Loaded Up - Ready To Go

Saturday I leave for Williamsburg, VA the ride begins Wednesday. I have packed and repacked, trained and trained some more and fretted over details way more than I should have. Finally the day is getting close. A little bit about training: I began on January 16, but January through March were dismal weather months. Finally April turned around and was very good for me.
Total number of training rides - 32.
Longest training ride - 60 fully loaded
Temperatures ranged from 28 degrees to 74 degrees.
Average training speed - 11.5 miles per hour.
Total training miles - 1250 miles - 700 of which were in April.

Everything that I will be living with for the next three months all on the family room floor. The panniers are empty and things that will be in them are aligned behind them. In the center is the handlebar bag that will have my camera and lenses then the items that ride on the back fender. You can view my complete packing list here.

Final version of the loadede touring bike. I'm ready to roll!

The next update will be from Virginia and the trip will have begun. I will be doing updates about twice per week depending on availability of internet connections.

Everyone has been very encouraging and supportive. The pressure is on, I feel I cannot fail.

Thanks,

Better Bill

Retirement Day!

It has finally arrived. The long awaited retirement day. Now maybe I'll have time for some serious training rides. The folks at work were very generous with their send off, or maybe glad to see me go? Cake at the office, dinner at Boudreaux’s  in St. Joseph, MO and post dinner gathering at the bosses house afterwards. It was much more than I expected. Big thanks to everyone. 

On my Saturday training ride I happened across some horses feeding on a bale of hay in the middle of a field. I stopped and took a couple of snaps, but they were a little too far away for a good picture. I packed up my camera and was about to leave when they stopped feeding and hurried over to the fence as if to say "hey you haven't gotten our good side". They lined up at the fence and posed while I took another picture. As I was riding away they galloped along the fence with me. It was pretty cool.

Tailwinds to ya,
BetterBill