Day 11: Hazelton, PA to Knoxville, TN, 654 miles

Today was a gorgeous day--the whole ride was really pretty, especially after the brutal storms last night. I woke up at 8am, and got myself together. I used the iPhone APP, "around me," to find St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church which was only about 2 miles from my motel. I rode up to the church and into the parking lot and the priest was out there greeting people with his huge dog, "Buddy." When I say huge, I'm talking close to 200 lbs... Anyway, he came up to me and asked me if I was riding a "GS." Now this is sort of a loaded question. If you know enough to ask it, then you already know what the bike is because they are so weird looking and kind of rare. It turns out that he rides an "LT," which is BMW's version of a Goldwing. It's a really nice fancy machine. I've never met a priest before that rides a Bm'er so this was a new experience for me. He was a very talented guy and it turned out that it was his last Sunday Mass in the parish after a two-year assignment there. He gave a good homily which I will steal and use the first chance I get. Then he illustrated his main point by performing two magic tricks in front of the congregation. It went over well and he was obviously much revered by the people as he received a standing ovation. Once Mass was over, I jetted looking for breakfast which I found at a chain called Friendly's. Then I hit the road. There was a ton of vacationer type traffic to remind me that I was heading back to reality. People love to ride that left lane so I did a fair amount of right hand passing, trying to make my way south on I-81. So I prayed some for patience during most of the day.

I should talk about the saints as I ride as I guess I haven't so far. I ask St. Michael the Archangel to watch the road in front of me and any hazards that might lay in that direction. I ask for St. Francis' prayers to keep the deer, dogs, & moose out of my way. And I ask Matt talbot to help me keep a reasonable speed throughout each day. My bet is that most of you have heard of the first two but not maybe Matt. He is not been beatified as of yet by the Church, but he is the patron saint of alcholics and addicts. Matt was from Ireland and suffered terribly from the "drink." Matt gave up drinking through the help of God as he could never accomplish this on his own. On a family vacation in Ireland when I was a wee boy, we visited his tomb. I picked up a small flyer about his life and read it. I then asked my parents if I could take "the pledge." They both drank at the time and were not very happy about my interest, but I persisted. They sought the advice of a trusted family friend and priest and he told them to let me do it. So, at the age of 13, I became what is known in Ireland as a "Pioneer." My vow as a boy lasted until I was 21. When I traveled back to Ireland to study in Galway during my time at Marquette, I was hitch-hiking around and arrived too late one night to get into a youth hostel. I had no where to go and all the hotels were booked so I went to the nearest Catholic Church. A very old Jesuit let me in, fed me tea and cakes, and we talked into the night. He asked me if I drank and I told him that I was a Pioneer. He about fell out of his chair as they are rare indeed in the U.S. It turned out that he was in charge of the Pioneers organization at the time. He got his book out and entered all of my information into it and then gave me the pledge, which I have kept all my life. You never know what dragging a bored kid into a European church will do over the long run. My parents are now also Pioneers but it took them a few years to see my way of thinking, but I know Matt Talbot was always there praying and asking God to help them. Sorry for the long post, but you might better understand why Matt Talbot is a good one to ask to pray for me not to go too fast.



So, my thanks to St. Michael, St. Francis (Deacon), and Matt Talbot for their assistance and intercession with dangers, animals, and the demon that lives in each of us.

My thanks to the Holy Trinity that I called out to throughout each day. I also want to thank Mary for her patience with me as I prayed many rosaries on the ride. My mind would wander and so there were a lot of "do-overs" from this A.D.D. deacon-rider. Thanks also to my Pastor, Fr. Chris. I know he scratches is head on a regular basis when I'm around and when I'm not. And to my brother Deacons, Mike, and Chris who have been pulling my weight for the last two weeks in my absence.

My heartfelt thanks for the understanding of my wife Ellie for telling me going was OK. She puts up with a lot, especially during the school year with me gone a lot for football games with UT, quarterly deacon formation weekends,homily preparations, tons of time at the high school, etc...

Last, I want to thank Jesus, my brother and Savior who was my constant companion throughout each day. That I might keep You in front of my face more and more throughout my life. Help me to use these rides to delve deeper into your love, hope, mercy, and forgiveness (which I'm counting on). Please keep me close and help me not to forget You so often. Thank You for the gift of the Eucharist, which is my constant reminder of your fidelity, presence, and intimacy that we share with you. "I do believe Lord, help me in my unbelief." your servant, patrick

Day 10: New Brunswick/Maine border to Hazelton, PA, 689 miles

I slept from 9pm straight to 8am this morning. I woke up and feel good and am ready to hit the road again. Sometimes there are elements from the liturgy of the hours that fit perfectly with each day. Today, this just jumped out at me from the Psalm,

"For you give me joy, Lord, in your creation:
I rejoice in the work of your hands.
How great are your works, O Lord,
how immeasurably deep your thoughts."

Whew, how perfectly put! I have received much joy in riding through parts of God's creation I have never seen before. Such beauty is the ocean itself. How large it is and how endless it seems. Many have contemplated God by gazing at its vastness. My challenge today will be to keep my gaze on God even as I ride through the Northeastern USA, where there are many crabby drivers that could care less about one motorcycle.

May God be with me today and may you all have a great day! Today, I'll pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet in the morning, the Rosary in the afternoon, and in the evening I will just be quiet as I pray for guidance, direction, and balance in my life.

Still heavy on my heart is the loss of my friend Nancy Feist. She was a confidant that I came to really trust and rely on for advice and to share bad days with. Because of Nancy's position in the chancery, she was in a unique position to pray for people in need. She would sometimes call my cell and say, "Deacon Patrick, can you pray for someone for me right now?" I would say, "Sure!" Sometimes she would follow that response with a name, but most times there was no name. Discretion was a huge part of Nancy's charism but her heart would often not allow her to keep things totally to herself. I would then joke and say, "is this person bigger than a breadbox?" She would laugh, and say, "Thank you Deacon Pat, I needed to laugh today." Whenever I visited the Chancery, shelby would always let me in back to get/give my hug from Nancy. I could tell by the look on her face how slammed she was sometimes so I would just wave and smile as I left her doorway. She would jump up and come out in the hallway to see me. She always made time for me. I miss her.

I found a text from January 9th of this year from Nancy, and it reads, "FYI... SJ (Saint Joseph) and SM (Saint Mary's) jv girls are in double overtime. Sophie's game will start late, and the gym is electrified!" She loved kids sports and it's not surprising really, that she collapsed at a baseball game. There is another level of communication at play here in Nancy's simple text message. On the surface she's excited about the game and wanting me to see it. On another level, she knows how tough my work schedule is all the time and how my work at the high school can tax me at times. She was letting me know not to rush as Sophie's game would not be starting on time. She was reassuring me that I would not miss it. It was a sweet message sent in love to a train wreck deacon who is always late for stuff. I miss you, Nancy!

Sorry this is all selfish in my musings, but even as we all pray for Nancy and Peter and all of the surviving family, there needs to be time for our own grieving too. Nancy touched so many people deeply with her life/ministry which were the same thing. I did not know her as well as many others who are also hurting. Many in the Chancery are pretty lost at losing their friend. She was a woman who exuded grace and like the saints that have gone on before us, she shows us a way to live in this here and now, and says with her witness, "you can do this!" And so off I go to ride south on I-95 to try...

... I ended up riding through all of Maine, New Hampshire, Mass., New York, and well into PA today for a total of 689 miles. It was all about getting home from this long journey. I stopped in a couple places looking for a place to stay but everything was booked solid from Scranton all the way to Reading. There was a Jehovah Witness convention, of all things, and it was absolutely pouring rain, so all I could do is head south and try again. The storms got worse to the point where I knew I needed off the highway, so I pulled into Hazelton, PA and found a room. I hit the pillow at 11:30pm.

Day 9: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Maine!!!! 469 mi.

Just got off the ferry at 6am and banged off a quick 100 miles. I'm so excited to be here again!!! We ere up here with a camper six years ago and Ellie and I are pretty sure Patrick started out Canadian, though I doubt their passport office would agree. so this is indeed a special place for us as a family. This is the place where God gave us another child when we had given up after a seven year battle to get pregnant again. It was a great moment of faith for me and Ellie as well. Fr. Finucane always said that god rewarded my faithfulness to respond to god's call as a Deacon as the reason we were given a little boy. I never told Father G. that it was just because Ellie quit being mad at God ;).... More to come later today as I have to "Get Miles, Get Home!!!!"

God's grace and peace to you all!!! love, patrick

update: 9:05pm

Well, I rode all of Nova Scotia and then all of New Brunswick too. I pushed a little further about 60 miles into Maine and then I had to stop. today was about getting home. I pretty much just rode like mad and only stopped for gas, and to eat a few times. I picked up a spiderman T-shirt for Patrick, a pair of pool-side shorts for Sophie, and a Canada T-shirt for Ellie today. I ate doughnuts for the last time at Tim Horton's (eat your heart out Dunkin' Donuts--you got nothing on TH!). I have a pretty good idea I'm going to find some Asian food somewhere tomorrow as I've been craving that for a week!

The day is honestly a blurr. Just small towns, moving as fast as is legal, passing slow trucks up the steep grades, watching my speed, check fuel, temp, set short goals with the GPS, estimate fuel consumption (been averaging around 45 mpg even with all my stuff loaded on the bike).

And praying... Some people e-mailed me prayer intentions after they saw the article in the East Tennessee Catholic. So I've been praying for the Feists as well as some other folks as well. I appreciate that!!! I need a lot to do on that bike each day, let me tell you...

Tomorrow should be much the same, but HOT! I've been wearing all my cold weather stuff, fleece, riding pants, etc... heated grips have been on most of the trip. Today was brutal as it shot up into the 90's. I got hailed on twice last week! What's wrong with that picture? the sun has been out every day since I left Goose Bay, which is great. Road conditions are fantastic now, nice and smooth compared to the 1,000 miles of gravel and dirt I've ridden so recently.

Now is the time to begin the transition back to real life. My phone started working again today for the first time since July 3rd. I will have to start calling people back that left messages soon! But I still have 1300 miles to get home so it will have to wait for now. Gotta sleep now--very tired! good night! dpat :)

Day 8: Newfoundland!!!! 389 miles

Woke up with the furnace cranking at 10:30am today. I needed the sleep for sure. It's now perfect weather so the day is awesome to behold. Newfoundland is so unbelievably pituresque. Little villages dot the coast as I ride from the North to the West. it's nice to be heading the in the right direction again (towards home).

I saw another fox and a black bear cross the road ahead of me today already. More to come later...

Day 7: Cartwright to Blanc Sablon (6 hour dirt ride) then to St. Barbe, Newfoundland (ferry)

more details later... got to do laundry!!!!

The ride from Cartwright to Blanc Sablon (both in Labrador) took me every bit of 7 hours. It would have been faster but I had rain from 7:30am till around 1pm today. Then there were the graders out with their small stone which makes life on two wheels tough and slow. But I knew I was going to miss the 1pm ferry and once I realized that, I was able to sit back and relax a little more, not trying to make the ship. I stopped and ate at a little coffee house that makes their own bread and home made soups. I had a ham and cheese grilled sandwich and a bowl of beef barley soup, which is a favorite combination! It was so delicious and the proprietor really seemed to be interested in my feedback. He asked where I was from, and before you know it, she shared a slice of pie with me (separate forks, of course). She was a nice lady, a retired mineworker from central Labrador. She has to make a go of the shop for about five months of the year as no one goes outside for much of the winter season.

The southern coast of Labrador is exquisite and looks so much like Scotland’s Highlands. The accent is there in the voices of the locals too. What little music I’ve heard in restaurants and hotels has been mostly Celtic. Labradorians are a mixture of aboriginal peoples and whomever beached on their shores, so Irish, Welsh, English, Scottish, French, Portugese, etc… I spend some time with a heavy equipment operator whose people were from an aboriginal line. He told me there are very short in stature and so they are easier to spot. “The shorter they are, the more pure their blood,” said he.

Riding was really fun today as I was only pointed south and west, rather than the obvious opposite. There is some measure of relief now for me that the trip is now past it’s halfway point and will be ending soon. Tomorrow I will ride down the West coast of Newfoundland and go to Port Au Basques, where I will board one last ferry headed for North Sydney, Nova Scotia. She steams at 1am and it’s a 6-hour ride across the sea, so I need to get good rest tonight. Tomorrow’s ride in a car takes about six hours. I will take my time and stop to make more photos as I have all day and most of the night to get there. I might even find a movie to go to, if a theater exists in one of the larger towns along the way. More later as the dryer cycle is ending here in the RV park that I stopped to do wash at. Still have to find a place to stay tonight… Everyone says to stay off the roads at night in Newfoundland as the moose and deer are plentiful, so much so they warn even locals away from night-driving.
The ride across the water last night was really nice. the weather was clear, pretty warm by their standards, and we steamed past many ice-burgs. They are beautiful to watch and, like clouds often do, they resemble things. One looked just like swan in the water.

I met some really nice RV people that were traveling together and they talked me into coming with them to their RV park where I could do my laundry. While my stuff was in the dryer, I started to talk to a guy that lives just North of Goose Bay. He is a wildlife officer in Labrador and was taking his family on a vacation to Newfoundland for a couple weeks. He invited me into their travel trailer for tea and he showed me some pretty disturbing video of natives poaching deer and caribou on snowmobiles. There were over 100 of them all chasing down animals with rifles on their backs. They have barely enough budget for the airtime for the helicopter and so there is no money in the budget for a video camera that would capture faces for prosecution. There are always two sides to every story but this was pretty horrible. It was nice to actually have a conversation with some people. He and his wife had a daughter Sophie's age. I can't even get away from the Jonas Brothers in Newfoundland!!!

After I finished my laundry, it was getting dark so I walked across the street to the only hotel in town and they have only one room available but it was a smoking room. I don't do smoking. So the RV park lady called a few places down the road but to no avail. I hadn't showered in two days and needed a shave. She took pity on me and showed me down the hall to the utility room where there was a massive gas furnace cranking away supplying heat to the building as well as all the hot water for the bathhouse. It was carpet over concrete and I couldn't have been happier! I took a long hot shower, shaved, and crashed hard around 11:30pm.

Day 6: Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Day 6: Awesome!
Today was a great day on many levels. 1., I made it to Goose Bay in one piece, which has been my goal for over a year. 2., I got on the ferry headed for Cartwright. 3. Tonight will be another first for me in that I’ve never spent the night on a ship before. 4. I got to witness an amazing sea rescue training activity right aboard the ship today while underway. You can look for a YouTube video in the next couple of days of that one. This huey helo came right over the top of the ship and started to send down rescue swimmers onto the deck, one by one. Then they would fly off, come back and pick them up again, all of this while the ship was probably doing 18 knots and maneuvering between navigational buoys. It was awesome to see. The helo was maybe 40’ above the deck of the ship and in maybe 30 mph winds. The guy was rock solid on the stick and made not one mistake in over an hour of training.

OK, enough about the Canadian Air Force. The last 165 miles of my trip today was sort of for my two buddies, Deacon Chris Rehl, and Tony Budnick. Deacon Chris and I became friends about a year ago when he was at All Saints. He began to come over the KCHS and help out with reposition and preach occasionally at our daily masses. Now, Deacon Chris is at our parish, Saint Albert the Great. Chris has been a good friend to me, and a confidant in church stuff. I bounce ideas off of him and ask him his opinion on various things. We get into heated discussions about all matter of things and though we sometimes disagree, we have a mutual respect for the other and I know we both grow from our conversations. Tony Budnick is a producer for Channel 8 TV and is the guy behind Rick Russo making things happen for all things VOLS. Tony is a parishoner at SATG and a good friend. Tony recently sold his home to a friend at a reduced price, and had to find a home for his cat and many other things. He’s not suffering from financial hardship but he will be unemployed shortly. Tony will be entering St. Meinrad Seminary in the fall, and will open himself up to God’s call to the priesthood. All of us at SATG are so proud to have the next seminarian for the diocese of Knoxville, even though we still don’t have our own worship space completed yet. There is something really powerful about a vocation coming from a parish. It’s something I’ve never experienced before and is very exciting. When you figure we have 50 men show up with chain saws to a work-day, I can only imagine the care packages Tony will receive in Indiana this fall and winter. He could stand to gain a few pounds, that’s for sure! I prayed a rosary for each of my buddies today and prayed for their ordination/formation, respectively.

The last 165 miles today were not as good as the prior days’ rides. The road got a lot wider about 50 miles in and there was a lot of gravel truck and grading activity which meant slow speeds in dangerous heavy gravel. So I’d spend 30 minutes running in 3rd gear at idle making maybe 28 mph, and then I’d hit a long stretch of road where I could run in 6th at 55 mph. I let everyone who could get behind me pass by hitting the hazards and pulling over. Most would slow down to a crawl to pass but a few showered me with rocks and huge dust-clouds. The scenery was beautiful today, but the cherry of this trip was definitely Rte. 389. My only regret is that I never even saw Goose Bay. I rolled into town and had to go straight to the ferry to waitlist my way on board.

This ship grumbles and vibrates constantly which should be good for sleeping. They tried to sell me a berth when I bought my passage, but I declined. They have a room setup like a huge airplane with reclining seats packed in. With my snoring, that did not seem to be the best option. So I spoke quietly to a woman in the cafeteria tonight after dinner and asked if I might lay down my bedroll on the floor there for the night. She smiled, told me they are not allowed to let people do that, winked hard, and told me to have a good night and showed me where the light switch was. So, I’ll have the largest sleeping berth on the ship tonight, thanks to her kindness.
OK, so the ferry left at 5pm on July 6, but it won’t arrive in Cartwright till 6am on the 7th. I will ride off the ferry first because I was the last one on, and I will go find a laundromat as I am in NEED. I have one more days worth of clothing and that’s it. Then I’ll have a 4.5 hour ride on all gravel roads to get to where the ferry jumps off to Port Au Basque, Newfoundland. So, God willing, I’ll be there tomorrow, as long as I can get to the ferry in time. Once in Newfoundland, I will ride south along the northwest coast to make the next ferry crossing which will take me to Nova Scotia. From there, I’ll ride south again to a last ferry to Bar Harbor, Maine, where the lobster rolls will be wasted on this landlubber. Then it will be time to punch in, “home,” on the GPS and go straight to Hack Road in Powell ASAP. The grass has been growing, the pool awaits cleaning, there will be a lot of unpaid bills, and a little boy who happens to share my name who is waiting for me. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves! There is still a lot of gravel, pavement and ocean in front of me before that day comes, but may it come soon!

day 5 video blog (Rte 389)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxAkBXAbGAQ

Day 5, Work Camp to Churchill Falls, Labrador, 402 mi.

I didn't quite make it to Goose Bay today. Everything takes longer on a road like this one. It is wide and narrow, fast, and slooooow, wet and dusty. You just never know what surprise is around the corner. I can make a steady 60 mph for 30 minutes only to come to a complete stop and wait 20 minutes for road construction. The weather has totally changed for the better!!! I'm so happy to report this fact to you all. I got on the road early by 7am today, and by 10am, the dust was already coming up. By noon, I was leaving a 1/2 mile trail behind the bike at speed, which makes passing trucks next to impossible as it's not worth the risk. You can get up close but then you lose the trailer in the dust so if they stop, you'd run into the back of them. If you pull wide and left to pass, you can't see oncoming traffic through the dust. So, when they'd pass me, I'd just back it down, drop two gears, and watch the scenery for a while. Speaking of... I saw a little black bear today foraging on the right side of the road. I stopped in time to grab some quick video but this wireless isn't ready for real content. It will have to wait for another day when I have a stronger and faster upload possible. I also saw a fox (I love those guys), a bunch of rabbits, but still no moose, elk, or caribou. It's a love hate thing there... I don't really want to see them on the road in front of me, still, it would be cool to shoot some photos of a moose. They are enormous animals but dumb as a stick. Gas is harder and harder to come by. On the Trans-Labrador highway, there are signs telling you where the next fuel is in distance. Today one said next fuel 225 Kl. I'm glad the bike has a big tank and a range of 235 miles. You really need it out here! There is NOTHING in between fuel stops. No phones, no stores, no junk for sale, just a lot of woods, rivers, streams, lakes, and blue sky as far as the eye can see. There are all manner of tundra flowers in bloom. I ate lunch today in Labrador City. I found the tallest steeple and pulled into what is now a Basillica. I stopped in as the door was open and prayed my evening prayer in front of the tabernacle. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's so cool to have a Catholic church ANYWHERE!!! the Oblates are the priests of the diocese here. There is only 1 native born Labradorian out of 13 priests serving this entire Diocese. We're talking about 75,000 people spread out all over. We are so blessed in Knoxville.

I have had no luck getting hold of the ferry people (not the the little people with red hair up to mischief). Their phone was busy both times I tried them today and their website won't let me book a motorcycle online. I'm just going to have to get up early, hit the road early, and get to Goose Bay and go straight to their office and beg for a space. Once I book ferry passage to newfoundland, I'll be able to book the other two (to Nova Scotia and then to Bar Harbor, MN). Everything hinges on this one 19 hour long boat-ride. Once i reach Happy Valley/Goose Bay, it will be all about getting back to my bride, my parish, and my life. Will fix typos later and upload photos and video too... until tomorrow! God bless you all!!!! dpat :)

Day 4, St. Anne to ?

Well, at least it's dry out there... time to hit the road... praying for Missy, Rose, Helen and Bob, Fr. Chris, Danny, and all the regulars at daily Mass at St. Albert the Great...

cont'd:

As it turned out, it only stayed dry for about 20 minutes… But… if I never get to ride in Europe in places like the Isle of Sky, or anywhere in the Scottish Highlands, or on the wild Northwest coast of Ireland, it will be OK because I got to ride today. The rain came down, and then the sun would peak out, I world mostly dry out, and then rain again. But the ride was amazing, cruising through the small coastal towns, watching all of the art shops flash by, seeing a hardy soul out repairing a truck in a 40 degree drizzle with his shirt off, smelling the sea for the first time in my long ride… it was amazing! This is the peak of summer for these people so there are swimming pools behind some of the homes, next to their snowmobiles under tarps. The dirt here is black as night and would grow almost anything but for the short season. I stopped at a little hot-dog stand for lunch and had to translate, tomato, onion, cheese, and mustard into French. I ate a great meal Chicago style and it was awesome.
Today was sort of a transition day of sorts. I left the big roads behind me so now there is little traffic. By the time I got onto Route 389, I saw only about five vehicles over the next few hours of hard riding on dirt & gravel. That’s what the machine was made for but I find myself getting old! Aches and pains galore… But I digress.
I thought about the cold realities facing the Feists today. Each an every holiday will be dulled by a pain of loss. Christmas, Mother’s day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Nancy’s Birthday, and the ever looming June 19th, will always be a sad days for that whole family. While I’m certain that the support of All Saints has not waned at this point, normal life, or what resembles that, will now be seeping in. What to do with that car seat I saw at the funeral? Awful realities that no family should ever face for one so young as Nancy, and then the double whammy of a baby brother who lived just long enough to be baptized. Not to be a bummer, but I thought a reminder of this would be helpful to many of you reading about my adventure. Please consider making a contribution to the five remaing kids’ education fund. There are little ones to consider and college will be very expensive by the time they gets there. Don’t worry about how much you give. Remember the parable about the poor woman who gives a few coins and how her gift blessed God! It’s not about the amount but rather the “doing” of the thing. It will make you feel better. It’s what Jesus would and did do. It’s OK if you never knew them. It’s just…. OK to give a few bucks to a family you will never meet or know. The money won’t dissipate any measure of their loss but it will help them down the road. Now is your chance to “pay it forward,” which is another phrase for the good news of Jesus Christ.
I pray each time I get on the bike and ask God for safety. I ask for St. Michael to pray for me to stay out of harm’s way, and for St. Patrick to help me keep my throttle wrist in check. Then I pray what I call a travelling rosary. I sort of made this one up out of sheer boredom on the Alaska trip. Here’s how it works: Pray the Glory Be, the Our Father, then imagine a different person’s face for each Hail Mary. It’s pretty cool as there is no limit to the number. I pray for people in groups that interrelate. I pray first for my family, my wife Ellie, my daughter Sophie, my son Patrick, My Mom and my Dad, my sister Brigid, her husband Bob, all of my nieces and nephews, then for my two aunts and their families on my Dad’s side, then for my Mom’s whole side of the family. It takes me a while, and before you know it, I’ve gone 30 miles on hard-packed clay and gravel. Then I switch to the Feists. I do all of them by name that I remember, then I go by faces I saw at the funeral, then to those that I didn’t meet, etc…

When the road gets pretty squirely or a big truck comes barreling down a mountain towards me, I start in with another Glory Be, and so on. It works and it keeps me centered on God all day long.
Last, I ended up staying in a worker’s camp about 60Km up Route 389 tonight. It’s a long doublewide with tiny little rooms and a communal shower/bath setup. With all the rain, it’s not worth the trouble of tent-camping for me. I paid $1.45 per litre (Canadian) for fuel tonight when I stopped. I don’t even want to think about how much that is in US $! It will get higher though, especially as I gas up in Happy Valley/Goose Bay tomorrow! Until then, good night! Dpat ☺

Day 3, Pulaski NY to St. Anne de Beaupre, 421 miles RAIN!!!! (around 45 mi. East of Quebec)

In an e-mail last night, my oldest friend, John Coffey, remarked how ironic it was the I'm leaving the USA today for Canada, where they could care less about our celebration. In 2007, I had left on Father's Day from Knoxville for Alaska and returned to the USA into Montana after many days riding through the Yukon, BC, and Alberta. I can remember being very happy to be back home where everything was familiar, and gas was cheap. Today will be the opposite, I suppose, but the adventure continues... Everything is dried out now and so it's time to pack the bike and head out. More kater! But now this reminder that there is still much work to be done in our great country:

"...When we let freedom ring, whem we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!." -Martin Luther King, Washington, D.C. August 28th, 1963
_____________________________

update on the day at 10pm EST:

Pretty much rain was the story of the day, but there is a very happy surprise ending, so keep reading.

I was searched for the word "Catholic" on the gps, looking for morning Mass when a monastery popped up that I'd heard of. The Sisters of the Precious Blood are located in Watertown, NY, which was only 45 miles from where I stayed last night. I got the address off my iPhone and set the gps. I arrived and was their only visitor. I was welcomed in by an older sister and I prayed in their chapel for 30 minutes or so. They have this deal about prayer... They never stop. They've been praying for all manner of petitions in a perpetual prayer for years. I told the sister in the chapel about Nancy and Peter and she was visibly saddened. They have agreed to pray for both of them as well as for the Feist/O'Keefe family. I left there feeling better about having visited their chapel. I have used them as an example of Eucharistic Adoration in the past in some of my homilies so it was a special treat to actually go there and drop in on the sisters who always dress in red.

The Canadian border was just 40 miles or so and it was awesome!. There was no one even there!!! I had heard horror stories about waiting for hours to get through. The guy was cool. He asked me how long I'd be in Canada, I told him a week maybe. He asked me where I was going so I told him Goose Bay, Labrador. Where is that he asked? OK, so know I know I'm in trouble. The guy standing behind him started laughing and came over to the window and told me I need to bring water and some food in case I get stranded. I reply, yeah, I got that memo. Anyways, I promised not to be obnoxious, thy both laughed and wished me a safe trip (bon chance!").

Rain, rain, rain, then a bit of dark overcast sky for a while, then more rain, sometimes heavy, sometimes a drizzle. Montreal is a place where I had shot an assignment for the NHL years ago. It was winter then so it looks a little different when not buried in three feet of snow. It's a great sprawling city that is more spread out in size than sheer stature. Quebec is a city defined by water. Huge, big water. The gps is great at navigating around and through cities and all that French I took at Morgan Park Academy and Marist, sort of paid off today. I can read most signs, and certainly navigate. I was ordering dinner tonight and a TV was on showing file of Steve McNair with the word, "mort," after his name. Very sad to see a young African American with that much promise lose his life on the wrong end of a gun. I couldn't understand any details but the crime scene tape was all I needed to know he's gone. I photographed his first two seasons with the then Tennessee Oilers in Memphis. He was always a nice guy when I saw him before or after games.

I was hoping for Mass today but the GPS does not have good information for Canada. I just watched the towns as I approached them, looked for steeples, and when I saw them, I'd pull off and investigate. Most churches only have Sunday Mass so I just kept going. I checked three churches out from 4-6 but by 7, I knew I was out of luck. It began to rain hard again as I rode into a small town. I saw this massive church that looked like Notre Dame sitting there all lit up in the middle of no where! It was the Church of St. Ann, and it was made a Basilica by the Vatican some time ago. I parked the bike and walked the grounds to the entrance. I was just in time for 7:30 Mass!!!! Just before the bi-lingual liturgy began, a man asked me and a couple to bring up the gifts (I was in all motorcycle gear and soaked). It was the anniversary of the dedication of the Church so there was a huge celebration, with music and a 10,000 lb. organ that shook the foundation. If you've been to the new St. John Neumann, think 30X that size. the place is huge and looks brand new.

When we brought up the gifts, we were welcomed through the gate and up onto the altar. We got to sit in the choir chairs intended for clergy. Immediately after Mass, they did exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed by a Eucharistic procession, all by candle-light. It was amazing! We sang songs, prayed for the dead, the living, and for the intentions of St. Ann. I thought of Nancy sitting in our KCHS chapel so many times and thanked her for arranging all this for me to experience when I'd lost all hope of getting to Mass today. I got a whole lot more than Mass!!!! I took a photo with my phone from the side of the altar but I'll have to wait to post it as I lost all cell service when I crossed into Canada today.

The place was packed tonight for the liturgy. We spoke mostly two languages and were from all over the US and Canada. Jesus brought us all together tonight. For those of you that have never been out of the country before and to a place where they don't speak English, it's a blessing to see how the Mass unfolds. We are truly one holy and apostolic church. The unity was awesome tonight; I felt a little sad to walk back outside after all that and be alone again in the drizzle and darkness.

I have to be honest. Today was a tough day. I've always said that any motorcycling after 150 miles is pain management. My butt hurts (I broke my tailbone on the AK ride two years ago) and my left knee is giving me new pain I've never experienced before. I picked up some over the counter pain stuff and it seems to be working OK. Rain is simply demoralizing. I'm used to getting upwards of 700 miles per day so my mileage is way under what I was hoping. But the TV news says the rain should be done by tomorrow. That's good as the toughest part of the ride awaits on the Trans-Labrador Hwy. I'm around 600 miles from the road going all gravel, and then another 500 or so to my destination of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Until next time.... God Bless you all :) dpat

Day 2, Mt. Jackson, VA to Pulaski, NY, Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, 541 mi.

The gloves in the photo should tell any experienced motorcyclist that it's been very WET today.

Today started out glorious. Big huge blue sky, rolling countryside of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, crisp air, etc... Made it to Our Lady of the Shenandoah Catholic Church for Mass at 8:30am. There was a visiting priest there who said he was from Guatemala. He spoke well and preached on the readings of the day. Immediately after Mass, as he prepared to expose the Blessed Sacrament (bonus!!!!), a man came forward and blew out the candles!!! I slowly got up, walked to the side table, relit the candles and cleared the altar for the priest. We sang together in Latin and then slowly, the whole congregation emptied. He was a kind, older priest who right away asked if I could understand him. I responded, "Si, mi Padre." English is something he will ahve to work on... just as I need to work on my Spanish!!!

As I rode North on two-laners towards I-81, I began to think about the gospel today. I thank God for Thomas and his doubt. We should all breathe a little easier knowing that one of the twelve still doubted Jesus even after the REZ, and his appearing in the upper room! All that time with him during his ministry. All those miracles, all those teachings in Truth. And still, Thomas doubted Jesus.

While I profess belief in the risen Lord Jesus, I often forget Him. It's not that I don't believe in Him, but that I crowd my mind and my heart with other things that distract me from the direct presence I experienced this morning at Mass and during exposition. "Yes Lord, I believe, help me in my unbelief." (Mark 9:24). This is sadly often my motto. "Blessed are those that see and yet believe," are the words that struck me this morning. I thought about my ability to see Jesus each day.
Especially since my ordination and before then, I get to see Jesus moving in and around people all the time. The structure of my morning and evening prayer, and assisting various priests in the Mass help me to "see" Jesus liturgically and sacramentally. But I also see Him in others too, and all of the time! How is it that I can see Him around constantly, and forget him all the same? This is my goal of this ride: To clear my mind and heart to focus in on Christ. To seek his face in all things, even where to stop for gas, when to switch lanes, how fast to go, and what to order in a restaurant, and when I need to be taught to pray.

So, I did better today. There was a ton of rain in all of PA and in most of NY so far. I got hailed on twice which hurts if you must know... Each time I changed my gloves and got set again looking to Northern clear skies, it would just open up on me again and again. I kept thinking of my three days in BC in 07-- Sun and Moon, Bless the Lord, Sun and rain, Bless the Lord, dew, etc... I remember seeing the irony of that Psalm one morning. Whew!

A few people that I thought a lot about today are, The Feist family, my daughter Sophie who is heading off to Ireland with her Grandmother (think auntie mame), my Son Patrick and my wife Ellie. I prayed for Jason D., and for Steve M., and for my friend Maggie B. who is going through a rough stretch, for the teachers and staff at KCHS, for my Parish of St. Albert the Great and our building completion, for the people struggling in the Chancery, for Bishop Stika, and for all those people that can't seem to stay out of the left lane (God Bless them).

Tomorrow will bring a border crossing (may it be short), and my first entry into Eastern Canada on two wheels. Until tomorrow then, Amen...

Day 1: Fed-X, three tanks of gas, chicken fried rice, zzzz 389 mi. Mt. Jackson, VA

So, I finally got on the road today at 3:30pm. after getting the part, and installing it without any problems. Not the time of day to start a big trip, but I wasn't going to wait around any longer! Bike is running strong, new windscreen is too short but is keeping most of the wind off of me, GPS update worked so there are new little icons for finding gas and other new features. Started out with the warm weather gear on but had to switch to the winter stuff as soon as the sun went down one side of the Shanandoah Valley. Heated grips simply ROCK!!!!
It's been a perfect day. Great, cool temps, beautiful scenery rolling by, and the Bm'er just purrs along. I'm getting around 225 miles per tank and my fill-ups are right around 5 gal so that means around 45 mpg, which is very respectable. It's interesting how I was on the road for two hours before I even though about praying. I get so caught up in the mass of distraction that is my life, that I have trouble getting in a mindset that will lead me where I want to be. Tomorrow will start out right with getting up early, getting to Mass at 8:30, breakfast, and then hitting it hard for the day. Not sure where I'll end up but worst case, Northern NY State, best case, I'll be ordering dinner "en francais."

I feel like there is a residue all over me that keeps me from seeking God's face. So busy I have been lately! I'm so looking forward to Mass in the am, not as a Deacon, but being anonymous there--just a simple participant. I'll be able to concentrate on the Eucharist and really receive the grace that I need so badly. Then I will be ready to spend the day in prayer! If anyone is in the area, I'll be at the 8:30am Mass at "Our Lady of Shanandoah." Lights out: 11:21pm

Hurry Up and Wait...

I damaged the left grip of the bike two days ago so I had to order a new part from BMW. I'm waiting for the Fedex driver to bring me my freedom, but they sent it standard rather than priority overnight. So here I sit, wanting to do some miles. Patience is what I need but I'm fresh out today. I had a great day yesterday as I got to spend almost all of it with Hope Feist, who is Nancy's eldest daughter. She's had her permit for nine months but never got around to getting her DL until yesterday. Because all of the Knoxville locations were booked up, we made the trek up to LaFollette and got her driver's exam there. She passed with flying colors and is driving like a champ. Each of us is looking for some way to help the family. It's hard as so many signed up for meals and for yardwork & laundry. I've spoken to many who just couldn't get in on that deal in time and are frustrated by not being able to give the Feists assistance. I have a message for you: pray. Just pray every day for all of them. Your prayers are powerful and can cause mechanisms in heaven to move great gears that make a big difference. Hope shared with me a story about her Mom's "last" birthday. She and her brothers stayed up late that night and baked a cake and decorated the kitchen to surprise their parents Nancy and Dave when they got home from their date. The kitchen was festive with streamers everywhere and a two layered cake awaited the happy couple when they finally returned home. Hope shared with me, "I'm so glad we worked so hard for Mom's last birthday. I'm glad I don't look back with regret about wanting to tell her things or say I love you. I told my Mom everything!" That we would go that extra mile today for those we love and not just bake a cake but make it two layers!!!

Feeling much better today!

What a difference a night's sleep makes! Now I'm ready to tackle the rest of the packing I need to do. Waiting for Fedex to come with a part for the bike this morning. Once they arrive and I figure out how to put it on, I'll be off.

very tired and it just turned into tomorrow already...

I'm trying to think of everything I shouldn't forget to pack in the morning before I depart. I'm trying also to not think of all the things that I should of done before now and that won't get done until my return. I found my tent, most of my riding gear, bad weather stuff, and other camping supplies tonight. I finished wiring up the GPS unit and a set of driving lights on the bike tonight with the moral support of my friend and cohort, Mark Balog. He kindly came by the garage tonight to hang out and kill Junebugs that flew into the light of the open door as I worked on the wiring of the BMW. All the hard bags are attached. the await being filled up with all manner of stuff I'll need for the next two weeks or so. Whatever I forget, I'll have to use my limited funds to buy on the road, and where I'm heading, they don't have any Walmarts.

so, I'm trying to take this reading from Terce prayer this morning to heart: "Free your minds, then, of encumbrances; control them, and put your trust in nothing but the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Do not behave in the way that you liked to before you learnt the truth, but make a habit of obedience." 1 Peter 1:13-14 (but it's hard right now).

More tomorrow as I make my final preparations. -dpat