17 August 2010 – Before starting the first portion of today’s trip we got a call from Brian, Herb’s son, and we learned that Herb was transferred from his nursing home to the hospital. Details were limited, but the doctor’s speculated that he had had another heart attack. When I heard Dad say Brian’s name I was certain it was about Herb and feared the worst. A heart attack is not good news but it’s not the worst we could have received. The news introduced a real malaise on today. The continuing cold (60 degrees F, or less) and constant strong wind only added to my malaise. The biggest up moment came when I rode by a doe and a fawn standing stock still not more than 20 feet away on top of a small bluff the bike path went around. That’s four deer for me. Dad has seen a black bear – I have mixed feelings about encountering a black bear while I am on the bicycle. On the uphill portions of the ride I am down to walking speed by the time I crest the hill. I also have found that I use all of the gears – something I told the folks at Landis I never imagined doing. Last night we put a couple of critical items next to the Sheba Ihnu’s bed so that it was the first thing out to the car this morning. Tomorrow we move away from Lake Superior as I bike inland on a long paved trail. If we hear no bad news from Illinois, it should be a pretty good day. The only thing that I have encountered so far that I held in my mind’s eye so long ago was a path between 18 to 36 inches wide. That’s pretty much the clearance I have had throughout the ride. Still there’s something pretty non serene about cars whizzing by at 55-70 mph.
Thought for the day: We soldier on.
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