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Day 27
Today we like the wind!
Kansas is good to us again.

ROUTE: McPherson to Abilene KS DISTANCE: 64 Miles WINDS: SSW 10-20
WEATHER: Sunny and hot...65 at departure, 92 by noon, 100 by 5:00 TERRAIN: Flat to gently rolling TOTAL CLIMBING: 500 feet

DAILY DOINGS: Today may have been our last easy day for a few...we experienced great winds and the temperatures weren't too bad until after we got through with the day.  Everyone was just flying most of the day and enjoyed the time off just relaxing or visiting the Eisenhower library and museum.

The morning started out on the casual side with breakfast at Perkins and then loading at 7:00.  Karen said they opened the luggage van at 7:00 and everyone was loaded and gone by 7:03.  Since today was our ½ way celebration, I left about 15 minutes before the riders with a can of spray paint and enough food to get me through a 28 mile time trial to get to our designated location to mark the road for photo ops. 

Our route took us east for 11 miles before turning north on a back country road almost the rest of the way to Abilene.  The winds were out of the south so we had a pretty good cross wind for the first 11 miles, but when we turned north, pedaling became easier and speeds began to rise.  I was planning to mark the road about 25 miles out, but when I turned north on the road to mark, the state had just resurfaced the road with a fresh dose of chip and seal.  This is a method of dumping oil on the road and then dumping small gravel over it to let the traffic pack it down.  Luckily, it was a few days old so most of the loose gravel was off the tire tracks of the road, but there were piles along the side of the road and enough loose stray gravel in the road to pop us when cars passed by the other direction.  Good thing there wasn't much traffic to deal with. 

The new chip 'n seal was not conducive to painting messages so I kept riding hoping that the next town would be the end of the "new" surface.  I was right...when I got to the crossroads just before where I wanted to paint, the chip gravel stopped and I had a hard surface to paint.  It didn't take long for the first riders to come along and start the celebration and before long, everyone had cycled through and taken the appropriate photos...we're officially half way across the country...I can't believe we've come this far already.  Does anyone remember the Pacific?

Everyone got in to Abilene by noonish except Karen and myself.  We took a twenty mile side trip into Salina to check on a bike shop.  While everyone was enjoying the nice tailwinds, Karen and I were bucking headwinds to get into town for about 10 miles.  After visiting town and the bike shop, we booked it to Abilene before it got too hot.  The breezes kept the temperature from being oppressive, but it was still a bit hotter than I like.

After a good afternoon, we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant next to the motel.  It was pretty good, but the wait staff didn't have a clue.  It don't seem like brain surgery to take orders by number and then bring the orders to everyone...but they made it look difficult to almost impossible.  Then when Barb went to pay, the guy couldn't figure out how much we owed...let's see...25 meals at $9.22 apiece.  "I have an adding machine," He thought.  "Punch in $9.22 then hit repeat 25 times.  That should work."  Kaching...kaching...kaching...kaching...  Luckily, Barb was on her toes and already had figured out how much it should be...he read the total and it was off a bit...seems he lost count while counting to 25.  Then Barb suggested he refigure it by punching $9.22, then the big X, then type 25, and finally punch total!  Viola!!!  That machine can actually figure the total by multiplying!!!  Imagine that?!

We had a t-shirt swap this evening after dinner.  It's always a lot of fun as the riders explain the history of their shirts and try to eye one they want to walk away with.  Everyone had a good time stealing selected shirts and they were still talking to each other after it was over...it was a success. 

Tomorrow we scurry to Topeka, the capitol of Kansas.  It's a beautiful ride as we start to get into more rolling terrain and more green pastures vs brown wheat fields.  We are closing in on another day off in St Joe...just two more days of great cycling to get to Missouri...see you tomorrow. 

PS:  I have forgotten to report that Richard Pauls left our ride in Dodge City.  He had only planned to ride to there where he mailed all his stuff home except for a couple of outfits...then he was going to ride home to Oklahoma.  We've been thinking of him as he treks southward into the winds we've been enjoying the last couple days.  I'm sure he's not as fond of the way they are blowing as we are.  Rich, hope you are safe and making good progress.  We are thinking of you everyday.  Let us know when you get home.  M

DAILY DISCERNING DIALOGUE:

"I'd ruin an anvil with a glass hammer."

"What was it you had in your tire?"
"I had a flat."
"Aggggggh!  You live in a flat, you have a puncture in your tire."   I guess we're driving the Brits crazy when we say we have a flat.

"It's fun when you have a tailwind and you're following a motor home!"  Clarence describing drafting behind Steve to the half way point.

"I guess it's not worth going back now...we're half way."

"OK, let's get going before my butt gets unnumb."

"You know, the farther we get away from our bicycles, the sillier we look in these outfits."

"Can you fix my bike?"
"Yep, what's the problem?"
"When this thing is here, this thing won't work, and my chain rubs on this thing." 
"No problem, I'll just turn this thing and all your problems will be a thing of the past."   I love it when Monica brings me a technical problem.

"Just think how well Goodwill is doing in all the towns we've been in.  All they have to do is clean up after we leave a motel and they've gotten enough stuff to supply an army."

 

 TODAY'S DISCOVERY:  I know we pick on poor Clarence a lot, he's been leaving stuff in just about every motel we've stayed in.  This morning he made a complete check of his room with help from at least 3 other riders just to make sure nothing was left.  Now that's what I call adapting to the situation, or overcoming one's shortcomings.  But we found out today that Clarence wasn't the only one who's been supplying Goodwill with plenty of articles along our route...they've just been able to keep it quiet until today.  Seems Jeff has been just about as notorious for not getting all his belongings from motel to motel...and it started in San Francisco.  He's donated a razor, toenail clippers, reading glasses, and scissors...and that's just what he's admitted to.  Alan left his toothbrush in San Francisco the first night and reported he was using Bill's ever since (Does Bill know?).  He commented he hated it when Bill left little particles of meat in his brush.  They get stuck in my teeth he reported.   Ed note:  I think he was kidding.

 

DAILY DIGITAL DELIGHTS

Canton KS...someone in town had a sense of humor...hot and cold water towers.

This just may be the product we all need.

You always need someone to watch over the mail around here.

You think the riders all get excited when they see my camera come out...out here even the cattle line up to get their photo taken.

No wonder I was having trouble pedaling...I was carrying a freeloader...and he hung on for several miles before deciding he'd gotten too far from his territory.

Two out of three people know which way it is to Abilene.

Normally a very quiet person, Herb instilled a giant dose of "Match This Baby" to his cycling mates by riding the required 8 seconds on "Ball Buster" the motel's springy pony.

  

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