I slept in, still fatigued from my marathon ride. I finally rolled out to another beautiful but windy day -- not a cloud in the sky for most of the afternoon. I stopped to visit Fort Larned, a military outpost that protected portions of the Santa Fe trail from Indian tribes, including the Pawnee.
That second photo displays a buffalo-hide shield. The brown, stringy thing is a human scalp.
The day's ride was made tolerable by a 20-mile stretch where I rode due north, enjoying a 25 mph wind at my back. I averaged 21 mph for that stretch, compared to 10.9 mph for the remainder of the day. I took it easy, still drained from the previous day's efforts, but still made it to Ness City with plenty of time to enjoy the pool. I met Marvin and Twylia, who live near Ness City, and we chatted until a few thunderheads gathered above the pool.
I had a delicious meal at the Cactus Club, then headed over to the Cozy Tavern, where I enjoyed a few beers while talking with Ginny and Tracy, the only other people that were still awake in Ness City. We talked about all kinds of things until I retired to the city park for a nice (but windy) night.