Well, dreams of a trail wind didn’t come true, and the head wind not only persists, it has intensified. Something’s coming.
I was so fatigued by the end of the ride yesterday, and worried about the ride today. We all were, including Mike, who opted to join us for today’s ride. We hopped on our bikes and immediately felt the push of the wind, now stronger and even more squarely in our face. But today we pushed back. The three of us had our heads down and tilted into the wind. We ride at our own rates, but meet up at regular intervals. Meet to stretch after the first hour; ride; meet at the Sask border; ride; meet at 70km; ride; meet at Flaxcombe; rest. That’s how you ride 90 km into the wind. Mike’s longest ride of the journey so far, and a triumph for each of us.
We stop riding 30 km short of Kindersley to leave room for a potential group ride tomorrow. We pile in the RV and drive to the home of Bonnie and Reid. Bonnie is Jim’s Aunt, and from Day 1, Kindersley has been a fixture of our journey. The route at first doesn’t seem logical but, knowing what I know now, it’s one of our smartest decisions yet.
We get in just as our phones wail in unison to announce a pending tornado watch, followed shortly thereafter by a pounding electrical storm.
Bonnie and Reid are the archetype of rural hospitality done right. Anything that could be done to make us comfortable was done with thought and love. Clearly there is affection for Jim, and perhaps we are just in the right place at the right time, but my bet is that these are just some of the warmest people around.
We have a wonderful dinner (best fall-off-the-bone ribs in memory) and a heaping slice of Saskatoon berry pie.
We listen to old favourite music with Reid into the evening, discuss plans for tomorrow and collapse early