Day 17 - ending at Syracuse, NE - Getting Aligned

August 22, 2017

Day 17 - ending at Syracuse, NE

Posted via email Wed Aug 23 06:52:02 2017 PDT

We had a pretty good fifteen-minute rain here in Filley, starting at 12:40am this morning. Wind wasn't too bad, and the tent held up well, maybe in part to the two extra guylines I attached just before going to bed last night. The school bus didn't wake me this morning, so I did on my own at 6:25am. It was overcast and damp, but brightened up by 8:21am, when I was ready to leave.

I only rode far enough to get to the bar and grill for breakfast. Quite a difference from yesterday (no one here today). I had French toast this morning. What I wasn't able to have was my bill - my waitress and the cook paid for my meal! Nebraska's current slogan is 'Nebraska Nice'. That sure shows in Filley!

With best wishes for a safe trip, I left Filley (at 9:08am) for the 'heading home' part of my trip. The plan for today was to get to Syracuse, Nebraska. US-136 going east would get me to Tecumseh, then north on NE-50. There was a cooling wind from the north today. Pleasant riding on a nice smooth road, with a wide-enough shoulder.

I passed the Johnson county line at 9:50am, and the road to Crab Orchard at 10:08am. Four miles west of Tecumseh (at 11:45am), I found a wallet at the side of the road. Tried to figure out how to return it. Turn it in at a police station? Mail it at the post office? See if I could find the house from the address on the driver's license? Then I figured out that the wallet belonged to a high school student. "I'll turn it in at the school office!"

I arrived in Tecumseh at 12:22pm, and followed signs straight to the school. I ended up at the elementary school office, but they knew the student, and would pass it on.

Backing up, noon mileage was 18.4 miles.

At 12:47pm, I was at NE-50. Two minutes later I stopped at a Subway. After my filling breakfast, I didn't need a full lunch, just dessert.

Continued on north on NE-50. OK, the afternoon riding was going to be different! Narrow shoulder, deep drop-off to the right, rumble strips to the left, traffic, and the headwind! I was able to do it, but had to concentrate on staying in my narrow space. Passed the road to Cook at 3:18pm, and was in Oteo County at 3:28pm.

Five miles from Syracuse, I lost the rumble strips. This is better!

At 4:55pm a pickup in the southbound lane stopped, parking next to the road. A fellow and a dog were in the cab. The fellow came over and introduced himself. I met Jerry and received an offer to stay at his house! Jerry is a truck driver, and had passed me several times during the afternoon. He wanted to know what I was doing. I accepted Jerry's offer for a place to stay, and received directions to his house in Syracuse.

I made it to Syracuse's city limits at 5:10pm, and Jerry's house at 5:26pm. I was welcomed by Jerry and Sammy, a charming rescue dog. Among Sammy's many talents is riding along sitting (with safety harness) on the gas tank of Jerry's Harley.

After some conservation, we went to Dairy Chef, where Jerry treated me to supper and a very good butterscotch shake. Back home, I took a shower. Jerry offered laundry service next, and I took advantage of that. Jerry put clean sheets on his bed for me, and set up an air mattress in the living-room for him and Sammy. The two of them would have been sleeping this way anyway - on a mission trip he and Sammy were to go on. At the very last moment they were informed that they weren't needed this time.

Jerry gave me time for report-writing, but after taking a hayfever pill, sleep was all I could do.

Jeff

Spent: $0 plus $5 (breakfast) + $5.06 (lunch) = $10.06.

+ plus signs indicate pictures added after returning home from the trip +

Day 17 - Filley, NE to Syracuse, NE

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