Neosho, MO to Chelsea, OK

Pictures:

1. Sign showing my Entrance to Eastern Shawnee Nation
2. Going through Vinita saw this sign for an inn on Rte 66
3. Sign showing entrance to Chelsea, OK.    Hope to find lodging here today
4. Antique fire truck at Neosho fire station
5. Oklahoma has lots of open grasslands.   here is an example
6. Rte 66 bridge no longer part of Rte 66
7. Rte 66 sign in Oklahoma proving I haven’t lost it yet

Summary: The watch word for today was wind.   I fought it from the moment I got up to the moment I stopped at Subway for dinner at 2:30 (what can I say, the Subway was here, Chelsea was my planned stopping point, and I was hungry).   My average speed was a flat 10.0 MPH which is an all time low for me.   Hoping the Chelsea fire station will put me up for the evening.   On my way there after this post is complete.

Of this and that:

1. Automatic Deflating Device: I had just met up with Tucson Bob, the second East rider I met today.   We compared notes and exchanged pleasantries and then broke off.   Within 30 seconds of getting started my steering felt off and checking the tire found out why – tire flat.   After dodging glass, screws, bolts, tools, metal bits, sticks and other junk all day in driving wind I got stopped by a wire no bigger than a pencil lead.   I found this out after I rolled my bike up to a fence so it had something to lean against and inspected the tire.   I had a hard time believing that this was the problem but when I used the new tube after pulling the wire out of the tire.   The 30 miles we’ve done since proves we are good to go.
2. Personal Hygiene:  I remember a couple of people wondering if I would be a “dirty old man” once I left home.   After almost two weeks on the road I am happy to report that I brush and floss my teeth twice a day, wash my clothes regularly and have never worn the same clothes two days in a row, showered every day but once, and haven’t had anyone hold their nose when I walk up to them – yet.
3. Today, due the wind, I stopped riding at 70.3 miles.   The next city is 10 miles and I don’t feel like staying on the bike that long.   I did finally break the 1000 mile mark officially .   completing 1022 miles as of this moment.    That is an 85 mile a day average which is good considering I didn’t ride at all day 4.
4. One of the things that we all miss staying on the interstate is the birds singing.   Every day regardless of the wind, rain, time of day, or other factors there are always birds chirping.   Guess it is easy for me to hear them since I don’t have any windows to row up.
5. In some of my earlier posts I was stating that I hadn’t cramped up at all.   I think I was bragging a little bit and even being a little bit surprised since I was exercising much longer than usual.   Here is the sad truth.   A couple of mornings ago I was getting dressed and crossed a leg to put a sock on.   That leg did start to cramp up.   I took emergency action (straightened the leg quickly) and didn’t have the problem again.   I do find it extremely interesting that I can pedal all day but can’t get a sock on.
6. Next objective is Oklahoma via Tulsa.   I am 178 miles outside of Oklahoma now so should be through it on Sunday.

That’s it for now.    Going to look for a place to sleep and since it is early maybe even find some interesting items in Chelsea for pictures.

Great Weekend to you!