Did I say I wanted an adventure? Well, leave it to WT to keep those adventures coming! We started our day this morning under a DARK sky and a TORNADO watch. Are we a bunch of wimps??? NO!! We got on our bikes! Today's ride was to be on a Rail Trail, and FLAT! NO cars, no dogs, piece of cake, right? Well, we went exactly 2.9 miles before the HAIL started, not to mention the downpour. The storm sirens were going off, so we took shelter in a convience store until the worst was over. Then, off we go again. I think the Little Miami River Trail that we rode would be great on any other day, but today it was an obstacle course of limbs, gravel, leaves, and other debris. There were at least 10 big trees down and blocking the trail. At mile 20.9 on the cue sheet, our tour guide pulled us off the trail because of lightening. A big group of us went to Al's Diner in the little Ohio town of South Lebanon, to wait for the storm to blow over. Although it was just past 10 am, we can always eat, so most of us ordered sandwiches, or chile, or both, and had a lot of hot drinks while we waited. Finally the rain stopped, and the sky looked brighter, so off we go, only to get rained on again a few miles down the trail. It was like biking through a big, wet, green tunnel, and every inch of the trail was littered with fallen trees and limbs. The Little Miami River Trail follows the Little Miami River, and small animals were out in force, playing along the trail. I saw a weasel, some little furry things that I think were groundhogs, rabbits, and squirrels, of course. Birds were everywhere, churping and singing. It was fun to me, riding today. Certainly on a day like this at home, I would not be on a bicycle, but I think everyone who rode today had a good time--an adventure! This part of Ohio had some serious flooding today. We saw many corn fields flooded, and the Little Miami looked like the Mulberry or Big Piney after a big rain. It was swift, out of it's banks, and filled with logs and other things floating along. More rain is expected tonight, but tomorrow should be clear and sunny with temps reaching 90. We'll ride 69 miles to Dublin, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Part of tomorrow's ride will be on the Ohio to Erie Trail, another Rail Trail.
Today - 56.6 miles - nine days, and counting
