Deb writes:
I just sat down and calculated how many miles we have traveled in the last 18 days.
We rode our bikes 481 miles and we drove 3,388.
If you multiply that times three for Cathy, Lee & me, it adds up to a bunch of miles.
I'm not sure I can even count that high.
My daughter called this evening to make sure we had arrived home safely.
I was telling her how many miles we had gone in the last couple of weeks;
she asked me if it had all been worth it.
I started laughing because when she called,
I was looking up organized bike rides on the computer.
When questioned about what was so funny about her question,
I answered that it must have been worth it because I was already mapping out our next tour.
I bet she is looking at some nut house for her dad & me.
So have you heard that my husband, my friend Cathy & I just got back from a little bike trip?
I can't think of two more fabulous people to have spent a week with.
Lee was our biggest supporter. He carried our bags, set up our tents when needed,
hung our laundry, secured our bikes during storms, loaded the truck countless times,
hauled ice, encouraged us when we thought we couldn't ride another mile,
pulled us up the hills (if you're a cyclist you know what I mean),
and blocked the wind for us the rest of the time.
He served us, and in so doing provided a service for the breed we all love & support.
I owe him so much.
Cathy Biersack of ATRVA jumped on the bandwagon last fall
when I approached her with my idea.
At that point, Cath hadn't even purchased her first road bike
and had never ridden more than four to five miles at a time.
She was a commuter cyclist who rode a commuter bike back & forth to work.
She bought her road bike and we went on a ride.
Her first time out, she rode 36 miles.
Then she came to North Carolina and did the MS ride with us.
She rode 50 miles that day.
She has grown stronger by leaps & bounds and
completed her longest rides ever on this trek across Kansas.
Even on the days that she thought she couldn't do it, she DID it.
What an accomplishment for her.
She created a list of four-letter words and every day she added to it.
HILL was one of her favorites, followed by WIND & RAIN not far behind.
If you don't know Cathy, she has a Can Do attitude.
In case you haven't heard, we raised over $6,500 for National Airedale Rescue.
Each one of you who contributed your pennies, dollars and,
yes, your morale miles should pat yourself on the back.
This was a team effort. I always say that it takes a village to rescue an Airedale.
We proved that our village is tremendous.
I am so very proud and at the same time humbled to be associated with such fine people.
Thank you for joining us on our trip.
It meant the world to us to know that you were the
AIRE at our backs pushing us along.
Until our next ROLLING 4 RESCUE . . .
and yes, we are still accepting donations.
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