We are in a new time zone now - mountain time, 2hrs difference from Toronto. The day started so beautiful, and was great till noon, when some real heat set in. We were blessed with some shady spots where some lazed around after church, enjoying the free rest day, or cleaning their bikes or e-mailingAfter cleaning my delightful friend Gayle's bike, I rode the 2 km to the laundromat on my bike with the laptop around my shoulder, because they have free, strong and fast wireless internet. The satellite system we have is very temperamental and signalis mostly low and fluctuating. The service in a nearby park with a sound stage was beautiful, and Pastor Tom Katz's sermon motivating and reassuring, about the peace of Jesus that surpasses our understanding. Very well presented! Nice picnic lunch of hamburgers and salad followed. I said goodbye to Agatha van der Starre, who is 77 ( REALLY!!) and rode the first 2 weeks - all the way! - except 2 days she missed because she fell off her bike on the first day in Seattle when she struck a post in the middle of the bike path. Amazingly she only sustained slight concussion, but rode again on day 4! She is so amazingly full of life and in such great health for her age. She is now on her way to Holland for a 5 week vacation. Agatha is a well known speed skater from Vancouver and is included in the Burnaby Hall of fame for her numerous national and international records, achievements, trophies and medals. She is still competing, coaching and have travelled extensively.....what an amazing lady, always smiling. Her parting words to me were : "Do your very best always....and talk to the Lord!" What a spirit!
Yesterday afternoon 15 of us went to a mission with a difference. The Boise bicycle project, where bikes in all conditions are received, fixed and donated to needy people in the community. In a year they donated 270 bikes, all fixed by only a handful volunteers who work there on Saturdays! We helped them by stripping bikes that are irreparable for usable parts. They use a comdemned building that they have been given permission to use for some time, and have about a 1000 bikes waiting for repairs. We had great fun and I found out I can be a bike mechanic in reverse, since stripping bikes is easy! We did in 2 hours what would have taken the staff there a couple of months to do.
Last night I accompanied LaVonne Koedam, our head chef lady, to go buy some groceries, as she was so tired of the heat and the kitchen ladies are working their hearts out to feed us cyclists so well! I thought some moral support could help so I pushed trolleys for her. The quantities of food we cyclists consume are something else!! Wow! meals are exceptionally well planned and presented with professionalism and style. We are amazed and enjoy it all, and are so thankful for their efforts!
Nights up here are starting to become very nippy, and my thin African sleeping bag is not up to it. Gayle lent me an extra blanket. No day is without surprizes. At about 1 am the schools sprayers came on in between the tents. These are not feeble little sprinklers, but sounded like they could do a fire truck proud! I was out of range fortunately but others had to scurry in the dark to get garbage cans to put over these menacing geysers of the dark! the custodian had reassured Ed Witvoet our excellent tour manager that he has turned the system, with its 180 zones, off ...but I think s few slipped by. Quite a few unfortunate campers found themselves and all their stuff drenched.... What did I learn from this? Never trust any sprayer head near one's tent! Like an African Puffadder snake it can pretend to be dead, but can raise it's potent head in the darkest of hours to wake the unwary in a very wet way......
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