Someday, I will ride RAGBRAI. This was not the year. I will have to be content with the drive out to Carroll, to drop Joe and his bike off at the edge of a lake reflecting the last glowing sunshine of a summer day. It’s a bit surreal to drive into a small town that’s been taken over by bicycles. I’d love to stop again sometime in Carroll, because Swan Lake State Park looked like a lovely spot to spend an evening. I made my way home amidst fireflies, cornfields and with country music on the radio. The air was so thick with humidity and pollen when you put the windows down that breathing felt a little bit like inhaling some sort of vapor. I was jealous of the outdoors and two-wheel camaraderie, but with the forecast looking hotter than I could handle, I was OK to sit this year out.
