73 Miles in Wind and Cold

We're in Atwood, KS after a long day of biking. We set out this morning with temps around 50 and it didn't improve much. Winds from the north today at 20 mph, pretty brutal. We crossed into KS and kept on riding putting us into position to make it to hoxie, grainfield, or all the way to quinter tomorrow,the last day of our tour before we return to denver to meet birth parents. although cold and windy, the terrain today was beautiful, with stunning vallies and larger towns. In 1935 a terrible flood devastated this area, 24 in. of rain in one storm. We stopped at a small town called Bird City. The streets were deserted as we biked thru, a bit surreal. Then as we turned the corner, a lone man stood on the sidewalk playing a fiddle. The empty Kansas streets ecoed the sweet melody. We learned that it was the 125th anniv. of the town's founding and everyone was at the park. We were invited to stay for free bbq but we had many miles to cover so we politely said our goodbyes. I have been thing about how people in these small towns view their lives in relation to the young folks who leave these towns and move to cities like Denver. There is an inertia here that keeps many from leaving.......it comes through in comments that are sometimes self_depricating, or when friends politely remind each other of their limitations, discouraging dreaming. We have noticed small Latino populations in each city. Gabriela engages them much to their delight, and we learn that they have been sent here to do one job or another. They live very separated from the locals, who seem to do their best to simply ignore them. Tonight, I watched a store clerk viewing two young latino men in his store with great vigilance. These kinds of relationships would be a fascinating case study.
Friends we met at dinner at My Place in Atwood.