Abilene, Sweet Abilene ............

Today was a great biking day. The skies were clear and the temperatures nearly perfect. I woke up feeling much better and was able to eat breakfast before our ride. We rode 64 miles from McPherson to Abilene, KS.

It was great to be on the bike and appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of the ride. Occasionally one sees deserted homesteads. Grain elevators can be seen for quite a distance before the town comes into view.

The firsts 20 miles or so, we had some light headwinds. But after turning north on Rt. 15 toward Abilene, we had crosswinds which made the going easier. We were able to hear the birds and frogs singing, see the fields of wheat which are turning gold and smell the newly-mown hay. After yesterday, I especially enjoyed this ride. I'm sure the hour nap yesterday afternoon and the nearly ten hours of sleep last evening helped my body recover.

One of our jobs before our day off is to clean our bike. We lubricate our chains every day, but when we finish our ride prior to the day off, a washing station is set up. We spray the cassette and chains with degreaser and give our bike a good cleaning. We also enjoy watching the French Open when we get to our room.

Abilene is the home of Dwight D. Eisenhower. We rode by his home place and saw the presidential museum.

So, after nine straight days of riding, we are especially appreciative of a day off. We plan to have breakfast with Luann and Robert, LaVern's sister and husband, who live in Newton. They are preparing to move to Pennnsylvania to co-pastor a church there. We very much enjoy opportunities to connect with family and friends on this adventure!