Mayberry

Ah, the blog. Nice to get out. This wasn't a big day on the bike, but gave us alot of why we went on the trip. Started out at 6am with breakfast at the Tastee Freeze in Prineville, trying to beat the heat out of town. Ate with the town geezers, about 6 of them around the counter. I have always loved guys like them, ever since I worked with a couple when I was 18. They go down every morning, the waitress tries to ignore them. Laura was the sole female customer. Left town at 7:30 to ride 50 miles over one 2000 foot pass. And so we arrive in Mitchell. Reminds one of Dodge City from Gunsmoke. We checked out and checked into the only hotel in town, built in 1936, seems like the long branch saloon without the bar. The room is only $29, just a squeaky bed with the shower down the hall. Hot water. We ventured out to see the main street , and ran into an elderly, very eccentric (loco)lady sitting on her porch with a border collie and guinea chicken running around the front yard. She regaled us with stories of her ex-boss being murdered across the street by his son, and so many animal stories: we had to beg a hasty goodbye. Down to the guy who builds juniper furniture, then back uptown to the bar. Met two ladies, Kat and Theresa, from Seattle. They were as fascinated with this place as we were. The longer we stayed the more it's not like Dodge City, but Mayberry. They all know everything about everyone else. We even saw Barney Fife in the diner for dinner, which consisted of the meat loaf special. Cooked by a lady we talked to earlier. We're celebrities by now. And wonder of wonders, there is a live bear in a pen smack in the middle of town. He was very hot, with all that fur on a 98 degree day. Rolled into the water bin after awhile. Kids playing in the hose, everyone sitting on the porch in the shade, just like on TV.
Tomorrow will be a tough day, about 70 miles to John Day, with one big pass right out of town. Plan to leave at 6:30 to beat the heat. The propriater of our little inn has told us she'll have muffins and coffee ready, so that will be breakfast. Bike is still shifting a little erratically, but the steering is a little better, and we can make it up any hill, even though it is an exercise in patience. We get down to 3mph at times, but coming down we hit 40 today, before Laura begged for brakes. I acted like I put them on. Pic problems again, but we're getting a system, trouble is it's late and bed time. So we try again tomorrow.