RAGBRAI Day Two - Bet

Hooo boy everybodies!

Today was a looooong day for the Winter Chicks!  Today's leg of the RAGBRAI was from Harlan to Perry and it was a whopping 83 miles!!!!

That's a LOOOOONG way to pedal, I'll tell you!

The morning started early for the Musher and Helen (who probably doesn't smell too much like cookies after today) Handler.

At 6:30 am, they pushed their bikes toward the start of Monday's leg.

creak, creak, creak, snap, pop, groan

Then it was off toward the exciting town of Perry, where I heard there was some tasty pie waiting.

Check out the photo galleries on the official RAGBRAI wed site thingie.

At Mile 46, the Musher took a moment to lay under a majestic tree in the shade and relax for a bit.  I heard it's a bit sultry there, and when I say sultry, I mean anything over 66 degrees F.

More pedaling ensued, and even more pedaling, and some sweating was involved, and the drinking of lots of water was constant, until they made it to mile 62...

At which point a mandatory rest period was called.

Finally, after 12 hours of pedaling, the Winter Chicks arrived in Perry and collapsed at their roost.

23 hours ago, the Musher exclaimed: "Having way more fun then I could have imagined!!!! Yeah RAGBRAI!!"

We shall see where her fun meter is tomorrow morning when once again, they mount up and start pedaling, this time a mere 50 miles to Des Moines!

- Bet 

Excuse me? - Bet

Peoples, peoples, peoples....

I've been around for a while, and I thought I have seen everything, but clearly I have not.

When I came to my home here at North Wapiti, I was told to expect the unexpected, and I'm fine with that, as long as nobodies touches my fashionable ensembles (that means you little miss Rocket).

I'm ok with cats that think they are Pumas, and Cricket who thinks she's a tank, and herding Pretty Curly Tails, and handlers coming and going and coming and going, and coming and going, and Musher Mark's snoring, and all of that... but this....

The Musher pronounced that she's going to ride the raggedy bra!

"Excuse me?"

"It's a bike ride across the state of Iowa and it's called the raggedy bra.  I'll have sag wagon following me", she says.

I stare at her... "seriously?"

"Yes", she says.  She even looks a bit miffed that my mouth is open and my eyes are a bit glazed. "Thousands of people do it every year, it's a big event with lots of events and parties and everyone has a great time!"

"Um, well, I guess they would have a great time with thousands of raggedy bra peoples riding across a whole state with saggy wagons following them."

"Ok", I ask her cautiously.  "Do you have one picked out?"

"One what?"  She asks impatiently.

"A raggedy bra, of course" (duh)  I fetch the one I think is most appropriate, because, seriously, if ever there was a raggedy bra, the one in her back drawer fits that bill.

"NO!!!! Not raggedy bra, it's RAGBRAI!  That stands for The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa!  The support people drive cars and their nickname is Sag Wagons!"

"Oh!  Well, that's a relief!  I guess that's not so crazy after all... never mind"

- Bet