Sunshine and Black Clouds

I'm making a habit of falling asleep before I can finish entries now... Scott made some baked oatmeal for breakfast yesterday morning and after being fed well yet again, I soon said my goodbyes and was off. It was an 85 mile day, with winds from the South and West (so primarily against me, occasionally showing me some favor), and the threat of a storm (though it couldn't have been clearer and sunnier as I left), so I wanted to hurry. My host for the night had called me the night before, but I hadn't answered because I had been busy with dinner and because I have a tendency to ignore calls (much preferring texts). So I called him this morning to make sure things were in order. It's actually not a Couchsurfing or Warmshowers, but rather the sister and brother in law (John and Arlene) of a friend of the parents' of a friend of mine. ...Can you follow that? That is the power of networking right there, and the immense generosity and openness of many people. When I called John he told me that if I could make it a little earlier than I planned, it would be good because then I could go with them to dinner with Arlene's mother. So I did my best to make time, with my desire not to get stormed on not hurting as a motivator as well.

...But then of course, not long after finishing that call I hit a considerable delay when I came on the scene of an accident, a woman (who had passed me not a couple minutes before) sitting in the ditch with her moped toppled on the side of the road. I immediately stopped and checked to see that she was alright. Her injuries seemed minor, but she was wisely choosing not to move. I asked what happened, and all she could tell me was that she's hit the gravel just right and suddenly she was down. ...Well, I've been there, in a way. Her first concern though was to get a cigarette. Another vehicle pulled up, and I asked them to call 911 for her. They did, and then were immediately gone. The next car to stop didn't stay long either. They, a man and woman, berated her with questions about drinking and going too fast (to which she responded that she didn't drink and it maxed at 40). The woman did get her a cigarette...apparently that desire being the one sympathy they had for her. Then with some remarks to me about seeing her drunkenly swerving earlier and implications she deserved her injuries, they left, leaving the bike tourist, probably the one guy with most legitimate need to be moving, was left to stay. I texted her dad for her, as she was concerned about him picking up her moped and knowing what happened. And then I left shortly after the police and EMT arrived. Whatever judgments you want to make on someone, and I don't know whether she was drinking or on other drugs or not, you don't abandon someone in pain. It could always be you.

After that though, I had no real delays the rest of the day. It worked well in the interests of making time that while there were some sights to take in, there wasn't anything that begged me to get off the bike, detour, or explore. I kept going all day with little rest and few stops. I worked my way on county roads around the lake, took the old highway 141 through the heart of Green Bay, made less busy thanks to the nearby interstate, continued on 141, even as it had an obnoxious rumble strip on its shoulder that greatly limited what of it I could use, and then got on the Devil's River State Trail, a nice, scenic (in other words, slowed me down) crushed limestone trail through woods and farmland. I made it most the day with just light showers. ...Until I hit an unexpected cloudburst along the trail. I stopped to hastily put on my rain gear. But by the time I'd suited up, it was damn near over and I was already soaked. I carried on with my rain gear on after that, wet enough not to overheat in it even after the rain stopped completely, at least for awhile. I figured out I can wear my rain jacket as a sort of cape to have it ready to put on, yet not overwhelmingly hot when it's not actually raining. Into a headwind especially though, that's still not the most practical. I met a walker who had hit the same burst, but been wise enough to see it coming a little, and lucky enough to have buildings to get under.

After the trail, it was a little more county road and then straight on into Manitowoc. I quickly cleaned up my bike and then myself a little (always the proper order), getting into dry clothes. And then we headed for the retirement home to have dinner with Arlene's mother. She remarked to me that it was likely not what I expected, to be eating dinner with a bunch of old folks at a nursing home. It's true, it wasn't. But at this point in my bike touring career, things are new, but very little is odd any more. And it was a nice dinner too, good choices from the salad bar, and even desert. After that we called Roger, her brother, who I will be seeing on the other side of the lake. Then John showed me the highlights of the city, where they build and test cranes, the tribute to the 28 submarines built in Manitowoc outside the Maritime Museum and the submarine there that ironically is not one of them, the harbor, the museum whose expansion caused the demolition of their old home. He concluded his tour by telling me that was probably everything of interest there was to see. We came back and zoned out in front of the TV while Arlene provided a feast of snack food for us (clearly knowing the way a bike tourist needs to eat). Then before long I was fast asleep, before I could even finish this entry.

And now? Well, I have yet to figure out where I'm going and where I'm sleeping tonight. So I best be moving on figuring that out.