Coppertop

Six am came early this morning. I couldn't help think of all the Tuesday mornings I was at work at this time, sleepwalking into a briefing with a giant thermos sized mug of coffee. The honorable Bill Copp was usually there, and being here in his home territory makes me think of him. This morning there wasn't time to dwell, Laura and I wanted to leave early to beat the heat so we began our "pre launch sequence". Our routine begins with stumbling around the room to find the clothes we have rinsed and dried out from the day before. After putting these back on, we stuff the one clean alternative outfit into the mesh bag that substitutes for a suitcase. We gather the electronic chargers and electronics, put them in a bag, and make sure we have the I-phone and camera put together and in our ditty we carry in front of Laura. Laura is the packer, so she gets the dop kit ready with the mini brush and our traveling pharmacy together, and puts all our earthly possessions into the yellow carrier. With books, laptop, clothes, flip flops, and rain suits, it must weigh at least 30 lbs. I check the bike just to make sure the wheels turn, we attach the yellow lead to the back, and roll it out of the room. It all takes about 5 minutes. We get on, thrilled to feel the seat again(right). She pedals first to get started, then I raise up into the birthing position. We are off, looking for coffee. We had to ride 50 miles today, from Canton to Petersburg. It was 75 when we started, 85 when we left the diner after breakfast. Within an hour it was 95, and steam was rising from the beanfields. We rode along the Spoon river valley, then the Sangamon river valley after crossing the Illinois river on a steep bridge. Sangamon is a Pottowatomie word for plenty to eat. If you like corn, there is plenty. As we rode through the land of Lincoln today, Bill was on my mind. Comparisons to Abe came to mind. Lincoln was 6 feet 4 inches tall, Bill is about 5-6. Abe is thin, Bill is built like a fire hydrant with legs like the columns on the parthenon. One of them is on the $5 bill, the other still has the first $5 he ever earned. Abe has a beard, Bill can't grow one. Lincoln had a crazy wife, Bill's wife was crazy to marry him. Honest Abe has no middle name, Bill's is "the screamer". Lincoln laid stakes as a surveyor when he was young, Copp laid toilets. Finally, one wears a stovepipe hat, the other is a copper top. I'm thinking of you Bill. Here in Petersburg we are in a bed and breakfast up on a bluff above town. It looks like a haunted house. Built in 1875, the inside is still authentic, making you feel like you're in the Adams family. Tomorrow we are only riding 20 miles, stopping in at New Salem state park, the boyhood home of Bill, I mean Abe. We will end up in Springfield, home of the Lincoln museum and library. A local resident in a town called Kilbourne gave us a tip today that took us back on country roads instead of the highway. We're a little gun shy, but it worked out. At times we felt like we were in a tunnel of corn. Oh yeah, Abe was shot, Bill, take care of yourself so you don't die of a heart attack. Hope you didn't mind all the kidding Bill, like they say, "I love you man!"