The plan is to cycle 3500 miles solo from Seattle to Miami in 29 days to raise funds to care for veterans' mental health and also to help the fight against blood cancers. Wagons roll on September 11th: it would be terrific if you could sponsor me...thank you!
Hoping to help these guys...
Friday 23 September 2016
Time. Day twelve, Gordon to Ainsworth.
The local cafe did open at 0500hrs but I was waaaay slow in getting about this morning...wonder why that might be, hah-hah! It is a real problem but tough to fight against.
Anyway, scrambled eggs, hash-browns, toast, coffee and OJ later and I trundle away from Gordon and into the predicted 3/4 headwind. Fantastic, and such a boost to morale!
Mean looking SOBs. Just what you need outside your cafe!
Navigation would not be a drama today: stay on Highway 20 for 137 miles! The traffic meant that I had to stay on the hard shoulder- more on that breaking story later though...
Today's nonsense.
Second choice of title for The Stones's 1997 LP.
Any towns along the route didn't even qualify as 'one horse'...some were desolate, to be honest. It was at this point that I realised that I had had no phone signal for many miles and wanted to check-in with m'parent, so found calling home a bit difficult.
Ok Donny, sort out the phone boxes first.
Move along, nothing to see here.
Just in case you were in any doubt.
Cunning nom de plume adopted by Dylan to allow him to rear cattle. Apparently...
However, Cody- we salute you! I stopped at the gas station here and the owner asked if I was Irish...I said yes indeed and he replied by saying that he had done some ancestral digging around and his stock came from Donaghadee- not 10 miles from where I was dragged-up!
I though Upton had the greatest motto but this is unbeatable!
The next stop 25 miles later and a lady overhears me talking to the cashier in a grocery store and she asks if I'm from Norn Iron...why yes...it turns out she had just come back from a holiday there. Small world/coincidence/serendipity etc...excellent anyway!
Reminded me of the eejit played by Bob Duvall in 'Apocalypse Now'.
I knew that I'd lose another hour at some point today: I was hoping that it would be later in the day, but no...1.30pm became 2.30pm, just like that!
On the bright side, at least you know where you are: yeah, 15 miles at least behind where I want to be, thanks all the same. Well, if you had gotten out of bed when you should've...
One second Gary Garmin read 13:30, then it's 14:30 and it's time to get a wiggle on!
The quality of the hard shoulder left a little to be desired at times/many miles. You've got to admire the skill it takes to not seal the joints at all...a bit jarring for long stretches. More tomorrow, doubtless...
Only a minor annoyance, honestly. Don't know why I mentioned it really.
Smoked a speciality, apparently.
Your guess is as good as.
Civilisation in Valentine was found in the shape of a McDonalds- yeah, you laugh- where an old-timer asked me what sort of mpg I get out of the bike, and another fellow from South Illinois loved the fact that I had three hours until sunset to get to Ainsworth. He's probably still chuckling about it now...
Spied on a Valentine forecourt. Move along etc...
Just after leaving Valentine.
Bigfoot try-out?
Posh nags, right?
Oh man...
The whole day was like cycling through some vast links-style golf course, minus the gorse and heather! Now I get why they call it The Sandhills.
I feel I already have, thanks.
Fancy a picnic, then?
I couldn't wait to see this: it was almost dusk and had been drizzling for an hour or more. Doesn't matter because the motel is ace and there's a Pizza Hut across the street. I ain't going any further today, thanks!
Quite pleased to see this. Yes!
Just lucky to get to The Hut in time...cheers!
Today was a battering: we'll see how we feel tomorrow, as it's meant to be 140 miles with no help from the wind. Again. In the meantime...
What- not even *on* the bill now?
Difficult to think of a better-recorded LP...although did they rip-off 'Pipkins'?
The sponsorship is going great guns but there is a little way to go on each cause. Please see if you can spare a couple of quid or whatever to help Bloodwise and Combat Stress. Here are those links if you are able to donate:
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