Day 38 - Wednesday, August, 4th
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Day 38 - Wednesday, August, 4th |
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Napoleon, OH to Sandusky, OH - 87 miles
| At 4 a.m., the Henry Country Sheriff’s deputy rode into our camp
at the country fair and rousted out our entire group. There was a severe
thunderstorm warning, and he advised us to get into one of the shelters
there. I had already battened down my tent and felt it was unnecessary to
move, but move I did, although mine was the last tent down. We switched
from Central to Eastern Time yesterday afternoon, so 4 a.m. was more like
3 a.m. for us. I really would have liked more sleep. We ate breakfast and waited for enough light to hit the road, and did so some time after six. The rain held off until an hour or so later, then started as a sprinkle. Not unlike the frog who is unaware that the water is getting hotter and hotter until it’s too late and he’s cooking, the rain kept getting harder and harder until eventually we were soaked. The riding conditions other than the rain were ideal, with a little wind at our backs, good roads, and light traffic. When we did stop, we got cold quickly, so that gave us some incentive to keep moving. While riding, we were warm from the exercise. Finally, an hour from camp in Sandusky, Scott and I relented and put on our coats. The storm had passed over us, the wind had changed and was blowing at us instead of with us. That done, we motored on into camp after a satisfying day of 88 miles. This was our only day so far of rain all day. Previously we had one day with morning showers. Our weather luck ran out, but the forecast for the next week looks good. One might think that a rainy day on the road would be a difficult one, or an unpleasant experience, but today was nice. The distance was challenging, but we were in the barn by 1 p.m. As long as we were warm, even the riding was nice. When we left camp in the morning, I noticed a button attached to the back of Scott’s bike that read, I love (picture of a heart) Bruce. I felt so touched, and thanked him, but he had no clue that it was there. We asked people all day until we found out that Erwin and Lucija were the benefactors. How nice of them to do this. It was so typical of the relationships here on the Big Ride. We see many gestures of kindness and friendship every day. With only eight more riding days left, I’m already feeling the loss of this group. |
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It's All About Me was featured again today. They were wet most of the day. |
Justine is our rider of the day on day 38. Justine is the only one on the ride using a cross bike instead of a road bike. She rides more slowly than others, but makes up for it by pedaling relentlessly all day long. She is from Philly, just like my wife, and is doing the Big Ride for the second time. |
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| We excaped from the storm in this hall at the county fairgrounds. Some are resting, others packing, and the rest just waiting for dawn. | Paula and Courtney can often be found riding together. They are always good for a chat or a quip we we encounter them on the road. |
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| See the button? Isn't that nice? | Here, I'm looking for a new wheel at a local bike shop. This one is a bit rusty, but I'm checking it for size. |
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| Caroline is waiting for the drive through ATM. You'd think she'd at least be on her bike! | My hands looked less than alive by the end of the day. They call me prune boy. |
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Day 38- Wednesday, August, 4th |
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The email I'll use this summer is brucesherman@mac.com. Send mail to this address to say hello and I'll be able to read it on the ride.