The bike is on the way...

No picture today but I did get some good news that is worth a post...I went back to the lab for a test on the leg this morning and they found absolutely no trace of the clot!!! That is something I've been waiting for since Columbus and I practically did a little jig in the exam room. I promised myself that when the clot finally disappeared and I could discontinue the blood thinners (coumidin) I would be at the bike store at the opening bell. So tomorrow I will be taking my wheels (they did survive the crash) and heading up the road to Halters Bikes. I have picked out the bike - Cannondale Synapse - and the only decision is to go with red or blue....and I think I can handle that. It seems like it has been a long time but when I reflect a bit on how lucky I was it really hasn't been so bad. I have still have a couple more weeks of therapy - six weeks of inactivity robs the leg/ankle of almost all flexibility and it takes time to get it back. I also still have a bit of stiffness in the back but I'm spending about 30 minutes a day on the indoor bike and having no problem with that....It is a great feeling to be getting back to some sense of normality: to go up stairs, to get in and out of the car, to walk with ease. I'm very appreciative of the simple things these days. And to any who are still reading thanks much for your good wishes and support - all that was no small thing along the way. Next entry will be Ride Day!

Goodby to all that....

And so how did we get into August already? And not only "into" but almost finished. It will be time for falling leaves and pumpkins in not too many days.

I had an appointment with the orthopedist yesterday and passed another big target on my recovery timeline. I'm out of the aircast, can walk and go up stairs without crutches - I even had the battery charged and am driving again (no small thing with a stick shift). So I'm bidding farewell to all the walkers, crutches, boots and casts that have sustained me over the last couple of months. I start physical therapy next week and expect that will go for about four weeks or so. I've still got a bit of swelling and I have a ways to go before my back muscles are back to normal - but the end is in sight.

I saw a great quote the other day: "Life expands or contracts in direct proportion to one's courage". I don't know that I have ever thought of myself as particularly courageous - I do know that I have an almost biologic fear of heights, nothing will get me on the roof -but I do think there is something to think about in that statement. One of the many thoughts I had while pedalling cross country was the idea of reaching out, taking the risk, grabbing the ring when you go by. We had some tough days in the course riding Los Angeles to Ohio (my portion) but I would not trade the longest, toughest climb, the coldest, rainiest day for the experience of covering 2,500 miles on my bike.

And today I celebrated the new found mobility by checking out my local bike shop. The Cannondale 6/13 is out of production but the Synapse is an even better, absolutely beautiful bike(Jim, if you are still reading, you were right). It is too soon to think about test rides but just looking at bikes and actually handling the model of choice was worth the trip...And maybe I will even have a photo for the next post....

Moving on....

The box sat in the garage unopened for several days. I had some advice from a very good source that I shouldn't even open it - just put the whole box out at the curb and let them haul it away. A few days ago my son-in-law came down to do the lawn and together we opened the box and pulled out what is left of the bike. Curiously enough I had no emotional reaction whatsoever. I noticed immediately that there are more fractures to the bike than to my personal frame - there were five breaks to the bike that I could see, an x-ray would probably pick up a few more. So I have salvaged the wheels (can you believe I began the morning of 6/15 by changing the front tire, I had changed the rear tire the day before) and, of course, the seat pack with the road tools. So last night the bike went to the curb and this morning I looked out to see the trash truck moving down the street with the blue bike sitting on top of all the other rubbish. And so this morning, along with watching the Tour de France - a very exciting stage today by the way - I went into the Cannondale web site and clicked on the Synapse. They have discontinued the 6/13 which was easily my best bike ever but I found I can get pretty excited looking through the specs of the new models...again, not that I planned it that way but it does give me something to look forward to. I had an offer from someone (who must remain anonymous at this point) to serve as my SAG if and when I return to Ohio to finish what I started in May. I don't know how or when but that is the kind of encouragement that gets me through these days of too much confinement. And, another thought that is a bit overdue...From the moment I went into the hospital Susan has been the support I could not have survived without. She spent ten days in Columbus and through a couple of really awful nights was there for me in ways that the hospital people just couldn't match. And since I have been home she has been my constant attendant....I know that that is what marriage is supposed to be about but there are no words for me say thanks for her support and help....She is terrific. And today's update: I can put weight on the leg so long as I use crutches and keep the boot/cast on the leg. I cannot climb ladders but at least I can climb the stairs and move around the house with a bit more independance - hurray! I am still battling the clot but have finally discontinued the shots in the belly and just taking the coumidin every day. Eventually that will go away too. There are still so many e-mails floating back and forth from folks on the ride that it still seems like just a couple of days ago that the ride ended - a truly marvelous group of people. Stay tuned -I am looking forward to the day I'm back on the road.

Moving on....again

I had hoped to get another photo for my most recent mode of transport but, alas, I'm not moving too quickly these days and the opportunity passed. In four weeks I have gone from bike to helicopter to ambulence and, most recently, to a new Saturn SUV. My brother Dick came down from Michigan - two Michigan people in the heart of Buckeye country, there is safety in numbers - with his new Saturn and "sprung" me from the Westminster-Thurber rehab hospital. I did feel liberated but I must also say that finding that particular facility was one of the true lucky breaks of this past several weeks. The entire staff, the doctor, the nurses, the physical therapists, a wonderful social worker - they are all the most wonderful caring, compassionate group of people I have seen in a hospital setting. They got me through a few very tough days and then continued to encourage and teach me how to get back into the real world....I did have one final little setback in that I developed a clot in the bad leg while in the hospital. Initially that was more than a little scary but they are treating it with blood thinners and I hope to get that cleared up in the next three months or so. So Dick and the nurse kind of slid me into the back seat on Tuesday morning and we were off finally headed back to New Jersey. Susan had made the same trip a couple of weeks ago in one day but because I needed to make frequent stops to move both the leg and the body it took us two days. We arrived home on a beautiful late morning Wednesday to a huge bouquet of welcome home baloons and I almost burst into tears at the sight of it all. Susan came out for a hug and kiss and I realized very quickly how close to the surface are my emotions. Thursday we spent with medical people: the nurse who will draw blood and the doctor who will monitor my clot and blood level. And finally, the physical therapist who taught me how to go up and down the stairs on one leg and one crutch - a bit of a challenge but after four weeks in a hospital bed I wanted to lay on my own mattress. Today is another beautiful day and much of it has been spent on the back porch reading, listening to the birds, and just kind of reflecting on how good it is to be alive. It's easy to start feeling sorry for yourself when you are "stuck" like this (and I must confess to a couple of those moments) but the fact is I am healing, I'm lucky to have my wife looking out for me, and I know that in time I will be back up and moving, walking, and even riding. Today is the start of the Anchor House ride with all the riders riding the buses to upper New York state, I woke up this morning thinking about them - it's the first time in six years I have not been part of that ride - and will be looking forward to following the ride in the papers. And I watched the Tour de France this morning. They are in the mountains now and watching them attack the hills - and the descents as well - brought back flashes of our a few weeks ago. I'm not so naive as to compare myself to the TdF riders but we do have things in common: the love of the bike and the wonderful sensation of rolling under your own power over the roads, the great feeling of reaching the top after a long climb, and the equally great feeling of taking the descent that is the climb's reward. So I have not given up my thoughts of the bike...I look forward to a bit of mobility so that I can check out the bike shop and this year's version of the Cannondale 6/13. Stay tuned.....

Moving time...

So with the bike pretty much a wreck (the rider too but you already knew that) this is my new vehicle of choice. Don't have to worry about rain, has enough power to neutralize those persistent headwinds, and it sure does get you there in time for dinner. The folks at Medi Flight sent this to me so I thought I'd better get a photo in while I can.

They moved me out of the hospital yesterday and into a rehab hospital in Columbus. And, much as I really want to go home it was the right decision. I don't think I would have survived fifty miles in a car - actually I'm not at all sure I could get into a car. I met my the therapist today and she suggested I think in terms of at least a week. I don't have anything but praise and gratitude for the doctors at OSU but I have learned a few things about our healthcare system. Part of the job is to treat the immediate problem and then get you moving on as quickly as possible. Tuesday when they were telling me I could expect to go home on Thursday, I think what they really meant was that we are finished here and it is time to move on.

In any event the rehab center is terrrific so far. I compare it with what Susan had (when she had her knee replaced) and I think I have landed in the right place. The job now is to get mobile, get in and out of bed,, to master the walker and crutches. It does seem a little bit strange - last week at this time I was anticipating our last couple of centuries...wow.

I did go through a couple of the blogs today and it sounds like I missed a couple of tough days: lots of rain and more of those ugly headwinds. But the end is in sight guys-I wish each of you a safe and fun ride through New York, Vermont and on to Boston.....

A final note: Susan brought me my helmet today. I had graphic testimony of what I already knew. The helmet was not bad when looking at the outside. It had a few dents and scrapes but flipping it over was another story. There were four severe cracks in the liner and who knows how many that were not visible. Again that relatively minor investment was worth more to me than the few thousands I put into the bike - quite simply that helmet saved my life. I may have it framed and hung in a place of honor (maybe over the fireplace, although I suspect Susan might have some thoughts on that).

I don't think I'm through with this blog yet although I do not plan to document all my aches and pains over the next few weeks - maybe just a few progess reports..But I do need to say how much I have been affected by the supportive comments on both the blog and a few e-mails. You are people I know and people I don't know but I can hardly say how much your kind words and good wishes have meant to me - thank you all.

Ohio...a surprising state ...Part II

Today's title is a major understatement. For those who may not have heard my ride came to a dramatic and sudden end in the little town of Delaware. About 20 miles into the ride on Monday - scheduled at 97 miles to Wooster -I was preparing to make a left turn and somehow collided with a Harley Davidson coming from my rear - as you might guess a thousand pound motorcycles versus a 20 pound bike does not make for real good odds for the cyclist. I have virtually no memory of the accident so what I know now is based a couple of bits and pieces I've picked up from others. The first thing I remember was perhaps ten minutes after the crash when I looked up from the ground and saw a police officer crouched in front of me and one of my water bottles just beyond his foot. The next thing I knew they were strapping me to a board and loading me on a helicopter for a trip to the Ohio State University Med Center . Believe it or not one of my thoughts on the helicopter was that maybe I was banged up a little and if the bike was OK maybe I could be back on the road for Wednesday's ride....boy, was that ever naive. The bottom line is that the bike is history, cracked in several places, my helmet was broken in three different places, and I am more than just a little banged up. And by the way the helmet did it's job - there is no question that it saved my life. Relatively small investment with a huge return. I have not even had a headache since the accident. (And that may be the only place that is not hurting at this point.) Along with numerous aches and pains I have a broken left ankle (and was very grateful to avoid surgery), broken left leg in the non weight bearing bone (fibula), a crack in one of the thoracic vertebrae - again, fortunately just a crack, no structural damage. Beyong that some road rash and one cut that required stitches in the elbow. All in all it sure could have been a lot worse. My first meeting yesterday with the physical therapist was total disaster. My system is so messed up that I could not expand the effort required by the walker without fianlly passing out. We tried again today and things went much better - even with IVs I managed to climb a few stairs and get in a walk across the room with the walker, albeit laboriously and with help. And speaking of help....my brother Dick and Nancy came down from Detroit on Tuesday and left a couple of hours ago. Susan drove from L'vile with daughter Katherine (and Carolyn - all full of life and bounce at 18 months) Katherine also flew back today but Susan will hopefully be driving us home tomorrow.I told her a litttle while ago that while professional medical and nursing care is wonderful (and it is) a little TLC is absolutely priceless. I did enjoy doing this blog and loved the comments - thank you. And I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. In spite of some hard days and difficult weather at times the ride was about adventure and challenge and I truly had fun most of the time. I am pleased I did 2/3s of America on a bike and am indescibably disappointed that I am not doing the final segment. I saw this country and it's people in ways that you can only imagine from a car. I will be re-living this in my head for a long time. I also met an incredible group of people, the folks who did the ride with me. All of us of varying ages and abilities but united in a common purpose; it was truly like discovering a new family. I miss not seeing you in the morning for breakfast, not seeing you on the road, and certainly will miss not riding in formation to the Atlantic Ocean. I may still have a couple of things to say and may add another post or two. I need to do the math and tally uo the mileage as well as a few other thoughts that did not get into the daily blog. And I need to start shopping for a new bike...maybe that will be the next photo.

Ohio - a surprising state....

I have driven back and forth from New Jersey to Detroit via the Ohio Turnpike any number of times over the years. And the impression I have always had is of a long, straight, flat road with virtually nothing to see for miles and miles. Well, today we saw Ohio from a whole different perspective. The border was exactly 2.7 miles from our hotel and from the beginning it was great ride. We were on a series of state roads that curved and dipped and twisted and led us into quaint little old towns and through Ohio farm land - a scene that was totally unexpected for me.

The day started out overcast, and even a bit threatening as a couple of the pictures indicate. We did pick up a few drops but for the most part it was the sun peeking out from behind the clouds and considering that it was a 105 mile day the clouds were just enough to keep it from getting really hot.

We went through probably fifteen to twenty small towns all with their main streets and little business sections and older, well kept houses for the most part. The older houses are a delight to pass. Lots of wrap-around porches with swings and in most cases nicely landscaped with flowers and neatly cut lawns - almost picture perfect middle America. In all honesty there are a few towns that also show decay and problems but not many - and even those usually have signs that some one does care and is trying.

And I continue to be amazed at the farmhouses - the one house picture I put up tonight is one of the prettiest I saw today. And behind it was the barn and a couple of sheds with all the farm machinery neatly stowed away - and, of course, the whole thing was surrounded by hundreds of acres of growing corn and soy beans. These folks were also the owners of the cattle across the street - I thought it was pretty funny to find a longhorn in Ohio and he posed so nicely for me too.

We also had a few more glimpses of the Amish today. We saw a couple of buggys with the occupents dressed in their Sunday best and probably headed to services somewhere. More interesting, we came across a couple, man and wife presumably, riding a tandem bicycle in the same direction as we were heading. She had on the traditional long dress and he the beard and straw hat. They were just ahead of us on the road and they were moving. (For those not familiar with the Amish they do not drive cars - or have electricity or even tractors).

One of our SAG was in the little town of Covington in the police station parking lot...the picture is downtown Covington on Flag Day about noon - not much was happening besides the bike riders getting their rest stop.

I've had a long run without a flat - I think since New Mexico and that was only my second - but today my luck ran out. The unmistakeable and sudden hisssssssss had me to the side of the road very quickly. I had taken a good look at the front tire last night but somehow got distracted and did not move to the rear - big mistake. Anyway the back tire was pretty much shot so I replaced both tire and tube and we were back on the road. And was a good thing I had the new tire because within a mile we ran into a series of new chip and seal (very gravelly and tough on tires) and I felt much better with the new one.

And last little note on the ride...Somewhere around mile 87 we ran into a series of up and down hills and expected that we would have a kind of laborious process of finishing a long ride climbing. Well, Tom grabbed an energy jel and attacked one of the hills with a stand up in the pedals energy that caught me by surprise. I watched him for a second and then decided to respond and we were both off and running and for the next six or seven miles we litterally raced up and down the rolling hills like two ten year-olds on our first bikes. I have no idea where we found the strenth after 85/90 miles but we kept it up for about five or six miles hitting 20 and 22 mph and just having a ball. We finally came into a little town with a light and stopped to catch and then rolled on into Marysville for a DQ root beer float before checking into the hotel.

Tracy really outdid herself planning the route today - it was a long day but one of the best days of riding we have had. Now the only question is whether the legs will be there again tomorrow for a virtual century - 97 miles. Stay tuned....and good night.

Goodby Indiana...almost

Tonight we are in Richmond Indiana and a little less than 3 miles from the Ohio state line. I looked at the map after we got in and we are almost due south of Detroit which, of course, is where I grew up. If Michigan didn't have those two big lakes on either side our route could just as easily have taken us a bit north and I would be on a real nostalgia trip. As it is going through Indianapolis last night and then again when we left this morning still provides such a strong midwestern feeling I'm certainly feeling my roots. Many of the names on stores e.g., Krogers, Speedway, Marathon and some of the signs, e.g. a store advertising the price for a "six-pack of pop". I may have to order a Vernors when we go to dinner later tonight.

It took a bit of time to get out of Indianapolis this morning and I was glad it is a Saturday and we didn't have to contend with commute traffic. And once outside the city guess what we saw? Surprise: corn and more corn for as far we could see...again. It really seems like we have seen nothing but corn for weeks now. Although, to be completely honest, we do see soy beans occasionally and the infrequent horses and cows.

Sounds boring and in a way it lacks the drama of some of our western states but it is not too bad. We had another beautiful day for a ride: cloudy and cool for a couple of hours and then the sun and lots of blue sky. The roads were good, not much traffic and mostly flat and winding with only a bit of climbing. The small towns we almost flew through - most have maybe one traffic light and some only a four-way stop. In one town we saw Amish for the first time. We tend to think of the Amish only in Pennsylvania but many have emigrated to the midwest in the last few years. We passed a couple of horse and buggies and got a shy wave from the driver in his straw hat and plain blue shirt.

I rode most of today with Tom, Hank and Champ with whom I've ridden quite a bit over the weeks. Today we were joined by our newest rider, Sue who joined us in Champaign. Her claim to fame is that she rides a recumbent. She had an auto accident a couple years ago that resulted in a whiplash injury and she can no longer ride a conventional bike. I've seen recumbents many times but usually in passing and my prejudice has always been that they look heavy and clumsy. Sue puts those notions to rest...she stayed with us all day and handled the hills with ease. I took the picture at the SAG where she was demonstrating for a couple of fellow skeptics.

Somewhere around mile 70 we pulled in Centerville - how many Centervilles might there be in this United States - three traffic lights large and home of a great little lunch place. I had my usual root beer float (real ice cream) and a cheeseburger that was like something I might have made myself on the grill at home. And we met Jason who is five years old and has a red bike with training wheels that he says will come off soon. Jason allowed Champ to test ride his bike and then Jason himself posed for me before heading off down the sidewalk with his mom. One of the real highlights of this journey is meeting some very friendly people - America is filled with really good people.

And finally the car picture...There were several restored antiques around the hotel this morning and that one really caught my eye. The saying on the back and the fact that it is a 1938 Chevrolet which is one of the earliest cars I can remember - my dad had a '39 when I was young and my Aunt Mary had a '38. The owner came out just after I took the picture and he was indeed a grampa - bent over and at least 80 he was very proud of his toy.

Today was 83 miles and about 5 1/2 hours on the bike...Tomorrow we head into Ohio and are looking at 104 miles (followed by 97 the next day). They keep telling us that Ohio is surprisingly hilly - I guess we are about to find out.

"For want of a screw the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the bike was lost..."

And with apologies to William Shakespeare "for want of a shoe the ride was (almost) lost" That is the way my day began today. I pulled out of the hotel onto the highway and after successfully crossing began to clip into the pedals. The right shoe went in smoothly but the left just kept slipping around on the pedal. I pulled out of the pack of riders and into a driveway to check the problem and found I was missing a screw in the cleat on that left shoe. The cleat had twisted itself sideways and no way was it going to work. And for those who don't cycle, you could probably pedal without "clicking in" but it wouldn't be fun and you wouldn't want to do it for long. So I made a quick u-turn and headed back to the hotel where Tracy was just getting ready to shut the door on the truck and head out for whatever would have been her first stop on today's route. She said "no problem" and went immediately into her super-organized supply cabinets and came up with three different sizes of cleat screw. The second one was the winner and within fifteen minutes I was back out on the road. Of course by this time the group I was going to ride with was long gone and my thought was to catch up at either the first store they stopped for or at the SAG stop. By this time I was most definitely the last person out of the hotel by a good twenty minutes or so.

By the same token it was a nice cycling day - a bit of a cloud cover (but not the rainy kind) and just cool enough to be comfortable - so I really didn't mind heading out alone. Once we got out of town the country was much like what we saw yesterday - family farms, most corn, some hay and today for the first time I saw soy beans. Interesting that the corn in the fields varies from just barely coming out of the ground to some fields where it is already waist high. I'm guessing that they have had so much rain that the farmers' schedules were way off - some of the crop got planted early but for a lot they had to wait for the rain to stop before they could go out with their tractors.

Somewhere around the 20 mile point I did catch up with another group and jumped in with them for awhile. We had to wait a bit for a very long train to go through a little town whose name completely escapes me. We were then back out on the road and again, riding through the corn fields and farm houses. Knowing we were only doing 65 miles today made it fairly easy even as the wind picked up again and, of course, turned into a somewhat annoying headwind.

Our only SAG of the day was a fun stop. It was at the Gentry family farm and apparently has been a SAG stop for something like 10 or 12 years. It is run now by two brothers, Tom and Bob, and Tom was out to greet us. He had lawn chairs out for us (all with names taken from their cows - I had to take the picture of 'Beth") and eventually we did a group shot of the cycling folks who were there and Tom in the middle. I got talking with Tom and learned that he has about 800 acres in corn and soybeans. They were originally a dairy farm but couldn't make a living with it and finally sold off almost all the cows. I told him my son-in-law was in the same business and he was somewhat surprised to learn that we have farms in New Jersey - I'm sure his image of New Jersey was crowded developments, turnpikes and refineries, and cities like Newark. Even as we left he was still shaking his head over this idea of New Jersey farms.

Before I left the SAG I had a quick phone conversation with Susan. She called me yesterday to tell me that a neighbor's tree had fallen on our garage, front porch roof and her car - and of course took down all the electric and phone wires as well. Very scary and very traumatic for her and one of those "of all things to happen while I'm gone" kind of things. I'm happy to report that she was feeling much better today and also that she handled the whole thing with grace and intelligence - bravo...Fortunately nobody was hurt and the house itself was not harmed - it is now in the hands of the insurance company.

Indianapolis is probably the biggest city we have visited and we really took the back way in. Our cue sheets had us going through residential neighborhoods primarily, past homes and golf courses and making left and right turns every mile or so for the last 10 miles. It was a bit of a pain to keep referring to the cue sheet but on the other hand, it was very interesting to see the neighborhoods of the city.

One of my thoughts as I covered so much of the day's journey alone was how dependant I was on that cue sheet. At one point, out there among the corn fields I missed a turn and went maybe a mile and a half before I discovered my mistake and retraced my course and found the right corner. It occurred to me that all I really knew was that I was in Indiana and headed for Indianapolis but if anyone asked me where I was I had not a clue. It's not like being in the middle of the Sahara without a compass but it does give you a feeling of really being on your own in a strange land for awhile.

And one last thing for tonight...I discovered another great beer tonight. It is Leinenkugel - a great German sounding name that almost demands it be a great beer. It is a wheat beer but with a definite malty taste and a glass with a steak is a wonderful way to end a day of cycling.

And tomorrow we have one more day in Indiana...83 miles to Richmond. We are hoping for clear skies and a tail wind. We shall see...(and Go Red Wings!!!)

Funny helmets and smooth roads...

After 34 dys and some 2500 miles people start getting a little nutso... probably something akin to prisoners who get 'stir crazy'. So today was designated "decorate your helmet day" and the idea was to use the day off to come up with something a bit wacky and show it off this morning before getting on the bikes. Tom took all the photos (I wasn't thinking - mine was encased in plastic because of a forecast of rain) and there are too many for the blog. I have included Tom who had balloons with the number 7 for the seventh week when it will be party time. Mine was the Superman logo and the little corkscrew with the saying I thought appropriate for the 2nd oldest guy on the ride. There were some pretty outlandish outfits including the Englishman in the group (actually from Liverpool) who decorated not only his helmet but a good part of his body and bike as well - mostly in red, white and blue. And in case anyone wonders I did pull the corkscrew out before I hit the road but I kept the Superman logo on all day.

It was another day that started out looking very doubtful. We had thunder and lightning through much of the night and the clouds were dark and heavy this morning with a forecast of showers through the morning. So again, we left on wet roads but no rain and with our fingers crossed. The good news was that there was no wind - hooray. We headed out right through downtown Champaign and wound our way back to University Ave and then right through the university itself so we did get a chance to see the raison d'etre for Champaign. Almost immediately upon leaving the city we were on a state road and, not too surprising, back into farm country and more cornfields. One of our group is from this area and made the comment that the farmers here are expecting one of their best crops ever. They have had an abundance of rain and the predictions are very positive. I just look at the soil and we go by and it looks so dark and rich it just seems like the ideal farm land.

With no wind and pretty decent roads we made good time and actually rode with a group of 8 or 9 riders for probably 30 miles or so until half of them and decided to stop at a store and four of us kept up the same pace through the little towns and cornfields. After a quick stop at the only SAG of the day we came to the Indiana state line...if there had not been a couple of folks stopped there I could easily have missed it because at this point we were moving. In any case we took our pictures, did our little ritual with the Pacific sand (I occasionally wonder whether in this day and age we might not be violating some state law that prohibits bringing foreign matter into the state) and crossed into another state in our "epic journey" across America.

By this time the sun had made it's appearance and it was turning into a great day. I am easily satisfied with blue skys, puffy white clouds and a nice road - no wind is a bonus. And so a perfect day for a bike ride and we continued to the little town of Veedersburg (pop probably about 796). At the four way stop in the center of town there was a restaurant called the Bus Stop on the corner that looked perfect for lunch - first because it was the only place in town, and second because it was filled with customers. So the five of us went in to all the stares of the locals and a few of the usual questions - "You started where? Going to Boston?" There was a very cute baby with her mom at the table next to us and Hank, Mr Personality always, went over and asked the mother if she would allow the baby to be in a photo with him - and both the baby and Hank were delighted with the affirmative response. It was a great little place with homemade pies and filled with friendly people. And the kind of place most people in cars would simply fly by and never even see.

And so we left after continuing a couple of conversations on the little deck and headed back out into our perfect day. One of the little towns had the bike garden on the wall of the building. They were all lined up and filled with flowers - and the photo does not show it but at the corner was an ice cream store - bikes and ice cream, perfect together.

And finally, the little town of Hillsboro: their sign made us all smile. And all we saw were the happy people - they must keep the soreheads under cover. So we have now changed to the eastern time zone and are sitting in Crawfordsville and looking to a short, i.e 65 miles, ride to Indianapolis tomorrow. We did 80 miles today and had 5 hours and 20 minutes of riding time but it didn't seem like that much. The day off was good for us and tomorrow's short day almost seems like a recovery day too.

And just a bit of trivia to finish off the day...Crawfordsville was home to Gen. Lew Wallace who was the author of Ben-Hur (among other things) and I do not think we will make it to the Lew Wallace museum. But I thought I'd pass along that bit of information just in case Jeopardy comes calling....And on that note, good night.