Spencer, Iowa to Forest City, Iowa

We enjoyed a quiet 4th at the campground in Spencer, Iowa. Bill cleaned out the back of the truck and I cleaned the kitchen and got a bushel of dust out of the camper. The bicycle was cleaned and prepped, laundry done, and everything ship shape. This morning Bill left at 7:15 to get miles in and I followed an hour and a half later. We had decided to skip Route 18 because of traffic so Bill pedaled north to Route 9.  Well, Miss Garmin decided to have a little fun with me. Bill turned right out of the campground, the Garmin told me to turn left. I thought maybe I was avoiding the downtown. The Garmin had me make a couple of turns and when I was on a straight road feeling proud of myself, the Garmin said, "Stay on Route 18 for 7 miles." What?! I'm not supposed to be on Route 18! It finally directed me to the next road going north and I was on my way at last. It was actually a good thing that I went a few miles on 18; the road was in terrible shape and parts of the breakdown lane had large holes half the size of the truck. Sure glad we decided not to ride this one. When I caught up to Bill, he had gone 37 miles and since the road had recently been repaved, it was a smooth ride so far. I'm in Armstrong, Iowa in a little golf course parking lot. Bill will have over 50 miles when he gets here. With no wind and smooth road, we'll see how many more he'll want to do. Bill arrived doing well. The new seat has made a big difference. He had a snack and I refilled his water and we're both headed for Lakota, Iowa. Route 9 is one long straight road! I made it to Lakota and drove around in the town but didn't find anywhere to camp. Bill will have 70 miles when he gets here so we'll check his phone to see if there's a campground near here. I parked near the town park and almost jumped out of my skin when the tornado siren went off right near me! LOL! Just meant it was noon. Whew! I called Bill to let him know I was here and he said he'll just wait at the turn rather than come into town. So, I'll wait for his call here in this sleepy little town. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you...I was listening to the radio when I heard the announcer talking about a  local event in Burt, Iowa. It was the second annual toilet toss! So many thoughts came to mind...do you lose points if the toilet breaks? Do you get bonus points if it lands right side up? What a picture that would be...a lineup of guys chucking toilets! LOL! I actually found a YouTube video of someone tossing a toilet....it's here.  Bill should be showing up soon; I'll have to share that one with him. When he arrived, he wanted to do 7 more miles into Buffalo Center.

He told me about a gentleman he met on horse back.

He left Pierre, South Dakota and was headed for Washington, DC. It was called "A cowboy's ride for Veterans Awareness". His name is Tony and you can follow along at this link. I was parked near the city park with lunch in the oven when Bill arrived. I heard him talking to someone outside. When I looked out the window, I saw a hot rod looking John Deere tractor!

It was so cool. It was built by Gene Brass and him and his wife Marilyn were taking it for a ride.

I just know my brother will love this! We talked for awhile

and then went in and had our lunch. The closest campground was in Forest City, so we packed up and headed there for the night. 3 Fingers Campground; and yes, the hostess has all her fingers....:) Nice place around a small lake and.....wifi! Thank-you for reading.