Jan and Helen took Lance's pickup to North Lewiston trying to get a head start on us.

Lance helped out by taking a beeper call less than a mile from the boat launch. If you haven't been treated to our President on-call, you've missed something. First you have to stop the bike, fumble with the beeper, decide you can't read it, fumble with your trunk for your reading glasses, then fumble for your cell phone to call back, try to poke cell phone keys while wearing gloves, realize you have to take them off. It's quite a scene. The call itself is quite short. Once Lance tells 'em its alright to push that red button, problem is solved. It's a miracle of modern technology.

.

Lee Bauer from Uniontown had the same idea as Jan and Helen. He drove down the grade until he spotted us, parked, hopped on his bike and headed up the hill fast as he could go. We didn't know he was with us until we got to Sage Bakery.

Lee's a farmer and over lunch Lance grilled him mercilessly about crops and the cost of fuel. I know Lance is frustrated by his new on-call status and is thinking retirement but a career change to farming, Lance. Really?

.

Nicky is in training for the Joseph ride to the extent of having even gone out in that rain we had last weekend at the Autumn Century. Today she confessed that Shawn and Mike had discussed vocal-cordectomy. Seems she thinks Shawn should change his sheets. That got us on bed bugs. Debbie had seen a show and Lance in a previous career had exterminated the little critters. He had stories to tell. In the interest of good digestion, I decided to step it up and ride with Nicky.

When we cleared the top of the grade, we found the usual Palouse winds. This one was coming out of the northwest at an angle that made cylcing an adventure in balance.

And it was cold. The jackets went on for the return trip. Good to be back in the valley with temps in the mid 60s.

.

.