Base! - Day 79: Warsaw to Yoder, IN

Today was mainly just more ibuprofen-enabled crawling. Attempting to keep pressure off my knees meant putting more on my butt, which was becoming a problem of its own. This led to a lot of awkward shifting as I tried to rotate through different, uh, contact patches, attempting to keep things fresh.

I stopped in Columbia City at a farmer's market and planted myself on a bench. This was apparently right where some Jehovah's Witnesses were setting up. Instead of hearing about Jesus, though, I told them all about where I'd been. The conversation was actually pretty pleasant. They just gave me a pamphlet and asked questions. Even though they're known for being pushy about their beliefs, I can understand why. When I considered myself Christian, I was never comfortable with the fact that no one seemed particularly upset by the idea that billions of people were going to be tortured for eternity. It seems like being a little pushy is the only reasonable response to that belief.

As I finished my third peanut butter and honey wrap-thing, one of them pointed over my shoulder and asked "What do you do when THAT happens? Just hole up somewhere?" I turned to see an unbroken front of dark clouds rushing in from that direction while people rapidly disassembled the farmer's market below. One of them helpfully informed me that the front was approaching at forty miles per hour, and that they had had six tornadoes in a bigger storm last week. He said there wasn't a tornado warning for this one, though, so I dug out my reflective vest, said "I just put this on and keep going", and then did just that.

The front was coming from the west, and I rode the tailwind for a bit before turning south. I got pretty thoroughly soaked and dealt with some small hail, but saw no funnel clouds or anything seriously threatening. Eventually I found calmer weather. The only remaining obstacle was a bridge closure across a major freeway. Luckily, the foundation for the road across was still intact, so I was able to wind through dormant construction equipment and the whole thing was only a mild inconvenience.

On the other side of the bridge, a van pulled up alongside me and the driver waved. I recognized Dave, who Jon and I met in Yellowstone. I had contacted him about staying with them on my way through Indiana. He waved and drove on, and I followed him the last mile or so to their house, glad to be out of the elements before the rest of the storm came through.

Approaching stormclouds were the only picture I took today, shortly before getting drenched: