Started with another buffet breakfast. We had the same server, Nancy, as the night before, what a crazy schedule, but she seemed to warm up to us and kept us entertained as we had probably already run out of things to say to one another in this location.
We got off on our route for about a 75 mile day to Sebree. The riding started out pretty well. Stopping seemed to cause more trouble: I fell down twice, once on my way to the bush, and the second time pushing off right by a big ditch. It was a long way down and I really wish someone could have seen it, esp. as joints were definitely more sore afterwards and our solar charger a little worse for the wear.
The landscape got more monotonous (corn) (corn) (corn) and weirder as all these Perdue farm "No Admittance" signs appeared, and the huge metal buildings, most likely housing tens of thousands of chickens had no windows, and looked more like maximum security prisons. The NSA would probably be proud.
The WIND. THE WIND! We felt like we were not moving for the last 30 miles of our trip. We had to stop almost every 5 miles to take a break (usually its every 10-15) and at one point we just lay down in the middle of the road and let the warm asphalt be our hot stone massage.
Sebree was our saviour!
We actually had not done so badly timewise, but our bodies were crying out for rest at 5. We were excited to meet our host for the night, the First Baptist Church. Andy called from the gas station, and they invited us to come on up. We were ushered over to the little house, where Violet (the pastor's wife) greeted us in her Sunday best (she was on her way to sing soprano solos at a inter-parochial musical gathering), showed us our luxurious quarters: mattresses, sofas, showers, ping-pong table, it was the youth room of their church), bio-freeze gel, Kentucky pins, and a few sections of the Bible. Told us if we could wait till 8 she would make us dinner (YES!) and invited us to make ourselves comfy and clean until then. We were in Heaven, Bob (the pastor) came down not long after and introduced himself and invited us up for cookies and fellowship in the upstairs part of the parish hall. We gladly accepted and sat down for the adult sunday school with a plate of cookies, french dip, sorbet, really really fudgy brownies, and peanut butter crackers.
We pulled up to the table and everyone (mostly retirerees) introduced themselves. There were several spunky 90 year olds at the table who kept the conversation going. Everyone was very accepting of us as we settled down to look over some verses (they are pretty used to cyclists as they had 33 just last week!). What then struck me as a very strange and wonderful coincidence was that it was verses that I had been thinking about (for some reason- this doesn't happen often at all) in my head just a few hours previously, the ones that ask us not to think of what we shall eat, and what we shall wear, etc. for God will provide us will all this. So strangely here were these very verses reminding us not to worry and be anxious about our journey.
We did laundry (again) and then Violet was home and ready for us to come over for a home-cooked meal! How absolutely fabulous. We got to know each other much better over her delicious cornbread, creamed corn, green beans, black eyed peas and relish, applesauce, sweet tea, and some donated ribs. Very very good stuff. They shared much with us and we were like empty vessels that needed to hear some of it. So after hugs, prayers and good lucks, we were sent to bed for some much-needed rest and it was very satisfying rest.
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