Today we have 3 strikes against us. Horrible traffic meant little riding and a lot of walking. I made 11 miles this morning before stopping to eat. While eating the winds came. Poor Laura shutters with the gusts. We could be stuck here for the rest of the day. We have another 11 miles to the state line and a short but steep hill. Then I'm told it is mostly downhill to Fort Collins. We have been climbing all day. I had such good memories of 287 as all downhill. What happened? Was there an earthquake or something? Did the earth's plates shift? So how hard does it have to blow before Laura and me become a tumbleweed?
Sitting inside a refrigerator box there isn't much to do. No offense Laura. The wind sings but I'm not big on angry music. Especially when it huffs and puffs and tries to blow us away. It's a good thing I'm old. Sleeping is always good.
As I was pushing today and 17 thousand cars and trucks per minute were flying by, it occurred to me that perhaps David is to be taught a very important lesson in the near future. Is this journey the mountain he will fail to climb? The handling of defeat. Is this what I'm to learn? This is an interesting idea to me. If it is worth learning, I welcome it. We will see. Then I took another step and thought about other things. This journey was never about me. It didn't take me long to learn that. It is about the Jesus sign on Laura and the response it invokes in people. Such an opportunity it is for people to make a choice. So many people have chosen to stop and help. I'm doing so they learn something about themselves. They are wonderful. Those that go on by I believe move closer to stopping and helping someone next time. This thought has been my motivation. If it was just about me this whole thing is probably pretty pointless, even to myself. I don't have much rooster left in me, not much to prove on a personal level. So far it has been a great experience riding for Jesus as it were. I hope you are enjoying riding along with me. Then there is the hungry and homeless question.
A biker just stopped and told me the wind is bad until I get to the top of the hill. 11 miles to go. I'll have to wait until the wind abates for Laura's sake. Maybe this evening I can get a few miles closer.
David, I first stopped just to get a picture. I try to get a picture of all the unique travelers I ran across while riding, like the two I told you about on unicycles. After that, as I rode up and down 287 I stopped and spoke with you several more times and I enjoyed meeting and talking with you. I'm going to ride 287 to Ft. Collins again tomorrow and I'm going to miss seeing you. I hope you have a good journey.
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