Memorial day weekend

It seems like a while since I did a post - too busy reading the blogs of the current crop of cross country riders, AKA as XC10 (we were XC09). They really seem like a great group and it is fun to read of their adventures. They are going the same way we did - they are currently in Kansas, a five day journey - and cover the same routes, stay in the same motels but their take on the trip is still very different. It is amazing how they see things I don't remember, talk of places we missed but at the same time point out some of the same highlights, take photos of the same views and have some of the same adventures we had. One of the riders met someone who lived only a few miles from one of the overnight stops - the new friend showed up at the hotel with a bucket of home baked cookies. Tom and I met an older gentleman (and I use that term advisedly) who turned out to be a professional beekeeper. He went out to his car and brought back a very large jar of his own honey - true energy food which we passed along to the support folks to share at the SAG...amazing who you meet along the way. Perfect day today - low 80s but no humidity and just enough breeze to cool things a bit when I found shade. I wore my Navy jersey today - partly because it is long sleeved and I did not want to bother with sunscreen, and partly because it is Memorial Day weekend and it seemed to me the appropriate garb for the day. As it turns out I stumbled into the preparations for the parade in Hopewell, a nearby town, and pedaled right down the main drag just minutes before the parade actually started. I think some of the folks thought I might be the trailblazer for the volunteer fire trucks and I got a couple of cheers and shouts of Go Navy...I waved but did not stop to give autographs. All in all a good day on the bike: 60 miles, a tad over 15 mph and over 3000 ft of climbing. Made the beer with dinner extra good.