Day 23 – Hakuna matata.
Pierre, South Dakota to Miller, South Dakota
Last night Ane and I slept in a swimming pool we were sweating so much. Goodness gracious it was so hot outside. We slept at a city park, which was really nice, and had showers at a hotel a block away. I swear the second we stepped out of that hotel we were already ripe again. Smelly that is. The first night that I was actually ready for bed at 8:30, I couldn’t sleep because it was too dang hot. Oh such is life, but I got to enjoy the company outside the tent at least.
Ane asked me three times this morning if I was sure that it was really 5:20 a.m., it was so dark outside because of the time change. We are now in central time zone! Exciting. After we dragged ourselves out of bed this morning and got some breakfast down, Ane and I headed out. Before long the boys caught up with us and we pedaled in a herd for the rest of the morning. Sean and Ben bought some $3 squirt guns and accosted people ahead and behind, and even Dave the mechanic through the SUV window. Ben and I passed the time leading a pack through the wind and singing Regina Specktor and the Lion King music.
On the hotel TV yesterday I watched the weather station, and was forewarned that the weather today was supposed to be just like yesterday: hot with headwinds. Fortunately we were able to escape some of the heat because the day was much shorter today at 73 miles, but it sure was windy. For the last 20 miles or so we had a nice paceline going, a true indication that the wind was significant since it’s been a long time since we’ve formed one of those (lately we’ve just been riding in herds on these rural roads). For a lot of the day, it was just put your head down and go. At least this is South Dakota and the landscape doesn’t have a lot of variation so you’re not missing a lot by watching the bum in front of you that you’re drafting off of, and these are the words coming from Miss Ane the picture woman. The scenery that we were missing was much like yesterday: vast, almost treeless expanses of wheat, corn, and some soybeans. There were a couple of fields of sunflowers as well, but they were still young and flowerless. I was trying to imagine what it must look like in the fall, whole fields of sunflowers spread out, all facing the sun.
Last night Ane and I slept in a swimming pool we were sweating so much. Goodness gracious it was so hot outside. We slept at a city park, which was really nice, and had showers at a hotel a block away. I swear the second we stepped out of that hotel we were already ripe again. Smelly that is. The first night that I was actually ready for bed at 8:30, I couldn’t sleep because it was too dang hot. Oh such is life, but I got to enjoy the company outside the tent at least.
Ane asked me three times this morning if I was sure that it was really 5:20 a.m., it was so dark outside because of the time change. We are now in central time zone! Exciting. After we dragged ourselves out of bed this morning and got some breakfast down, Ane and I headed out. Before long the boys caught up with us and we pedaled in a herd for the rest of the morning. Sean and Ben bought some $3 squirt guns and accosted people ahead and behind, and even Dave the mechanic through the SUV window. Ben and I passed the time leading a pack through the wind and singing Regina Specktor and the Lion King music.
On the hotel TV yesterday I watched the weather station, and was forewarned that the weather today was supposed to be just like yesterday: hot with headwinds. Fortunately we were able to escape some of the heat because the day was much shorter today at 73 miles, but it sure was windy. For the last 20 miles or so we had a nice paceline going, a true indication that the wind was significant since it’s been a long time since we’ve formed one of those (lately we’ve just been riding in herds on these rural roads). For a lot of the day, it was just put your head down and go. At least this is South Dakota and the landscape doesn’t have a lot of variation so you’re not missing a lot by watching the bum in front of you that you’re drafting off of, and these are the words coming from Miss Ane the picture woman. The scenery that we were missing was much like yesterday: vast, almost treeless expanses of wheat, corn, and some soybeans. There were a couple of fields of sunflowers as well, but they were still young and flowerless. I was trying to imagine what it must look like in the fall, whole fields of sunflowers spread out, all facing the sun.
posted by elizabeth at 11:13 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home