Mood:  a-ok

I awoke at 6 AM this morning.  The drug dealers had not stolen my bike, as the boys had feared yesterday.  The sky was cloudy with some blue showing, and this looked to be a good day if I could get everything packed and loaded.  Several people had recommended a restaurant east of town called Marilyn's, so at 7:30 AM I started through town.

My objective for today was to get to Louisburg, KS, about 68 miles east, and 4 miles from the state line with Missouri.  It is a decent sized town, and is located right where two major highways intersect.  Shouldn't be a problem finding a room.

Passing a barbershop, I noticed it was open.  Anyone open at 7:30 in the morning deserves some business.  Karen had given me my last haircut before I left, and even though she cut it very short (except for a few spots), it was due for another trim.  The barber, a young man, quickly understood that I was in a hurry to get going, so he called Marilyn's Restaurant and placed an order for me, then started clipping.  He had said that I would be there in 10 minutes.  He finished cutting my hair in 10 minutes.  I still had to get there, and I'm pretty slow.

Yet, somehow, the breakfast was perfectly done when brought to my table.  It was a large breakfast, and I ate quickly.  When paying my tab, I asked the cashier what the weather forecast was.   She said "Rain."  She was right.

At first it rained lightly.  I put rain covers over my panniers, and had my rain jacket and pants ready.  After awhile the intensity of the rain increased, and I donned the jacket, but visibility was not obscured, an important safety concern.

A couple of hours later I saw a little cafe beside the road and thought this might be a good opportunity to eat again.  The rain had stopped and the sky was clearing but I looked like a drowned rat when I walked into the cafe.  Nevertheless several people asked about my trip.  One fellow cautioned that the rain would increase the humidity, which combined with temperatures in the mid-90's would make it uncomfortable riding.  (He ended up being absolutely right)

A woman, who was accompanied by two men, started a dialogue about my journey, and I chatted with all three of them until me meal came.  She asked me if I miss everyone back home.  I replied (probably a little too fervantly) "I miss my wife!"  Then I explained that we talk once or twice day.  At any rate, as the threesome was leaving, one of the men said "It was nice meeting you.  We picked up your tab."   I couldn't believe it.

The rest of the ride to Louisburg was uneventful.  The terrain started with hills then low areas then hills again.  At some point the hills lessened, and I hoped that maybe the ground would remain relatively flat for awhile.  Hills just slow me down, are tiring, and make for a long day.  The hills recommenced about 15 miles out of Louisburg. 

I thought I was looking at a mirage.  On the left ahead was an authentic cider mill, and they were selling iced cold fresh apple cider.  I gulped down several large glasses.  Boy did that hit the spot.!  Oh, this would be a good time to get the skinny on motels in Louisburg.......there weren't any.  You would think that I would have learned from my previous lessons and checked first.  I was so sure....   Well my options were limited, but the best one seemed to be continuing east into Missouri and stopping at a major town called Harrisonville.  Just to be safe, using my cell phone, I googled the town and there were plenty of motel options.

First things first.  I had to eat.  The only viable option at the moment was McDonalds, so McDonalds it was for my third meal of the day.

it is interesting that in Kansas the amount of shoulders on the roads that I was traveling vary from county to county.  By far the predominate shoulder width through most of eastern Kansas was 2-4 inches.  That meant that I had to ride on the left side of the white line, and cars and trucks would have to be accommodative.  Fortunately, they all were.

Harrisonville, MO is a sizable town with a population around 8,000, I think.  I was in dire need of a shower. I'm not sure that the town would have tolerated my presence if I didn't take one, so Super 8 motel fit the bill.  Actually, the real problem with me not showering, to me at least, isn't the smell, it is the salt accumulation for all of the perspiration, and after a day, the skin starts to chafe against the clothing and create sores.  After showering, I went across the street to Applebys and had another meal, this time a shrimp salad with a chocolate shake and dessert.  Unfortunately, I discovered, at the end of the next day that I left my American Express card at Applebys.  Bye bye AMEX

This ended up being a long day covering over 90 miles again, in pretty undesirable bicycling weather, but at least I would have a much shorter ride tomorrow.  And with tomorrow being Sunday, I would have time to attend a service in town, and have a later start than normal.

Tomorrow's destination is Clinton, MO, and Clinton is the western terminus for the Katy Trail. 

Will McMahan