Mood:  a-ok

Today's trip had little to look forward to.  Just get from point A to point B.  Jeffery City would have little to offer of interest.

First things first.  I need to make sure my food and water stores are adequate.  Temperatures have been in the mid to high 80's in the afternoon.  So I went across the street to a convenience store to get a sandwich or two.  They didn't have any.  I asked the clerk at the motel if there was a grocery on the way out of town.  She said yes.  I never found it, and before long I was out of town, in the boonies, figuring on how I was going to make my meager food last until I came across the next store, which I calculated to be 39 miles.

This area is very pretty.  Lots of prairie, surrounded by mountains in the distance.  Streams abound.  It is very pleasant.  I met a bicycler or two coming from the other direction.  They feel that they are almost finished on their rides to Astoria, but, in reality they still have a third of their journey left.

I'm out of water now.  Not too far to the store.  Next to the store was a rest area.  I chatted with two lady bicyclers, whom I had met at breakfast this morning at the motel.  They had just finished their break and were talking with a couple from El Paso.  I took their place and had a nice conversation with the couple.  Suddenly, they saw me as an opportunity to get rid of a bunch of their junk food, and I couldn't disappoint them by declining, could I?

From there to Jeffery City, I had a nice tailwind.  Now, I am averaging 15-18 mph in comfort.   Before long I was there.

I did Jeffery City a disservice yesterday by calling the area desolate.  The area is actually quite pretty.  The community, like many small communities is on life support, with little or no industry.  There are buildings all over the place, but most of them are vacant.  The two  merchants doing business were the owner of the Jeffery City Motel and the owner of the Split Rock Cafe and Bar. 

Originally intending to camp, the idea of a motel room overruled that thought.  I have spent many a night in motels in low places, and this was no exception, except perhaps a bit lower than most.  Riding into it is sort of like driving into a ghost town where no upkeep has been done for decades. The florescent light fixture in the ceiling didn't  work.  Neither did the TV.  But it had a shower with hot water, a decent bed, and an A/C and heater that worked.  That's good enough for me.  I was famished and the cafe was calling even before I could shower.

The cafe was the most unique one so far in the matter of service.  There was a new owner, typically meaning friendly and abundant service.  This owner decided to try the opposite approach. With considerable effort I was able to put in an order, but I have to admit, the food was abundant and delicious.  Returning 2 1/2 hours later for dinner, the service was unchanged and the dinner food was again abundant, but not so delicious.  The left side of the building was the cafe portion, and the right side was the bar, with a connecting entry.  I inadvertantly spilled a large glass of ice water on the table and floor.  It took half a roll of paper towels, and a good ten minutes to get it cleaned up, and the owner never knew what had happened.

That night, I listened to more of Ivanhoe, then fell asleep by 8:30 PM.

Will McMahan