Our return to cycling hit a snag. Severe weather rolling across the mid-West introduced us to dire warnings of tornadoes, baseball-sized hail stones and extreme lightning. We did the right thing and drove to our next lodging and drove around the storm. We could see it from afar – and it did look nasty – but it was reasonably nice elsewhere. That is, until we got a mini-pummelling of rain, hail and insane wind.
Bill tried to capture some footage of the storm in action last night with a long pole stuck into thin air (a lighting rod?), but we have to wait and see what develops. He does have a drone with him, and is using it for some interesting shots. I’ll include some in future blogs.
The morning began with an unexpected call from a gentleman—also named Bill—who had seen Bill on the news the previous night. Their subsequent interview produced a compelling narrative about overcoming isolation, maintaining a positive outlook despite illness, and the therapeutic value of exercise. Although the illness remains a formidable and progressive challenge, getting the message out about the benefits of exercise will ultimately help more people and make the eventual cure more meaningful.
We’ve been deeply touched by the generosity of strangers over the past two evenings. A restaurant owner in our neighborhood covered our dinner yesterday. Tonight, a couple at another table paid for our meal and left before we could thank them, so we have no idea how they knew about our journey. We want to say to anyone who stumbles upon this blog: people are wonderful, and your thoughtful support means the world to us.