Yes, blackflies are really nasty, but they're more of a problem in the northern part of the state. I guess that gives you another hint as to where I'll be touring.

Are you going to miss black fly season? We had many people warn us about them. Happily, we had no trouble.

I'll probably get a journal started this weekend, but here's a quick hint just for you:

You're right, it will be close to home. Wisconsin--but not the part you were in last year.

Thank you, Lorenzo. In turn, I've been enjoying your European adventure and it really has been adventurous. Good work.

Give us a hint of what might be upcoming! Close to home, I presume. We are also touring close to home this year, by choice. It will be our first time touring out the front door in 5-6 years. It was serendipitous timing, with the price of gas currently.

I enjoyed reading it anyway! Looking forward to your future blogs.

That is REALLY reckless... Mr. Bing Bong could slip!

Thanks Rocky. The wedding is Sept. 4 and I will do everything within my power to make sure a tour happens within three days afterward. As I said, the main deterrent would be wildfires and/0r excessive smoke. If that were to occur, I might even consider packing up my stuff and flying out of Spokane for 10 days of touring somewhere else.

Sorry that everything has conspired to delay your tour! I hope you can get a tour in when you get to Spokane.

Thanks Kelly. It was all about the buddies at Mike's. I've only been to Dunkin' Donuts twice. One of the times I had a donut and the best I can say is "it was OK." Both times, however, I was surprised at how good their coffee was.

Please accept my condolences on your father in laws passing. He sounded like a character!

Bicycle buddy, Tom, age 84, rides his bicycle ten miles round trip to Dunkin Donuts every day to have coffee and a donut with his buddies. I asked if it were the cycling, the donut, or having good friends that has taken him to age 84. Tom has a sense of humor, of course he replied the donut was the secret!

Kelly

Hi again, Kelly. I try to respond to everybody who takes the time to write me a note and I wanted to let you know I did reply to your comment as well. I just realized you might not have seen it because I forgot to click the "reply to this comment" button. So I guess you'll have to go back to my journal to read it. Sorry about that.

Thank you, Bob. Ever the optimist, I feel pretty good about my chances for getting the "Ersatz Cowboy" tour started next spring. I feel even better about about my chances of fitting a 7-14 day tour into our visit to Spokane. I don't know where I would ride yet, but I've got a couple of weeks to think about it.

That is a nasty looking crash. Your father is a lucky man to walk away from that.
Really sorry to hear about your multiply-delayed tour. Hopefully you can still make it happen in 2022. It sounds awesome. And I'll keep my fingers crossed for a shorter tour in Washington next month.

Suzanne,

As you noted, I have an excellent sense of fashion. Gray and white, offset by a couple shades of green, goes perfectly with a smoke-filled sky.