The Thin Blue Ride - Part 2 Day 48 - Dighton, KS to Bazine, KS

Saturday, 27 July, 2019

Today was an abbreviated day...

Ride Report:  43 Miles, 2,313 Total Miles, 18.1 Avg. mph, 269 Ft. Climbing, 2,937 Calories, and in a bit of an unexpected twist on the day, The Rig bears mention in the ride report - for reasons that will become clear later.

OK - I took this pic last night in anticipation of announcing the completion of Map 7 today when I passed thru Alexander at the far right of the map.  However, the day ended about 17 miles short of Alexander.  (Cue ominous sounding music.  Think... "Jaws" but less watery.)  

The day began innocently enough.  By now the reader should be aware of Delta's love of early morning selfies, and of his love for fresh tarmac.  The first 15 miles out of Dighton looked like this - they hadn't even had a chance to paint the white lines for the shoulders or do the center striping yet.  It was that fresh.  For those readers who examine my pics for signs of fakery (the same people who believe the lunar landing was faked, BTW) - yes - we were riding east and this early morning pic faces west.  It was the only way to get the fresh tarmac to show up.  We were both giddy.

And as further proof of the authenticity of my pics, I proffer this shot of a road construction...roller...thingy.  They hadn't even had time to cart it off yet.  Either that or the locals have an as yet unreported new model of combine.  I'm goin with "thingy".

No wheat left - harvest is over.  But the corn crop (at least the irrigated variety) looks good out here.

Me with another Kansas "mountain".

Susan told me this morning that she'd first wait for me several miles in to today's ride at a rest stop near Beeler, KS.  This is it.  When I got there she was present - as always.  But I must have arrived early, 'cause I apparently interrupted a clandestine meeting of the Teamsters' Beeler affiliate.  Susan acted all normal and everything, but I knew something was up when I left to continue riding and the Tractor/Trailer was still there idling with no driver in the front.  Acting like he was asleep in the cab - ha!  Do I look like I just fell off the turnip truck?  I knew what was up.  The New Jersey office has Susan doing a recruiting drive in western Kansas.  She's an undercover union agitator!

But a few miles later I was distracted by the latest shiny object and forgot all about teamsters and their nefarious activities.  This is it.  Apparently the people at Ness City HS are quite proud of their 2019 tracksters.  No word on how Jayme, Cynthia, John, Wyatt, Rylee, Tiana, Zoe and the rest of the crew fared...

At Ness City Susan was waiting again, but this time I arrived on time and the local Teamsters had already departed.  The reader should note the prominent Kansas "mountain" behind The Rig and appreciate the overall scene for its majesty.

I shortly departed Ness City headed for Alexander, some 20 miles hence.  I made it about a mile east of Bazine when my phone rang.  The reader may have experienced this - it had that "You better answer" tone to it.  Unusual.  Normally I don't answer while riding, but when I pulled it out of my jersey pocket (see instructions on yesterday's post on how to go about this while riding a bike) I saw that it was Susan calling.  This is even more unusual as she typically tries to avoid calling when I ride.  I heard "...mechanical problems with The Rig..." over the sound of the wind rushing past my ear and immediately pulled over.  The Rig had died 4 miles east of Ness City - which as fate would have it was about 8 miles behind me.  Well, maybe "died" is too strong a word.  But it was gonna require a "spa day" as one of my ghost writers called it recently when referring to Delta going to the shop.

Within just a few minutes Susan texted that she had arranged for a pick-up truck to come get me and return me to her location.  Also, that it conveniently had a mattress in back upon which Delta could recline as we traveled.  I gotta tell ya, these Teamsters have their finger in EVERYBODY's pie.  Amazing.  So - the truck shows up and I ride back to The Rig.  Which after the obligatory call to our roadside assistance provider, and a rather stern lecture by Susan concerning who was paying for what (Susan won), and the mandatory 2 hour wait, resulted in this...

A TEAMSTER COMING TO GET US!

When I looked for Susan, she was nowhere to be found so I asked the wrecker driver if he had seen her.  He responded that she had already set up camp in his rig.  Of course she had.  When I found her, she was clearly happy with her current arrangement and seemed familiar with the layout of a Freightliner.  Shocker - I know...

A pic of a DIFFERENT teamster driving - taken from the passenger seat of his rig by yours truly.  I prefer mine, she's cuter - and this one has hairy arms.  Anyway - I can't describe how exciting this was.  Just look at all those shiny gauges, switches, lights and other...things on the dash.  This was like being on an Apollo moon mission!  Except we had air and didn't die when the windows were down!

The Rig being dropped off by his rig in Hays, KS.  Now that The Rig understands drafting, we may have to watch out when Susan next finds herself behind another rig.  Our gas mileage from Ness City to Hays was outstanding as a result.

This is us with Phil and his rig.  He was a good guy.  Originally from Salina and transplanted to Hays a number of years ago.  He also drives OTR (Over The Road - I got that from Susan) and told us stories about transporting seismic gear used to search for underground minerals up to Wyoming - in the snow.  Not for me, but Susan and Phil were trading war stories like commodities traders on the floor in Chicago.  I couldn't get a word in edgewise, so after I looked at all the shiny stuff on the dash I got bored.

So - there's the day in a nutshell.  The repair guy has been kind enough to call and say he'll stop by around noon tomorrow (on a Sunday!) to check it out and order the requisite part(s) after doing so.  We both think it's the fuel pump.  They were already booked for Monday, but say they can get to it Tuesday.  The long and short of all this is that I'll fall three days behind the riding schedule.  We were gonna stop in Manhattan after three more days riding anyway and may end up staying there an extra day if we get there later than we had planned.  So overall, we lose maybe 4 riding days.  Not too bad after 2 months on the road.  I figured something would crop up while we were on the road, so I'm not surprised that it finally happened.

I Love me some Teamsters.

Till next time.

The Thin Blue Ride - Part 2 Day 47 - Tribune, KS to Dighton, KS

Friday, July 26th, 2019

Ride Report:  62 Miles, 2,332 Total Miles, 19.5 Avg. mph, 230 Ft. Climbing (really), 4,762 Calories.

Check out that calorie count.  Having tired of making me ice cream treats (she's wearing a splint on her wrist for the last few days - too much milk shake stirring?), Susan is taking me to the local ice cream shop for a treat shortly.  I'm thinking banana split?  We shall see if it's pic worthy.  But until I get around to reporting on the ice cream run, let's get on with the day...

Bright and sunny, just like Delta likes his mornings.  And this really was the view all day today.  Choose any random stretch of road and stop for a pic.  Absent the odd cattle or grain truck meandering thru as the shot is taken, it all looks the same.  For my part, I was just getting my eyes open when we left.  I'd take up drinking coffee to jump start the day, but then I might be more awake and less grumpy.  I prefer grumpy to coffee.

Speaking of cattle trucks, this is but one example (of many I passed today) of where they're heading.  A feed lot.  By this time the reader would think I'd know better, but this was a small one by comparison and I was lulled into a false sense of security - so I stopped to snap a pic.  Unfortunately, I was inside the "smell zone".  Just down the road there was another, larger operation.  It ran on parallel to the road for more than a mile and from what I could tell, was about a mile deep.  That's a lot of steaks on the hoof out there.  Apologies if I have offended the reader's sensibilities.  If so - think of them as hamburger - I guess...  That should help.

This was beside the feed lot pictured above.  Row upon row of...compost.  Hey, this is what made America great; take...lemons... and turn it into...lemonade - so to speak.

When we made it to Scott City I was inside The Rig taking a brief break and cooling down when we heard a horn honk.  When Susan went outside to determine who might have the gall to impede upon my sloth, she found these two yahoos: Ethan (in the middle) and Nick.  Susan plied them with ice cream sandwiches to get their story out of  'em.  Ethan is riding and met Nick on the road.  For his part, Nick is a photographer on a mission.  They just sorta hooked up.  Ethan's ride started on the east coast following the T/A and will divert to head for Boulder, where his ride will end.  He took a "short" day today since he got in 130 miles yesterday.  He worked his way from Hutchinson, KS north to highway 96.  I'm sure the strong south wind yesterday didn't hurt any.

At the same stop in Scott City I took this pic.  This, readers, is what every rider longs for - a flag pointing the same general direction one is riding.  Finally, a moderate, not quite but almost quartering, tail wind.  Hey, it's not much, but I'll take it.  I think that by the time we made it to Dighton, KS, the wind speed was maybe 12 mph.

And lest I forget, I saw this on the way out of Scott City.  "Go Beavers"?  I had to think a bit, but eventually recalled that the Scott City High School mascot is a beaver.  I first learned this years ago when riding a BAK that started in Tribune.  Somewhere in the annals of my BAK photos is a shot of me kissing a statue of the Scott City beaver mascot taken in the food court of the High School here.  Susan was both present at the time and mortified.  Now here's the deal, most of the creeks and rivers over which I've had the pleasure to ride since entering the state have been dry.  How on earth?  But once a beaver, always a beaver - apparently...

Harvest being pretty much over here, there was a lot of this alongside the road today.  For the uninitiated, this is a wheat field that has been harvested.  And yes, the pic was taken while riding - at about 20 mph.  The reader should not try this at home.  But just in case, here's the sequence: Take phone out of jersey pocket on back with left hand, secure phone in teeth, place left hand on handlebar, take phone out of teeth with right hand, orient phone appropriately and reverse camera for selfie, take pic.  Reverse steps to place phone back in jersey pocket.  Now ya know.  

Another example.  The wheat fields out here are both numerous and large.

This is an abandoned school in the little "town" of Amy that I passed thru today.  Another chapter in the continuing saga of population decline here in western Kansas.  Town being a bit of a misnomer since pretty much all that remains are a few houses and a rather large elevator, which is...

...seen in this pic.  On the bright side, I've found something to replace the mountains as a backdrop for my pics.  Hey!  They're tall, they're white at the top - almost like a mountain.  And in case the reader has not yet formed this opinion, allow me to confirm that I am the selfie master.  C'mon - 20 mph, on a bike, quartering wind, and I pull off this shot?  You try it.  But first, contact me and sign my denial of responsibility for injury form.

So anyway, we made it to Dighton, KS by about 1330 local time (we lost an hour to the time change  - we were really here by 1230) and I sat around till I cooled down, then as previously mentioned,  Susan drug me over to the local DQ. 

Here in Dighton it's called "Frigid Creme" as the reader can tell by the sign.  There will be no pic of the banana split.  Sadly it was, in the main, unremarkable - bearing only one scoop of ice cream.  It still went down well, but I was kinda hoping for more.



While we waited for our order, I decided to do something about my "biker tan".  For those who haven't noticed, it's a lot like a farmer's tan, except it also covers me from mid thigh to ankle.  Seriously, face, arms, legs - that's it.  Anyway, I wore sandals to the Frigid Creme and figured that if I played the shadow just right, I could tan my foot and make it come out to match the rest of my leg.  My attempt did not meet with success.  Turns out I didn't have six or seven weeks to stand around like this and let it catch up with the rest of me.  Sigh - another brilliant idea gone by the wayside.



After we had consumed our treats, it was stiflingly hot, so Susan called for an Uber.  Apparently there are a shortage of people calling for rides in these parts, so these two guys raced over hoping to catch our fare.  But when Susan heard that we were gonna ride in the back, she started walking to The Rig.  Apparently being less fussy than Susan, I was fine with riding in the back.  I gotta shower at the end of the day anyway - right?  But, her rash decision notwithstanding, I opted to walk with my bride.

When we made it back to The Rig, I noticed that the local HS mascot is a Hornet.  See the sign on the wall in front of The Rig.  This is imminently preferable to the beaver.  It looks angry, its sting is painful, people are scared of hornets - great mascot.  I just can't imagine an angry beaver.  But maybe it's just me.

That's about it for the day.  I know it's still early, but other than returning to the Frigid Creme for a foot long chili/cheese dog (with fries), I don't think there's a lot left to report on today.  This should make my children happy on two fronts.  First, they don't have to read my witty banter any longer than is absolutely necessary.  Second, I'm pretty sure that foot long hot dogs with chili are a health food.

Till next time. 

The Thin Blue Ride - Part 2 Day 46 - Eads, CO to Tribune, KS

Thursday, July 25^th, 2019

Ride Report: 63 Miles, 2,270 Total Miles (Only 1,990ish to go), 17.6 Avg mph, 535 Ft. “Climbing” (side note – Hahahahahaha), 4,579 Calories.  And…

…WE’RE BACK IN KANSAS, TOTO!  Sort of.  Tribune is in that quirky part of the state of Kansas that lies in the Mountain Time Zone.  So, we’ve really got a foot in both worlds right now.  But in order to make us feel at home, the good folks at “AccuWeather” dialed up a thunderstorm this evening.  As I type this it has just passed thru.  Hail was forecast.  Any guesses as to whether it showed up or not?  Before you answer, remember one word – “AccuWeather”.  We received no hail – not that I’m complaining – much.  And… (part two)

I’m starting to get the feeling that there will be no reports on top speeds of the day for a good while.  Just to sate the reader’s morbid curiosity (I wonder if he went down at that speed today...), I’ll report on today’s top speed, but after that – suck it up till I have something worth reporting.  Today’s top speed was a blistering 24.1 mph according to Garmin.  This wasn’t helped much by the wind direction, but still, 24.1 isn’t anything to write home about.  Hence, I shall speak no further of such things until the time is right.  Said wind was mostly a quartering headwind all day that increased in speed as the day wore on.  I think that by the time we shut it down for the day the gusts were up to 20 mph.  Welcome to western Kansas.  Anyway – I was kinda proud of the 17.6 average speed given the conditions.  And…  (part three)

Speaking of conditions, temperatures became a factor today.  I’ve been telling myself for some time that I need to set up another screen on my Garmin.  One that removes “elevation” (pointless here in the plains) and replaces it with “temperature”.  After all, no point wasting an opportunity to suffer with full knowledge of the reason for it.  Anyway, Garmin reported 106 today, but if I park it in the sun, I’ve noticed that it can get a bit wonky.  And that reading was out of line with what I was seeing on “AccuWeather”, but suffice it to say that it was hot.  I went thru plenty of liquids today – tho Susan always frets that I’m not drinking enough.  She is apparently of the mistaken belief that she married Sponge Bob Square Pants and that I can absorb water accordingly.  (BTW - bonus internet points to me for a context appropriate reference to a cultural icon: Sponge Bob Square Pants.)

I think the reader already knows what to expect in the way of scenery, but here we go anyway…

I found this in the land of Nod (AKA: eastern Colorado) before returning to the promised land.  A little Cowboy Culture, if you will.  I think it gets the point across quite well.  Maybe even better than Sponge Bob Square Pants?

Note the elevator centered over the roadway in the waaaaay distance.  When Delta saw this, he wanted to know when we were gonna get to the next town.  I told him to move his handlebar in front of the elevator and then look again.  He did.  I then asked if he could still see the elevator.  He said no.  I told him that meant we’d get there on Saturday.  He was grumpy.  He hates being made sport of.

I took this one over my shoulder.  Note the lack of mountains in the background.  Gonna have to find something else for a backdrop, I suppose.

Delta was even grumpier when I took this shot only 7 or 8 miles after he asked when we’d get to the town.  The kid has no sense of humor.  I wonder who he got that from…  Not me – I’m hilarious.  And yes – this is the same elevator seen in the pic of Delta looking down the road ahead of us earlier in the post.  BTW – I am open to suggestion as to how to go about transplanting a funny bone somewhere in Delta.  Thoughts?

Still in Colorado, but it was nice of the Plainview School to wish us ”…a great summer”. (Check out the sign.)  Susan and I agree, it has been so far – and there’s plenty of summer left.  BTW – this school is a sign of the times in the high plains of Colorado and Kansas.  Stan and Lora told us this school was here.  It’s built in the middle of nowhere because the kids out here were having to ride a bus so far to get to school that the locals decided to build a school to serve the area.  Wow!  That’s a lot of money, but prolly better than kids riding a bus one way for a couple of hours every day.

OK – I’m not making this up.  Trust me.  We stopped at the state line for some pics which will show up below.  But before I got there (bear in mind how far one can see out here) I knew it was coming.  I saw the dust this guy was putting up.  Turns out his field goes right up to the state line.  Sure sign that we were back in Kansas – a Versatile tractor working a field.  Didn’t see this once in Colorado.

Hey, Kansas doesn’t let just anybody in to snoop around.  This is me putting my best foot forward as Delta and I crossed the state line.  This is the second way I knew I was back in Kansas.  The pavement seams that had been assaulting my anatomy since we first got on Colorado Highway 96 were no more.  Really, the road improved markedly when we crossed the state line.

The third way I knew we were back in Kansas.  Susan can’t help but ham it up when given the opportunity.  Recall our rehearsal at the Colorado line when I was concerned about running out of fingers for the state line pics.  Susan to the rescue.  However, the reader may note that I am not properly attired to enter the fine state of Kansas.  Just look at that jersey.  Right there on the left shoulder it says, “Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle”.  It’s a Colorado jersey.  The reader should go easy on me.  All I’m at liberty to disclose is that it was an undercover op.

Now I’m properly attired.  The reader should note the more formal presentation of the KSU jersey.  The black collar just screams formal wear.  Zipping it up to the neck for the pic enhances the appearance of both jersey and rider.  Paris and Lawrence will be going bonkers for these this fall.  As an aside, Susan and I can count to six correctly on two consecutive occasions.  This was no small feat – at least for me…

OK – somebody help me out with this one.  I’ve no idea what this is.  My first thought was a USGS survey marker, but I’ve seen those before and this ain’t it.  I googled it and found another guy with a blog on line who had taken a pic of one exactly like it in southern Utah.  This is the second one I’ve seen personally, the other being in Montana – I believe.  At first, I thought it was some 2016 Trans-Am’er who was just marking his territory – so to speak.  But the guy in Utah found one that wasn’t on any ACA route I know of.  It’s a mystery.  Curtis?

Same number, completely different feel to it.  First, my butt appreciates the smoother pavement.  A notable improvement in “feel”.  But more importantly, it just feels good to be on The Thin Blue Ride and in our home state.

And as if I hadn’t already seen sufficient evidence that we’re back in Kansas, there was this.  Surprisingly, I’m pretty sure this one was still serviceable.  Most of the ones I see are broken down relics of a bygone era.  Not this guy.

This is it – Tribune – our overnight stop for the day.  That said, I decided to ride 8 miles past town in order to shorten a 70 mile day tomorrow.  Seemed a wise decision at the time, however…

When I got to The Rig, Susan was waiting (as always) and had taken this pic.  Maybe I should re-think altering the Garmin screen after all – this is just depressing.  But I suspect more of the same is in order for tomorrow… Used by permission of Susan Schoen Photography, LLC.

So there ya have it readers – we’re Baaaaaaaack!

Till next time.

The Thin Blue Ride - Part 2 Day 45 - McClave, CO (Rest Day)

Wednesday, July 24th, 2019

Ride Report: None - Rest Day in McClave, CO (off-route)

Well, today started like a day should - especially a rest day - later than usual.  I think Susan and I slept till something like 0730.  Not especially late by my normal standards, but apparently once this waking up early thing starts, it develops a momentum of its own.  We shall put it to bed (so to speak) as soon as the opportunity arises.

We had a good time chatting with Lora and Stan last night, and that was kinda the purpose - catching up.  Today was likely a typical Wednesday for Lora and Stan, except for our mild intrusion into their daily schedule.  Stan went out to take care of things on the farm.  Lora did her morning chores.  Among other things, she's trying to start a couple of shelter belts - typically long straight rows of trees/shrubs planted to prevent soil erosion.  I know this because when I asked if there was a spigot I could use to wash Delta, she pointed me toward one near the shop that was currently hooked to a hose providing water to one of these new shelter belts.  Needless to say, I made sure to hook it back up when I was done.  For us the day was a normal rest day - catch up on laundry, bike washing, blah, blah, blah.  By now the reader knows the drill.  Oh - did I leave out napping?  I took another in my long series of Rest Day naps today as well.

I thought I might give the reader some shots of what things are like around the Kline spread here in eastern Colorado.  They look like this...

This is the old barn - by all appearances freshly painted in white with black trim.  It's in remarkably good shape for an old barn - many of which have fallen into disrepair around the country as changes in farming practices have sort of left them behind.  First thing one sees when walking out the front door in the morning.  Not bad. 

This is where we parked our "barn" last night when we arrived.  We stayed with Stan and Lora in the house behind The Rig.   It felt weird to have to walk more than three feet to find a recliner in which to repose.  I managed to pull it off and have returned there to work on this post.  I'm tellin ya, I have a body that must have been custom built for recliners...

First thing on my agenda was a bath for Delta.  Lora said I was welcome to do it on the concrete by the shed.  They must have a lot of bikes to wash here on the farm, because they had a whole building devoted to it.  It was full of tools, air compressors, oil, grease - all the stuff you need to maintain a whole fleet of bikes.  Though the fleet wasn't in evidence.  People were prolly out riding them, having gotten up earlier than me.  I may have to inquire.

As I was wandering about waiting for Delta to air dry (he hates bath towels) one of the hired guys came in from the field to fuel up this swather.  It serves to cut hay while simultaneously placing it in a windrow for later baling.  To the uninitiated it may look like a combine, but it lacks the capacity to separate grain from it's constituent plant, as does a combine.  Plus, it's a lot smaller.

This is a shot of a crop duster working a nearby milo (grain sorghum) field and spraying for bugs.  As the pic was taken, he was pulling up after having completed a pass over the milo field and was turning to prepare for another pass.  There are small pipes along the back of both wings with even smaller nozzles designed to dispense whatever soluble solution happens to be the order of the day.  In this case, an insecticide.  These guys fly REALLY low.  It's fun to imagine being in the cockpit.

Oh yes - allow me to introduce Brad Schoen - renowned cat lover.  There were several of these half grown things wandering about.  After I released this one, it was last seen chasing butterflies - with no success.

The inside of the aforementioned barn.  Most of the ones I've been in lately (which admittedly isn't a lot) have been full of extraneous farm junk.  It appears as if this one may still see occasional service.

This is the street view of Lora and Stan's house.  I think Lora said she and Stan have lived here for something like 16 years now.  Its been in the family for quite some time - Stan and Lora being the 4th generation to have lived here.  Each generation has made their own contribution to the house - the original house being the two story section in the middle.

Well - an interesting visit and a good diversion from The Thin Blue Ride, but tomorrow it's back to the daily grind.  I say this in jest, Susan and I are having the time of our lives.  Though if the wind acts tomorrow like it has for the past two days, I'll likely reprise my role as an angry sailor some time tomorrow when cursing the wind.  Should that prove to be the case, I will report same - sans quotes...

Gotta go.  Susan should be back from the grocery store soon and will prolly want the computer to finish catching up on personal finances.  I hope she gets milk.  We're out.  Kinda hard to eat half a package of Oreos without milk.  I include this information in order that the reader may grasp the depths of my suffering.

Till next time.

The Thin Blue Ride - Part 2 Day 44 - Ordway, CO to Eads, CO

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

Ride Report: 64 Miles, 2,207 Total Miles, 16.2 Avg. mph (Hey - you try 64 miles into the wind.), 850 Ft. "Climbing", 4,482 Calories.

Yesterday's forecast for today was less than promising - sunny and (relatively) moderate temperatures given what the area had gone thru recently.  So, the reader asks, what's the problem?  In a word: wind.  Predicted out of the SE and moving to the SSE at 8 with gusts to 12.  Still not too bad, but it never works out that way.  "AccuWeather" always predicts moderate winds and then as the day progresses, they go with the actual and report it at the time.  Such was the case today.  By the time I had an hour or two left in the ride, winds were out of the SSE at 12-15 with gusts to 20.  Now as wind goes, that's not terrible.  It's just that riders are acutely aware of the wind.  I once read an article on the amount of energy it takes to overcome wind resistance while riding.  I don't recall all the details, but it was something like once ya get over about 12-15 mph or so, every one mile per hour increase in speed requires that current energy input be squared.  Hence, cyclists hate anything resembling a headwind.

So, headwind = riding sucked today.  But hey, I got thru it - and  I knew going in it would be like this some days.  I guess as Karma goes, it means I've got a bad wind day in the bank and am due a tail wind at some point in the future.  At least that's what I'm holding out hope for.

As for landscape, hey, it's eastern Colorado.  I've driven thru it plenty of times over the years.  Typically in the winter getting to Summit County, CO (Breckenridge, Silverthorne, etc. from whence we just came) to go skiing with the kids.  Both Susan and I have also talked with plenty of people over the years who complain about the lack of scenery as they travel from Kansas to Colorado.  I'll be the first to admit that western Kansas can be a bit bland.  For Susan's part, she says that those same people blame eastern Colorado on Kansas.  Ha! Either way, bland is bland.  Maybe the problem is that we've become accustomed to the scenery that is the mountain west.

So - this is my long winded way of saying that I didn't take a ton of pics today.  But as always, what I have, you'll see.  Here we go...

This is the overnight stop.  That's the church in the background.  that's also Delta leaned up against the side of The Rig and ready to go this morning.  We woke up early (again - sigh) and headed out ahead of schedule.  I think we were on the road by 0645.  Less wind early.

One of the unique sensory inputs in this are of the country is the olfactory delight that cattle feed lots present.  When we set up last night in the church parking lot, we noticed the "smell of money" right away.  This morning, some 2 or 3 miles later I discovered the source of said delight.  I'm thinking they didn't pay much attention to the direction of the prevailing winds when they put the feed lot here.

This is me with the same feed lot in the background.   I made sure I was out of the "smell zone" (some technical cycling jargon there) before stopping for this shot. 

Delta is more of a morning person than I am.  Open roads, a rising sun - pretty much his definition of a good start to the day.  For my part, I didn't know there were 6s and 7s on the clock until I started riding.  I keep telling him I'm retired and shouldn't have to get up so early.  He responds with one word: wind.  I get up.  Sadly, that one word controls much of a rider's decision making.

This is the scenery in eastern Colorado.  But readers who look closely will observe the same thing I saw in the middle of this vast expanse of grass.  That's right - nothing - except for more grass.  All day...

Me - pulling in to The Rig somewhere along the route today for a break.  Take a look at that face.  That's my "wind face".  It looks markedly similar to my "climbing face".  The difference is that when climbing, one knows that eventually it will end.  Used by permission of Susan Schoen Photography, LLC.

This is Tom from London.  I ran into him on my way to Eads and he was headed to Ordway - so we're just swapping towns today.  He's doing the T/A from East to West.  We traded stories of our travels - turns out he was bitten by a dog and showed me the two puncture wounds.  Dogs are much feared by Trans-Am'ers.  Kentucky dogs particularly have a reputation for being aggressive.  Guess I'll find out when I get there...  However, he was bitten in Illinois (of all places) by (get this) a golden retriever.  Tom isn't apparently the luckiest of guys.  But we had a nice 10 minute chat and headed our separate ways.

We've planned a Rest Day tomorrow to take a small diversion from the T/A route and head south about 30 miles to visit Susan's cousin Lora and her husband, Stan.  We drove down there after I finished my ride today.  They run a herd of Hereford cattle and farm in the area.  We've never had a chance to stop by their spread and have been looking forward to doing so since initially planning the trip.  This is a picture of Susan with them.  I look at this picture and now know where all the "tall" genes went...

 Till next time...