Hi,

This was a quickie day now for us--only 57 miles. It's amazing how we change our thinking. I used to think riding the 1/2 century in Solvang was quite an accomplishment (and I guess it was at that time)

However, no day is an easy day--we all find that out. 

First thing out of the city of Fond du Lac is again detours and trying to decide if you should take the designated detour and add as much as 10 miles on to your daily total or try to "wing it" and find some other ways around. 

This morning I think we found about 5 or 6 different ways to get around and you never know where you're going to come out on our daily "map" so it's always like a massive "scavenger hunt" to get to the destination.

The other 3 guys I was with at the time decided to "wing it" so I followed and we only added two and a half miles on to our total but sure got ourselves into some big hills. 

They are all my friends though and know I can't go as fast as they do so they were very gracious to make sure I didn't get left out in the country somewhere as there is no "sag service".

If you are off the route map they wouldn't have a clue of where to begin to look for you.  

We all say every day is an adventure--it's not just pedaling your bike from one city to the next.  We had three detours today but the 2nd and 3rd were not as complicated. 

The weather is again gorgeous so we lucked out again--I know I'm lucky--someone is always looking out for me.

A few days ago when Gabriel had his two flat tires and then was lost trying to find me, I was both hungry and hot as I had ridden 90 miles already--way past my lunch hour. 

This big long sunny hill was ahead of me--a really steep one--and as I wondered how in the heck I was going to make that knowing I was already hot and hungry. Then, a series of little clouds made shadows on the road ahead of me and it was just like a miracle--these little clouds moved the same direction I was going and as these patches of shade moved up the hill, so did I.

I rode the entire hill in the shade instead of the sunshine.

We didn't leave Fond du Lac until almost 8:00 this morning and I got in at 1:30 today so I really made good time today.  Sometimes our rooms aren't ready which usually doesn't affect a diesel like me but today I had to wait until 3:15, but they had a nice soft couch in the lobby so it was OK.  I even beat Gabriel by a couple of hours today!!

We had a wonderful dinner and evening with Roger and Sandra Morelli Johnson's brother Carl, wife Marge and friends Sandy and Dennis--they live outside of Sheboygan in a little town of Ada. We had met Carl and Marge when they were in Santa Barbara for Jeana's (Babydoll) graduation so we really appreciated their coming to Manitowac to see us. 

 

This was our first night out of the bicycle pack in five weeks so that felt different.  There is another world out there but it doesn't seem like it as our days are usually so long.  This short day was a perfect day to fit in with seeing friends!

This morning we had to wait a little before we could take off and there was a grand piano in the lobby at the beautiful Ramada Inn so I sat down to try it and my concerns were valid--many of us have numbness in our fingers from hanging on to the handlebars for so many hours and the fingers in my left hand particularly just won't obey--it really feels scary but the other bikers say it does disappear after a while--it must feel like when you have had a stroke and your brain gives the signal but the muscles don't obey--I knew there was a problem but it surely is obvious when you try to play the piano. It's not a problem that will keep me off my bike and I'll just hang on to the experience of others that it goes away.  So, bye for now and also goodbye to Wisconsin--it's so amazing that we now have pedaled through six states--WOW--I can hardly believe it!

Love,

Patricia