Thank You For Your Service

I’m starting this blog with a story from this afternoon because it made my heart happy. I was enjoying some cold water and shade and chatting with this man wearing a Vietnam Honor Flight hat. As I went to leave I thanked him for his service and asked him when his Honor Flight was. He responded “ I went four years ago. I went to go see my name on the wall.”  Now if you’re like me you looked at him very puzzled. He proceeded to tell me this story:

He served in Vietnam and there was also a young man from Nebraska with the exact same name and same age. This guy said he would sometimes get the Nebraska kid’s mail. Unfortunately this young man was killed in action. This guy’s hometown newspaper printed his name as KIA and his grandfather saw it and rushed to his parents house. His parents hasn’t heard anything officially from the military. This guy had always wanted to reach out to the Nebraska guy’s parents but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Several years later he was a feed salesman traveling the Midwest and he ended up in the hometown of the Nebraska kid. He was telling the clerk at Casey’s the story and she just stopped and said “the guy who just left was his brother!”  She ended up getting him the phone number for the brother and he called him and told him to sit down first and then proceeded to tell him his name. They talked for a few hours and then met for breakfast the next day. So he had to go pay honor to him and see his name on the wall. 

Richard L Pedersen you are a hero!  Both of them are!  I thanked him for sharing his story and went on my way. About two blocks away I just felt like I needed to go back and get a picture with him. So I dropped my bike and headed back. When I asked to take his picture he said yes, but then said I must have a mouse in my closet if I want a picture of him. This is why I love RAGBRAI…the people and the stories make the hard miles worth it. For the next several miles I was almost in tears as I was so grateful to have that encounter. 

Ok back to our regularly scheduled blogging!

It was a rough night at camp. Remember when I said the tents were close together. Well it was a chorus of snoring, people not sleeping well and rustling around on their air mattress, dry heaving, coughing, trains, dog barking…you get the picture. Combine that with being camped by people who got up at 4 means not great sleep. By 4:30 I had called it and just got up around 4:45. People were moving early. I don’t know if was because they were afraid of the heat for the day or if everyone else slept terrible too. 

We rolled out a little before 6:30 this morning. It was a very humid and foggy morning but as Chris said…it’s remarkable cool this morning. Of course that didn’t last. 

Within the first couple miles I saw Lucy from the 2019 Dream Team. We talked a bit about riding together on the century that year. She was cruising a long and I know she’ll have a good week. I also ran into Shawn & Kayla from Colorado. They are going with a different group this year so it was nice to see them!  Kayla isn’t 16 anymore…shocking!  She just finished her Freshman year at Colorado State University. I also ran into Ralph, Grant and Joe at Backpocket. They also are going with a different group this year. The Catholics mildly redeemed themselves today with the perfectly timed breakfast burrito!  

Mr. Porkchop came early in the route today so we had to make sure Chris got his chop. Unfortunately inflation has hit him too and now it costs $10. But for at least one time it’s worth it!  

The heat and hills lived up to the billing today and to say that today was tough would be an understatement. Thankfully many people heard my plea for sprinklers and hoses. Today was probably the single most sprinklers I’ve had on one day of ragbrai.  The first one came as we came into Cherokee a guy was on the left hand side of the road with a hose, but he had signs on the right hand side telling us to move the left!  I love planning!! We got some food. I got a nice walking taco and two bottles of ice water for a free will donation to support a local daycare. As we left Cherokee there was a huge long low grade hill. Just when you thought you got to the top it rounded a bend and up again. 

It was about noon and we still had 50 miles to go and the heat was climbing by the minute. As we entered Aurela I noticed everyone crammed under the awning over the gas pumps. It was shade. You would have thought it was a monsoon rain for all the people that were under there just looking for shade. I decided that wasn’t for me, but as I headed out of town I saw a glorious sight!  The fire station was using their hoses for people to run through. I took the opportunity to go through a couple times and get my head wet. 

Then we headed to Alta where the Presbyterians win the day. Not only is this where I met Richard but where I got free ice cold water and freeze pops!  They knew their audience and they delivered. They also had shade. Richard told me that they had to go get 5000 more bottles of water mix day. Now that seems like a lot so it could be an exaggeration, but I still appreciate their commitment to proper hydration. They used large pools to keep the water cold. I’m actually shocked that they were able to keep people out of the pools. 

After Alta there was a long 20 mile stretch with no towns. The heat was rising and it was brutal. I stopped along the side of the road for some shade at one point. When I got to Early they had just the pick me up that I needed. Strawberry rhubarb pie…and it was cold!!  The churches and 4H stand combined together so they all get credit. I decided since it was only 10 more miles and I was hot that I’d stop at Backpocket for a beer. Some shade and music got me ready for the last trek to town. 

I was going to tell you all about camp, but I’m on the second time writing this blog and I’m over it!  The first version just disappeared! So I’ll save that for tomorrow. Spoiler alert. There was ZERO shade. 

Chris and Emily survived their first day and Emily is still talking to me. So that’s a win!!  Chris met Dr. Pie on the route and was shocked to know that I actually know him. I hope to run into him this week. He used to be our family’s veterinarian!  

Chris and Emily did learn the hard lesson about church dinners. All of them were sold out when we went so we had to settle for expo food. I got a quesadilla and it was delicious. 

84.91 miles and 2543 feet of gain is pretty steamy conditions. Tomorrow should be a bit easier even if it’s still going to be hot.