Out-pedalling storms...

I hear that there has been some crazy weather in Florida, but somehow - thankfully - we have managed to miss it all!!
The last two days have both been 70+ mile days (piece of cake) and both days have been overcast with threatening clouds in the afternoon.
Yesterday, a lady pulled up beside me in her car and warned me that there was a big storm about 15-20 minutes behind us, so what to do???!!  Take shelter immediately OR try to out-pedal it???  Option number two, of course - much more fun.  So Sue and I started to pedal like crazy - with still 10-12 miles to go!!!  I have never biked so hard and so fast for such a length of time in my life - it was fun and a little scary all at the same time.  It was humid (of course, this is Florida) and hot but soon the wind gusts were cold... and the skies were getting darker and darker...  Five minutes out from the hotel, it started to rain... I pulled into the High Springs Country Inn (not nearly as nice as it sounds..) wet but just a little.
I won!!  I out-pedalled the storm!!
It had actually been a wonderful day up until the end.  We had made a stop at the Ichetucknee Springs Park - and swam in this beautiful spring-fed swimming hole.  First time that I have ever swum in my bike clothes.  It was great!
And after I got to the hotel, there was a diner across the street - like an old-fashioned soda joint - so we had a late lunch there, and after supper, Sheila and I wandered over for a beer (or a proper tea for Sheila) because there was a live band playing - a 12- bar blues band.  The place was packed with motorcycle guys with long grey hair and beards, tattoos and leather vests - great people watching!!

Today it was a pretty uneventful day but fortunately we chose to minimize the stops because right now (just after 3pm) it is pouring rain!!  A couple of people are still out there - hopefully the Sag driver was able to find them and pick them up...

Great memory from today - we had all been talking about Dairy Queen and blizzards so 10 or so of us stopped in Palatka at a take out only DQ.  A guy was in the parking lot and had opened his car door - the song Happy by Pharell Williams was playing - loudly - so Sunnye, Liz and I started dancing in the parking lot.  Haven't you always wanted to dance in a parking lot???  Can cross that off my bucket list now....

Last cycling day is TOMORROW!!!!!