Day 38 I slept okay in my tent but not great. I woke up at 5am and decided to walk to Starbucks in hope that it would open at 5:30am. It did! I had a coffee and a muffin before doing my reading and e-mail. At 8am I returned to Josh's to pack up my tent and get my cycling clothes on. Josh and Annabelle got up and then we headed to the shop.
Kay, the owner, was already at the shop when we got there. When I walked in she suggested that she transport me and my equipment to Fair Grove instead of me riding 65 North. She said it wasn't a good road and there have been some deaths on that stretch of road. Josh agreed with Kay so I agreed to Kay's request.
As we drove north on 65 I was glad I wasn't biking it. Terrible shoulder and the four lane turned into a two lane.
We got to Fair Grove and Kay helped me get everything put back together. She said she would be praying for me daily and then departed. Since it was 10:20am and I decided to get a six inch roast beef sandwich from Subway. It was great! I finished and began pedaling toward Marshfield. It was a quick and easy ride. I saw a Super Wal*Mart so I decided to stop and reload my stock of Propel powder sticks. When I pulled up to park my bike I met Tiffany, Whitney, Debbie and Tom.
Whitney saw my Gator hat and flag and was excited because she use to live in Florida and is a Gator. Tiffany was very interested in my ride so I shared where I was going and why. Tom and Debbie are recovering alcoholics so they know about God and his Power. Tiffany shared with me her hopes of becoming the "Rodeo Princess" and everything she had to do to accomplish that. I was impressed with what she shared with me so I felt compelled to donate toward her cause. We all said good bye and God bless and then I began my ride to Hartville. I rode through beautiful country and saw lots of ponds, cows and horses. I also noticed that the hills of the Ozarks were becoming more frequent and steeper.
As I rode into Hartville I was surprised at how many kids were coming out of summer school. I went downhill to downtown and saw Subway . It looked to be the only place to eat so I grabbed a sandwich and ice cold fountain drink.
I took some time to look at my map and concluded that I needed to get to Bendavis and then take stock of how I was feeling and how much daylight I had left. The ride to Bendavis was challenging. I got there and the store was already closed. Fortunately there was a drink machine out front and I had change. After two cold Diet Dr. Peppers I decided that I had enough energy and daylight to get to Houston, MO so I pressed on.
It took an hour and a half to ride the 18 miles to Houston, MO. The ride to Houston had a lot more downhill than the ride to Bendavis so I was pleased. What I was pleased about was the dog in Fairview that came running after me. Fortunately I had great terrain so my speed was up and I left the dog behind.
When I got to Houston I came upon a Lodge that advertised cyclist discounts. I pulled in and met a group of cyclists from England who were riding cross country for Eye Care for America. We talked a bit about our rides and then I asked about local camping. They said it was at the city park but they chose to stay at the Lodge because of reports that some cyclists had been bothered while camping at the park. They said the cyclist discount was good as was their room. I decided to check on a room. I got a great deal on a great room so I moved all my stuff in room number 4.
After giving Celeste and mom a call I got cleaned up and then heated up some Mac and Cheese in the microwave. After dinner I read some and looked at my map some. Tomorrow I hope to get to Ellington, MO.
As always, your prayers are appreciated.
bob g
STATS - Mileage Today 82, Pace 11, Riding Time 7:09
Total GTD cumulative miles: 2,062
