4th of July

Independence day. We made our first stop at a town called Dighton. The miles just ramble on now. We stocked up on some groceries and decided that the proper way to celebrate this great nation would be to try and catch another draft. We set a time limit again and had our opportunity show up just as we were ready to quit. Three oversize load semis showed up, were forced to come to a halt at a four way stop, and then – and then had to get up to speed through a construction zone. There was some confusion about which one we were going to pick but I hopped on the second. Jeremy, Jordan, and Adam got on as well. The gigantor started coming up to speed. 12. 15. Shifting to a stiffer gear. Up to 20, the engine noisy off the front end. 22. 25. Still on him. Getting harder now. Staying in the pocket right behind the back end. We both got up to 30. Past 30. Everybody else was gone. I jumped out of the saddle just shy of 35, cranking furiously. Come on. Stay on. Stay with him. Keep it up. Damn. Lost him at 39. It was a beautiful effort though. Next time I'll hold it.

It felt like we were riding in a painting today. The expanse of the sky is overwhelming, the wheat stretches all the way to the horizon. A silo or a barn will punctuate the emptiness occasionally. We often don't speak for quite a while during a long pull and the whir of the tires becomes hypnotic, the white line stringing out endlessly in front of you - you enter this intensely focused daze where it seems like Kansas might all be a dream.

Snap back to reality and our next break was in Scott City at a Subway. Ah, we've missed you Subway. It's good to be back. We enjoyed our sandwiches and then pushed on to our destination, Leoti. Jordan, Jeremy, and Adam went to a gas station in town while I went over to the grocery store. Just in front of the store I met a wonderful woman named Carol who invited me to her 4th of July barbecue. I went over and told the rest of the crew the good news. We rode to the pool and were just in time. We had pushed too hard into Leoti, as we often do, but this time it turned out to be the right choice. The pool was only open for another fifteen minutes. Most of us donned our suits and got in the water. Jeremy, however, opted to keep the cycling shorts on for purposes of speed. One leap off the diving board later and it was clear that cycling shorts are not meant to be bathing suits. Nobody saw anything though, I think all of the action played out underwater. We sampled the water slide and made use of the diving boards and got our fill just before the whistle blew and the place emptied out. A lifeguard gave us some fireworks and we fooled around with those before heading over to the library.

Then it was time for dinner. We found Carol's house and met her husband Terry, her sister, her parents, and a family friend named Steve. It was spectacular. Everyone welcomed us with warm hospitality and the spread included corn on the cob, garlic bread, and pasta salad. The high point of the meal was Terry's homemade potato chips. Throw away your Doritos and get a plane ticket to Kansas. Cherry pie and angel food cake for dessert too. They raise chickens so the birds pecked away through the meal. After dinner was finished Carol invited us to a ranch rodeo. We piled four bicyclists across in the back seat and went over to the fairgrounds squished in tight. We didn't quite blend in with the prevailing outfit of cowboy hat, jeans, and a good-looking belt. The rodeo wasn't exactly our cup of tea but it was interesting to gain the experience. We walked back to Carol's house as the fireworks display went off over head. Carol and Terry were extremely kind to invite us to stay the night in their home as well - so we tossed out sleeping bags in the front room. It was a tremendous 4th. If you're reading, thank you Carol and Terry.

Back ends.

Lonely windmill.

Vast.

The Rodeo.

The gauchos.

Ahh, so this is Rodeo.