Each school we stay at offers some type of nightly entertainment, It is hard enough to muster up the energy to attend the nightly meetings, much less go to the gym or auditorium afterwards. I hear others talk about what fun the magician was, what a great comedian or the good music they heard. but we are just too tired to go, plus it seems there is much to do to get ready to ride the next day. Each time we are getting ready to do pALM, we say, This year, lets go to some of the entertainment." Oh well, maybe next time.
Today we got a later start, taking time to have breakfast in the cafeteria. If we take the camper to our next PALM, we won't bother to buy the breakfast meal plan.. It is just as easy to have a quick bowl of cereal and get an earlier start.
Our 51 mile trek will take us past a lake and a winery, but it should be our last day of serious hills. Silvery sun streamed through the trees, wild flowers stood in lines along the roads, while butterflies fluttered past. Most butterflies fly about the level of a car grill, which explains why I sometimes see their remains there. When we are triking, they are about eye level with us, and are intriguing to watch. I once had one hitch a ride on my shoulder. Riding really lets us see the world at a slower and more personal pace. I narrate the scenery for Tony as we pedal along, letting him see the world through my eyes. He is so grateful that he can mentally identify colors, the shape of a barn against the sky, the white sparkle of a gulls wings and, the leaves moving in the breeze. We've often talked about what would be harder, never having the vision to see these things, or having the vision and then losing it. Tony's conclusion is that although the experience varies, it is the attitude that counts. Tony chooses to focus on what he has now, and what he can do today, instead of the things he can't do or see. There is a blind girl on the ride this year, and her attitude is the same. She keeps her attitude positive and is another great example of how a person can overcome difficult things in life. She and Tony had some good laughs and we all enjoyed getting to know her better.
Bunkerhill store had a porta-pot that we were glad to see, plus Jack, a friendly dog.
Many beautiful flowers and plants to choose from here as well. Not conducive to a cycling tour, but if you live in the area, it is well worth the trip.
Tony and I couldn't resist a custard filled Long John, a decision we would later regret, when we had a sugar crash. The hills were the long drawn out kind that takes us eons to conquer. Fortunately, I had some Tuna and crackers in the pannier, plus Tammy's wonderful Power bars, which gave us a much needed boost in our protein. The winery, with a shady arbor and vineyards was a good place to stop and take the 20 minute break we needed to get us going.
We met up with Tammy and Ariann at a rest stop and welcomed a spot to cool down.
It was also a good place to look at the map. We have missed having Kiersten as our navigator.
Tammy, Ariann, and I posed for a 3 generation picture.
Here are the 4 of us, so blessed to be able to share the experience of this ride together. God is so good.
Lunch was at the Grass Lake Diner, they have the 3rd best breakfast in the state, prepared by a chef that used to work in big fancy restaurants. Of course we had the breakfast,
we had, minus the meat. It was the best breakfast/lunch we've had in a very long time.
We had to wait a bit for a table, and found ourselves well rewarded for it. Bites of buttercream topped muffins sent us on our way when we were through.
Some riding days are easier than others, today was definitely one of those days for us. Our choice to have the sugary pastries so early in the day didn't help matters any. The hills seemed bigger and the miles longer today. We were glad to arrive at the school.
A storm was rolling in tonight, severe thunderstorm warnings were issued, but nothing that required evacuation into the school. I skipped the meeting tonight to get things ready for tomorrow, when the other 3 came back, it was pouring. Hope Roger stays dry in the tent tonight.
No comments:
Post a Comment