Almost like being home

Hills and wind were the order of the day.  The greenery is much like the Ozarks forests but the undergrowth here is palmetto palms.  It was a short day of 49 miles and I skipped a side trip to a state park so I could get in earlier and start with my "day off" chores.  I think I am starting to smell the barn.

Only four more riding days till the trip is over and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that.  Tired of living out of a suitcase for sure, tired of sleeping in a different bed every night, MORE than tired of hotel breakfasts or eating scrambled eggs out of a paper bowl in the parking lot.  Hoping to never stare another waffle in the face.  Though breakfast at last night's hotel had a new feature - a pancake machine.  You push a button and a freshly made pancake comes out the end of the machine - quite cool, but I guess we are rather easily amused.

Part of my reluctance to having the trip end is that I feel I am finally (and about time) hitting my stride with the riding and I am enjoying seeing the miles pile up.  The other part will be parting ways with all the amazing women I have met on this trip.  Like any group that is together for this long, we have had our discontents and our squabbles, but it has really been an amazing experience to see the group dynamics in action.

I am looking forward to being back home and being able to get some major projects on the house done.  The carport, patio and getting the soffits and trim repaired and repainted will be first on the list.  My fiber studio needs some attention.  There is a bathroom to remodel and a porch to replace.  Then maybe some of the minor stuff that has fallen behind.  I think there is more than enough to keep us busy.  I also want to make some changes to my bike and do some local rides for fun.

I have spent 2 1/2 years concentrating on this tour and now it is almost time to turn my attention to other things - I am sure they will be just as much fun and just as rewarding, but in a totally different way.