My swimming pool ...took a dip last night.

City parks are by nature noisey places. Tonights free entertainment is brought to me by the combined chorus of skool kids parked I'm the pool all day by parents ...by said parents screaming from airconditioned trucks in the carpark at their offspring to git your ass here right now...by the musical efforts of the local theatre group in the hall complete with backing tracks..fake cheering and of course the obligatory out of tune skool band. Alongside all this I am honoured to have front row tickets for the evening big bug ensemble from a neigjborouring tree. Earplugs...Rolf mate..earplugs.

Well I'm a few days ride from the Missouri Kansas state line and I'm reflecting on Kansas as a state to cycle through. This year has been one if not the hottest ever on record here and everybody is telling me I picked the wrong year to ride through Kansas because of the drought ANC heat wave. I have no choice of course o have to ride on. Kansas has the most friendly people so far on the tour...but the riding is a serious challenge. Although the state is flat it is also wide open with absolutlt no shade between towns and strong petsistant winds. The heat is excessive and extremely uncomfortable to cycle in over any distance. The scenery is mostly open farmland with grass...dry dead corn...and dried up river beds. It's better than Wyoming but the heat and wind mean I give it my vote for the toughest state to ride so far. Riding at night is an option but it messes with sleep patterns because its almost impossible to sleep in the day in this heat with nowhere to.sleep...it is also impossible to.see potholes in the roads at night.
..oh and it does rain in the dark.here as I.found out this morning.
The people here are just so welcoming and friendly and very open and aware of the needs of cyclists. I think on a normal year without this heatwave it would be an easier ride. I think I had to make just two turns so far on my route through Kansas..the rest is a simple straight road direct across the state. The city parks are the best of any state yet in terms of facilities..many have free swimming pools.
Nice people...tough rides in this heatwave.