- Sunday, June 14th, 2009 -

Today's Trip:  108km
Total Trip:  1340km

Since I worked so hard yesterday and had 48 less kilometres to cover today I slept in until 8am.  I left sunny Brooks at exactly 9am.  I went the wrong way for a bit so I had to turn back but soon I found my way.  The temperature was 30 degrees and the wind was hot and blowing right into my face.  It felt like a sauna.  I was grateful my co-pilots convinced me to do the extra kilometres yesterday because it tires me faster to bike in the heat.

 

The Alberta prairies are like a desert wasteland, full of oil wells and cattle farms; the odour of money.  During my ride I saw two trains, a deer, a pride of lions and a few giraffes munching on the tall acacia leaves.  It was a really uneventful ride.  I had a lot of time to think about slurpees and wonderful Winnipeg 7-11's.  Sometimes in the distance I saw the familiar neon glow of a 7-11 sign.  Seeing this I peddled harder but it turned out just to be a mirage. 

Awhile later a truck pulled up ahead of me and as I reached them I noticed it was an elderly couple.  They stopped to make a donation for me because they saw me on TV!

We found our hotel easily.  I had a nap and went for dinner.  Oddly I was not that hungry.  After supper Jenn suggested we go to Canada's Tallest Teepee for a walk.  It turned out to be a pseudo dog park!  Some people took pictures of our car.  

We also saw Cactus!  It was really exciting and Dan took several pictures of them.  Dan decided to dissect one to see how juicy it was inside and he unknowingly got Cactus needles stuck in his finger, he couldn't even feel them!  After he ripped the Cactus apart he held it out to me and I touched it.  It is actually really moist inside!  It also smelt like plant.  Walking back from the trail I fed the gophers granola bars.  I was surrounded by hundreds of them!  I felt like the pied piper and they were chirping away wishing me a good trip.

That is all for me today, Good Night.

-D'Arcy

PS.  To my great pleasure, my team has informed me that I have breached the half-way point!  I'm on the home stretch!