We woke to a major down pour this morning. While we were enjoying our simple breakfast of oatmeal and fruit we watched the impressive lightening flashes and listened to the bone shaking angry thunder rumbles. The rain flooded the streets within a matter of minutes. Maybe we won't be going anywhere today? We moved the bikes under the dry area of the covered motel entrance in hopes that maybe these morning storm sets would subside. Ahh ha….I see blue sky in the distance, we are going to get a break! Kev and I indicated pack up mode, our robot like routine that we methodically exercise, now with ease. The bikes are damp and even though there seems to be a break in the storms we suit up in full rain gear and head out. The road is drying out and the skies are clearing as we ride…it sure is mighty bright and beautiful!

We stop off in Hamilton at an old grille, a one time Cat House, for a late lunch of sliced tomatoes, fresh buffalo cheese with a balsamic drizzle, (personally my favorite dish ever) and scotch eggs. Tummy's happy and we head back out to the bikes and peel off the remainder of our rain gear. It looks fine enough to chance the balance of the day without it. Back on the bikes powering through the countryside I enjoy the gentle curves the road brings as it follows a sweeping rural river. We cross the 45th parallel, the circle of latitude that is 45 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, and stop to take a picture. The parallel is referred to as the halfway point between the North Pole and the Equator. The skies are growing darker once more, and you can feel the prickly electricity of a pending storm in the air. I radio Kev and suggest that we start looking for a suitable place to camp. "It does not look like camping weather, check out those clouds ahead Cat!", Kev replies. We stop at a small motel, and call it a day….and not a minute too soon, the skies exploded. Within minutes the power had cut out along with the water pump, so no water, and we were camping once again only in much bigger quarters. No dinner tonight, ha…that won't kill us…we are warm, dry and safe, and, that is all that matters.

*Lunch in Hamilton...Scotch eggs & Tomato fresh Buffalo Cheese*