Stormy weather
11 May - Kenton-Pemberville OH: high 50s, cloudy, windy; 10:30-4:00, 60.6 miles
On some days, the ride is the highlight. Not today. After eighteen consecutive days of wonderful weather, a storm system and cold front moved through Ohio. The downpour started last night, drenching the town while I talked at the library, and continued through the night. As I biked the quarter-mile to the high school this morning, steady rain greeted me.
By the time I finished, the rain had paused, leaving a sky filled with angry clouds and the promise of more rain to come. Heading north on US68, I fought a steady wind from the west. When those gusts combined with the air turbulence from the passing trucks, handling the bike became difficult, and I feared being blown off the road.
However, our luck held. After reaching Findlay (a town with stately homes and friendly people - I'll have to explore it on a future trip), we took a succession of off-the-beaten-track roads with NO trucks. Other than a dozen or so drops of rain, it stayed dry. The wind also shifted, providing at least a little boost from behind. We made Pemberville earlier than planned.
Perhaps to compensate for the chilly wind-blown ride, I had a great time at the school, talking first to seniors and juniors, then sophomores and freshmen - about 650 students in all. The older kids responded to my contest ("The best question wins a book!") with several thought-provoking queries like, "What is your main goal in life?" and "Did taking the walk strengthen your marriage?" I chose Tawne the winner for her question: "You mentioned the man who just walked across America to lose weight. What was your motivation?" After the assembly ended, a few students came forth to talk further, and one asked me to sign his tee shirt.
Mr. Davis warned me about the younger kids, and unruly bunch. "I just broke up a fight in the hallway, and twenty kids asked if they could back to the classroom and skip the talk. Good luck!" Despite his warning, they stayed attentive, and I gave the contest book to the student who asked, "Did you ever feel like quitting?" When I gave it to him, he confessed to dreaming about riding his bike cross-country when he finishes college. I may have inspired another adventurer!
Now we're ensconced for the night in Pemberville, experiencing another first -- the first night I've ever spent in a fire station! I called up the fireman who had befriended me when I biked through here in 2004, and he said he'd find a place for us for the night. When we arrived, we found out that the place was the volunteer fire department - the last shift left at 5:00, giving us the run of the place (as long as we didn't play with the sirens). Shower, kitchen, laundry, computer, TV - and a lot bigger than the hotel rooms we'd been squeezing into. Of course, if they get an emergency call tonight ... that would likely be like a mega-alarm clock.
On some days, the ride is the highlight. Not today. After eighteen consecutive days of wonderful weather, a storm system and cold front moved through Ohio. The downpour started last night, drenching the town while I talked at the library, and continued through the night. As I biked the quarter-mile to the high school this morning, steady rain greeted me.
By the time I finished, the rain had paused, leaving a sky filled with angry clouds and the promise of more rain to come. Heading north on US68, I fought a steady wind from the west. When those gusts combined with the air turbulence from the passing trucks, handling the bike became difficult, and I feared being blown off the road.
However, our luck held. After reaching Findlay (a town with stately homes and friendly people - I'll have to explore it on a future trip), we took a succession of off-the-beaten-track roads with NO trucks. Other than a dozen or so drops of rain, it stayed dry. The wind also shifted, providing at least a little boost from behind. We made Pemberville earlier than planned.
Perhaps to compensate for the chilly wind-blown ride, I had a great time at the school, talking first to seniors and juniors, then sophomores and freshmen - about 650 students in all. The older kids responded to my contest ("The best question wins a book!") with several thought-provoking queries like, "What is your main goal in life?" and "Did taking the walk strengthen your marriage?" I chose Tawne the winner for her question: "You mentioned the man who just walked across America to lose weight. What was your motivation?" After the assembly ended, a few students came forth to talk further, and one asked me to sign his tee shirt.
Mr. Davis warned me about the younger kids, and unruly bunch. "I just broke up a fight in the hallway, and twenty kids asked if they could back to the classroom and skip the talk. Good luck!" Despite his warning, they stayed attentive, and I gave the contest book to the student who asked, "Did you ever feel like quitting?" When I gave it to him, he confessed to dreaming about riding his bike cross-country when he finishes college. I may have inspired another adventurer!
Now we're ensconced for the night in Pemberville, experiencing another first -- the first night I've ever spent in a fire station! I called up the fireman who had befriended me when I biked through here in 2004, and he said he'd find a place for us for the night. When we arrived, we found out that the place was the volunteer fire department - the last shift left at 5:00, giving us the run of the place (as long as we didn't play with the sirens). Shower, kitchen, laundry, computer, TV - and a lot bigger than the hotel rooms we'd been squeezing into. Of course, if they get an emergency call tonight ... that would likely be like a mega-alarm clock.
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