Todays ride from newton to eureka was a toughy. This headwind is just not going to go away and the heat is still a real deRide of every ride. The winds usually come from the opposite direction but not this year and I am fighting for every mile. I didn't take any pictures because all there is here is grass and dry river beds. One guy in a truck stopped to ask if I was ok...the first all trip. Then later on highway 54 another truck driver pulled up on the shoulder and handed me am ice cold bottle of water! Gotta love the people of Kansas!

All day I've been trying not to get sucked onto.bigger truck slipatreams...the big trucks coming towards me cause a wall of air that stings as it hits me...then covers me in the stench of cowshit from thier cargo.

Roll on Missouri..they have trees..that means shade and possibly water. Kansas really is a dry county this year.

I'm riding slower than normal because of the headwinds...just over a hundred I'm the last two days..

No pole dancing jokes please!

Sleeping on the firesyation

Off to see the wizard!

Kansas farmland

Well I've cycled more than halfway across America and this is the first trsnsam cycle route sign I have seen lol!

The Kansas state flag blowing in the serious Kansas winds today

Well today the wind was just silly..had to be. Gusting at 50 mph easy I'd guess...I rode to newton against it and decided it would be dangerous to ride on further. The next map section says no services food or water for 58 miles and against headwinds like this its just silly. So...being a msn of many means and in need of a free place to sleep in newton I just checked into the lo al fire and ambulance staion for the night!

Newton is a bigger town around here and busy..so hopefully the wind will relent and I can move on tomorrow.

I saw a dead armadillo on the road...I didn't know they had those here...also several prairie dogs.

Subway lunch in newton kansad

So todays result of going with the flow is that I find myself sitting in on a training meeting here at the newton fire station. The room has four fire fighters sitting around trying to figure out how best to map out the local school walls and corridors or something...much frustration about computer knowledge in the group. How cool is this...I wonder hoe many regular tourists get to see real America like this. These guys are on a working fire shift...ready to drop everything if the bell goes...and they let me in on a meeting...let me shower and hang out in the mess room...let me store my bike and all for nothing!

Just listening to the conversation going on now I'm getting an insight into the work that goes on in the background and life in an American frontline fire station. Very cool .

I'm being extra carefull which tap I turn on around here and not to push any red buttons!

For those female readers out there let me just say that yes these guys will let you play with their pole if you ask them nicely lol!

I'm going to ask them how best to turn off city park sprinkler systems quickly in an emergency tent situation lol!

Newton fire station Kansas

Sleeping in the firestation in newton kansas