getting territorial with each other. Many little green herons as well. Hear pileated woodpeckers, red bellied woodpeckers, and saw a flicker. Lots of blue jays, pigeons and mourning doves. Again warbling vireos. Dozens of mallard groupings everywhere in larger numbers as if flocking, although not all migrate. Six or so double crested cormorants. No turkey vultures today.
The lockmasters continue to fulfill their parental duties. When I called one he said he expected me three days ago- they know the when and whereabouts of everything on the Canal. The skies got greyer a long along about 1:00 pm, though the clouds were still high and stratus; I was surprised when a light rain began at 2:00 pm, lasting fifteen minutes or so. Because there was little wind the bimini seemed to be adequate for most of my stuff and me. The rain ceased and I set my sights for Lyons, where I hoped to put the tarp on the boat and find a B and B. The word was there was good dockage and a B and B. I would go through lock E 27 and tie up at the wall below. For the last two miles, and two locks, for a total of forty five minutes or so, it rained steadily and substantially. Nothing much I could do at that point but tough it out. When I tied up, put the things I needed on the wall, collapsed the mast and sail and got the tarp on- the rain stopped. I walked through a very down-on-its-heels part of town, closed shops and businesses, by some well kept churches, and then large houses most of which had been “let go”, but were occupied. The B and B has been in operation for eleven years or so, run by an older couple who used to live in Rochester. The proprietress continues to work full time and commutes an hour and a half by bus each day. It seems you have to really love collectibles to have a B and B. Fortunately, a pizza place within two blocks served up an excellent eggplant ½ hoagy- just the right amount. The young man running the shop (very clean), referred me to his uncle’s tavern around the corner where I could find beer on this Sunday evening. And what a hubbub! Eight large screen TVs all going full blast, showing every football game being telecast, and a crowd to match. No need to buy a TV in Lyons. If you like football.
Weather report says tomorrow is expected to be clear. Uh huh.
The terrain is becoming more variable, with more forested hills and less farmland. One fairly short stretch between locks has no drainage into it from the surrounding countryside. It was noticeably freer of underwater vegetation. The day was about 90% pedaling overall, but I did not press.
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