Boom!

We set off at 8am... a late start due to the comfort of the Market Street Inn. Fresh fruit, coffee, french toast with homemade blueberry syrup... We had to peel ourselves away from the table. But once we got going, we were feeling pretty alive and refreshed. Two more days of serious biking. Damn.

Drop....drip..."let's put on our rainjackets"... pedal...slosh...boom. Hmmm. Crack...brightness. "Maybe we should stop." We put the bike against a tree and snuck into a barn.

We practiced our trip song (to be performed at our final breakfast). We laughed. We watched the lightning. We'll just wait it out. Looks like it is breaking. Let's get out there.

Uh-oh. Why is that dark cloud following us? I thought the storm was over. Crash...strike... I look at my dad, and reassuringly tell him, "If I get struck by lightning, don't blame yourself." We decide to stop again. This time we found a beautiful home and an inviting porch. We dragged ourselves up to the door and sheepishly asked if we could settle on the porch for a while. This time the winds really got going. We held each other as the earth shook. Eventually, Bob, the owner/builder of this house came out on the porch and invited us in. We are currently parked at his kitchen table, sipping coffee and plotting our way forward. Bob is a retired GE employee who believes retirment is just a time to be busy with the things you really love. He loves gardening and farmer's markets, grandchildren, antiques, building houses among other things. He is wonderful for letting two wet, dirty and cold bikers into his home. But we can't stay here forever.

The forecast told us there was only a 30 percent chance of rain today.