kalkaska, michigan

Chapel, Hartwick Pines State Park 

We are now at the All Seasons Motel in the village of Kalkaska, Michigan. The ride today was a short thirty-one mile ride that ended up being a bit longer than expected. Starting the ride in rain is not really something I would do at home but when I'm on a schedule there's not much of a choice. I knew there would be rain along the way because when I was loading the Explorer this morning, I would go outside to load something in just a sprinkle of rain. Next trip outside . . . no rain. Next trip . . . pouring rain. It was like living in Florida. When we moved to Florida, years ago, a Floridian told us, "If you don't like the weather here, just wait fifteen minutes . . . it'll change." That may be a nationwide thing. Sure works in Michigan.

At the fifteen mile mark of the ride I had my sixth flat tire of the ride! Another tiny, tiny piece of wire from a steel-belted radial tire took me down again. I am pedaling on new tires with new tubes and that tiny piece of wire stopped me dead in my tracks. I was pedaling on County Road 42 out of Gaylord, in the rain, and had  a flat tire so it was time to get a ride. Margaret picked me up and we headed to the motel where I fixed the flat . . . twice! Well, that's not quite accurate. If I had patched the punctured tube correctly the first time, I would not have had to patch the tube again. (Just a thought.) After that repair, Margaret and I stopped by Burger King for a few Whopper Juniors and headed back up Michigan 131 to get the last fifteen miles of riding finished. Ha! It started to rain like crazy. Oh well, I'll make those miles up later and/or somewhere else along the way. That's the way we do it

Since I have no pictures from today and since it was a rather boring day, I've decided to give you our travel plans up until Thursday, 08 July when we hope to pedal into Ashtabula, Ohio. Phil and I try our best to stay on this schedule because if Margaret and Gale have to change a lodging reservation for one night, they have to change reservations for every night thereafter. What a mess that would be. So here, for your enjoyment, are the travel plans for about two weeks:

Monday, 28 June - Manistee, Michigan (78.5 miles).

Tuesday, 29 June - Muskegon, Michigan (83.2 miles).

Wednesday, 30 June - South Haven, Michigan (66.8 miles).

Thursday, 01 July - LaPorte, Indiana (59 miles).

Friday, 02 July - Nappanee, Indiana (44 miles).

Saturday, 03 July - Kendallville, Indiana (39 miles).

Sunday, 04 July - Napoleon, Ohio (61 miles). Independence Day 2021!

Monday, 05 July - Fremont, Ohio (54 miles).

Tuesday, 06 July - Lorain, Ohio (57 miles).

Wednesday, 07 July - Euclid, Ohio (40 miles).

Thursday, 08 July - Ashtabula, Ohio (47 miles).

"We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

FYI - Because today was such a crazy day I did not get any photographs along the wet and rainy ride. Therefore, I borrowed a photo from our Hartwick Pines State Park visit yesterday. The old log church building is a great wedding venue if a small and quiet wedding is in the couple's plans. Inside the church building, this prayer is mounted behind the pulpit platform and it reads:

Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all that is nature,

We humbly come to you in the midst of nature’s splendor,

To thank you that as Americans we are free

To worship as we please, work as we please,

And move about as we please to enjoy all that is nature:

Its mountains, its hills, its valleys, its lakes,

Its streams, and the living things that dwell therein;

We pray unto You that someday the world may be at peace

And all men be free to enjoy nature’s abundance.

We ask you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

That we be guided to protect this priceless heritage

Which we, in America, are privileged to enjoy. Amen.

This prayer sure is fitting for our cross-country journey. We're goin' to Maine! 2,220.18/1,343.82