June 28, 2017

I left my hotel this morning at 5:30. It was still dark and the air was heavy.  During the night a tremendous thunderstorm went through the  area. The harvesters were not happy with the rain. They have been stuck in the area, unable to harvest wheat due to rain.  

When I started out, I had a 15 mile an hour south wind.  I was wondering if that would be the case all day.  At about 8:00 I ran into another biker heading west.  He used some colorful language to describe the wind and flatness of the terrain, and then headed west.  Laterin the day, I ran into another biker heading west.  He was from Greenville, South Carolina.  He too complained about the wind and the heat.  

As I made my way to the east, I soon realized that things were greening up.  I started to see corn feilds that I suspect rival any feilds back home.  I also saw a beautiful feild of soybeans.  Alfalfa hay feilds seemed more plentiful as well.  

About mid-day, that 15 mile an hour south wind turned to a southwest wind.  That was so helpful.  Now instead of going 12 and 13 miles an hour, I could consistantly go 15 to 16 miles and hour.  Over several hours at that spread you soon eliminate seat time.  Right now I need to eliminate seat time.  

During the middle of my ride I came across a sign that was embedded in a bank that said "Christ pilot me."  I want to try and claim that saying the rest of this trip.  I can find myself getting pretty anxious about meeting deadlines and trying to finish on time.  Every person that I have met on a bike refuses to have an end arrival time.  I think that is wise.  Perhaps I should give up my goal and rely more on Christ.  

Yesterday my brother John called saying he wanted to ride the last week with me.  I am so pleased by this.  Today Eric Yoder called and said he will meet me on July 6th, to ride with me for 4 or 5 days.  I am grateful for this news as well.  It should be a lot of fun to ride with Eric and John.  

Tomorrow I will ride to South Hutchison, Kansas.  I should cover 95 miles or so.  I will again need to contend with the wind and the heat.  

Sorry no pictures tonight.  Hopefully that changes tomorrow night.  

It is good to be alive!  

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