Good morning from Bismarck, South Dakota. A busy place on a Thursday morning. Yesterday we continued our adventure on the Lewis and Clark trails. The "Corps of Discovery" travelled this same country early October 1804. There is wind, the country side is beautiful and bountiful. There were no farms when the corps travelled. Now farms are abundant. We began this leg of the trip last Friday. Bill and I biked from Fort Thompson to Pierre, SD (61mi). Grace drove on the Pierre and picked up Bob at the airport. Stayed at a Comfort Inn. Bob had quite a time getting to Pierre. His flight out of Dallas was delayed and he was going to miss his flight in Denver. So, he got a flight to Rapid City and Mom picked him up there while Bill and I were riding. It all worked out. Any one want a $60 travel voucher on Great Lakes Aviation?
Saturday we rode to Gettysburg, SD (66.5mi). The winds were mostly against us but we left early and they were not more than 10 mph. Sunday the winds were stronger on our trip to Mobridge (55mi). Monday we intended to ride to a point about 13 miles west of Linton. The winds were howling out of the northeast and we only made it to Pollock (37.5mi). It was a hard ride. We used the car to shuttle into Linton and back the next morning. Then on Wednesday we rode 88.5 miles to Bismarck, ND.
Just as we got to the edge of Bismarck Bob ran over a stick that lodged in the derailleur of the bike he was riding. It stop the bike causing the chain to break and the derailleur to be twisted out of the rear fork. The twisting motion bent the end of the frame where the wheel attaches. We called Grace to come and get us. And, we also called a nearby bike shop. They said bring the bike over. So when Grace arrived we loaded up the damaged bike so Bob and Grace could take it to the bike shop. Praise the Lord Bob did not fall and was not injured.
Bill and I continued on with the tandem to our motel. There we waited for Bob and Grace. By some great fortune the guy at the bike shop had the skill and ability to repair the damage in about two hours while they waited. Amazing! How likely is it that the first and only bike shop contacted be able to make such a repair?
Grace and Bob returned from the bike shop and we unloaded for the night. We planned to eat about eight. I took a shower and Grace made a small pot of coffee. As she was bringing me a cup, she trip and fell forward into the wall and door. I saw the fall from the bathroom. It was scary the way she slammed into the door with her head while it was at a crazy angle to her body. Coffee went everywhere and she was in considerable pain. After about thirty minutes evaluating the situation we decided to take her to the Emergency Room. She could walk but was in a lot of pain. The CT scan revealed not broken bones. After four hours of observation, testing and waiting they released her and we went back to the motel. Praise the Lord nothing is broken.
Today the boys are riding from Bismarck to Hazen (70mi). I took the day off to rest a knee and drive the car. We will see how Grace is doing in the morning. Riding bicycles is dangerous. Oh, by the way, the winds are much more favorable. Our original target for this leg was Bismarck. The revised target for this trip was Dickinson. Lots like we might make Glen Ullin.
I am finishing this blog post sitting in a motel in Hazen waiting for the boys to arrive. Grace is asleep napping. We will see what tomorrow brings. We all know we can trust the Lord. He is faithful and just. We know He is alive and well. Grace and I are amazed that we are physically able to be on this trip with the boys. We will continue to do this as long as we are able and The Lord is willing. The joy of being with our boys and living these experiences is far beyond anything we could have ever imagined.
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