The Good,the bad and the ugly

A pleasantly cool morning,and a complicated route out of town,but the GPS worked brilliantly,so no wrong turnings.Light breeze and relatively flat road,average surface.Set out with Heinz in tow and made it to the first stop without any problems.The stop was in a small town called Chestnut,where a family restaurant was happy for us to use the loo,and buy a coffee etc.Very nice owner

But everything else about the town seemed to be closed and getting dilapidated.

This has been typical of the small and medium sized towns that we passed through,and has made me realise how Trump could be elected.Only 50% of Americans earn enough to pay income tax,the country is being flooded with Spanish speaking immigrants and the small towns are dying.Very like France in many ways and people wish for a change from the status quo that has got them where they are.It has been very instructive to see the countryside.Massive farms owned by businesses and even bigger tractors than in Europe.Quite a number have caterpillar tracks or double back wheels they are so large,but not much good for employment in the rural areas.Enough philosophy-never was any good at it.We rode out of the first stop and cycled the next 50 Kms to the second,plenty of silos to be seen and all huge.

Moved onto a small country road with little traffic and no shoulder,only thick gravel right up to the road.An ambulance came from behind us ,but we had nowhere to go ,could not go into the gravel,no stopping places and the lorries coming in the other direction stopped and pulled off the road,but the ambulance came right up behind us,flashing his lights and turning up the volume on his warning noise?so into the gravel we had to go and off I came again,Elizabeth just avoided the same fate.Apalling driving nearly caused more accidents than he helped.Only a few scratches fortunately.Onto the next stop and the wind was getting up in our faces.Stopped about 12.00 so went into the store to buy a slice of Pizza for us both and a drink.Whilst waiting the lady in front of me asked if I was training for a cycle race,so I told her ,no Just cycling to Boston with my wife.She said and I am buying cigarettes! She paid her bill and moved off,but my card would not work(their machine I think,it worked later)so I went to get another card but my friend from the queue slapped down a $5 bill and paid for me!With a lovely comment,save her buying more cigs!

Only 20 or so miles from there to the hotel,but we were planning to call in at the cycle shop where Peyton works when he is not out cycling.As we cycled into town ther was the family Peyton welcoming committee,grandma,grandpa,mother,aunt ,sister et al.very touching.Went into the shop to another warm welcome and found some lovely new shoes that I wear without pain-what bliss.A bit gaudy for me-but what the heck they don't hurt.And the ugly,well just before town we had to cross a railway line set obliquely to the road,and on a bend with yraffic,so I could not get my bike straight on to the rails,and the slight tilt of the bend sent my wheel sliding and me sprawling)Again.Time to give up,but only a graze,so I reckon I'll be good to go after a nights sleep and a day off.

So here we are in Champaign,after todays 88.6 miles E was exhausted and sat in her chair for half an hour whilst I jacuzzied,if that could be a word.I did take her a glass of cold 7up to refresh her.2265 miles down,less than 1400 to go.