The day began on a hopeful note. It wasn't raining….yet. In addition, awaiting us as we approached our loaded bikes in the hotel parking lot was a "gentleman" who was admiring the bikes as they stood ready to carry us on the next leg of our adventure. He complimented us on the bikes and introduced himself as an ex-preacher who had lost his ministry. Judging by the sleeveless "Who Farted?" t-shirt and the open can of Budweiser, he appeared to have lost more than that. In a seeming desperate attempt to rebuild an ad-hoc congregation, he asked us if we would permit him to bless our bikes. We readily accepted because he was the first such "gentleman" that we had met who did not claim to have a broken down car needing cash for a bus ride. We figured it couldn't hurt and just hoped that he wouldn't mistake the Bud for holy water. Readily blessed, we departed for a day of riding through the gray skies of the American West, where we quickly realized that a blessing such as the one we received should include a request that rain not be permitted to thrash us unmercifully. Not long after departing we were again immersed in steady showers, rooster tails from 18 wheelers, and the succulent taste of road grime. We trudged onward, trusting that at some point we might enjoy at least five minutes of the entire Tour de Corn without rain. Alas we were rewarded with not five, but approximately 30 minutes of blessed dry riding weather. In Grand Junction the sun came out and we bathed in the welcome sunshine and blast furnace level temperatures, causing us to immediately wish for the rain again. Of course we were justly rewarded with blinding rain, plus the exciting addition of thunder and lightening. It occurred to us that we might have been able to lighten our load by packing just the rain gear and a change of underwear. Note to selves for the next trip.
Things we earned today:
- Carrying a generously proportioned woman on the back of your bike can simultaneously preclude AND provide a soft comfortable backrest.
- A bike blessing really needs to include a demand that rain be eliminated for the duration of the day's journey.
- There is no limit to the amount of gear that a touring BMW rider is willing to pack onto his bike.
