At midnight last night Janie woke up with an upset stomach. She did not sleep well and had no appetite this morning. Several others in the group have had it as well.

We decided to take our time and see if we could do the 65 miles to McPherson, Kansas. The morning was overcast and the winds were mostly crosswinds. The sun shone for a while but much of the trip there was a threat of thunderstorms.

We stopped frequently. At several points Janie wasn't sure if she could make it but we kept going. We missed the rain and made it to the hotel at 1:30 p.m. after 4.5 hours of riding.

Riding cross country like this certainly brings one in touch with at least three of the variables which one has little control over: weather, one's health and mechanical failures/accidents. Of course there are things one can do to prepare for and/or avoid mechanical failures and accidents but it is difficult to prepare perfectly. Trying to find a way to finish the ride in spite of the obstacles is the challenge. A little like the rest of life, I guess.

There are a number of oil/gas wells in Kansas. The corn and wheat fields look very nice. We have also seen some soybeans.

We are disappointed to have to say goodby to Mack, one of the staff from the United Kingdom. His brother is not doing well and Mac needs to return home to be with him. Mac has done a great job of supporting us and has made our rides much more enjoyable. He was the person who got our shifting cable out of our bags and brought it back to us so that we could finish the ride to Cottonwood, Arizona.

After eight days of riding, we have one more day of riding before reaching Abilene and a day or rest. We are certainly looking forward to it.