To Port Wing

June 26, 2017

This morning had a troubling beginning. I haven't mentioned it before, but about two days ago - I don't recall for sure now - my left knee started stiffening up and has gradually become a bit swollen and inflamed. It's a sensation I recognize, from the time seven years ago when I was recovering from surgery for a ruptured quadriceps tendon. For about the next two years, my knee would tend to swell up from overexertion, until recovery and rehab was finally complete. This morning it's the same basic symptom and the same knee. It actually bothered me quite a bit yesterday on our short walks, and it was just as well we took the day off the bike.

I can't recall the last time this happened, but it's odd timing. I haven't had a recent injury, and the cycling has been fairly easy by our standards. Why now?

I also can't recall why I discovered this morning that swollen knees are a characteristic symptom of Lyme disease. We've been biking through Lymeland though, and this year is supposed to be especially bad. And, something else I didn't mention earlier - we had a tick encounter a week ago, on our first day out, cycling the Cannon Valley Trail. We found one on Rachael at the time and I removed it by hand because I'm a dope and didn't know better. That evening in our motel room I found another one crawling on my stomach. I thought it might be a bedbug at the time, and discussed it with the receptionist on duty. We concluded it was a tick instead, and that we probably brought it in with us. Perhaps it came in on my bicycle bags, which I had dumped on the bed.

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So, have I contracted Lyme Disease? I sure hope not.

It's a disease I've never paid much attention to, but I'm a lot more knowledgeable now. I read up on other characteristic symptoms (ring patterned rash, flue like symptoms, achy neck, etc). I feel great otherwise, except for my unexplained swollen knee. I also read up on diagnosis (difficult and inexact), and treatment (antibiotics, the sooner the better) and finally called the Kaiser advice nurse back in Oregon. After a lengthy interrogation she cut me off to consult with an expert, and then called back with advice. Since I show no other symptoms so far, we should treat it as a simple knee injury: ibuprofen, lighten up the exercise, elevate the leg, apply cold, and so on. If other symptoms show up, call them back and they'll write me a prescription for antibiotics.

So I'm doing that, as best as we can under the circumstances. We took the direct, shortest route to Port Wing today, and kept a relaxed pace. Fortunately it was an easy ride, so it wasn't at all straining. Also, importantly, this brings us halfway to Duluth, where it will be easy to find a pharmacy if it turns out that's called for. Bayfield doesn't have one, and there's not one on route until we reach Superior tomorrow afternoon.

So, at the end of the day, how am I doing? Better, actually. Still no other symptoms, and my knee seems to be doing better. Actually, it seemed to improve over lunch, when I had it elevated in the ludicrously huge lawn chair in the photos before.

So, hopefully just a normal knee injury. Wish me luck. Or, as they say in show biz, break a leg.

A better look at Le Chateau than we had yesterday. Nothing like sun and blue sky!

Northbound on Highway 13. The first twenty miles of the day looked pretty much like this. Beautiful cycling, but I was surprised and a bit disappointed that we so seldom get a glimpse of nearby Lake Superior.

Still on Highway 13. This photo doesn't look much that different than the last one. I took it mostly to reassure Rachael. She observed that I must be worried about my knee because I'm not stopping for photographs. True, actually.

After 20 rolliing but easy miles we come to Cornucopia. What a great name for a lunch stop!

Following the doctor's orders, I elevate my leg while we eat lunch in Cornucopia. I tried to talk Rachael into towing this chair along with us so I could use it at the next break also, but she wouldn't bite. Reassuringly, my knee seemed noticeably better after this therapy.

Yes, I know you're probably tired of seeing lupine photos in this journal. Tough. We're still excited about them.

I'm not sure what this old structure in Herbster is. I tried to get Rachael to move that pickup out of the picture, but she wasn't buying that either. She's really being uncooperative today.

Looking west from Herbster along the south shore.

Looking across the western arm of Lake Superior from Herbster. It looks like there's still some suspense in the day's weather.

We're staying tonight at the Garden House B&B in Port Wing. It is a beautiful home in the country, and we have the huge downstairs suite to ourselves. The owners are also bicyclists, and have a garage stuffed with them. They have a fine story to tell about fleeing a guard mule in Saskatchewan. Since the mules guard the sheep from bears, a couple of bicyclists must look like pretty easy work.

There's not a lot to choose from in Port Wing, but enough. We had a burger, sandwiches and blackberrry pie at the casual Bear Paw Cafe, and then stopped at the store to pick up a beer to take back to the room.

Shortly before sundown we hopped back on our bikes and biked down to the marina to watch the sun set on the west end of the lake. very beautiful. Also very beautiful biking back after sundown, and enjoying a cottontail scampering alongside the road beside us. And thrilling to pull into the driveway of the B&B and startle an adult white tail deer standing in the lawn and watch him thunder across the grass and into the woods.

A historical display in Port Wing, representing early means for transporting children to school. It's lovely to imagine being picked up for school by a horse drawn wagon or sleigh, isn't it?

This was originally the Port Wing Catholic Church, built in 1857.

We ate here, the most recommended of the dinner options in Port Wing. Cute sign!

Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 419 miles (674 km)

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