Still love the black stealth bomber (long)-Indian summer run

[The Masons]

Nice write up William.
We just had our Thanksgiving weekend in Canada.  The last long weekend of 
the year that we can get out on our highways enmass and assasinate each 
other.  I had my my family show up and we turned the cottage into a 
barracks--14 and all had beds.
My sister Alison came from Penentanguishene with her 4 children in her van 
and her husband Dave was smart enough to make the 400 km journey solo on his 
Honda VFR. We made a 260 km loop on Saturday into the Madawaska 
Valley--Calabogie, Griffith, Khartomn.  Sunday I had chores and winterizing 
of stuff so Dave and Alison made a 150 km loop into Quebec & back.  Monday I 
planned to ride 1/2 way to Penetanguishene and turn back but at the 1/2 way 
point the day was 22C (72F), the leaves were spectacular so I continued 
through Haliburton, Bracebridge, through the Muskoka Lakes and on the 
Penetang, to a nice soak in Dave's hot tub and several of his cold beer.
Tuesday morning was cool 15C (60F).  I got my gear on the bike at 8:30 am 
and a high presure system came through.  One minute it was clear and the 
next the trees were bent sideways in the wind, the rain was coming in 
horizontally, and the leaves were departing their branches in such numbers 
it looked like a phychadelic snow storm.
I emailed my wife and told her I might not be home until Wednesday.  At 
11:30 am as fast as the sky had clouded over it cleared.  The wind died down 
a little.  I checked the weather forecast in all the burgs on both routes 
and opted to return the way I had come.  Everything was going smoothly until 
I turned north onto the 400 at Waubashenne (the southeastern end of Georgian 
Bay.  The wind (nothing to stop in its 180 km crossing of Georgian Bay hit 
me and the bike on the left side and shifted me into the other lane.  I 
thought I was going over the bridge railing into Matchadash Bay.  I had to 
get my head down below the windshield as the wind buffeting it my vision 
blurry. About 8 km up the highway I got to Port Severen and back into the 
bush where the wind abated some.  Another 20 Km and I turned east onto 
Muskoka 38 and the wind faded altogether.  But the wind and dropping 
temperature had both my hands and feet cold.  I had planned to take a little 
detour down the Frank Miller Memorial Road between Bala and Port Carling but 
I stopped at the entrance and saw it was still wet and was covered with 
leaves. If you're ever in the Muskoka region I highly recommend this series 
of roads. I arrived in Bracebridge got soup, sandwich & coffee.  I returned 
to my bike and got some old skidoo gloves out of my bag (had nothing extra 
for my feet but the temperature had climbed to 16C (62F) a far cry from the 
25C (78F) it had been exactly 24 hour before when we stopped for fuel & 
lunch.  I took 117 to Dorset, 35 to Dwight and 60 through Algonquin park. 
All the reds from the Maples of 2 weeks earlier were gone, only  the 
yellows, and oranges from the birch and poplar (aspen for you western guys) 
and the brassy browns of the oak.  All of the lakes that had been "flat as 
piss on a plate" and prefect mirrors 2 weeks before were thrown into a froth 
of white caps with the wind.  2 days and 1055 km later I arrived home. 
Hopefully I can get in another couple of 500 km days on the back roads 
before I have to put the bike up for the winter in 3 weeks.

Jim