Realizations

Yesterday around noon I came to realize two things: the first two weeks of this trip have irredeemably secured my position as not a dog person, and either I will learn to love working through pain as much as Fatman or riding in to a >30 knot headwind will make riding uphill or into any less of a headwind negligible. As of this post I can happily say that I am still not a dog person, and that riding in to today's paltry headwind felt like riding downhill compared to yesterdays intensity.


To answer a few questions from peoples' comments..

krakenbeak: how does fatman keep his ultra-powerful legs from shooting him right off the back of his recumbent?

Near as I can tell it's a complete and total fluke. I offered some bungees to him so he could tie himself down but he declined. As the days wear on he's been reclining his seat further and further so as to be as "recumbed" as the bike will allow. From what I see it seems that without a super-ultra-mega-PowerGrip (such as any Fatman might be capable of) he's likely shoot straight off the back at any given moment. Freaks of nature always mystify..

abbs: how do you get word of these weather patterns? Any advanced warning?

So far on the trip we've made it a point to take lunch at a restaurant to escape the heat and take a well needed rest. The joints we've stopped at have generally been kind enough to make a television with the weather channel on available to us. Furthermore, a few nights running we ended up at motels due to inclement weather and were able to watch the weather channel there.

ben: Has the Fatman become the not quite as large sarge yet? Cite your answer.

I give you as reference one night in Fort Erie, nearly a week and a half ago (our first campfire, look at the pride on his face):




Due to a lack of USB ports this is the latest I have to show you at present. I have one of us yesterday that will show the change since then that I'll get up as soon as possible.



Unfortunately, I'm running out of time on this library log in, so I won't be able to write as much as I would like. A number of thanks need to go out. To Rich Diebold and Freda Brown for taking the time to give us an alternate route around Chicago in case we run in to serious flooding. To Joe and Judy Speiser of Defiance, Ohio, for giving two vagabonds provisions for a few days. To Jean McMasters and Danny Zeedyke as well as Joe and Judy, for spending time with us at John Paulding Days in Paulding, Ohio. To Shelly Williams of Markle, Indiana, for picking us up off the side of the road with a weather warning and bringing us to a wonderful cookout and concert. To Scott Kling and the rest of the Fairview Church community of Yoder, Indiana, for making available to us the couches in the church for a well needed night's rest.



I'll end this post with some pictures that I uploaded a few days ago.


The two of us in Niagara Falls


Grandma Sally and me


Rich Diebold and Mike looking over maps


Our road, completely covered in water


I always seem to run out of time when I'm posting. I'll try and get most of what is to be written thought out and on paper before showing up at a library. I know. When have I ever done work ahead of time? Uh..