June 1, 2007

June 1, 2007 Sigourney - Muscatine 12 miles
*Our best wishes to Pat Kerber who we missed this morning*

It's off to a cloudy start with lightning and thunder on the assist. We wait it out a while since the lightning is a bit scary to ride along side. The riders opted for a safe way into Muscatine by way of the van and not more than a few minutes after our arrival, did the tornado siren sound. It sounded again soon after, telling the tornado had passed. Ignorantly, we drove off to the bike shop for supplies when we realized parts of the town had been destroyed - windows blown, roof tops gone, trees ripped away, semi trucks tipped on their sides, and the less fortunate lost everything. Only injuries reported with a big mess to clean up.

The photo's at Harpers Cyclery should give a brief idea of how the encounter went at the bike shop and how involved the owner is with his passion. Both he and his son are wonderful to us as they put their souls into their profession.

Our hosts for this evening are Bob and Sandy Hayes who are avid cyclists (as is their son Chris and daughter Heather) and share more stories of RAGBRAI, a common dinner theme in these parts. We forcefully sip Pinot Noir and choke down the gooey chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven. A terrible place to spend the night, we are finding out. *smirk* Queen kitty Ruby has it rough too.

May 31st, 2007

May 31, 2007 Des Moines - Sigourney 105

Jeff, now my favorite person, takes me to a local coffee shop and bakery to get some baked goods. He joins us for the first 30 miles of the day with the shining sun and not a breeze to speak of. The trio rolls up and down and up and down the hills of Iowa.

As soon as we pass the hub-bub of the city, we follow corn field after cornfield. There is a sense of contentment coming from within each small community we pass. Men on mowers, young girls on a teeter totter who pause to climb the hood of a car and frantically wave at the bikers, cats stalking in the flower beds, and every once in a while, a cyclist puttering around.

Some strange cafe with a drink they call coffee and an equally strange smell coming off the fields. We can't wait for the corn crops to be ready for melted butter. Yum! On to the cool town of Sigourney which has a true town square and was named after the Northeastern poet.

As soon as we arrive, the boys are corralled for a quick interview before heading to our hosts home. We are entertained by Phil and Cyrenna Buschmann with stories of their ride across the country and the drama that was likely to tag along. They are both avid cyclists and of course participate in RAGBRIA, as do many cyclists from around the world. This ride really defines Iowans great sense of togetherness. Over 10,000 riders through Iowa - that's alot of bikers. In all seriousness, you can really hear the impact it has on the voices who tell of it...so many people to get to know, so much fun to have, and so much beer to drink (so we hear). All of these people sharing the same passions, their triumphs and losses, and sometimes sharing a piece of floor to sleep on.

After stories of RAGBRAI, we played 'best day-worst day' on a bike and pretty much came to the conclusion that hey, a bad day on the bike is better than a great day at work. These trips can be ever life changing - or life jarring, depending on how many rumble strips you ride. It's a pleasant experience here a the Buschmann's as the team turns in for the evening.

Thank you Cyrenna and Phil for keeping us fed and energized for yet another day. Your home and town are something to be quite proud of.