New Meadows, ID -- Rest Day

Rest day
NO MILES!

After an early breakfast at a local café, I went with my computer to the lobby of the main house where we are staying and was able to get the blog and pictures up. My room did not have a connection that allowed a good signal. Later, I cleaned and lubricated the bike, as well as put super glue in the little slits in my tires. The narrow shoulders we have been riding on have lots of debris and my tires have taken a beating!

We are on the Transamerica Route and will be from here on and I am delighted to see so many touring cyclists on it. Most of the riders I have talked to started in Yorktown, VA, the Eastern end of the route and will end where we will be the next to last day, in Astoria, OR. I also met a rider at the café who is doing over 100 miles per day on the route, riding East to raise funds for Parkinson’s disease, as his father suffers from this. His mother and girlfriend were carrying his gear and he was riding a very light bicycle.

We gathered at about 1:15 to start shuttling all of us up to Nancy J’s house. With the van, SAG Subaru, and two trucks, most of us made it to the lake, about 12 miles away. Several other women had plans with friends and arrived later in the day. The location of the house was on Payette Lake in McCall, Idaho. (elevation 5021')

View from the deck out to Payette Lake and the mountains beyond

The house was absolutely gorgeous and the lake was cold and clear, but refreshing, and many of us (me included) went for a wonderful swim. There was also a jet ski (yes, I did ride it, but only as a passenger) which Linda, our tour cook drove with great skill, and speed, I might add. She took many of us out for a spin, uh, a ride!

Linda and Anne on the Jetski

The lake was fed by mountain streams and Ed, Nancy’s husband, said that this is the ONLY time of year that the water is warm enough to swim. Ed also took many of the women for rides in their motor boat, showing them the shoreline, particular homes of note, and generally giving a commentary of the area. Everyone loved the day.

Barb, Pat, Judy, and Karen enjoying the food

Group bonding time!

Ed and Nancy

The comfortable deck chairs, wonderful food, and gracious hosts and hostesses (Kaye, another cyclist in our group and her husband, Bud, helped with the food and the cooking) made us all feel welcome. We watched an osprey dive for fish right from our chairs on their deck.

Kaye, Bud the Cook, and Ed surpervising!

Kathy, Virginia, and Judy

It was really nice to see everyone relaxing together and enjoying the day off. The food was delicious with afternoon snacks including guacamole, cheeses, cantaloupe and watermelon, as well as chips and salsa. The guys cooked hamburgers on the grill assuring that the neighbors were jealous of our meal! With all the fixings, including tomatoes, potato salad, sweet onions, etc., we did not go hungry. We even had banana splits with all the toppings for dessert! I held back a little by then!

One of the women in our group left yesterday to visit with friends for the rest day. They also lived near the lake and did not know exactly where Nancy and Ed lived so they got in their motor boat with Pam and her luggage and motored down the shore line looking for our party! We all got a great laugh at Pam arriving with her suitcase from the boat just in time for the afternoon picnic!

Pam arriving by boat to join in the fun

Kaye, Linda, our usual cook, and Nancy N.

Just when we thought the day could get no better, most of us went to see a local garden which is kept up by the citizens of McCall and it was absolutely spectacular. My pictures do not even come close to showing how beautiful it was. There were flowers of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Things that bloom at my house in early May were blooming here. The columbine was in full bloom, as well as astilbe, delphinium, crocosmia, daisies, roses, larkspur, violas, and dozens of others, too numerous to list. It was just fantastic. There were ponds, water gardens, and stone steps down hills and through the woods. I am guessing it was about 2 acres. They had to drag me away! What a wonderful end to a truly wonderful day.

Flowers

Bee on a Bachelor Button

Daisy Variety

Thanks to Nancy and Ed for sharing their lovely home and dock and to Kaye and Bud for the cooking and thanks to them all for the food. Nancy also arranged for a newspaper reporter to come to interview me and Nancy N. since we are the only ones raising funds on our trip. Peter did a great job and asked good questions to learn all about hospice and the work they do. He was well prepared and I look forward to reading the article in the McCall paper when it comes out next Thursday. Nancy will get Ed to buy some extra copies to send to us. Coincidentally, Peter is moving to Italy in a month and he will be very close to where Ben and I spent our two and a half years in the army. He is going to work for his brother who lives there and has a travel agency. He likes to cycle, so he will love it there.

Thanks so much to everyone who has been leaving comments. I enjoy reading them so much and try to answer them when I can! I am going to bed now, as we ride again in the morning and it is supposed to be very cool, perhaps 48 degrees and maybe with rain. That is a change from the high heat we have had recently. We shall see. I ride no matter what!