another post, finally! Happy Belated BDays to HERO & RUSTY!

It's been a while since our last post and so much as happened that it is hard to figure out how to begin.

We left you on July 11th in Cooperstown, ND. Well, that night we made it to Page, ND. Enroute to Page, we stopped in Hope, ND (they had a water tower with a big smiley face on it - how hopeful:)) and met up with a couple biking on a tandem on the Northern Tier Route. Teresa and Reuben Peterson, from Modesto, CA are biking across the country as the first of many things on Rueben's 'things to do when I retire' list. We chatted a while and then Cormac and I headed on 15 miles or so more to Page for the night while Reuben and Teresa stayed in Hope. In Page, where the cars park in the middle of the road, Cormac and I caught a movie in the one theatre movie house. And, another night camping free in a ND city park.

The next day, July 13th, we saw the Peterson's (nice name:)) tandem outside the local cafe and ended up biking with them for a long 15 mile or so stretch directly into gusty head winds. Drafting off a tandem provides a nice shelter from the wind. Cormac and I agree that we would not have made that stretch in nearly such good time or spirits without Teresa and Reuben's help! At some point, we decided to take a break while they continued on. We arrive in Fargo around 4 or so and head to the bike store. The owner has converted an old train station into a Bike stor and cafe. A new chain and handlebar tape for Cormac's bike; and new bike shorts for Cormac's behind then a night at the local Howard Johnson's.

We lucked out with out timing in Fargo: We biked to the Laundromat to clean or very dirty clothes and then decided to get a beer...Well, we selected Dempsey's Pub and it was our lucky night because as we were entering, I noticed a handwritten sign in the window 'Josh Ritter 7:00-8:30' I did a double take because i was pretty sure that if they were talking about the well known Josh Ritter that there would be a bigger sign but I woman I asked was like 'yep, Josh Ritter, that Josh Ritter, here, I know, it's crazy, but great...' And so we got to see Josh Ritter perform in a small venue of about 40/50 people. I only missed 2 songs while biking to switch the laundry over to the dryer (I lost that rocks, paper, scissors round).

July 14th: Minnesota!!!
As we bike a whole day on nicely paved and secluded bike path, I think to myself, I like Minnesota!! Well, that was actually on July 16th that I thought that... July 14th was a short day mileage wise due to very strong headwinds (when you watch birds struggling to fly) and the threat of some serious thunderstorms. We left Fargo and crossed into MN in Moorehead. We were hoping to get to Fergus Falls but ended our days journey tired and thankful for a place to stay, which ended up being a motel. It was either that or the 'Pririe Chicken' in Rothsay, MN which was a massive statue of a praire chicken that people in the gas station thought it would be OK if we camped near. With storms coming we did not risk it.

Juily 15th: Another day of headwinds and eventual rain... There is, we were told, a predominant wind from the west. Predominant does not mean always, and we have been reminded of this fact on our trip. Happily, while we are chugging along some rolling hills into the wind, singing or praying or doing math in our heads - however it was that we were trying not to think about how many miles we had left - we see behind us a pair of bikers. They are getting closer (we were biking very slowly) and we realize they are the Petersons! Joy, our Headwind Buddies are here! They had also done a much shorter than anticipated day out of Fargo and stayed a few miles west of Rothsay. We biked the rest of the afternoon with them into Fergus Falls. We see a sign that says Fergus Falls 4 miles and it's a good thing that it was no further than that because right about then the sky darkened and we were getting wet. We biked a very fast 4 miles, worried by the thunder and lightning getting closer, to find happy shelter in Dairyland in Fergus Falls.

There were flood warnings out, you could see little waterfalls in the streets. This was some serious ran. Whew, thank goodness for Dairyland! The four of us set up in a booth for some lunch and card playing and figuring out sleeping plans... We were in good hands, we knew, when everyone in the place warned us NOT to stay at a motel that Reuben had just called that had really good rates. Cormac, flipping through a newspaper from the area sees a page with the churches nearby. 15 or so Lutheran churches, we counted, a Presbyterian and a Methodist. Cormac decides to put his Master of Divinity Degree to the test and calls the Methodist church. Why the Methodist one, you ask? Perhaps it was because Emma, our wedding officiant and friend was raised Methodist? We do not really know but it was a very good decision. Cormac leaves a message explaining that we are two Divinity School students/graduates and we are biking and need a place to spend the afternoon/evening until the rain clears. Pastor Bob calls back a few minutes later...

To be continued.