Riding again

Yesterday was my first day back on the bike after two weeks split
between Decorah, IA, Champaign, IL, and Chicago spending good time
with family and helping Robin get settled into her new library science
grad school home. I rode yesterday 56 miles to Prairie du Chien, WI,
crossing the Mississippi for the last time on my great zig-zagging arc
across America.

My folks came to meet me for breakfast here in Prairie, and that was a
nice final send-off. It'll take me a few days to really get back up to
speed again, but I think I'll be flying fast once I step off the ferry
on the other side of Lake Michigan.

The ride yesterday was beautiful, passing through Luana, Monona, and
Marquette among other places (a veritable afternoon mail route, which
you'll understand if you're family to me or close enough) before
crossing the great river. I even saw a yellow cropdusting airplane on
the old Forest Mills road, which was a first for me.