Dodge City Kansas:

"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything." Wyatt Earp. That's right we are in Dodge City. Home of the OK Corral and Boot Hill, Wyatt, Virgil Earp and Doc Holiday. Some how it doesn't seem right that this place should be in Kansas. I mean I have seen every picture ever made about Wyatt Earp and the Dalton Gang, but I never realized that it was in Kansas. Kansas always seemed like a nice place with Dorthy and the Wizard of Oz, nice folks raising their corn and wheat not the old west and gunslingers. It just doesn't seem right. That sort of stuff belongs in Texas or maybe Arizona. What do I know I am from Canada EH!

Today's ride was 85 miles from Liberal Ks to Dodge. Although we the total elevation gain was 1100 feet the wind which seemed to be coming from every which angle except as a tail wind was much more of a factor. The other really big factor was the driving rain. This morning I decided to take my rain coat out of my trunk and put it in the luggage. I have been packing it around for 2 weeks and haven't needed it and when I looked out this morning I thought the clouds were moving away from us (oops). Just as I got the the first sag I was pelted with pea size hail for about a mile. At the 50 mile mark I caught the hammer heads in a store. In for a quick drink and everyone was off. It was great to have a group to ride with. However 5 miles later there was a flat and we stopped to fix it. While we were fixing the flat the clouds opened up (and I mean opened up) and just drenched us. Off we went in the poring rain. Tom and I were in the lead but I lost my mirror to day in the rain and I didn't see the rest of the group fall off when Jim had a flat. When we got to the 60 mile mark the road turned North and there was a restaurant. Go in and have lunch or keep going? Tom said lets push on because we won't come out, and he was probably right. We were soaked though any way. About 20 miles later we were down to taking a break every 5 miles when the rest of the group caught us. I saw the SAG wagon pass us with 7 bikes on it so that gives me a 7th for what was an extremely hard day.

But the weirdness never stops. At route rap Tracy announces that Richard and Marlyn (one of the staff) were leaving. Then Bob gets up and says that he is pulling the pin as well he is flying out tomorrow morning at 5:00 AM. Boris who had ridden the route in 02 told us that in his first year 7 of the original 34 dropped out. So two are gone. Then we go to this Mexican joint for supper. Earlier when we were checking in I had drawn this box under the menu where you are suppose to check off what you want and wrote "None of the Above". Tracy goes on at route rap about this was our only choose and tough luck. As it turns out the service is just horrid. Tracy who is deathly allergic to Guacamole (I think it is a nut allergy) is served guacamole even though she had ordered her meal without it. As soon as she has it in her mouth she realizes it and they have to rush her out of restaurant to get her medicine, but now she can't ride for three days, because it knocks her out. If she didn't get in time which she won't know until tomorrow she maybe out. One of the three Jim's never does get served. Jim H my roomie eats half of Jose's meal. They sit these to obese women, and man with 5 children in our area of the restaurant. The children are all screaming and yell so loudly that a one point all the riders simultaneously yelled "SHUT UP". I guess the right choose was none of the above. As a side note ten people did in fact choose None of the above.

Today's picture is of this a shot of this interesting tableau which was in front of a house before it started raining. I think that it represents the American family inviting you in for the hospitality (just my guess, who really knows). I only took 4 pictures today. Stopping in the rain just wasn't in the cards .

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Tomorrow is another day. Weird how that works.

Terry