The heat was slow to build and though we had some headwind starting around 40 miles, it was cool. That’s when Kristi took over Tom’s sweep and we conquered hills through the rest of the day.
Early on some of the back roads we took were closed due to compromised bridges the support vehicle couldn’t traverse, but no real trouble for us once we got around the piles of dirt blocking them. These add to the adventure; so far that makes three such passages along the way. The best part is no traffic other than us.
Something we can’t ignore along the route is road-kill. Most of the time we see armadillo, raccoon, turtle, squirrel, opossum, the occasional deer or coyote, and today someone counted 30 including two dogs. It is a sad enough sight and smell, but it breaks my heart to see pets killed. Cyclists have a love/hate relationship with dogs; I don’t have a problem with any of them for I just love seeing them having an especially thrilling day when we roll by, but I do worry about them running out into traffic in their excitement. There is also the risk of a cyclist hitting one, which could be disastrous. It is customary, though still irresponsible, in rural areas for some owners to allow them to run free. Still, it’s sad.
By the end of the ride at 1:30 the temperature rose to 100 but the heat here is drier, though it’s still hot. We go to Moore tomorrow, not to do any building, but simply assist with cleanup from last month’s tornados. It will be interesting to see the devastation wrecked for I’ve never experienced such a thing, and will better understand what my brother and family have to live with in this part of the country.
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