First thought: What a Gorgeous Morning, soft blue sky accentuated with delicate clouds.

Second thought: One of these days we will have the wind to our backs, but this is not that day.

We had a one mile trek to our frontage road that was far removed from the highway.  Fields were pleasant, but we preferred the protection the trees and homes offered from the wind.  Small industry and farms existed side by side. Passing a graveyard, reminded us of the high water table in these parts; everybody is above ground.

We enjoyed almost 15 miles of scenery before our road bordered the highway.Pasturesand rice fields offered no resistance to the southeast wind.  Both Iowa

and this waterslide seemed out of place.

We had not planned to stop for lunch, but we needed a break from the wind and time off the bike.  After our relaxing forty-five minute break, we savored our pedal through town.This little pigmy goat definitely did not want his picture taken.A mile and a half later, we were thrust into the wind again.  We did our best to maintain 7 mph against the southeast wind.  It took us almost an hour and a half to go our last eleven miles.

Dinner choices were Shoney’s across the busy road or the truck stop diner next door (who said we do not live high on the hog), complete with a full size alligator.  We choose well.  Our 38 miles doesn’t sound long, but four hours in the saddle against the wind was long enough to be tired.

A nice sunset, then to bed.