The wind came up in the night and shifted, so our cool down began. The Tour routine has sunk in. Breakfast of egg bake and chocolate milk. Joe rode with us today as we headed to Freeman. We sailed into Ethan with a tail wind- riders were grinning from ear to ear. A delightful breakfast spread at the Legion Hall- monster size caramel rolls! The wind did pick up as morning went on, and we rode with quite a side wind. We formed a bit of a wind break for one another as we rode three abreast when possible. Riders will work together much like a flock of geese, taking the lead in a head wind, providing a draft for riders behind, then falling back, leaving the space open for the next front man. Joe quoted a probable ten percent savings on the wind factor-well worth the effort. Today was the hill climbing day as we went in and out of several river valleys. The Blessed Mary had lots of my attention today. These were real thigh burners, but I made each one pedaling rather than walking. There were three more stops on the route, one at Milltown, which I expected to be a small town, was actually just a farmhouse. These kind folks had opened their garage door, grilled brats, and had a tank filled with ice, Gatorade, water bottles and a few watermelons. I feasted on a hard boiled egg and banana. Protein fix! Pulling into Freeman, the wind just did not let up. We were setting up at the Freeman Academy campus. My tent made me quite nervous and the poles bowed with the gusts. I was dreading the worst possible case scenerio of the tent collapsing. Eee-gads! I prayed for the winds to subside, which they did by dusk. I did make an inquiry about staying at the dorms at USD the last night-rain is in the forecast and I think I may have pushed my luck with this twenty year old tent long enough! They had oddles of food vendors and lots of hospitality in Freeman. I enjoyed a spaghetti supper with Denise, who happened to come into the dining area right behind me-God's hand again. I also found Father Jim Zimmer, who I had met last year when he came through Webster on the Tour. He stopped at our Christ the King food stand and introduced himself since he was staying at the rectory with Father Dave. I had spotted him in Madision, but hadn't had a chance to visit with him. We had a great chat. He's an avid biker and had his niece on her maiden TdK voyage. I took up the chance to watch the performance, "Greater Tuna", hosted by Freeman's Community Theater. Lots of goofball humor! The temps cooled off tonight and it felt cozy to actually climb into the sleeping bag. Camp was quiet when the play was over, time for bed. The day is done....80 miles.
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