I finally managed an earlier start at 8:30 a.m.—not much, but a step in the right direction. That victory lasted a whole 15 minutes before I heard a noise coming from the back. It sounded like something was rubbing against the tire, so I pulled over immediately. Sure enough, one of the support bars for my rear rack had come loose. After a quick look, I knew I’d need tools. And, of course, both tool bags were buried at the bottom of each pannier—one in the right, the other in the left. So there I was, unpacking everything I owned on the sidewalk, airing out some literal dirty laundry while I was at it. Once I had everything off the bike, I fixed the rack and repacked. Back on the road, no more hiccups for the rest of the day.

I finished with 47.2 miles under my belt, free of additional challenges. There wasn’t much conversation, but tomorrow’s another day. There were, however, a couple of cool moments worth noting: I saw my first live wildlife today—a tortoise, minding its own business—and stumbled upon a “trail magic” self-serve stand for bikers and hikers. I’ll be posting pictures of both.

Oh, and a fun milestone: the streak is broken! No rain today!

Lastly, I want to thank two people I met yesterday, Wayne Bragg and Myrna from Maine, who are in Florida caring for Myrna’s mom, who has dementia. It’s always special to connect with people who understand the journey of brain injuries, getting the view from a caregiver’s role is very insightful. Thank you two for the donation to Mossflower Abbey Farm.

All in all, it was a good day—quiet, but fulfilling.