May 14: Gainesville, FL - 55 miles - When it rains, it pours!

No photos today! Why? Well we broke camp at Ichetucknee Family Campground with a weather forecast of 40% chance of thunderstorms. The weather was warm and muggy when the last of the riders departed. The skies began to darken around 10:45 and the clouds opened up with more than a scattered thunderstorm. It was a Florida deluge! The lightening was fierce and the thunder deafening. It seemed as if the weather was waiting for us knowing that we had not had a rainstorm to ride in since San Diego. Yes, we had a few night rains, but for a cyclist those really don't count. At one point the wind that preceded the store push Thelma and I from the white light to the center yellow line with little I could do to stop it. Although some riders made it in before the rain and some sat out by a barn for several hours until it mostly stopped, I ended up riding about 22 miles of the 55 mile total day in drenching rain. I stopped a few times to let the most severe weather pass by or to don my windshell (the rain was very warm and waterproofing was not necessary. When I arrived at the motel I was soaked through and immediately jumped into a hot shower for 30 minutes.

No photos because I use my cell phone as my camera... no way that it was coming out of its waterproof bag unless it was an emergency.

We ended the day at the Chinese buffet across the street from the Days Inn. An incredible selection of sushi, mongolian cuisine, and every dish you can imagine, including oysters and magnificent desserts. Well fed, dry, and well rested a group sat around the pool talking about the trip and some of our next tours.... also flipping the screen on Joe's laptop so he couldn't do his blog! "That's messed up!"