One of my favorite parts of each day has been the time each morning that the 4 of us and Roger, join hands and pray, asking the Lord to give us all a safe day and to bring us all together again at the next school. Great way to get the day off to a positive start and so reassuring to know the Lord is with us no matter what might lie ahead of us.
Today we ride 58 miles, our longest and hilliest day. The early bird gets the worm and the early riders avoid the worst heat of the day, so we were off by 6:30 AM. Rollin goes very slow on hills, so we don't expect an early arrival, no matter how fast we pedal.
We weren't too far along when I saw this Wheaton Family farm. It had been in the same family for 4 or 5 generations. No one was home, but it was too pretty and inviting to ride past, so myself and one other rider, stopped to take pictures.
The family cat came and greeted us.
Pride of ownership was evident, everywhere I cast my eyes. How wonderful that this farm has been in the same family for so many generations and that it is so loved and well cared for.
Awhile later we stopped by this old country school house,
Behind the school was a 3 seater outhouse.
We put it to good use, but only one person at a time.
This was the view into the school, through the window.
Lots of country scenes before us today.
Plus the little town of Vermontsville. I love going through these little out of the way villages. It's a good reminder of the roots of of our great country. Yes, corportae America has a big influence on our country, more so then I care for, but small town USA is still there, alive and well. People live their lives, knowing the neighbors, and the folks that run the local restaurant, grocery store, and corner gas station.
As we ride along it is reassuring to know that SAG (Support and Aid Group) are there to help us, if we need it. These dedicated drivers are there to keep us safe and we very much appreciate their presence.
We will be nearly in the middle of the state when we camp tonight. Last year we rode through Dansville, this year it is one of our destination towns.
Dansville, a favorite ice
cream stop on last years route, is a small village of 563 people.
Although it is in close proximity to the state capital and Michigan
State University, there has been little commercial development. The
small town economy is supported by small business, agricultural
research and production.
The village of Dansville was
settled in 1844 by Samuel Crossman, like many settlers at the time,
he come from the state of New York, in search of a new life. His son
Daniel, officially platted the village in 1857, and named it after
himself and the first postmaster, Dr. Daniel T. Weston. Although,
not incorporated as a village until 1867, Dansville is one of the
earliest settlements in Ingham County.
Business seekers located
there as early 1836-40, and the first business establishment was a
small general store, opened by Samuel Crossman about 1847. The
Union Hotel was built in 1856-57 by David D. Fox. A post office was
established in the southern part of Ingham Township in 1846, operated
by hotel manager, John B. Lobdell. Later it moved one and one half
miles, to Hayne's Corners. In 1855 it relocated to Dansville. Even
in the busyness of the 21st century, the village remains a
slice of small town America, asking you to sit in the shade, relax,
and have an ice cream cone.
We rolled into the school at 4:10 PM. Tired, and glad to see our cranking for the day done. After supper, we walked to the local ice cream shop, the reward, was well worth the effort.
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