I passed all the riders and went ahead to park the SAG Wagon to give the riders water and snacks as they arrived. I got my bike down, and was ready to ride when Marge arrived. The head and cross winds were so strong that sometimes I was only going 6 miles per hour -- I was glad we had planned to split the day! It took me forever to ride the 40 miles.
The temperature was in the high 80s in the afternoon, but the thermometer on my bike computer said 93 degrees! I kept energized by consuming both sandwiches, and drinking plenty of water and energy drinks.
We talked to a man at a convenience store, who said the winds blow like this for about a month this time of year. We had a seven-mile stretch of really rough roads to slow me down even more! Everything about Louisiana is so different from what we've seen before.
Bayous with birds of all types. I could only recognize the herons and red-winged black birds. There were so many others that would have delighted avid bird watchers! At dinner we saw a flock of pink flamingos flying over. There were snakes, smushed and slithering on the road and lots of little lizards, alive and dead, cat tails growing in marshy areas, rice paddies and crawfish farms.
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| One of Louisiana's rice paddies. |
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| A crawfish farm in Louisiana. |
There were wonderful high bridges to cross over, and there was relentless wind. These last two days, I have ridden 121 of the hardest miles of the trip!
Tonight, Linda prepared a cold supper. Asian pasta salad with tofu in it and raisin salad, grapes and bread (which I didn't eat). There were store-bought pies that were easy to leave for others! Marge and I each enjoyed a cup of decaf and two little Dove dark chocolates after dinner.
2,126 miles behind us. 980 miles to pedal. 20 days to go.
Louisiana is one of the most interesting states - bizarre even. I think that's what I like most about it.
ReplyDeleteIt's been blowing 18-20mph up here the past few days - riding into the wind is sometimes like being on a stationary bike. I'm not going as many miles as you guys are though, so I admire your sticktoitiveness.