It's Memorial Day in America

The weather has changed. The sun rose today around 4:30 AM in Dégelis, Quebec, under a cloudless sky. By the time we were up and ready to go, the sun had warmed the world with its golden light, promising a gorgeous day of riding.

With not many choices for breakfast, we explored the Canadian staple: Tim Hortons. It wasn't our first choice, but it gave us the energy to start our ride—and what a ride it was! We continued down the superb rail-to-trail bike route we were on yesterday, which runs from Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, to Edmundston, New Brunswick. The sun was shining, the wind was at our backs (yes—a tailwind!), and nature surrounded us. Before we knew it, we reached the border between Quebec and New Brunswick. We felt a twinge of sadness saying goodbye to Quebec. Despite the rough weather we endured, it is a beautiful and inspiring place!

At the border between Providences.

New Brunswick is definitely different from Quebec. First of all, it is in the Atlantic time zone, so we had to adjust to another hour change. I also thought the people would suddenly speak English instead of French, but that wasn’t the case, at least here, in the western part of New Brunswick. What I really noticed was the change in houses. Gone are the 17th and 18th-century homes we saw along the St. Lawrence. New Brunswick feels more modern, but still, folks were out mowing their yards and biking the bike trails!

Looking across to Maine

We followed the St. John River south from Edmundston, which meant we could look across the river at Maine, USA. It felt strange to see Maine across the river, knowing folks there were celebrating Memorial Day. It made me reflective of the incredible history these two countries have had with each other. How different they are from each other, yet valuing many of the same ideals. I feel so fortunate to be able to experience both and hope the future is kind to the friendship these two neighbors have built over the years. We can learn so much from each other.

It's Memorial Day in America. Let us remember all that it means.

Where we are tonight.