Knowing that we were going to leave a little later this morning I made a personal decision to sleep in a little and set my alarm for 6am. Today’s blessing came in the form of a reprieve from the usual nightly train whistles every two hours most probably due to the fact that it was Sunday. With the absence of a local eatery, most folks broke out the campstoves and made coffee and oatmeal, while someone making a peanut butter and honey sandwich made my mouth water! A real treat was that close to fifteen bicyclists came out to the campsite to accompany us for the ride in to Blacksburg where we”ll enjoy our first day off! Blacksburg is significant because it’s the town where Don Fraser, the founder of our organization lives and works so you can imagine the reception that will ensue! Our morning ride began with some nice small steep climbs as the billowy white clouds provided just the right cover from the sun so cooler weather prevailed. Midway on our 45 mile ride we stopped at a service station to meet up with even more enthusiastic folks from Blacksburg, some who rode along and some who just came out to celebrate our arrival. As I stood around eating bananas and replenishing my energy and water, my rear tire went flat just standing still amidst the crowd. This tire of mine has been a long running joke as this is now the sixth flat I’ve had. The wheel seems to be the culprit and I’ve called ahead to the Bike Barn in Blacksburg to order a replacement in hopes that the many flat tires and broken spokes will be a thing of the past and I can spend my post-ride time NOT doing bike repair. The group was ready to leave for the last leg into town and I waved them on telling them not to wait for me to fix my cursed tire. Most of the last half of the ride included beautiful lush green rolling hills of farmland with homes situated in picturesque fashion atop the hills with cattle and horses enjoying themselves as if in the wild. A quick dart to the left to avoid a large black snake crossing the road and a brief introduction to a doe as I was slowly climbing a hill and came upon her having a snack. She looked up as I said “hello”and then showed me her hind quarters as she fled into the tall grass on the opposite side of the road. The sun shone brightly and made an appearance during the final steep ascent into Blacksburg where we all met for a group ride through town. We were met with cheering crowds, balloons, and a feast of great food and friendly faces at the Farmers Market Pavillion. I met so many supporters and advocates of the MS fundraising efforts in addition to a really huge helping of that fantastic Virginia hospitality. As the skies opened up with the occasional downpour, as it happens in these parts, we all retreated to The Cafe at Champs were we quenched our thirst and celebrated a successful week of spreading awareness about MS. Don Fraser, Matt Brinkman, & Mason Cavell opened their homes as respite for the masses as we all looked forward to a hot shower, a good meal, and being able to sleep in tomorrow morning. Signing up for this event many months ago, I never imagined in my wildest dreams what a responsibility I would be undertaking, nor the amazing receptions that I would be a part of as an ambassador for this grassroots movement begun by one man (Don Fraser) with an idea to impact the level of care for his mother who had been stricken with a debilitating disease. Love is ever present here.
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