farmer city, il

today was good. made it almost 80 miles. found some nice back roads.
winds at my back and flat terrain. may make it to IN tomorrow if i
don't freeze. supposed to get nasty. went to eat at imo's family
restaurant for their friday buffet. i had beef soup, beef lasagna,
chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and apple
cobbler. i also stopped to get a Dove bar on the way home.

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Havana, IL

More hills and a headwind today meant that I had to stop in Havana,
which is the only town for the next 60 miles with lodging. It's a
small river town that probably used to be more of a port. There are a
couple of ancient sorry-looking barges on the Illinois Riverjust next
to town. There is a library here which I used to add some pictures to
the last few days's entries. Scroll down to see them.

Since it was evident that I wasn't going to make it to the farther
town, I cruised and took my time today. I watched the farmers take in
the last of the corn. I also got chased by dogs, as usual. It's very
green and smells good here. My favorite smell is oats or something...
Something they grow that smells really sweet. I don't know, but I
like it.

Macomb, IL

Elation



Crossing the Mississippi




What's up, donkey?

I biked all around this town looking for the library so I could upload some pictures, and when I finally found it, the computer wouldn't let me connect my camera. Drat. I took some entertaining pictures of donkeys. Anyhow, coming over the Mississippi was awesome. I felt so good crossing into Illinois. Some Amish guys (or maybe it was ZZ Top) waved at me. Perhaps they thought my bicycle was cool.

After a few hills by the river, it got pancake flat. Everything much greener this far east. With calm wind and flat roads I cruised right along. I got to Macomb a bit earlier than I thought. Just like all these towns, it has a town square with a courthouse. It has a lot of ornate old two- or three- story buildings in the downtown. However, they are mostly dilapidated as the commerce goes to the outskirts of town. I see that a lot.

Tomorrow I will try to make it to McLean, which is 83 miles. I'll have to get up early for that but I think it's do-able if the roads remain flat. My butt will get sore, no doubt.

donnellson, ia

Who said it was flat in Iowa?



Rainy farm







Des Moines River -- crossed four times



made it 50 miles to this settlement today. it's about all i had in me.
it was like being in the spin cycle. lots of wind and rain and hills.
i stayed pretty warm but damp. learned that wool really does insulate
even when wet. i saw another guy on a bicycle today. he was old and
toothless and looked like he probably slept in barns. it's getting
greener here. some pretty woods and old buildings. it's only 15 miles
to the mississippi and illinois. supposed to be better weather the
next few days.

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bloomfield, ia

Fancy footwear. 2 socks inside, 1 sock outside, duct tape, neoprene, and swapped footbeds from hiking shoes.



Clowder of cats


good ride today. found good roads and winds were calm. pretty chilly
though. i'm ok except my feet get a little numb. i'll try to modify my
shoes a little tonight. i think it's getting a little flatter.
otherwise no big surprises as far as scenery. dogs still chase me,
people either wave or just stare with their mouth open. i got to a
motel this evening and stood in the shower for about 20 minutes to
warm up. then i ate about 3000 calories. not quite full yet.

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osceola, ia

pace getting down to 55 miles or so per day. daylight waning. roads
today were a c minus at best. same stuff to see. i try to look for
things that stand out of the ordinary but am pretty unsuccessful.
farm, cattle, buick, buick. i really enjoy riding when the roads are
good but it's frustrating when they're not. the worst is when i'm
struggling up a hill and eddie money (or as the dj says, "the money
man") comes on the radio. i can't stop moving so i have to suffer.
eddie money, i curse thy name.

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Creston, IA

Made it to Creston, IA today. I finally got a map that showed which
roads are paved. That would have helped earlier (oops). So I found
some good roads, paved, without much traffic. It's definitely not
Indian summer anymore. It's blustery and chilly with a few snowflakes
here and there. I bundled up and was OK, although I probably looked
even more ridiculous to the farmers.

I saw a lot of the same. Farms, a few houses every mile or so.
Hills, lots of them. Some cattle. It's kind of strange being
completely by yourself and then realizing that 50 animals are all
looking at you. A couple of dogs chased me (they seem to love me). I
just yell at them as loud as I can and they stop in their tracks. I
saw a guy driving at 50 mph sitting in the passenger seat, reaching
over to steer. Don't know what that was about. Maybe he was the
mailman.

There's a town in about 50 miles and one in 75. If I'm ambitious and
stay warm I can make the further one.