12 Nov 2011 Ride: Fay - Springfield, MO: Day 2

Day one was sunny and day two was cloudy.  I'm not sure if that had something to do with the melancholy mood I seemed to be in that day.   I slept hard, more exhausted from the previous day ride than I realized; 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep which is HIGHLY unusual for me.  I also woke up sopping wet from night chills. 

As I took off, I didn't have the best feelings about the day, as if something amiss was in the forecast.  I tend to be even more vigilante than I already am on those type of days. 

I knew the first part of the day would continue to be filled with hills and I thought of my friends taking on the 8,000 of elevation in 80 miles back in Arkansas.

My ill-feelings seemed to stem from all the dogs that I was encountering that morning.  None of the encounters were that threatening but, like hills, the constant barking, the numerous canines giving chase, gets a bit weary.  And, my confidence level with dealing with dogs was very low. 

On one hill, a small terrier came out of its yard barking and I decided to stop and call it over.  It didn't come but its companion standing in the background appreciated my warm calling and trotted over happy to receive some attention.

It was a good stop which helped to boost my dog confidence.


I get a kick out of this stop sign which I discovered on my ride last year.  We don't seem to have them in Arkansas.  They are used where a road comes into another road at a 45 degree or less angle.

While I was taking the pictures of the stop sign, I saw a man standing outside his house just down the road.  He had a couple of dogs as well and I stopped to say hello to the dogs and then to Steve.  It turned out that Steve does a lot of biker riding and belongs to Bikers Against Child Abuse.  Cindy, his wife came out and she used to do quite a bit of bicycling riding at one time. 

After all the dog encounters and the melancholy day, it was great to stop and talk with them which helped to lift my spirits.  Their house sits on a ridge that was one of the highest elevation points of my ride.  I imagine that the wind must really howl up there at times.


Many miles later, I looked forward to passing through...

It sits at the bottom of a long decent and feels tucked away in a bowl; I can just imagine a heavy winter snow storm filling up where it lies and burying the town. 

Like last time I rode through it, it felt quiet and quaint but I'm sure that's just my romantic vision of it.  I stopped for lunch at a small cafe, J-Rae's and I ran into Victoria who was coming out.

I enjoyed chit-chatting with her for a few minutes and finding out that she is a senior in high school who is interested in dramatic arts with the desire to possibly direct and produce TV programming.

I had another fried egg sandwich, this time accompanied with sweet potato fries and then I was on my way after taking a couple of more pictures of Hurley.

It wasn't until after I took the picture that I noticed the little dog house sitting at the base of the barn.

The second part of my ill-feelings for the day came as I got closer to Springfield.  Of course the traffic would get heavier but it wasn't the volume that was the problem (very moderate, really) but the fact that the road had absolutely no shoulder and with all the curves and ups and downs of the road, the ride was not exactly stress-free.  I was glad to get to the four lane roads in the city where cars could at least pass me. 

By the time I reached Springfield, the clouds and the miasma that seemed to hang over me all day, thinned and a bit of sun peeked through.  My mood changed dramatically and, even after 75 miles of riding, I felt ready to take on more miles.  If it weren't for the fact that I was in unfamiliar territory at 3:00 in the afternoon on a Saturday with traffic everywhere, I would have ventured out for at least another 10 miles.  In any case, I was glad to end the day on a high note.

12 Nov Rider:   6hrs. 45mins.  76.06 miles.  Low 60s.  15-24mph  Miles YTD:  8,810.91

Number of miles per day needed to reach 10,000 miles by the end of the year:  24.27

Donations for Biking for Food, which support the Community Meals at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, AR, can be sent to:  Biking for Food,  St Paul’s Episcopal Church,   224 N. East Ave.,   Fayetteville, AR  72701

Or, make a pledge per bike miles ridden at  www.stpaulsfay.org/bikingforfood.html.

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