Michigan---"Paladins. Paladins kill Jumpers. I kill Paladins. Class dismissed."

Karen, Patty, and I headed west from Morenci over some gently rolling hills. The sun was coming up and the temperature was around 52 degrees...it was downright chilly for awhile. There was light traffic that picked up whenever we got close to a town. This was particularly true when we got to the larger town of Hillsdale.











Hillsdale was one of those serendipitous moments when I did my routing last winter. It is the home of Hillsdale College. A friend's daughter went to school there. I love their philosophy and the fact that they accept no federal funding. If I knew then what I know now, I would have gone to school there. I had thought...maybe I could pick up a t-shirt...but then I realized that I would be riding through during summer...there would be no students...and we would be pedaling through at 8 o'clock in the morning. I gave up the idea. Laura to the rescue. As she was sagging, she waited patiently for the bookstore to open and bought me a very cool hoodie. Talk about above and beyond the call of duty! Thanks so much for all of that, Laura!






Laura actually drove all day today. She took the day off riding to let both Karen and Patty get in a century...and we did it in style...my average for the day was 14.5 with 100.2 miles and an elevation gain of 1388'.


We called our Warm Showers hosts for the night, Steve and Louise. It was early in the afternoon, but Steve welcomed us to their home in New Carlisle. He is an artist, having worked in watercolors and now pottery. He has a business called BlackTree Studio Pottery, and you can check out his website at blacktreestudio.com. Louise has worked at the Chicago Children's Museum for over 20 years...she is due to retire this year and is excited about having the time to garden and help Steve with his venture. We talked to her about coming out to Washington to do one of our week-long bike rides next fall. They were a delight to spend time with...gracious and full of good conversation as we dined on Steve's roasted chicken and vegetables. Thanks so much for allowing us to spend the evening with you!














maybe you can't...because you won't...